LUKBAN other signatories , wanted the elections declared null and void . 12
In Maasin , the same manipulative tactics of Lukban were noted in a complaint signed by one Braulio Cruz and 21 other signatories . A portion of his letter says :
“ Shortly before the election of the local chief and other officials commenced , Municipal Captain Flaviano Aguilar , desiring to get the crowd out of the town hall , called on the headmen to come down and gather at the Boys School house where they would await the general , whom he believed , would take part in the elections . No sooner had the headmen left the building than the commissioner proceeded with the election , naming off the persons who could vote and who had been previously cited for that purpose . But these could not express the will of the people for the very good reason that they were inexperienced boys , without any property or social position , some of them being still under the paternal power , and others being outsiders brought here by Francisco Enage , and whom he had coached to vote for Felix Veyra as local president . The elections ended and , of course , Veyra was successful . This was a great surprise to the inhabitants for they had not even thought of him as a candidate for the office as they do not care for him , especially since they were excluded from the election when they would have been the first to be consulted on the matter as they are the representatives of the sovereign will of the people .”
The protest about Lukban ’ s undue interference reached Luzon on June 2 , 1899 . In response , the Secretary of War Antonio Luna wrote Lukban , ordering him to confine his work to Samar . Lukban had no choice but to obey orders , albeit with reluctance . He would write that starting July 8 , he had ceased to be the military commander in Leyte . 13
Hemp trading
Besides reorganising the pueblos , Lukban was instructed to control the hemp trade in Samar . Aguinaldo realized the importance of hemp trading for the revolutionary government especially for Leyte and Samar , which was why he appointed two of his ablest generals to the islands . Lukban paid close attention to the hemp trading . A five percent tariff was imposed and channelled to the revolutionary treasury .
On Feb 7 , 1899 , Lukban wrote the Customs officers in Samar , directing that a 5 percent ad valorem tax be collected on merchandise imported or exported between provinces , 15 percent ad valorem on
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