DELGADO DECREE, APRIL 20, 1899

Exhibit 1247.

[Original in Spanish. Contemporary copy. P. I. R.. Books B. 4 ]

Martin Delgado y Bermejo, Lieutenant general and general in chief of the republican army of the Visayan Islands.

GENERAL HEADQUARTERS OF SANTA BARBARA,
April 20th, 1899.

The existence of a state of war, and the trying circumstances through which the country is now passing, have brought about a complete change in the order of nearly all the pueblos; and I have noticed with profound regret that cakikng, robbery, sequestrations, and other crimes highly dishonorable to our noble cause, are of daily occurrence. With a view to preventing such conduct in the future, and in order to guarantee to the inhabitants of the military district under my command the most complete tranquillity, I hereby decree:

1. That any person or persons who commit acts of brigandage, sequestration, incendiarism, rape, or other disturbances of a public nature calculated to excite the public, or which infringe individual or property rights, shall be severely punished in accordance with military law.

2. That all offenders who present themselves to the Local or Military Authorities within the 30 days immediately following this date, and who turn over their arms and join our forces and help to fight other outlaws and to defend the nation, will be pardoned for the crimes they have committed.

3. That when the period of 30 days above mentioned has passed, any person taken in the act of committing robbery, or who attempts to rob with an organized band of outlaws, or who steals, sacks, rapes, or performs acts of incendiarism, or any other criminal act, will be summarily condemned to death by a military tribunal.

The Local Juntas of the various towns in conjunction with citizens of standing and the military authorities will organize a vigilance service to maintain public order and the authority of the law.

M. DELGADO.