ESTADO FEDERAL DE BISAYAS
MALOLOS TO ILOILO LETTER, DECEMBER 25, 1898

Exhibit 1208.

[Original in Spanish. Unsigned draft in handwriting of F. Buencamino. P.I.R., 96.3.)

(Letter head) Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. Office of the President.

[MALOLOS, Dec. 25, 1898.]

Private.

INSTRUCTIONS.

1st. Not to recognize the sovereignty of the American Government. The Commissioners on landing will establish committees in Iloilo and in its neighborhood in order to prepare to attack the Spaniards some hours before the Americans can enter the place. The natives or Filipinos who are within the place will, some of them, keep up the attack and others will look up the places or deposit of arms and supplies and the barracks, so that they can cany away as many arms and ammunition as possible while the first attacks are made, aided by the forces within. This combination must be studied out very carefully and its execution entrusted to men worthy of confidence, who arc intelligent and brave. It may happen that at the moment of attack the Americans or the Spaniards may want to treat and may want to make promises; if so believe nothing, pay attention to nothing, but press the attack until you die or conquer both of them. Take care to choose the most obstinate and least intelligent for the attack, since the more intelligent, seeing the valor of the other side, lose heart, as we have seen up here. This has given the best results according to the experience of Don Emilio, the more intelligent should be given the higher commands, such as general, etc., etc.; this is the way to get men to win victories. These instructions apply in case the Americans have not already taken possession of Iloilo and its ports, but if they have or if the attack does not take place until after the entry of the Americans, the Filipinos must continue to enter the city preparing to occupy it and taking possession of the ground, but without firing a shot unless the Americans commence. If the Americans do commence, attack immediately and do not give up until killed. I must tell you something for the poeple of Iloilo, to wit, the individual American is weak and fears bolos very much; at first he appears strong and valiant, but if he meets valor and resolution on our part he yields. This has happened more than twenty times there in Luzon in the neighborhood of Manila as the Commissioners will tell you.

It may be that the attack cannot be arranged to take place against the Spaniards before the Americans enter the city; in this case our forces, before entering, must send a commission to the American General and inform him that the town cannot be permitted to remain the property of the United States nor anyone else as sovereign here, and that they can only be admitted if they sign a document stating that they are there only as friends and promising to leave afterwards. This document will be signed by the American General and a notice of its contents will be sent to all consuls and foreigners, especially to those who live in the vicinity. At the same time, orders will be sent to all Filipinos to respect, under pain of death, the property and persons of all foreigners and also the life and honor of all prisoners, treating them with humanity.

2nd. In case the Filipinos possess themselves of Iloilo before the Americans disembark, if they attempt to land on any part of our territory our soldiers must conceal themselves well in order to receive the Americans and make them think that we are more than we are in fact. In this case let them approach and when they are within range of our rifles there should be a general discharge so that as many men as possible will be killed at once, arid then each soldier should fire at will, not rapid fire like the Spaniards, but shot by shot with care. In case the Americans bombard or open with rapid fire our men must stop firing and hide, and see whether the Americans can be seen or are lying down. Fire in the first case, and in the second fire when they rise. We can calculate upon one of our soldiers being worth four of theirs so that in the hour of victory, after the combat, we should have less losses than theirs. But get double the ammunition we expend and all the rifles you can.

3rd. You can be sure the Americans will bombard before landing, have all the leaders see to it that our soldiers dig trenches.