The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-12
WILL FIGHT TO THE LAST
Rafael Del Pan Fontela Speaks for
the Filipinos.
lie Declares His Countrymen Want
Independence or Nothing-GeneraIs
Absence of Peace in the Islands
AGuinnldo in the LuzOn Mountains.

We want peace and independence. If
YOU refuse to give us independence, an
independence such as your own people
fought and died for. you will have to ex-
terminate us. We cannot fight in large
commands against your soldiers. but que
rilla warfare will be kept up for twenty
years and more If there are any Fihpinos
left to fight
This statment was made to Times re-
porter last night by Rafael Del Pan Fon
tela, native Filipino, who is in Wash.
ington in the interest of the Filipino peti.
ton presented to the Senate last Thurs
day. Mr. Fonteia studied law in Manila
and graduated from the university al
Madrid. He published La Oceania Es-
pamela in Manila. and says that he adj
vised General Otis when he first came to
the Philippines to use peaceable rather
than forceful means to subdue the Fill.
,pinos.
This was the crime which | committed
and for which General Otis suspended my
paper. 1t is an injustice to say that the
Fflipinos are savages; on the contrary
they are the most civilized people in the
Orient. The majority of the inhabitants
of Luzon, Vesayas and the coast of Min
danao are Christians. They number abou,
100000
About 10 per cent of them can READ
and write, and their morals are excellent
No one will doubt the intellectual capae-
ity OF the inhabitants Of Luzon' This is
easily proven when during the six months
in which we had an independent govern.
ment in Malolos they framed a constitu-
ton. organized a government, and found
ed two universities. The American peo-
pie are misinfOrmed to a great extent as
to the intellectual and moral qualities of
the Fflipinos. We all speak one Ian
guaSe; there are some dialects, but not
as many as there are in England or Ger
many"
Speaking Of the petition which was pre-
sented by him to the Senate and in which
II IS alleged number of Filipinos ask
for independence, Mr.. FOnteIa said:
This petition is signed by peaceful re-
spectacle, and responsible inhabitants of
Manila. To say that its contents are trea-
Sonable, as charged by some of Your leg
isiators, is not well founded In law and
common sense. How can we be traitors
or rebels vixen we are not citizens of the
United States. We can no more commit
treason against the United States than
an American can do so against Spain We
are no rebels. We seek by peaceable
means TO attain independence. The FIJI
Pine government is established and ac-
where the American army does not extend
its power, and that comprises about "a per
cent OF !he territory or more. Every Fill
plno loves his country and independence
- 'Aguinaldo is in the mountains in the
province of Buengued, the most healthy
part of LuZon. The story of his repeated
death is a story of children to children
The FiIpinos idolize Aguinaldo. as he is
brave and sincere. He is honest and con-
slant of purpose When General Otis ask
ed Aguinaldo to surrender. he replied: I
lost my hope to win against you. but ]
do not lose my hope to die for the liberty
Mr. Fontela discussed General MacAr-
thurs measure of deporting Filipino lead
ers as follows:
This is a mistake These so-called
leaders, Mabini and Ocampo and others
are honest and well-known men; they are
trusted by our people. The only crime
they committed was to say that they
wanted independence. If General Mac
Arthur. on the other hand keeps close
friendship. as he is doing with men who
for selfish reasons, profess friendship for
the Americans, but who are distrusted by
their own people, because they are known
to be hyDecrites. he more and more
estranBes himself from the Filipinos. 1t
is not true than any foreign power is
assisting us in any manner whatsoever
and il is equally untrue that our Paris
representative and the one of Hongkong,
Agoncillo and DIR. Apacible. are to change
places or have disObeyed instructions
from Aguinaldo.
Mr.. FOntela said regarding an editorial
in one Of the Washington papers which
was to the effect that the petition which
was presented to the Senate was not OF
Asiatic origin: I'VE have European educa.
ton, our Views and conceptions of things
are therefore to a great extent European
which may account for the absence in the
bill of 'Asiatc soaring. The petition is
of Filipino origin, and | know the man
who wrote it. but / don't like to give his
name or General Macarthur may deport
the poor devil 1t is a great mistake to
send more soldiers TO the Philippines. IL
is not soldiers that are needed there to
settle the matter, it is by peaceable means
that the difficulty should be settled