Macario sakay

AGRARIAN UNREST

“Filipinas, farewell! Long live the Republic and may

our independence be born in the future!”

EARLY LIFE

Full Name: Macario Sakay y de León

Born: March 1, 1870

Tondo, Manila, Philippines

Started out as an apprentice in a calesa

manufacturing shop.

He was also a tailor, a barber, and an actor

in comedias and moro-moros.

His participation in Tagalog dramas exposed

him to the world of love, courage, and

discipline.

JOINING THE KATIPUNAN

1894, Sakay joined the Dapitan, Manila branch of

the Katipunan

Due to his exemplary work, he became head of the

branch.

His nightly activities as an actor in

comedias camouflaged his involvement with the

Katipunan. Sakay assisted in the operation of the

Katipunan press.

During the early days of the Katipunan, Sakay

worked with Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto.

He fought side by side with Bonifacio in the hills of

Morong (now Rizal) Province.

JOINING THE KATIPUNAN (CONT’N)

During the initial stages of the Filipino-American

war, Sakay was jailed for his seditious activities. He

had been caught forming several Katipunan

chapters and preaching its ideals from town to

town.

REPUBLIKA NG KATAGALUGAN

Released in 1902 as the result of an amnesty, Sakay

established with a group of other Katipuneros

the Republika ng Katagalugan in the mountains of

Southern Luzon.

Sakay held the presidency and was also called

"Generalisimo." Francisco Carreon was the vice-

president and handled Sakay's correspondence. Julian

Montalan was the overall supervisor for military

operations. Cornelio Felizardo took charge of the

northern part of Cavite (Pasay-Bacoor) while Lucio de

Vega controlled the rest of the province. Aniceto Oruga

operated in the lake towns of Batangas. Leon

Villafuerte headed Bulacan while Benito Natividad

patrolled Tanauan, Batangas.


L to R: seated, Julian Montalan, Francisco Carreon, MacarioSakay, Leon Villafuerte; standing, Benito Natividad, Lucio

de Vega.


Sakay and many of his followers favored long hair,

certainly something strange for his era. This

affectation may have been exploited by the

Americans in their efforts to portray Sakay and his

men as wild bandits preying on the simple folk of

the countryside. Even today, many in the Tagalog

area (most of whom have never heard of Macario

Sakay) refer to a man with long hair as "someone

who looks like Sakay." This is, perhaps, a testimony

to the effectiveness of the American propaganda

campaign.


In April 1904, Sakay issued a manifesto stating that the Filipinos had a fundamental right to fight for Philippine independence.

The American occupiers had already made support for independence, even through words, a crime. Sakay also declared that they were true revolutionaries and had their own constitution and an established government.

The Tagalog Republic's constitution was largely based on the early Katipunan creed of Bonifacio. For Sakay, the new Katipunan was simply a continuation of Bonifacio's revolutionary struggle for independence.


This is the author's impression of what Sakay's Republika ng

Katagalugan flag must have looked like. There are no available

pictures of the flag; this reconstruction was based on a written

description.

GUERILLA TACTICS

In late 1904, Sakay and his men took

military offensive against the enemy. They

were successful in seizing ammunition and

firearms in their raids in Cavite and

Batangas. Disguised in Philippine

Constabulary uniforms, they captured the

U.S. military garrison in Parañaque and ran

away with a large amount of revolvers,

carbines, and ammunition. Sakay's men

often employed these uniforms to confuse

the enemy.

GUERILLA TACTICS

Using guerrilla warfare, Sakay would

look for a chance to use a large

number of his men against a small

band of the enemy.

They usually attacked at night when

most of the enemy was looking for

relaxation. Sakay severely punished

and often liquidated suspected

collaborators

GUERILLA TACTICS

The Tagalog Republic enjoyed the support of the

Filipino masses in the areas of Morong, Laguna,

Batangas, and Cavite.

Lower class people and those living in barrios

contributed food, money, and other supplies to the

movement.

The people also helped Sakay's men evade military

checkpoints. They collected information on the

whereabouts of the American troops and passed

them on.

Muchachos working for the Americans stole

ammunition and guns for the use of Sakay's men.

GUERILLA TACTICS

This vest with all its religious figures and Latin phrases belonged to Macario Sakay. It was his anting-anting and protected him from bullets and other hazards of war.

Many Filipinos who participated in the fight against Spain and the United States used anting-antings of all types for personal protection.

RETRIBUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

Unable to suppress the growth of the

Tagalog Republic, the Philippine

Constabulary and the U.S. Army started to

employ "hamletting" or reconcentration in

areas where Sakay received strong

assistance.

The towns of Taal, Tanauan, Santo

Tomas, and Nasugbu in the province of

Batangas were reconcentrated.


This cruel but effective counter-insurgency

technique proved disastrous for the Filipino

masses.

The forced movement and reconcentration

of a large number of people caused the

outbreak of diseases such as cholera and

dysentery.

Food was scarce in the camps, resulting in

numerous deaths.


Search and destroy missions operated relentlessly in an attempt to suppress Sakay's forces.

Muslims from Jolo were brought in to fight the guerrillas.

Bloodhounds from California were imported to pursue them.

The writ of habeas corpus was suspended in Cavite and Batangas to strengthen counter-insurgency efforts.

With support cut off, the continuous American military offensive caused the Tagalog Republic to weaken.

FALL OF SAKAY

While all of these were

going on, the American

leader of the Philippine

Constabulary, Col. Harry H.

Bandholtz, conceived a

plan to deceive Sakay and

his men. He would later be

quoted as saying that the

technique involved "playing

upon the emotional and

sentimental part of the

Filipino character."

FALL OF SAKAY

In mid-1905, the American governor-general of the

Philippines, Henry Ide, sent an ilustrado named

Dominador Gomez to talk to Sakay.

Gomez presented a letter from the American

governor. The written statement promised that if

Sakay surrendered, he and his men wouldn't be

punished or jailed.

Moreover, Gomez assured Sakay that a Philippine

Assembly comprising of Filipinos will be formed to

serve as the "gate of kalayaan."

FALL OF SAKAY

Sakay took the bait, went down from the

mountains, and surrendered on July

14, 1906.

On July 17, Sakay and his staff were invited

to attend a dance hosted by the acting

governor of Cavite.

Just before midnight, they were

surrounded, disarmed, and arrested by

American officers who were strategically

deployed in the crowd.

FALL OF SAKAY

Sakay and his men were brought to

the Bilibid Prison.

They were tried and convicted as

bandits.

During the trial, Gomez was not

around to produce the letter from the

American governor-general. He didn't

even show up and the letter had

mysteriously disappeared.

FALL OF SAKAY

Sakay was hanged on September 13, 1907.

Before he died, he uttered,

"Filipinas, farewell! Long live

the Republic and may our

independence be born in the

future!"

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Macario sakay