General Macario Sakay y De Leon – The 4th President of the Philippine Republic of Katagalugan, The Last Man Standing In Our War Against The Great American Empire The stigma of Macario Sakay y De Leon was his robust long black hair that was, untrimmed but tidily groomed down to the final joint of the spinal column. With such display of defiance as he vowed never to cut such Malayan hair not until the country of his birth will be free from rapacious colonial interlopers – and the last of it was the Great American Empire. Sakay is one of the prominent figures in Gat Andres Bonifacio’s Katipunan – Kataastasan Kagalang-galangang Katipunan Ng Anak Ng Kapuluang Katagalugan, conscripted at the early stage of the Council and since then on, vowed to nourish a long hair as a depiction of dissent and defiance imprinted in the annals of the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896 and the Philippine-American War of 1899 until his unfortunate death in 1907. In his youth as a “bastardo picaroon” or a child born out of wedlock, he dwelled among the urban poor community of Tabora Street in Tondo Manila, with livelihood of all sort suited to an “indio” during those days. Natives were never as a legal term in any documents be docketed as Filipinos – attributed only to pure Spanish descent born in Islas Felipenas the same way pure Spanish locally born cannot be legally called Spanish – attributed only to Spanish born in Iberian Spanish Peninsula. Sakay’s revolutionary stature, he is the Attila the Hun of all his country and people’s oppressors – the Spanish Colonizers, the Great American Empires, the half-breeds and fellow indios and infieles or infidels utilized by both interlopers as resistance force; and Sakay dedicated his youthful idealism, life and limb in every way he can muster to free his people and country of birth from the fetters of foreign domination. He can be arrayed to the greatest of heroes in the annals of Philippine History – more decisive than Jose Protacio Mercado Realonda Orzowa Rizal, more enigmatic than the El Supremo Presidente Gat Andres Bonifacio, more cunningly brilliant than the Generalissimo Dictador Emilio Aguinaldo and more resolute than General Miguel Malvar. In the event that the Great “Indio” Malayan Race defeated the Great American Empire in its struggle for freedom, General Macario Sakay y de Leon would have been our Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Ho Chi Minh or perhaps George Washington. But it didn’t turn out to be that way, for history is always inscribed by the victors and those who espouse the reigning powers, wittingly, the Americans scrapped the real warrior and gentleman attributes of General Macario Sakay as a propaganda that who so ever wage war against the Great American Empire are mere bandits, bandoleros, ladrones or malefactors of thieves and robbers. Ergo, the commencement of American pacification and annexation of the Philippines with impunity and whims. But as Dona Gregorio “Orang" de Jesus have had said: “never conceal the true event of history for in the long run the truth will prevail.” In deed the truth came out; after the Philippine independence of 1946, writers and scholars with patriotic intent unraveled the Filipino point of view of history juxtaposed with the hoax colonial versions. Alas, such generation came into conclusion that the bandit figure Sakay was a genuine patriotic hero in the best tradition of Gat Andres Bonifacio – the 1st President of the Kapulungang Katagalugan Republic, Emilio Jacinto, Briccio Pantas, and Apolonio Samson who were his Comrades-In-Arms in the Katipunan. Contrary to the whimsical depiction by the Americans of him as a “Bandolero” and a “Tulisanes,” and no one from among the populace would have believed it so, for General Macario Sakay and his Cabinet Members dressed neatly with fashion and style – garbed in crisp rayadillo uniforms, shinny leather shoes, complete with Remington pistols along side with newly sharpened daggers and their long hair cleaned and combed tidily. In the year 1952, a member of the Philippine Historical Society in the person of Antonio K. Abad, published the detailed and definitive life history: “General Macario L. Sakay – The Only President of the Tagalog Republic” (should have been The 2nd President instead of Only President – DELTA). The foreword by Professor Teodoro A. Agoncillo – cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo, read, “No Filipino has been so slandered in history as general Macario Sakay xxxxx Sakay and his men lived dangerously patriotic and thus invited the vengeanceful hatred of the Americans who campaigned a double-edged knife of imperialism and pacification through mass murder, arson, rape, infanticide and genocide. The Great American Empire earmarked them as bandits, robbers and outlaws xxxx Messenger Antonio K. Abad has recreated the hero out of mass of documents xxxx His work is a vindication of the much maligned man who dared posterity to emulate his deep devotion to the ideals of independence.” University of the Philippines Professor Renato Constantino also published his findings in the 1960s, demolishing the American colonial libel about General Macario Sakay with gusto. The Philippine - American War was formally settled in 1902, after the capture of Generalissimo Dictador Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy in his mountain lair in Palanan, Isabela, Cagayan Valley, in 1901 – designating General Miguel Malvar as President and to take over the mantel of leadership, thus he go down in history as the 3rd President under the Philippine Dictatorial Government, Gat Andres Bonifacio being the 1st President under the Philippine Katagalugan Republic. But Filipino resistance against the United States of America did not end until 1907 when the First Filipino Parliament was allowed. The Great American Empire and hegemony has to spent $300,000,000 million more in pacifying the Philippines, of which, initially they thought, that was a good buy at the bargain price of $20,000,000 million; instead, their first Vietnam and killing fields transpired. General Macario Sakay y de Leon – the 4th President under the revived Philippine Katagalugan Republic as per designation by no other than Emilio Aguinaldo – the man who almost destroyed it that would have virtually erased the Katipunan Council story in the pages of Philippine history books, was at the beginning of the Philippine resistance to the United States of America hegemony, an undercover man operating in Manila and other adjoining provinces where he revived the Katipunan fervor; organizing commandos, intelligence and sabotage units detrimental to the stability of the present government. While head of the Dapitan section of the Katipunan Magdiwang Council in Manila, Sakay was arrested and jailed but later on released under the general amnesty of July 1902. He opted to avail of the opportunity so that later on, wage another war against the Americans by organizing huge guerilla forces that operated in Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and in the urban Manila. Not a ragtag of robbers and thieves but troops numbering to 4,000 able bodied warriors. In his mountain stronghold, he declared on may 6, 1907 the establishment of the Republica Kapuluang Katagalugan (Republic of Tagalog Archipelago) with himself as President or El Supremo Presidente, Francisco Carreon as Vice President and Lieutenant General Julian Montalan as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. In a 2nd Manifesto, a Kapuluang Katagalugan Constitution was enacted and published in Tagalog and Spanish in newspapers edited by Lope K. Santos, proclaiming the Republic of Tagalog Archipelago as the true revolutionists, with a government in place and operating at “Dimas-Alang,” imploring the representatives of other nations “for support and assistance in acquainting the World with our true intent and aims for our unfortunate country under siege by foreign interloper.” Macario Sakay y de Leon’s government was a legitimate and genuine in the notion and eyes of the populace, with a flag, a system of taxation, a disciplined army or armed forces consisting of battle tested battalions and regiments of infantry, artillery, trench engineers, and medical corps with separate command in designed full uniform. The Republic of Kapuluang Katagalugan under the Presidency of Sakay operated in absoluter defiance of a gargantuan superior US Army, exasperated and deriding authorities in Manila. It was a rigid government with strict written laws – uncongenially and impartially executed, especially principal punishment and physical mutilating imposed on collaborators, informers to US authorities, supporters and spies. It took the Great American Empire 3,000 troops and two more years to think they had defeated Sakay. Although, the “pacification” activities had formally ended, there was no let-up in the attacks of Sakay’s armed forces on U.S. installations. In 1905 – 1906, the Americans cunningly devised a more effective and successful trap. 1st, they passed the Brigand Act defining all resistance to U.S. rule as criminal acts punishable by death as standard penalty. The American government was able to wean many of the “Ilustrado” elites from their anti-colonial stance by offering business and logging permits as reciprocation. Men like Pardo de Tavera formed the Partido Federalista that aspired for statehood in the U.S. Union; Pedro Paterno, the Aranetas, Benitezes participated in other pro-American events; Epifanio de los Santos became the delegate to the U.S. Exposition in saint Louis in 1904, and displayed Cordillerans like savage people without culture and ingenuity – when in fact those peoples in the North were artisans of the most ancient Rice Terraces in the World outdating the rice paddy terraces in China for more or less 2,500 years. Macario Sakay was a young dashing and debonair legendary folk hero, a romantic figure, a mucho guapito in his times, so that he was rumored to have infatuated and kidnapped the equally alluring and voluptuous wife of a provincial Governor who vowed for revenge. One of the most charming and persuasive ilustrados, Dr. Dominador Gomez was commissioned by the U.S. authorities to lure Sakay and discuss amnesty for his freedom fighters. General Leon Villafuerte later testified in court that Dr. Dominador Gomez had amplified the promise of the American Governor General of the creation of a National Assembly elected by Filipinos and pave way for eventual self-government and independence. After several dialogues and negotiations, Sakay and his entourage composed of Carreon, Villafuerte, Montalan and De Vega went down from Tanay to Manila protected with a safe-conduct-pass issued by the Americans; dressed in freshly starched “rayadillo” uniforms, in full regalia, with their long black Malayan hair neatly combed. The people euphorically in the festive mood when the group arrived somewhere in Malate, offering them gifts and foods, played the musical guitar renditions and acclaimed them as celebrity heroes. Amidst the banquets, music and dances accorded them in a fiesta in Cavite being invited guests by the Americans, at 11:00 a.m., with the edifice hall surrounded by Filipino commissioned constabulary, American army officers disarmed Sakay and his followers and rounded up more or less 400 of his men almost without resistance due to the enormous enemy force deployed around the vicinity. General Villafuerte shouted betrayal almost senselessly and Sakay challenging his apprehender of fair battle in the open field, only to realize that they were already overwhelmed and duped. Fettered and manacled, they were taken by a native boat to the Hotel de Oriente in Binondo and later on to the Bilibid Prison. Captain Rafael Crame presided over the preliminary investigation slapping them a crime punishable under the “Brigand Act.” General Macario Sakay was defended pro bono by Lawyers Felipe Buencamino and Ramon Diokno (father of former Senator and Anti-Marcos militant Pepe Diokno). In the Bilibid Prison, they were allowed visitations but with very strict security measures. Some sympathizers pleaded clemency in behalf of Sakay and his men, including Emilio Aguinaldo, Vicar General Gregorio Aglipay y Labayen, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, the Liga de Mujeres and the Union Obrera Democratica. To no avail, instead, the prisoners witnessed atrocities never been so devilishly perpetuated in the annals of history regarding war crimes. More or less 300 of Sakay’s army were hanged inside the Bilibid prison without due process and litigation of their crimes; and more or less 150 were injected with lethal death serum. Many of Sakay’s men gave up arms and surrendered due to promises that they would not be harmed or imprisoned. At the Trial in the Court of First Instance, presided by Judge Ignacio Villamor, using false testimonies of equally false witnesses, Sakay and his men were accused of robbery in band, manslaughter, rape, summary execution, arson, kidnapping and any other crimes unimaginable. Dr. Dominador encouraged them to plead guilty of the crimes with the promise that it will be reciprocated with pardon. In contrast to the insistence of public defenders Buencamino and Diokno of the plea of “not guilty,” as depiction of both innocence and non-recognition of American sovereignty. On August 6, 1907, Judge Ignacio Villamor (who would become the first President of the University of the Philippines and eventually Associate Justice of the Supreme Court as an ex-deal) convicted them with the initial 400 who were meted with death sentence via garrote and death serum without litigation and due process. Those who were included in the charge sheet who pleaded “guilty” as per advised by Dr. Dominador Gomez were commuted to life imprisonment while those who pleaded “not guilty” like Sakay and De Vega were hanged in the gallows. An anomaly and double standard dispensation of American justice is prevalent at this instance. Just who was Doctor Dominador Gomez – the agent used by the American Regime to lure General Macario Sakay to come out from his mountain lair and headquarters in Tanay and go down to Manila? As per National Historical Institute insider William J. Pomeroy, Dominador Gomez was a medical doctor, a graduate from University of Santo Tomas, who in 1903 at the beginning of the American Regime had taken from Isabelo de los Reyes the leadership of the Union Obrero Democratica and had participated in a well-oiled anti-American rally, wherein he was arrested, charged of sedition, eventually convicted and sentenced with four year imprisonment in hard labor. Dominador Gomez’s case was on appeal to the Supreme Court manned by majority with American justices; his sentence un-served when he began to negotiate Sakay’s surrender enduring arduous task of trekking from Manila to Tanay and vice versa showing a letter from the Governor General that promised a Filipino Assembly and eventual independence if Sakay and his army laid down their arms. It is worthy to note that a few weeks after Sakay and the others were hanged, Dominador Gomez’s pending case was summarily dismissed for insufficient evidence by no other than the Supreme Court. Gomez then went on to become a representative for the First Philippine Assembly of 1907 where he was denounced and expelled by Sergio Osmena and Manuel L. Quezon, for having served as a surgeon of the Spanish army in Cuba and received a medal from the Spanish Queen during the Spanish-American War. But in 1909, Gomez was re-elected to a second term because, despite his previous disgraceful expulsion, he was backed by the American authorities. The facts why this transpired speaks for them – Sakay was the plea bargain. At 8:30 in the morning, on September 13, 1907, General Macario Sakay and Colonel Lucio de Vega were taken from their prison cells to the gallows. Reaching the flat form, Sakay shouted at the top of his baritone, “I face the Lord Almighty calmly but we must have to tell you that we are not bandits and robbers as the Americans accused us, but member of the Revolutionary Army that depended our country; long live the Philippines, Adios Filipinas!” Sakay was betrayed, duped, sentence to die in the gallows and used as an instrument of his fellow Filipinos to assert power and prestige, at the tender age of 37 – but died with dignity and pride as the 4th President of the Philippine Republic of Kapuluang Katagalugan. Research: Dr. Delmar Topinio Taclibon, Bt., DKR, KRSS, BSCE, MBA, PhD.D.A. References: Heroes and Villains, Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, Copyright 2012, Cruz Publishing Constantino, Renato. The Philippines: A Past Revisited.Manila, 1993 Ileto,Reynaldo C., Pasyon and Revolution: Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910.Quezon City. 1989 Kalaw, Maximo, The Development of Philippine Politics, 1872-1920.Manila. 1926 Ochosa, Orlino A. Bandoleros: Outlawed Guerillas of the Philippine American War, 1903-1910. Manila.1995 Orlino Ochosa, The Tinio Brigade: Anti-American Resistance in the Ilocos Provinces (1899 – 1901), Copyright 1989, New Day Publishers Delfin Tolentino, Jr., Resistance and Revolution in the Cordillera, NCCAA and the University of the Philippines Baguio Onofre D. Corpuz, The Roots of the Filipino Nation, Copyright 1989, Aklahi Foundation Inc. Santiago V. Alvarez’s The Katipunan and The Revolution, Memoirs of A General, Translated in English by Paula Carolina S. Malay, Introduction by Ruby R. Paredes, Philippine Copyright 1992, Published in Cooperation with the Center for Southeast Asia Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ateneo de Manila University Press, Bellarmine Hall, Loyola Heights, Q.C. |
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