LUKBAN
who incite to rebellion against the real chief; those … who while they understood, yet lent a hand to such machinations and dragged in those poor innocent one; those who disseminated lying report merely to terrorize or to sustain vain hopes; who incited men to hide and wander about in roving bands in the woods, for them to be shot and wounded ….. What a horrible punishment from God! May the mercy of God descend!”
He challenged Lukban:“ If you like to meet the Americans to fight, only decide upon the time and place, as they will go out to fight with you.”
As a postscript, he wrote to the leaders:“ Rest assured that unless you surrender to the Americans, you will have no rest; for they will continue to persecute you in these woods, with fires, with loss of your cattle and your crops.” 10
Lukban met the same conflict with illustrados in Leyte when for some months he acted as the island’ s politico-military governor before the arrival of Gen. Ambrosio Mojica. In the recent months, the surrender of some of his officers, who were of illustrado origins, only reinforced such a bias toward this class.
On July 12, 1900, he wrote one of his many circulars to Samar’ s important citizens and political leaders, hoping they would truly understand the cause of the rebellion. This was an address to the town presidentes and other inhabitants of Samar, explaining to them the true character of the Americans. The continuous and relentless attacks by his forces on American garrisons have served to weaken them morally as well as materially. Indeed they have resorted lately to the policy of attraction in order to“ retrieve their strength and destroy the Filipino nation.” 11
They also made use of parleys to have personal interviews with the officers, and decrees of amnesty so that when they surrender to the Americans, they“ become prisoners caught in a trap prepared by them.” Such parleys, Lukban explained, were apt to be deceptive because their real purpose was overlooked. He cautioned against being carried away as what happened to their ancestors. The Americans always tried to paint a beautiful picture of their regime, but the people and their leaders must pay close attention to their deceptive enterprise. He said there is no better future for them than liberty and independence. 12
He took a swipe at the outright lies provided by his enemies to the press in Manila and the world, to paint a glorious picture of themselves
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