LUKBAN
newly established Philippine government but bolted out due to some disagreements with Mabini . Both were wealthy and highly educated , with de Tavera having gone to Paris for his studies in medicine after going through the Ateneo de Manila , San Juan de Letran and the University of Sto . Tomas in Manila . His father , a Spanish lawyer and government official , descended from an aristocratic Portuguese family . Benito Legarda on the other hand was a wealthy Manila land owner .
At the outset of the Philippine revolution , they were suspicious of the Katipunan and were willing to negotiate with either Spain or the United States . It needed but a small difference of opinion with the ideologue Apolinario Mabini for de Tavera and Legarda to bolt out of Aguinaldo ’ s camp and join the Americans . Subsequently , they worked closely with the Schurman and Taft commissions , advocating acceptance of United States rule .
In December 1900 , de Tavera and Legarda established the Partido Federalista , advocating statehood for the islands . In the following year they were appointed the first Filipino members of the Philippine Commission of the legislature . In that advantageous position , they were able to bring influence to bear to achieve the appointment of Federalistas to provincial governorships , the Supreme Court , and top positions in the civil service . Although the party boasted a membership of 200,000 by May 1901 , its proposal to make the islands a state of the United States had limited appeal , both in the islands and in the United States , and the party was widely regarded as being opportunistic . 16
The two party stalwarts rode on their influence to expand party membership and exhort peace especially in areas still contested by rebels . On April 5 , 1901 , Pardo de Tavera arrived in Samar under American protection , the perfect spokesman for American propaganda on a mission to convert more of their kind . These became some of Lukban ’ s fiercest enemy for they tended to propagate pro-American views and suppress calls for independence .
With de Tavera were Commissioners Worcester , Ide and Moses . Representing Samar towns were Don Victor Celis , municipal president of Catbalogan ; Don Andres Reyes , president Federal party ; Hermogenes Zieta and principales of the pueblo of Zumarraga ; the local president and principales of the pueblo of Santo Nino ; Don Esteban Figueroa , municipal president of the pueblo of Calbiga ; Don Pablo Benjamin , president Federal party ; Don Ceferino Latorre , municipal president , and the principales of the pueblo of Villareal ; Señor Juares , municipal president of the pueblo of Santa Rita ; and the president of the municipality and of the Federal party and the principales of the pueblo of Calbayog ,. In addition , a large representation from the town of Catbalogan was
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