Aguinaldo could not have chosen a more appropriate person for the job of politico-military governor of Leyte and Samar in 1898 when the newly inaugurated Filipino government reorganized provincial governments. Spain was defeated. The Philippines was no longer her colony after more than 300 years. The forces of America were inside Manila, and they seemed to be friendly. For a while, Aguinaldo and the other Filipino leaders thought the Americans would make no attempt to make the new country its colony. Part of the minutes of the meeting of Aguinaldo with his leaders in Hongkong on May 4, 1898, stated:

“ If Washington proposes to carry out the fundamental principles of its Constitution, it is most improbable that an attempt will be made to colonize the Philippines or annex them.“ 1

But the Filipino leaders had seen the urgency of consolidating their forces in the provinces. The provincial governments had to be reestablished under the Filipino flag. For Leyte and Samar, two islands south of the Bicol region, Vicente Rilles Lukban was chosen as the politico-military governor. The appointment came on April 27, 1898 from Apolinario Mabini, Aguinaldo’ s trusted secretary. This was eight months before the Treaty of Paris was signed. Lukban was supposed to represent the national government in these islands. As civilian chief, he was instructed to organize the municipal governments by appointing from the residents of the province those who were distinguished by their‘ attainment, honesty and prestige.’ 2

There seemed to be no doubt that Lukban himself exhibited those same qualities that were demanded of local officials. He had the impeccable credentials of a well-schooled illustrado of his generation, finishing his elementary grades at the Escuela Pia Publica in his hometown of Labo, Camarines Sur, then going to the Ateneo Municipal in Manila for his secondary schooling. After that he went straight to law

Lukban Lukban | Page 12