The governor, Don Juan de Vargas, in view of the many ravages, murders, and thefts which the revolted Zambals of Playa Honda had committed—infesting the road from Pangasinán to Ilocos, and harassing the adjoining villages that were subject to the Spanish dominion—determined to curb their audacity by some exploit which would inspire them with fear, and to restrain for the future their insolence and daring. For this purpose he sent Captain Alonso Martín Franco and Captain Simón de Torres, with a suitable number of Spaniards, Pampangos, and Merdicas (who are Ternatans and Malays), and gave them the orders that were desirable for the success of so useful an expedition—that Simón de Torres and Alonso Martín Franco, each with half of the soldiers, should go in opposite directions, beating the woods, and fighting with any Zambals whom they might encounter. They did so, compelling the rebels to retreat as far as the place where their companions were; and on St. James’s day the two captains joined their forces, the signal being the discharge of three exploding rockets, and fought with the Zambal insurgents. They carried out their orders and fought against these enemies, who are indeed a warlike people, and killed many of them, not without some loss of our men. Their leader was a valiant Zambal named Tumalang, to whom the inhabitants of those mountains rendered obedience; this man, seeing the death of an associate of his in whom he greatly trusted, whom Alonso Martín Franco had slain, and influenced by some higher feeling, declared that he wished to be a friend of the Spaniards, and with his people to establish villages where he would be under Spanish rule. A very convenient location was set apart, and therein was founded a handsome village called Nueva Toledo, and some others near a fort that is called Pignamén,[62] which Don Manuel de León ordered to be founded—in which, by order of the governor, Captain Alonso Martín Franco remained as commandant, with a larger garrison; and this fort has been most efficacious for averting such losses as they then experienced. Chief Tumalang received holy baptism, and was named Don Alonso; and he declared that it was he who had cut off the head of Don Felipe Ugalde,[63] whose skull he had in his possession as a trophy. This he surrendered to Martín Franco, that he might bury it in consecrated ground. The command of this fort is today an office that is conferred on a very meritorious officer; he has jurisdiction in all those villages of Playa Honda, and appoints in them governors who administer justice, as do the alcaldes-mayor of these islands in their [respective] provinces.
In Zambal villages; 1683
[The following account is taken from Salazar’s Hist. de Sant. Rosario, pp. 300–311. It was a revolt against ecclesiastical authority, and would have ended in the liberation of the Zambals from all Spanish rule, had they not been in awe of the fort and garrison of Paynauen. Salazar’s relation is interesting in regard to native character and missionary methods.]
There was in the village of Balacbac an Indian chief named Dulinen, to whose following belonged a great part of the village; although he came down [from the hills] to live in a settlement, it was more from worldly considerations than from affection for a Christian mode of life, and he therefore left in the mountains all his valuables, and a nephew of his for a guard over them. This was learned by an Indian named Calignao, who went to the mountain and slew the nephew of Dulinen—who, incensed at this, urged his followers to go with him to the mountain to avenge the death of his nephew. When this came to the knowledge of the servant of God,[64] he made every effort to prevent this flight, and although he restrained some of them he could not entirely prevent it; accordingly, that chief went back to the mountains, followed by seventeen families. The commandant of the fort at Paynaoven [sic], when he learned of this departure, attacked the chief and his followers, and burned down the village of Aglao, of which the murderer Calignao and the said chief were natives, and which was near that of Balacbac, where at that time all lived. The said Calignao had many kinsmen, and, in order that these might not go away and flee to the mountains, father Fray Domingo endeavored to gain their good-will; he asked the commandant for a commission as adjutant for Calignao, which the commandant immediately gave him—adding, to pacify the Indians, that the killing by Calignao had been done in compliance with a command by the government that all those should be killed who would not come down to the settlements, etc. With this the men of Balacbac were calmed, but their quiet did not last long; for a relative of Calignao named Dagdagan, who accompanied the commandant and his soldiers, promised to attack the chief who had fled. Entering the woods to carry out this plan, he went but a few paces when he was slain by a Negrillo of the mountains; and, through the mischief-making of a wicked Indian, his relatives believed that the religious had occasioned this death. They assembled to celebrate his funeral rites with much wine-drinking (a common usage among these infidels); and their carousal resulted in an agreement to cut off the head of the servant of God, for which exploit Calignao offered himself, in return for the kind acts which father Fray Domingo had done for him. And now that we have this evil man under consideration [entre manos] it will be well to point out something of his life, in order that what remains to be told of him may not afterward cause surprise. Thomas Calignao was a native of the village of Aglao, distant two leguas from Balacbac, and was a Christian from his childhood—although of Christian he had only the name; for his life and habits were worse than those of a heathen. He never heard mass, or made a confession; he observed neither human nor divine nor even natural law; for his only endeavor was to cut off heads—even if they were those of children or women—without further cause or motive than his craving to kill for the sake of killing. On account of these and many other sins, the commandant often intended to put him to death; but he did not carry out this purpose, through the intercession of father Fray Domingo, for the servant of God said (and not unjustly): “If you kill this man, who has so large a following, many will return to the mountains; but if he is reclaimed to an upright life he will bring in and convert many Cimarrons, and can be very helpful to us in our ministry.” For these and other reasons, and for the salvation of that soul, father Fray Domingo made every effort to convert Calignao to a good life—now with advice, now with kind acts, again with examples, flattering words, and promises, and sometimes with threats—[telling Calignao] that unless he mended his ways, he would leave the commandant to do his duty. None of these methods sufficed to reclaim him, for, even when it seemed as if he were somewhat softened, if they summoned him to hear mass he became indignant, and heard it while seated and smoking tobacco (an impropriety unheard-of in this country); and if the father commanded him to kneel he was inflamed with anger and excitement—most of all, when the father commanded him to come for instruction in the [Christian] doctrine, his ignorance of which made him so bad a Christian. Father Fray Domingo, seeing how little attention Calignao paid to his counsels, availed himself of his relatives and other influential persons, in order that they might bring him to reason and to decent living. But all this was lost time, for besides not hearing mass on the feast-days, or attending instruction (as all did), all that he cared or watched for was to kill others and become drunk; and although he did this, as he thought, in secret, other persons told it to father Fray Domingo, who rebuked him for his cruel acts and his persistence in his evil ways. From this arose the hatred and ill-will which Calignao entertained for the servant of God; and in order to remove him thus, and not have in future any one who would rebuke him, he now offered to cut off the father’s head.
On a certain occasion Calignao killed a poor woman; and as the aggressor was unknown, as this happened in a hidden place, father Fray Domingo undertook, in order to learn who did it, to use the stratagem of feeling the pulse of every person in the village. All agreed to this, except Calignao, who, being present at this trial, escaped and fled to the woods for several days. Soon returning thence to the village, he went about visiting his relatives; he told them that he was going to the mountains, not to return; but that, before he went away, he must cut off some heads. He thereupon went to the house of an Indian, a nephew of the woman whom he had murdered, and in order to kill him unsheathed the ygua, which is worse than a butcher’s knife; but the Indian, who was seated, seized his dagger in his hand, and remained thus, quietly—at which Calignao was afraid, and did not dare to carry out his purpose. At the noise of this, all the people hastened thither, as did father Fray Domingo, who, seeing the perverse Calignao in the mood for cutting off heads, said to him: “Come here, thou wicked man. Are not the murders that thou committest at night enough, without trying to kill in daylight, and in sight of all?” To which he replied: “I am looking for thee, Father, for thee first of all; do thou come here.” Two Indians then approached to pacify him; but all was in vain, for he was blind with anger and fury; and when they tried to bring him to reason, he hastily went out and fled to the mountains. Soon afterward he returned to the village, and, passing in front of the convent at a time when the servant of God was at the window, Calignao began to defy him, with both words and gestures; but father Fray Domingo answered him: “Since thou knowest that the religious do not kill, or carry arms, thou talkest thus—as thou wouldst not talk or act with the soldiers.” This made Calignao very ugly, and, walking throughout the midst of the village, he declared that he would not halt until he had taken the head from father Fray Domingo; and no one dared say a word to him, because he was sheltered by his relatives. The commandant of the fort, having learned of the cruel and shameless acts of Calignao, sent seven Spanish soldiers to guard father Fray Domingo, and ordered them to arrest or kill that evil man; but, although they twice had the opportunity to do this, the servant of God prevented it, and, most of the soldiers having become sick, they returned to their fort without having accomplished anything. The commandant, at this, ordered the headman of Balacbac to seize or kill Calignao, who every day went in or out of the said village; but he did not carry out this order, for all feared him and showed him respect—rather, indeed, they watched over his safety.
For more than three years the servant of God went about, inquiring, with great solicitude into the idolatrous customs which the Zambals had; and for this he availed himself of the boys—whom he assembled together, and taught to read, and related to them the examples and lives of the saints, bestowing on them presents and kindnesses, with great affection. Then he questioned them as to the method and the times in which their parents and elders practiced idolatry, and they told him everything, with all details. This was especially true of the boy Diego, whom father Fray Domingo baptized in Abucay; he was a nephew of a priest of their idols, and was very well instructed in our holy faith; and he was not suspected of telling the father what conduced to the greater service and honor of God. Father Fray Domingo charged the rest of the boys to keep this secret, so that their parents should not flog them; and through fear of this they remained silent, so that it was never known that the boys were the ones who had revealed the practice of idolatry. Thus father Fray Domingo came to know that the chiefs of the villages were the priests of the idols, and that they found this profitable; for by [filling] this office they obtained their food, and had the advantage in any controversy, and, without this, they would fare ill. Also that the common people were in great subjection and obedience to the said priests, who could incite them to any daring act—especially since, as he was informed, all the people in the province, both infidels and Christians, had been bound by promise and oath not to reveal their idolatries, no matter how many inquiries the father should make, even though they were ruined or lost their lives by this silence. Accordingly the servant of God found this undertaking very arduous, and foresaw that it would cost him many hardships, and that he would in it expose himself to many dangers to his reputation, and honor, and even to his life. Notwithstanding, like another Elias, zeal for the honor of God flamed in him; and laying aside all fear for what might come, he directed his efforts and all his energies to the destruction of this infernal vice.
When Lent came around in the year 1683, he began his war against idolatry, having first commended to God this his undertaking. He summoned to his presence each one of the idolaters, and said to one: “Thou hast these and these instruments, and with them thou didst offer sacrifice on such a day, in company with N. and N.”[65] To another he said: “Thou art a priest of so many idols, and for these thou hast so many implements, kept in such and such a place—with which thou renderest to the demon the honor and reverence which are due to God alone, the Author of creation. As proofs of this, on such a day thou didst sacrifice in company with N. and N., and on such a day with N.” In this manner he went on, examining all the Zambals; and they, seeing these accurate proofs, regarded the servant of God as a soothsayer, and handed over to him the instruments of their idol-worship. Immediately he gave these to the boys, so that they could break in pieces and abuse them; and finally he commanded them to burn these articles in the sight of all. The spectators were amazed at seeing that neither the father nor the children died as a result of this desecration of their idols; for they had believed that he who should profane these instruments must perish. The father preached to them, and taught them what they must do in future. Having accomplished this in Baubuen, he proceeded to the villages of Balacbac and Alalang—where, although at the beginning he encountered some resistance, he finally succeeded in his purpose that these Indians also should surrender to him the implements of idol-worship that they possessed. Having placed all these in a little hut, he set fire to it, and all were burned, not without the surprise of these Indians also that no disaster happened to the father.
The Indians of these villages requested that those of the village of Masingloc should not be told that the former had surrendered their implements, because all had sworn an oath not to do so, and, if it were known that they had given up these articles, the others would come to attack, them. Notwithstanding this petition, the servant of God proceeded to do the same at Masingloc, three or four times; there he encountered an old chief, who was the Bayoc, or head priest, who delegated jurisdiction to the rest in order that they could sacrifice to their idols. With this diabolical man, possessed by a demon, the servant of God labored without measure, preaching to him, and convincing him with arguments; but in no way could he be cured of his obstinacy, even when one day father Fray Domingo went so far as to cast himself at his feet and kiss them—watering them with his tears, which ran in streams over his cheeks—begging him for the love of God to give up that practice [of idolatry] and be converted to God with all his heart, and relating to him many instances that were pertinent to the subject; but the old man, obstinate and possessed by a demon, showed himself rebellious, hard, and stubborn. The chiefs of Masingloc, seeing the activity of the servant of God, and the earnestness with which he went about that business, sent nine of their number to Manila, who presented a petition to the government saying that they had been Christians for ninety years[66] and had never kept idols; and now father Fray Domingo Perez had given them the reputation of being idolaters, taking away their good name, etc. This caused the servant of God to suffer much in regard to his own reputation; for in Manila, as people had not kept the matter in mind, each one considered it according to his own personal feelings and the most moderate called it indiscreet zeal, and others lack of judgment. At that time the suits against Señor Pardo were at their height, since about this time he was arrested; accordingly, all those who were governing had a poor opinion of the Dominican friars. And now with the petition of these Indians they were more confirmed in their opinion, treating us as violators of the peace, and disturbers of the people; and all this was charged to the servant of God, as, to appearances, the origin and cause of all the trouble. Accordingly, very severe letters were written to him from Manila, censuring him for imprudent conduct, etc. But the commandant at the fort at Paynaven, as soon as he learned of the result, wrote to the governor, telling him the entire truth, and asking him to arrest those Indians; but when this despatch reached Manila, the petition had been already presented, and representations had been made against the servant of God, and in favor of the Zambal Indians. Notwithstanding this, the governor did what the commandant asked him, placing the Indians in the fort [of Santiago]. When this was known by the people of Masingloc, they immediately surrendered a hundred and fifty implements with which they served and adored their idols; and the commandant again wrote to the governor, asking him to release the nine Indians. This was done, but on the return to their village one of them died after a brief illness; he was the chief minister of the idols, although he did not make this known up to the hour of his death. The others also quickly became ill, and they died one after another, God punishing their insolence, and defending the honor of His servant.
Most of the Indians were reclaimed, and confirmed in our holy faith, by the words and deeds of father Fray Domingo; and they therefore voluntarily gave up the instruments with which they formerly sacrificed to the demon—although many did so because they could not resist, especially those who were priests and had obtained their living by those practices; these were the chief men of the villages. They remained grieved and angry, and with little love for the servant of God; and each one of them would, if he had had the power, have taken the father’s life—or a thousand of them, if he could have had so many—but they were made cowards by their fear of the soldiers at the fort. [Angered at what Fray Domingo had done to uproot their idolatries, these chiefs conspire against him, and resolve to take his life—for which deed Calignao offers his services. At the time (July, 1683), the father is in Manila soliciting contributions for building churches in the Zambal country; his head, which a year before had showed hardly a gray hair, is now almost white, at the age of forty-five—an effect of his unusual toils above described. On November 12 of that same year Fray Domingo is treacherously slain, on his return from Baubuen to Balacbac, by Calignao and an infidel Negrillo named Quibácat, with poisoned arrows. Some friendly Indians convey him to Balacbac, where he dies three days later. The commandant of the fort wishes to go to punish the Zambals for this murder, but a friar dissuades him, saying that if he leaves the fort, the Zambals would get possession of it, “and no religious or Spaniard would be left in all Playa Honda.” Soldiers are sent to seize the assassin, but he cannot be taken, for he is protected by the natives in the village, “who all were present at the funeral more from joy at seeing the father dead than from compassion, or sadness at having lost him, thinking that with the death of father Fray Domingo they could again revive their idol-worship.”]