Plotter of Balangiga lived to tell story (2)

Continued from Monday is the first-person account by Eugenio Daza, leader of the Battle of Balangiga, Sept. 28, 1901. His was an audacious attack, as infantry major of the ragtag Filipino revolutionary army in Samar. All they had were spears, knives, and clubs, yet they routed the well-trained US Army company. American reinforcements then retaliated on the unarmed Balangiga townsfolk. US General Jacob Smith ordered the roundup and execution of all males aged ten and older, to “turn Samar Island into a howling wilderness.” Daza lived to tell the story, three decades later, in the form of a sworn Memorandum (Memoir).

The three Balangiga church bells, which the rebels used to sound the assault, were taken by the colonial troops as war booty. The Philippines has since been trying to get back the bells, as Balangiga church property and part of Philippine heritage. President Fidel Ramos had devoted a good deal of diplomacy with the US for it, to no avail. President Rodrigo Duterte demanded the return of the bells, during his State of the Nation last month. Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone is sponsoring a Congress resolution formally to convey the Filipino sentiment.

Daza’s memoir is reprinted in “The I-Stories: Eyewitness Accounts in the Philippine Revolution and Filipino-American War,” by historian Prof. Augusto de Viana:

“On the night scheduled for the concentration, the forces at Canlara, about 500 well-chosen armed men appeared, ready to give their lives for our country and for the freedom and independence cherished by us since prehistoric times. These men under the immediate command of their respective officers took their places in the camp as designated by me, waiting for the signal for the determined attack on the Americans.

“Another 200 men who were with the force, which I had in command, were inside the town. In order to disguise our objectives, these men were working inside the town for purposes of sanitation, together with others who were prisoners. It is a custom in Samar since time immemorial that whenever it is desired to clean the streets of the town from weeds and herbs, the local authorities call upon the inhabitants to perform this work, called pintakasi, so on that occasion the attention of the Americans was not drawn to the large number of men within the town as it was believed that their only object was to clean the streets of the town and other public places.

“At one o’clock in the morning, Sept. 28, 1901, all women, children, and sick men were ordered to leave town immediately and concentrate in an isolated place. After this precaution, I ordered our armed forces to surround the town at points assigned to each company in accordance to the plan I had on hand. The first Company was under my direct command and of the town President, Mr. Pedro Abayan; the second Company was under Revenue Delegate, Captain Benito Canillas and Lt. Artemio Belaez; the third Company under Barrio Lieutenant of Giporlos, Mr. Petre Abit and a town leader called Bartolome Ayjon; the fourth Company was under Capt. Lopez Angorin and infantry Lt. Pelagio Acosta; the fifth Company under Messrs. Pedro Avila and Andres Hilaria, both officers of the corps of cazadores. At six o’clock in the morning the sixth Company commanded by ex-Municipal Captain Custodio Salazar and Mr. Pablo Gacho, head of barrio Laua-an proceeded to the church with other officers, having been assigned to capture the American officers.

“With the usual cockfight during Sunday and the coming of men summoned to clean the streets of the town, the Americans would not suspect the sudden increase of the number of the men in the town as revolutionaries quartered in the convent of the church; some rebels were attired in feminine dress and simulated praying in church and from there they proceeded to the convent; others brought firewood and young coconuts, the water of which the Americans drank for fear of being poisoned. These men posted themselves in front of the American guards at the stairway of the convent. The seventh Company under Chief of Police Valeriano Abanador, composed of municipal policemen together with the street cleaners and prisoners, was assigned to occupy at any cost one of the American headquarters. This seventh Company was divided into three groups, each to occupy one of the quarters assigned to it.

“To dissimulate and in order that their intentions would not be prematurely discovered, the policemen and the workers were armed only with clubs and dull bolos. The group headed by Capt. Santos Davanadero and Lt. Gonzalo Abejero was assigned to take the municipal building. The group under Police Corporal Mariano Valdenor who was the assistant of Chief of Police Valeriano Abanador, was assigned to take charge of the other quarters; Sergeant of Police Pablo Abejero was also assigned to the group which was to occupy the municipal building.

“The pre-arranged signal for the attack was the ringing of the bells by those who were to be previously posted, and who were to be children, at the belfry. The one to give the order by making motions with his cane was Mr. Valeriano Abanador, who was at the plaza with me. When the companies were posted at their respective places at about 7:00 a.m., I gave the order for the attack which was transmitted immediately by Mr. Valeriano Abanador by means of motions with his cane and the children in the belfry rang the bells which was to be the signal for the general attack of the companies, with the officers commanding them shouting “Courage, brothers, advance!” The rebels kept their word and performed their duty in a patriotic manner, throwing themselves as one man and like hungry wolves against the Americans who were then taking breakfast outside their respective quarters where they had left their arms. The very moment the signal for the general attack was given, the rebels who were to proceed to the church had already been waiting for the ringing of the bells to attack the American officers who were caught completely by surprise at the convent. What happened was indescribable; the ringing of the bells, the general shouting of “Courage, brothers, advance,” was heard everywhere; a noise horrible, imposing sad and hair-raising, which excited the patriotic blood of the rebels; the disorder and confusion among the American soldiers, who, disorganized and horrified, fled in every direction...” (Last installment on Friday)

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 “The I-Stories” was compiled and edited by Prof. Augusto de Viana, History Department chairman, University of Santo Tomas. The book includes eye-witness accounts as well of Rizal’s execution, the capture of Mabini, Lopez-Jaena’s sneak back to Manila, how the Katipunan met in secret, the Cry of Balintawak, Bonifacio’s death, and more. It is available at the UST Publishing House, España Boulevard, Sampaloc, Manila. Telefax +632 7313522; telephone +632 4061611 local 8252 or 8278; email [email protected].

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