LUKBAN
on the tenacity of the resistance in the island to renew their calls for the independence of the Philippines. This in turn further emboldened the people to offer life and property in Samar and to continue the struggle for independence. 21
For one, there were sections of the American public that seemed to have been impressed by his courage and tenacity in defying the might of the American army. In July 1901, a guerrilla in Samar forwarded a letter about“ the views of our brothers over there in America.”
His opponents thought that“ he now felt that the eyes of the world were upon him, and he determined not to surrender, but to continue his operations. Whatever may be thought of Lukban’ s methods, he is undoubtedly a strong and capable man who had done well with his resources; but it would seem that he should have realized that the cause of Philippine independence was for the time quite dead, and that nothing he could do in Samar could revivify it.” 22
In their analysis, Lukban was“ one of those obstinate Asiatics who, having once decided to do a thing, find their mind close upon it and from that time – to them – what they have willed to be, is.” Meaning, Lukban was governed by his passion rather than reason.“ Lukban, like some other men among the insurgents, held to independence – not ultimate, not immediate independence – with the same rigidity of will which enables a Hindu ascetic to hold his arm in one position until it withers.” 23
Taking over Leyte command
Indeed, on the first week of August, Lukban wrote that since Mojica, the revolutionary commander of Leyte, had surrendered, he was taking over command in Leyte. For that he sent his trusted secretary Florentino Peñaranda, a Leyteño, to take over the command in his behalf. 24
In the ensuing months when the Americans occupied Samar and set up garrisons in several towns, 25 support from the residents would be more difficult to obtain as the American soldiers kept a tight watch over the movements of the residents. Some of them would eventually transfer their loyalties and became Lukban’ s hated“ Americanistas” who supplied information to his enemies or became spies. The rest of the population who tried to remain steadfast became most vulnerable to the enemy’ s enticements as well as threats. 26
Unwavering
But Lukban’ s tenacity was shared by many locals as amply shown in several instances where residents bordered on the state of near rebellion in varying degrees of intensity and breadth. In some interior towns
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