US Army and its armed Philippine Constabulary’s Counterinsurgency was an Integrated Military and Civilian Effort Against General Sakay

General Macario Sakay and his men operated in Morong, Laguna, Cavite, and Tayabas, made Mt. Cristobal his headquarters but later moved to the mountains of Morong. His Republika ng Katagalugan was supported by the masses of Morong, Laguna, Batangas, and Cavite. The US armed Philippine Constabulary constantly complained to the municipal authorities for supporting and cooperating with Sakay who taxed hacienderos, merchants, farmers and laborers ten percent of their income only on those who could pay, but to those who refused to do so will to be arrested and forced to hard labor. Spies and informers were liquidated, tortured or had their ears and lips cut off as a warning to others.

In late 1904 General Sakay took military offensive, disguised in Philippine Constabulary uniforms they were successful in capturing a US military garrison in Parañaque, seized large amount of revolvers, carbines and ammunition. General Sakay's men often employed these uniforms to confuse the enemy. The US Army and their armed Philippine Constabulary launched the operation they did in Batangas that forced General Miguel Malvar and his men to surrender: “divide and rule,” “search and destroy,” “poisoned the soil,” “drain the swamp,” “liquidate anything that can be eaten” and “hamlet program” on the areas where General Sakay received strong assistance. These cruel counter-insurgency operations proved disastrous to General Sakay’s men and Filipino masses. The forced movement, relocation of large number people to expose the rebels, shortage of food and water caused the outbreak of diseases like cholera and dysentery. Food was scarce in the area and in camps, resulting in numerous deaths. Dominador Gomez mentioned the bad condition in General Sakay’s camp to the Americans upon his meeting with General Villafuerte, the malnourished general in his uniform tightened by a belt to hold his pants up, tried very hard to stand without the aid of a cane despite his malarial fever.
- ka tony

Gat Macario Sakay a mislabeled hero, his misplaced monument and mistaken historical facts

The first & only monument of Gat Macario Sakay on Plaza Morga, Tondo, finally unveiled by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim on September of 2008, finally acknowledge as hero after 101 years when American colonialists and their Filipino sajonistas labeled him as “tulisan” was found guilty, sentenced and hanged under the US colonial court. The mislabeled hero with his misplaced monument also have mistaken historical facts on the plaque prepared by Manila Historical and Heritage Commission. 

a) ...the plaque and many historians assumed Sakay’s birth year was 1870 but his 1907 death certificate recorded he was 29 years old at the time of his execution should have been 37 years old instead. The truth is Sakay was born out of wedlock, date and year of his birth unknown, he never knew, never met his father, even his last name “Sakay” is his mother’s family name. The big question is from whom and where did his middle name “Leon” came from?

b) ...the plaque states that Sakay was born in Calle Tabora, Tondo. The district of Tondo, San Nicolas and Binondo didn’t change much their boundaries even their street names since Spanish colonial time. Calle Tabora was named after Spanish Governor-General Juan Niño de Tabora who brought the image of Nuestra Señor dela Paz y Buen Viaje of Antipolo during the Manila/Acapulco Galleon Trade. Calle Tabora is not in Tondo, but in the district of San Nicolas cuz Calle Azcarraga (now Recto Avenue) where Divisoria (Spanish word meaning “dividing”) is located serves as dividing line or boundary for Manila’s districts of San Nicolas, Binondo, Tondo, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo. 

c) ...the plaque also said that Raja Sulayman like Sakay is from Tondo which is again wrong, Raja Sulayman is from the new Kingdom of May-Nilad where Intramuros now stands which is across the Pasig River from Tondo the Old Kingdom of Lankandula and Magat Salamat. Tondo was a province of Pampanga (from “ka-pampang” meaning of the same riverbank of Pasig River and Pampanga River). 

Gat Macario Sakay is not a “Tondeño” (from Tondo) but from San Nicolas and his only monument at Plaza Morga in Tondo was erected on the wrong district. Though we should be grateful that finally after many years the name “Sakay” will erase the picture that pops into our mind of a “longhaired vicious tulisan” but a patriotic hero who continued the long revolution of masses of Supremo Bonifacio and Gat Emilio Jacinto’s Katipunan.
- ka tony
28 of February, ‘18

Pamahalaan ng Republika ng Katagalugan

...sitting from left to right:
# Lt. Col. Jualian Montalan - Montalan was an ally of Bonifacio from the founding of the Katipunan in 1892 where he rose from the ranks of Magdiwang and head the revolutionary forces in Cavite. He was aggressive and ruthless in meeting out sentences to those who betrayed the Republika ng Katagalugan. He was moved to Iwahig Penal Colony, in Palawan after Bilibid. 

# Lt. Gen. Francisco Carreon y Marcos - joined the Katipunan following the footsteps of his cousin Emilio Jacinto, eventually elected to the Katipunan Supreme Council. Despite serving at the time as a councilor in the Katipunan, he was drafted in the Spanish colonial guardia civil. When Gen. Sakay then took to the hills and established the Republika ng Katagalugan, Carreón served as both Sakay's vice president and executive secretary, he drafted manifestos of the Republika ng Katagalugan. Carreón was imprisoned in the old Bilibid Prison and was later released in 1930 through a pardon.

# Macario Sakay (President of Republika ng Katagalugan and overall commander of the Revolutionary Army. 

# Maj. Gen. Leon Villafuerte - born on April 11, 1887 in Guiquinto, Bulacan, before joining Gen. Sakay, he had a sweetheart named Basilisa Sotto of Del Pan, San Nicolas who latter died and for this reason Villafuerte joined the revolution. He became a general at the age of 24, latter met Maria Martinez, married her.

...Standing left to right:
# Maj. Benito Natividad - (not related to the Natividad of Nueva Ecija) was commanding Tanawan, Batangas. He was sentenced to 30 years but immediately pardoned thereafter. 

# Lt. Col. Lucio de Vega - commanding Cavite. Most ruthless and vicious of Gen. Sakay’s generals as Montalan and the assassinated Cornelio Felizardo. De Vega’s wife was captured by the Philippine Constabulary and who was allegedly made a concubine of a P.C. officer. 

...the source of this picture was among the personal documents of Gen. Sakay’s Republika ng Katagalugan confiscated by the Americans.
(many thanks to I.J.R.A. for the colorization of the original sepia picture)
- ka tony