Lukban Lukban | Page 114

LUKBAN sion of this provision would be“ dealt with severely.”
War vs local elite
Like the pronouncements of commanders that preceded him, Smith made it clear in his circulars that“ every native will be regarded and treated as an enemy until he has conclusively shown that he is a friend.” There was no such thing as neutrality. One was either a friend or an enemy. A native’ s loyalty was to be“ be measured directly and solely by his acts.” Every Samar native was guilty unless he could prove his loyalty to the Americans. Even the wealthier class among the native population was not spared this deep suspicion. For Smith, they were secretly supporting Lukban and the insurgency, and were not to be trusted. 12 This class was in fact the“ most dangerous threat to the counterinsurgency effort.” Smith’ s circular allowed the arrest and confinement of suspected sympa thizers as prisoners of war solely on the basis of suspicion, even in the absence of sufficient evidence to convict in a military court. This relaxation of legal protections was designed to prevent contributions and other support from reaching the insurgents.
Smith also continued the practice of hamletting done by his predecessors, using threats and violence to coax the native into withdrawing support for the insurrection. Natives were told that they could be given protection by the American soldiers if they desired so and fully cooperated with their new protectors. But first they had to be placed inside a concentration camp where all their movements were closely monitored. Any native living outside these camps was considered an insurgent or a sympathizer and could be targeted.
With these policies— the reduction of illicit trade, the intolerance of neutrality, and the provision of security through population concentration— Filipino natives were put in the unenviable position of having to choose sides openly between the insurgency or the Americans. Presented with the option of accepting the protection offered by American concentration camps, natives could no longer claim that they were supporting the insurgents involuntarily. 13
A subsequent US Senate investigation of these so-called“ concentration camps” offered the American public a glimpse into life inside such camps. The newspaper account, dated Nov. 4, 1901, comes from a correspondent in Catbalogan, Samar where Brig. Gen. Jacob Smith had established his headquarters.
The transport“ Lawton” returned yesterday afternoon from a two weeks’ cruise, touching at Catbalogan, Cebu, Perang-Perang, and Davao. On her outward passage she took two hundred Ilocano scouts
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