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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