The Philippine Revolution in Leyte

Unlike several provinces in Luzon, Leyte’s residents seemed passive during the 1896 Katipunan uprising, but that did not however indicate a lack of patriotism here. In the words of the Leyteño historian Manuel Artigas y Cuerva, “we did not wait to play our last card to help attain our desired freedom. We did not allow such an opportunity to pass because there pulsated among our people the idea of patriotism, which arose as a logical consequence and which the Spaniards had awaited.”(Artigas)


The second stage of the struggle for independence began after the leaders of the revolution, led by Gen. Emiliio Aguinaldo, returned from Hongkong on May 28, 1898 [sic, May 19, 1898] to Kawit, Cavite. The Filipino troops were subsequently victorious against those of Spanish General Peña. That revolutionary work culminated in the Declaration of Independence signed in Kawit on August 1 [sic, June 12], of the same year [1898], and the news of it spread like wildfire to all the islands and reached Leyte.

In Tacloban at that time, one of the prisoners, Alejandro Planas, who was accused of sedition, took advantage of the situation. Armed with a knife, he freed himself and the other prisoners, shouting: “Viva la Republica Filipina (Long live the Philippine Republic)!” His action s created a ripple among the local population, forcing the Spanish Governor of Leyte, Fernando S. Juarez, to turn over the control of the province to a commandante (major), Gabriel Galza, the son of Europeans but born in the Philippines. That gesture seemed to appease the rage of the locals against the Spaniards, and allowed them to leave without any unpleasant incident.

A Filipino regime was soon established amid great rejoicing, with the new Philippine flag raised up. A procession was at once organized “amid loud hurrahs and enthusiasm of the people and revealed their overflowing happiness for the glorious emblem that they then deliriously waved. “ (Artigas)

No such celebrations happened in Ormoc. But a transition municipal government was set up, with Dr. Felipe Calderon appointed as jefe local from 1898 to 1901. When the Americans took over in 1901, he was replaced in a popular election by a native-born Ormocanon, Simplicio Fiel, who was the first elected municipal president from 1901 to 1904. It was during Fiel’s time that political turbulence erupted resulting from the insurgence of the Leyte’s patriotic forces against the American invaders in mid-1901 and the resurgence of the dios-dios, who were now transformed into the deadly pulahans four years later in 1903.

1893 Elections

With the implementation of the Maura reforms, the constitution of the tribunals was altered. The prior role of the principalia was passed on to a group of five individuals, one of whom was denominated as capitan (mayor), and the four tenientes (deputies): the teniente mayor (chief deputy), the deputy for police, the deputy for agriculture, and the deputy for livestocks. The chief deputy functioned as regidor sindico (trustee of the regime) and substituted for the capitan in cases of vacancy, absences or exigencies. These positions were conferred by election through a plurality of votes, by secret voting.

The hacienda municipal (municipal estate) dated back to pristine times, because it was inaugurated along with the start of the Spanish colonization of these islands. It was established by the laws of the Recopilacion [lit., Compilation], and was known by the name Bienes de Comunidad (Goods of the Community), the whole set of properties and resources constituting the fundos locales (local funds) or haber de los pueblos (wealth of the towns) to take care of the needs of the interior government. [Artigas, 126]

Despite the changes instituted under the Maura Law, the names and functions of the local officials did not change in 1893. The residents who signified intentions to become gobernadorcillo on April 27, 1893 were Francisco Cea, Telesforo Cabiling, Leon Abiles, Mateo Solidor, Canuto Tomada and Rufino Con-ui.

Members of the principalia who were designated as voters were the cabezas actuales Vicente Codilla, Fausto Odac, Juan Sacay, Hipolito Matugina, Antonio Bantasan and Gaspar Cabiling; and Estefanio Ortiz, Mateo Solidor, Rosendo Dafon, Catalino Orillano, Mariano Dafon and Perfecto Flores. The 13th man in the group was the incumbent gobernadorcillo Fernando Bañez.

Fr. Lino Codilla and Don Francisco Fernandez Bernal, local chief of the guardia civil presided over the elections. Leon Aviles was elected gobernadorcillo with 9 votes, while Telesforo Cabiling, who ran again, had the same number of votes he had in the 1891 elections.

Appointed chief deputy was Franscisco Laude, Sixto Pongos became the juez de sementera: Vicente Codilla as juez de policia; and Eulalio Velasquez as juez de ganados.

Serving as alternates to Laude were Gabino Parilla, Guillermo Sacay, Pedro Laurente and Senon Ablen as the second, third, fourth and fifth deputies. Tomas Villanueva was selected the suplente (substitute) Five bailiffs were appointed. They were Ireneo Sacay, Doroteo Aparis, Jorge Colasito, Eliseo Tomada and Pedro Monteclaro.

The newly elected gobernadorcillo also appointed the tenientes, juezes and bailiffs for the three visitas of Dolores, Valencia and Davila. Dolores had Jugo Collante as teneiente, Domingo Omega as juez and Nombrellano Jandoc as bailiff.

Valencia’s new teneiente was Braulio Codilla, and its juez was Nicolas Dagan, while Daniel Ocang was designated as bailiff.

For Davila, Juan Guartizo was appointed teniente, Regino Ininte as juez and Leoterio Centino was bailiff.

Agustin Catayoc and Emilio Parilla signed as witnesses.

The next year, there would be changes in the list of representatives of the principalia. Appearing in the list were: Rufino Con-ui, Bernardo Cataag, Fabian Catingud (b), Santiago Diguingco, Gaudencio Bantasan, Agustin Catayoc, Julian Paca, Canuto Tomada, Esteban Tomapat, Ramon Sunico, Paulino Aboites (z) and Leoncio Cea. These would constitute the municipal tribunal under Gobernadorcillo Leon Aviles.

(Source of data for the elections: “Elecciones de Gobernadorcillos”, Leyte, No. 119, SDS 14590, National Archives Bundled documents and “Relacion de los Capitanes, muncipes y delegados de la principalia de los pueblos de esta provincial constituidos tribunals municipals,” Provincia de Leyte, Año de 1894)