The chief cause for murder was friendliness toward the Americans. As time passed and the common people had an opportunity to contrast the brutality of their own soldiers with the kindly treatment usually accorded them by the American troops, they welcomed the latter. Weary of danger to life and property, the better men in the towns became very desirous to see the reëstablishment of local governments, and ready to assist in the work. The answer of the Insurgent leaders took the form of wholesale orders for the murder or assassination of all persons friendly to the Americans. I shall cite enough such orders to show that this policy was duly provided for throughout the length and breadth of the Insurgent territory.
Many of the Visayans were friendly toward the Americans from the outset. On March 24, 1900, “General in Chief” Maxilom, of Cebú, issued an order providing for the execution, after a most summary trial, of the presidentes of all towns which subscribed to and recognized American sovereignty. This rule was to apply to Filipino citizens, including even the wealthy, a most unusual arrangement! Failure to be “subject to the will of the Honourable President Señor Emilio Aguinaldo” spelled death.[11]
Outside the Cebú towns occupied by the Americans the guerillas commanded by Maxilom were able to collect tribute by the employment of such methods as were provided for on June 22, 1900, by Maxilom’s order fixing the duties of the magdudukuts, or secret avengers, who were empowered to “execute without remorse all notorious traitors.”[12] This was, in practice, a general warrant to commit murder.
Pursuant to these instructions Pablo Mejia, a Filipino of high character and conspicuous ability, was assassinated in a street of Cebú in August, 1899. The Visayans had reason to be proud of him and to execrate his assassins.
On January 31, 1900, Pio Claveria, delegate to the Military Government of Iloílo province, Panay Island, wrote the presidente of Tigbauan, that if it was true that he and various other residents of that town had taken an oath recognizing American sovereignty and did not retract it the town would be razed to the ground, and they would be “deserving of the terrible penalties prescribed by the laws of the revolution!”[13]
On April 3, 1900, General Leandro Fullón, who signed himself “Political and Military Governor” of Antique, and was one of Aguinaldo’s emissaries, wrote a circular letter, to be sent “by the fastest carriers from one town to the other,” imposing sentence of death and confiscation of property on people who had taken out certificates of citizenship issued by the Americans, together with annihilation of their towns.[14]
On July 11, 1900, Fullón issued a more sweeping order, containing the following provisions:—
“1. Any meeting or assembly of a popular character, held at the instance of the Officers of the United States, for the purpose of recognizing the liberty and independence of the towns of this province, is absolutely forbidden.
“2. The person arranging such meeting shall be shot at once without trial or court martial, unless forced to do so by majeure.
“3. Any Filipino filling any office in the name of the United States shall be considered a traitor to his country, and in addition to the penalties imposed by the Penal Code of Spain, provisionally in force, all his property shall be confiscated, and if this should not be possible, the authorities of the Philippine Republic shall endeavour to ...” (remainder of sentence unintelligible).[15]