New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-25
Typical Case Of Slavery.

tel slaves and often are repeatedly sold
and resold.
Typical Case Of Slavery.
"A typical case is that of Taebansu
/ of Palawan, Lasso. who was bought from
one Patrico Tabastabas by Pastor Medino
/ for 40 pesos. Medno sold him TO Vim
cente Baculli for the same price and ia
| bastabas bought him back in 1912 for 10
pesos. This year he sold him to Benito
Marcelo for 80 pesos. The case came be-
| fore the secretary treasurer of PalaUan.
! who is also justice of the peace, because
! of some trouble over the last payment
| for slaves. and i'm that way the govern
ment learned Of the matter The official
sent Lasso back to his tribe and furnished
me with statement Of the facts
Persons less rash than those of the
class of slave traders just referred 10
have made claim that slavery does not
exist and never has existed in the ter
ritory subject To the authority Of the
| Philippine Legislature Is distinguished
from that inhabite by Moros and other
| on-Christian tribes and subject TO the
authority OF the Philippine Commission
only. But Palawan is one OF the prov
inccs subject to the authority of the Phil
ippine Assembly.
at is possible that Senior Quezon, the
Philippine Delegate in Congress, who
denies the existence Of slavery, is SO
ignorant Of conditions there as to be
unaware Of the conditions ! have Just
described and Of the fact that many
Moros Of that place held slaves until
compelled to give them up by the pro-
vinciaI government administered by
me as Secretary Of the Interior, but IL
so he has no right to claim that he is
Slavery Common in Isabella.
| Isabella is a province also subject to
the authority Of the Philippine Assem-
| bly,. but il differs from Palawan in that
, the large majority of its Inhabitants are
] Christians and in the further fact that
/ il is organized under the provincial gov
| eminent act and is therefore not in any
way subject TO me as Secretary OF the
Interior. Yet slavery has been common
in this province from the beginning OF
historic times, and il is common there
to-day. its occurrence is admitted. and
made by a fellow townsman Of Senior
| Quezon, Francisco Dichoso, who was
Governor Of the province when he made
1 the report in 1903
william ". Taft was Civil Governor
/ of the Philippines at the time and he
, directed that a full investigation OF these
facts be made. Among other things.
Governor Dichoso himself had been
charged with owning slaves. bat he de-
I MED it. not because there were no slaves
! to be had. but because ii was against his
nature TO treat human beings as property.
"Ambos Camarines is a regularly Or
gsnized province. under control of the
, Philippine Assembly; yet since the Ameri
| can occupation children have been sold
into slavery there for deportation into
! China. The essential facts were reported
! by the Filipino Governor and the Filipino
! fiscal of the province.
| Dean Worcester presents records to
prove his assertions, including a letter
/ from Lieutenant Governor SAM Of Ram
\ blon, where seventy children were enticed
I from home. DR.. Worcester then says:
SAM has subsequently recovered a
number OF these children. but to do go he
/ had to enlist the aid of the Secret Service
/ at Manila and the Philippine constabu-
| larry at Capiz. The greater part Of the
| children. however have never been To-
/ Gated. The men concerned in these trans
I actions were arrested and tried and the
principal. who was operating under an
! assumed name was convicted of abduc-
/ ton Of minors.
| THE question will be asked: What has
| been done to stop this traffic in human
J flesh? And I really do not know where
| to begin. Upon receiving reports OF the
! slavery which existed in Isabella province
J i'm 1903, Mr. Taft referred them TO Com
missioner Wright. suggesting that anti
| slavery laws ought TO be Incorporated In
the new Penal Code. which was being
drawn up under Wrights supervision
The revision of that code was a tremen-
1 dous piece of work. which has not been
: completed yet, and so Mr.. Tafts recon-
mendations might just as well not have
been made.
"In my own annual report for the year
| 1912 ] urged the passage Of some law to
penalize the slave trade. and on October
| "a OF that year the Philippine Commits
, sion did pass one II went TO the Philip
] pine Assembly on January s. 1919, and
was promptly tabled II is tabled STILL
and this is the status OF the situation
to-day.