The following is an excerpt from Chapter V Dr.Antonio de Morga's "Sucessos de la Filipinas," published in 1609. Dr. De Morga was a Catholic Priest, an Assesor, and the Lieutenant Governor of the Philippine colony, having replaced de Rojas whom I discussed in my History entry # IX (after the murder of Governor-General Gomez Perez Dasmarinas in 1593, de Rojas tried to usurp Dasmarina's son as the new Governor-General of the colony). de Morga's work is valuable because it offers us a fair idea of the political climate in Manila at the end of the 16th Century, as well as the first few years of the 17th Century. The period in question was important in so far as it marked the first attempt by Spain to truly colonise Mindanao. The expedition itself is quite interesting in that it shows that in that time period, the Sultunate of Buayan was the pre-eminent power in Central Mindanao, and that its chief nemesis happened to be fellow Maguindanowan Tribesmen, who willingly sought colonisation by the Spaniards as a way in which to mitigate the threat posed by the more powerful Buayan.
Of course this runs counter to the fantasy sold by most Filipino Muslims, that the Sultunate of Maguindanao was absolutely opposed to the Spanish in any way, shape, or form. When the English privateer William Dampier visits the Sultunate of Maguindanao almost 150 years later, a visit I have chronicled in another History entry and indeed will cover again in future entries, the Maguindanowans had eclipsed the Buayan and woth their position of strength now have come to despise the Spanish. Indeed Dampier remarked that while in the past there HAD been a Spanish settlement thereabouts, the Spaniards had abandoned it and that upon their departure the Maguindanowans had burned the fort and settlement out of emnity. In reality it was the Spaniards themselves who destroyed their own structures and did so much to the distress of their strong allies, the Maguindanowans.
Chapter V:
Orders arrived from Spain from his majesty to conclude an agreement with Captain Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa had made with (GOVERNOR-GENERAL) Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, under which the former was to pacify and settle the island of Mindanao under his own expense, and receive the governorship of the island for two lives and other rewards. The said agreement was effected, after certain difficulties that arose were settled. Don Esteban Rodriguez prepared men and ships, and what else was neccessary for the enterprise, and with some galleys, galleots, frigates, vireys, barangays, and lapis (ALL TYPES OF WATER CRAFT) set out with two hundred and fourteen Spaniards for the island of Mindanao in February of the same year, 1596. He took Captain Juan de la Lara as his master-of-camp, and some religious of the Society of Jesus (JESUITS) to give instruction, as well as many natives (FILIPINOS) for the service of the camp and fleet.
He reached the Mindanao River (PULANGI/RIO GRANDE), after a good voyage, where the first settlements, named Tancapan (TAMPAKAN IN TODAY'S NORTH COTABATO PROVINCE) and Lumaguan, both hostile to the people of Buhahayen (BUAYAN AS IT KNOWN TODAY, ON THE BORDER OF TODAYS NORTH COTABATO AND BUKIDNON PROVINCES), received him peacefully and in a friendly manner, and joined his fleet. They were altogether about six thousand men. Without delay they advanced about eight leguas farther up the river against Buayan, the principal settlement on the island, where its greatest chief had fortified himself on many sides. Arriving at the setlement, the fleet cast anchor, and immediately landed a large proportion of the troops with their arms. But before reaching the houses and fort, and while going through some thickets (MANGROVES) near the shore, they encountered some of the men of Buayan, who were coming to meet them with their kampilans, carazas, and other weapons, and who attacked them on various sides. The latter (the Spaniards and their allies), on account of the swampiness of the place and the denseness of the mangroves, could not act unitedly as the occasion demanded, although the master-of-camp (CAPTAIN JUAN DE LA JARA), and the captains that led them exerted themselves to keep the troops together and to encourage them to face the natives. Meanwhile, Governor Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa was watching events from his flagship, but not being able to endure the confusion of his men, seized his weapons and hastened ashore with three or four companions, and a slave which held his helmet, in order that he might be less impeded in his movements. But as he was crossing a part of the mangrove where the fight was raging, a hostile Muslim stepped out unseen from one side, and dealt the governor a blow on the head with his kampilan, that stretched him on the ground badly wounded. The governor's followers cut the Muslim to pieces and carried the governor back to the camp. Shortly after, the master-of-camp, Juan de la Jara, withdrew his troops to the fleet, leaving behind several Spaniards who had fallen in the encounter. The governor did not regain consciousness, for the wound was very severe, and died the next day. The fleet after that loss and failure left that place, descended the river to Tampakan, where it anchored among the friendly inhabitants and their settlements.
The master-of-camp, Juan de la Lara, had himself chosen by the fleet as successor in the government and the enterprise. He built a fort with arigues and palms near Tampakan, and founded a Spanish settlement to which he gave the name Murcia. He began to make what arrangements he deemed best, in order to establish himself and run things independently of, and without acknowledging the Governor (GOVERNOR-GENERAL) of Manila without whose intervention and assistance this enterprise could not be continued.
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In the next excerpt, from Chapter VI, the younger Dasmarinas, Don Luis Gomez, who had succeeded his murdered father in 1593, is himself replaced by an arrival from Spain, Don Francisco Tello de Guzman, in early July of 1596. At the same time the Audiencia, which had been supressed by the elder Dasmarinas, was now re-established after pitched lobbying by the Church in Spain. Just after Tello de Guzman assumed office as Governor-General the news that Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa had been killed in Mindanao reached Manila, with the arrival of his body. A letter arrived as well from heretofore Master-of-Camp,Juan de Jara in which he informed Manila that he had established the settlement of Murcia, near Tampakan, in what is today North Cotabato Province. He wrote that he would carry on the pacification of Mindanao and requested, men, arms, and supplies.
Unfortunately for de Lara he had more detractors than supporters in Manila. Rumors and innuendo began to surface claiming that de Lara was intending to circumvent the established order that held that Mindanao was part and parcel of the Philippines Colony and NOT a colony in and of itself. To boot, de Lara had apparently formulated a plan to marry de Figueroa's young widow, then living in the Visayas Region of the Central Philippines. If he could accomplish this he would have secured the governorship promised to de Figueroa. This didn't sit well with most people who felt it would deprive de Figueroas' heirs of their just rewards. After all, their father had died while securing this privilege.
When self-appointed Governor of Mindanao, Juan de la Lara, left Murcia and travelled to de Figueroa's widow in the Central Philippines the new Governor-General, Don Francisco de Tello, had him arrested and brought to Manila, deploying Capitain Toribio de Miranda to assume control of Murcia, and by relation, Mindanao as a whole. As for de Lara, as luck would have it he died just as his trial was getting under way in Manila.
Governor-General Don Francisco de Tello was now in a bind. The campaign in Mindanao had hinged on de Figueroa's assumption of cost and logistics, especially the former. The treasury in Manila had never been flush owing to costs associated with managing thousands of islands while fending off harrassment from the Japanese and Chinese while at the same time trying to do Spain's bidding on the mainland (Cambodia, Cochinchina, and Siam). Complicating matters, de Figueroa's estate had initiated a court case to try and nullify the agreement on Mindanao and in doing so lay the entire cost on Manila. Finally, under duress, Governor-General de Tello conceded that the colony would assume the cost of the endeavour.
At this juncture Governor-General de Tello deployed General of the Galleys, Don Juan Ronquillo to assume command of the Mindanao Campaign and after apportioning neccessary supplies and manpower the new Governor of Mindanao left for Mindanao, and so we continue in Chapter VI
Chapter VI:
Juan de Ronquillo took command of the Spanish camp and fleet which he found at Tampakan. He confirmed the peace and friendship with the chiefs and people of Tampakan and Lumaguan, restored and set in better order the Spanish settlement and fort, and began to make preperation for the war against the people of Buayan. He spent many days in making a few incursions into their land and attacks on their forts, but without any notable result, for the enemy were many and all good soldiers, with plenty of arquebusses (EARLY FIREARMS) and artillery, and had fortified themselves in a strong position. They had many other fortifications inland and went from one to another with impunity, whenever they wished, and greatly harrassed the Spaniards, who were little used to so swampy a country. The latter found themselves short of provisions without the possibility of getting them in the country on account of the war, in as much as the camp contained many men, both Spaniards and the native slaves, and boatmen, and it was not easy at all times to come and go from one part to another in order to provide neccessities.
Meanwhile Don Juam Ronquillo, seeing that the war was advancing very slowly and with little result, and that the camp was suffering, drew up a report of it, and sent letters in all haste to Governor-General Don Francisco Tello, informing him of the condition of affairs. He wrote that it would be better to withdraw the camp from the Mindanao River (PULANGI), so that it might not perish; and that a presidio (STONE FORT) could be established on the same island in the port of La Caldera (TODAYS ZAMBOANGA CITY), which could be left fortified, in order not to abandon this enterprise entirely, so that their friends of Tampakan and Lumaguan might be kept hostile to the people of Buayan. Meanwhile he and the rest of the camp and fleet would return to Manila, if permitted, for which he requested the Governor-General to send him an order quickly. Upon the receipt of this dispatch, Governor-General Don Francisco de Tello resolved to order Governor Don Juan Ronquillo, since the above was so and the camp could not be maintained, nor the war continued advantageously, to withdraw with his whole camp from the Pulangi River. He was first to make a great effort to chasitise the enemy at Buayan, and then burn the Spanish settlement and fort and to go to La Caldera, fortify it, and leave there a sufficient garrison with artillery, boats, and provisions for its maintenance and service. Then he was to return to Manila with the rest of his men, after telling their allies in Tampakan that the Spaniards would shortly return to the river better equipped and in greater numbers.
Silonga (RAJAH SILONGAN,LEADER OF BUAYAN) and other chiefs of Buayan were not neglecting their defense, since, among other measures taken, they had sent a chief to Ternate (IN THE MOLLUCANS,TODAY A PART OF INDONESIA) to ask assistance against the Spaniards who had brought war to their homes. Thereupon the King of Ternate (SULTAN OF TERNATE) dispatched a numerous fleet of caracoas and other boats to Mindanao with cachils and valiant soldiers- more than 1,000 fighting men in all- and a quantity of small artillery, in order to force the Spaniards to break camp and depart, even could they do nothing else. When the news reached Buayan that this fleet was coming to their defense and support, they made ready and prepared to attack the Spaniards, who also having heard the same news were not careless. Consequently the latter turned their attention more to the main fort, and reduced the number of men on the smaller forts on the Buquil River and other posts, mouths, and arms of the same river. These served to strengthen the garrison of the main fort and the armed galleys and other smaller craft, in order to use the latter to resist the expected attack of the enemy. The enemy having gallantly advanced to the very fort of the Spaniards with all their vessels and men, attacked and stormed it with great courage and resolution, in order to effect an entrance. The Spaniards within resisted valiantly, and those outside in the galleys on the river assisted them so effectively that together, with artillery and arquebusses, and at time in close combat with swords and kampilans, they made a great slaughter and havoc among the men of Ternate and those of Buayan, who were aiding the former. They killed and wounded a great number of them and captured almost all the caracoas and vessels of the enemy, so that very few boats escaped and they were pursued and burned by the Spaniards, who made many prisoners, and seized immense booty and many weapons from the enemy. As soon as possible after this, the Spaniards turned against the settlements and forts of Buayan where some of their results were so great that the enemy, seeing themselves hard pressed and without anyone to help them, sent messages and proposals of peace to Governor Don Juan Ronquillo, which were ended by their rendering recognition and homage, and the renewal of friendship with the people of Tampakan, their ancient enemy. In order to strengthen their friendship, they sealed it by the marriage of their greatest chief and lord of Buayan with the daughter of another chief of Tampakan, called Dongonilibor. Thereupon the war was apparently completely ended, provisions were now to be had, and the Spaniards with little precaution crossed and went about the country wherever they wished. The people of Buayan promised to dismantle all their forts immediately, for that was one of the conditions of peace. The Spaniards returned to their fort and settlement at Tampakan, whence Governor Don Juan Ronquillo immediately sent dispatches to Governor-General Don Francisco Tello, informing him of the different turn that the enterprise had taken. In view of the present condition he requested the Governor-General to issue new instructions as to his procedure, saying that he would wait without making any change, not withstanding the arrival of of the answer which he expected to his first report, for conditions had now become so much better than before that the Governor-General's decision would be different.
The Governor-General had already answered Governor Don Juan Ronquillo's first dispatch, as we have stated in the preceeding paragraph, when the second dispatch arrived with news of the successes in Mindanao. Suspicious of the men in camp who had constantly shown a desire to return to Manila, and little relish for the hardships of war, and fearing lest they would return at the arrival of the first order, executing that order and abandoning the enterprise which had reached such a satisfactory stage; and thinking that it would be unwise to abandon the river; the Governor-General made haste to send a second dispatch immediately by various routes, ordering them to pay no attention to his first orders, but to remain in Mindanao, and that he would soon send them what was neccessary for further operations.
It seems that this message travelled slowly; for, the first having arrived, they obeyed it without any further delay, and camp was raised and the country abandoned. To their former enemy of Buayan they gave as a reason that the Governor-General of Manila had summoned them; and to their friends of Tampakan, they said that they would leave men in La Caldera for their security, and that assistance would be sent to them from Manila. This news caused as much sorrow and sadness to the latter, as joy to the people of Buayan. Then after burning their fort and settlement, the Spaniards embarked all their forces as soon as possible, left the river, and went to La Caldera, twenty-four leguas farther down in the direction of Manila. Having entered port, they built a fortress and left there a garrison of 100 Spaniards, with some artillery, provisions, and boats for their use.
At this junctue, the Governor-General's second message to Governor Don Juan Ronquillo arrived, to which the latter replied that he was already in La Caldera, and could not return to the river. Then, without any further delay, Don Juan Ronquillo went to Manila with the balance of his fleet, by way of the provinces of Oton, and Panay (BOTH IN THE VISAYAS REGION). The Governor-General having heard this coming, sent to arrest him on the road before he entered Manila, and proceeded against him by law for having withdrawn the camp and army from the Pulangi River, without awaiting the orders he should have expected after the favorable turn that affairs had taken. Don Juan Ronquillo was set at liberty on showing a private letter from the Governor-General, which the latter had sent him separately with the first instructions, to the effect that he should return to Manila with his troops in any event, for they were needed in the islands for other pueposes; and because of this letter Don Juan Ronquillo had determined not to await the second order.
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There ends the account of that interesting Second Expedition to Mindanao.
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