5 HISTORIES

1.) 1. AN ANCIENT FAMILY OWNS THE ENTIRE PHILIPPINES.

 Did an ancient family rule the Philippines before the coming of the Spaniards? According
to the modern-day descendants of the Tagean-Tallano clans, their ancestors used to rule
over a land called “Maharlika,” an empire which consisted of the Philippines, the rest of
Southeast Asia, the Marianas Islands and even Hawaii.

 The clan counts Lapu-lapu, Soliman, Lakandula, and other prominent Filipino rulers as
their descendants. Under the rule of Luisong Tagean Tallano, Maharlika was said to have
been one of the most prosperous countries in Asia. The clan also claims that their
sovereignty over the Philippines was recognized by the different colonial powers (Spain,
Britain, and the US) through the issuance of three documents, all of which were
unfortunately thrown out by the Court of Appeals in 2002 for being “spurious.”

 However, that hasn’t stopped some members of the family from showing up in the news
from time to time. In 2012, Salam Lacan Luisong Tagean—who claims to be from the
clan—made headlines when he filed his candidacy for senator while proclaiming he was
the rightful ruler of the country.

2. MIGUEL MALVAR, NOT MANUEL QUEZON, SHOULD BE THE SECOND

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT.
 On par with the perennial argument of whether Andres Bonifacio should be recognized as
the country’s first president is the question of whether Miguel Malvar, and not Manuel
Quezon, rightfully deserves the title as the country’s second president.

 According to his supporters (Jejomar Binay is one of them), Malvar deserves to be

recognized as such in line with the natural order of succession. With the capture of
Aguinaldo and the surrender of Mariano Trias, his designated successor and Malvar’s
direct superior, it fell upon the general from Batangas to lead the remnants of the
revolutionary forces.

 His presidency was also recognized as legitimate by members of the “Hong Kong Junta,”
the overseas council which procured arms and campaigned for foreign recognition of
Philippine independence. During his period of resistance up until his surrender, Malvar
ran the fledgling republic as a chief executive and as head of the armed of forces—just as
a real president would.

3. BONIFACIO ‘ACTED LIKE A KING’ IN CAVITE.

 Although many would undoubtedly choose Bonifacio over Aguinaldo as their hero, the
former does deserve his fair share of criticism, mainly because he was said to have “acted
like a king” upon his arrival in Cavite after being invited to mend the growing rift
between the Magdiwang and Magdalo factions.

 According to Nick Joaquin, Bonifacio turned off the Caviteños when he showed
up and began barking orders and behaved like “Caesar without the
crown.” He adds that instead of capitalizing on the golden opportunity to
 stop the infighting among the revolutionaries who were at the time facing a Spanish
offensive, Bonifacio just added more fuel to the fire by openly taking sides.
 After the Tejeros Convention, he nullified all appointments and had Artemio Ricarte
intercept Magdalo reinforcements to Pasong Santol, resulting in the death of Aguinaldo’s
brother Crispulo who was defending that area. At that point, Aguinaldo and the rest of
Cavite must have decided Bonifacio was too dangerous to leave alone.

4. GREGORIO DEL PILAR WAS AGUINALDO’S ASSASSIN.

 Admittedly, most of del Pilar’s fame comes from his death defending Tirad Pass from
advancing American forces during the Philippine-American War. Yet for all his bravery
(or foolhardiness, depending on one’s view), del Pilar also has his own plethora of
controversies.

 Aside from the controversy of reportedly indulging in a drinking spree and an orgy the
night before his big battle, it is alleged that del Pilar was also Emilio
Aguinaldo’s “hatchetman.” As someone who reportedly exhibited sadistic
tendencies on captured friars (he made one clean the toilet with his bare hands according
to one story) and with his unwavering loyalty to the president, del Pilar was the ideal
“berdugo” for Aguinaldo.

 Accordingly, it is believed that del Pilar and his men were behind the killing of Antonio
Luna after being ordered by Aguinaldo to eliminate him. By extension, del Pilar was also
said to have personally conducted the arrests, torture, and execution of many of Luna’s
officers.

5. A FILIPINO HELPED FOUND LOS ANGELES

 While not directly concerning the country, this little historical controversy is somewhat of
a heated issue especially within the Fil-Am community of Los Angeles.

 Although there is no doubt given to the eleven founding settlers who helped to found Los
Angeles in 1781, the same cannot be said for Antonio Miranda Rodriguez. Supposedly,
he was a skilled gunsmith from Manila who journeyed there with his daughter via the
galleon trade but arrived much later after suffering from smallpox. Later, he came to be
feted as the 12th settler of Los Angeles.

 However, some historians have disputed that recognition on the argument that Rodriguez
never actually reached the settlement. Upon arriving in California, he was reportedly sent
to Sta. Barbara instead as an armorer due to his skills as a gunsmith and was said to have
died in that place after only eight months. Also, his name cannot be found in any of the
plaques and markers honoring the founders of LA.

6. THE JABIDAH MASSACRE NEVER HAPPENED

 While we may all be familiar with the alleged massacre of disenchanted Muslim recruits
in Corregidor in 1968, many historians have disputed as to whether the massacre really
happened at all.
  Contrary to popular belief, then-Senator Benigno Aquino did not believe Jibin Arula who
claimed to be the massacre’s sole survivor. For him, the massacre reeked of a hoax.
However, he did accuse President Ferdinand Marcos of plotting to build up a personal
elite force for his “garrison state,” as well as planning for the takeover of Sabah.
Rigoberto Tiglao even states that the Jabidah Massacre was, in fact, a brilliant
propaganda campaign pulled off by Malaysia, a belief accepted again by Ninoy.

 Supposedly, a number of the recruits were, in fact, Malaysian counter-agents tasked to

foment dissent among the members, thus ensuring that Marcos’ plan would never go off.
In a way, the alleged plan to sow chaos in Sabah boomeranged right back into the
Philippines’ own backyard—Mindanao.

7. THE AMERICANS USED PIGS’ BLOOD AND BODY PARTS ON MORO

INSURGENTS
 Other than the infamous “water-cure” method the Americans used on captured
Filipino combatants during the Philippine-American War, they would also reportedly
employ the unconventional method of using pigs to pacify the Moro fighters in the
second half of the same war.

 Specifically, they were said to have executed captured insurgents

or “juramentados” (an assassin gone amok) with bullets dipped in pig’s blood, or
bury them along with dead pigs. The Americans believed that the Moros—who detested
pork—would not be able to go to the afterlife if they had any contact with the animals
and so hoped to dissuade further attacks.

 The originator of this method was supposedly none other than US General John “Black
Jack” Pershing, the first and only man to have ever been promoted to General of the
Armies during his lifetime (Washington was promoted posthumously). Although the
method is unsubstantiated, many books and websites regularly quote it as one way to
fight Islamic terrorists.

8. JOSE BURGOS WAS FRAMED FOR THE CAVITE MUTINY

 We all know that Gomburza—Fathers Mario Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora—
very much had nothing to do with the 1872 Cavite Mutiny and that it was launched by
some disgruntled soldiers after discovering they were now forced to pay personal taxes as
well as perform forced labor, both of which they had been previously exempted from.

 However, according to the accounts of two Spanish clergymen captured during the
Revolution, the failed mutiny was, in fact, a plot by the Spanish friars to eliminate Jose
Burgos who was then the foremost champion of secular priests. To that end, they sent a
Franciscan friar named Claudio del Arceo to Cavite and foment unrest among the
soldiers, promising them money and that a great fleet from the United States in the name
of Father Burgos would arrive to assist them.
  After the mutiny unfolded, the friars then convinced Rafael de Izquierdo that Burgos
planned it all by giving him a banquet as well as a huge bribe.

9. JOSE RIZAL DISLIKED THE CHINESE

 Other than campaigning against Spanish oppression, Rizal would also end up fighting
what he perceived to be the Chinese exploitation of his countrymen. He viewed the
Chinese primarily as unscrupulous traders and businessmen who liked to take advantage
of Filipinos for profit even if it meant kowtowing to the Spanish.

 Rizal’s dislike for the Chinese could be seen in his letter to his mother, in which he
complained of being embroiled in a lawsuit with a Chinese and promised never to buy
any products from him, and from his novel El Filibusterismo, where he portrayed the
character of Quiroga (who was reportedly based on a real Chinese businessman) as a
shrewd and cunning individual.

 While Rizal’s anti-Chinese sentiment could be attributed to his nationalist drive, some
historians think he may have gone too far by putting all Chinese in the same category as
those he had encountered. Not only that, he ironically disowned his own Chinese ancestry
by claiming he had no Chinese blood and was pure Filipino.

 However, to some historians, Rizal was merely expressing his wish to be viewed as a
full-blooded Filipino no matter his heritage. In addition, general sentiment at that time
ran high against foreigners regardless whether they were Chinese or Spanish.

10. WE ALREADY HAD AN EXCELLENT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

BEFORE THE AMERICANS CAME
 Although we cannot discount all the good things the Americans did to improve the
country’s system of education, the Spanish do deserve credit for their own contributions.

 Contrary to popular belief that Filipinos lived like uneducated medieval peons during the
Spanish era, the inhabitants were actually one of the most educated peoples in all of Asia,
and its thanks largely to the implementation of the public school system by the Spanish
government which started with the Educational Decree Act of 1863.

 The act provided for the creation of separate public schools for Filipino boys and girls
and the teaching of free compulsory education, a first for any European colony.
Surprisingly, the girls were taught not only “domestic” lessons but also subjects such as
Spanish and French languages and the sciences. Manuel Quezon, himself a product of
the Spanish public school system, attested to the existence and excellence of Spanish
education long before the Americans came.

 Unfortunately, American propaganda against the Spanish, coupled with the fact that local
friars tried to subvert the system, made for a very negative impression of the Spanish
educational system.
REFERENCE:
 FilipiKnow (2018) ColorMag,ThemeGrill,Powered by WordPress
Retrieved from: https://filipiknow.net/historical-controversies-philippines/
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
 Arguelles, M. (2012). Hundreds turn up in rally to back ‘Ako Bicol’ party-list
group. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/sVwmHW

 Escobar, A. (2014). Groundbreaking Filipino American Art Exhibit “The Arrival of the 12th
Poblador” at the El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historical Monument – Closes May 25th. FilAm
Arts. Retrieved 16 March 2015, from http://goo.gl/U7gjFv

 GMA News Online,. (2008). General Goyo: The Gregorio del Pilar story. Retrieved 16
March 2015, from http://goo.gl/7E4Oyj

 Joaquin, N. (2005). A Question of Heroes (pp. 86-108). Pasig City: Anvil Publishing, Inc.

 National Historical Commission of the Philippines,. (2013). The Hong Kong Junta. Retrieved
16 March 2015, from http://goo.gl/cHbDbh

 Official Website of the Office of the Vice President of the Philippines,. (2015). VP Binay To
Historians: Help Rectify Oversight In Recognizing General Malvar As 2nd President.
Retrieved 16 March 2015, from http://goo.gl/q7mqIb

 Paredes, J. (2013). Bonifacio Remembered: Divisive and a hero downgraded, what, finally, is
Supremo’s place in history?. InterAksyon.com. Retrieved 16 March 2015, from
http://goo.gl/de04a6

 Pimentel, J. (2008). The Enclave of Our Roots. The Asian Journal MDWK Magazine, 2.
Retrieved from http://goo.gl/2OATMf

 Snopes.com,. Pershing the Thought. Retrieved 16 March 2015, from http://goo.gl/7P8Xab

 The ProPinoy Project,. (2011). Was Jose Rizal anti-Chinese?. Retrieved 16 March 2015, from
http://goo.gl/Q85ylv

 Tiglao, R. (2013). Malaysia’s masterstroke that buried our Sabah

claim. RigobertoTiglao.com. Retrieved 16 March 2015, from http://goo.gl/OcLR5U

 Tiglao, R. (2013). Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.’s Jabidah speech 1968. RigobertoTiglao.com.
Retrieved 16 March 2015, from http://goo.gl/6SYiRp