“This city, its inhabitants, its churches and religious worship, its educational establishments, and its private property of all descriptions, are placed under the special safeguard of the faith and honour of the American army.”
I believe that this pledge has been faithfully kept. As high and sacred an obligation rests upon the Government of the United States to give protection for property and life, civil and religious freedom, and wise, firm and unselfish guidance in the paths of peace and prosperity to all the people of the Philippine Islands. I charge this commission to labour for the full performance of this obligation which concerns the honour and conscience of their country, in the firm hope that through their labours all the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands may come to look back with gratitude to the day when God gave victory to American arms at Manila and set their land under the sovereignty and the protection of the people of the United States.
William McKinley.
The Past and Present Organization of the Courts of the Philippine Islands[1]
During the last years of Spanish sovereignty the courts in the Philippine Islands consisted of superior courts, which were the audiencia territorial de Manila, the audiencia de lo criminal de Cebú, and the audiencia de lo criminal de Vigan; the courts of first instance, and justice of the peace courts.
The audiencia territorial de Manila exercised jurisdiction in civil matters over the entire Philippine archipelago; in criminal matters it exercised jurisdiction over the central and southern provinces of Luzón and over the islands of Catanduanes, Mindoro, Burias, Masbate and Ticao.
Its legal personnel consisted of a president of the court; two presidents of branches, one of the civil, and the other of the criminal; nine justices (magistrados); four associate justices (magistrados suplentes); one fiscal; one lieutenant-fiscal, and three fiscal attorneys; five secretaries and four law clerks who were assistant secretaries.
The audiencia de lo criminal of Vigan and that of Cebu had only criminal jurisdiction, the former over the northern part of Luzón and the Batanes Islands and the latter over the Visayan Islands and Mindanao. Each of these courts had a president, two justices, two associate justices, one fiscal, one lieutenant-fiscal, a secretary and one law clerk who was assistant secretary.
There was at least one court of first instance in each province. In some, like Batangas, Ambos Camarines, Samar, Leyte, Cebu and Negros, there were two. In Iloílo there were three and in Manila four. These courts were divided into three classes designated as follows: de entrada; de ascenso; and de termino.