MASS MEETING IN SAN JOSE ANTIQUE, OCTOBER 10 , 1899

Exhibit 1272.

[Original in Spanish. Contemporary copy. P I.R., 1047.6.]

MASS MEETING.

OCTOBER 10, 1899.

In the town hall of San Jose de Buenavista, capital of this province of Antique, the tenth day of October eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, at 8 a. m., there having assembled in accordance with a call at a general meeting, the gentlemen composing the provincial council, the Presidentes of the Local Boards of San Pedro, Caritan, Valderrama, Bugason, Guisijan, Lanaan, Tibiao, Culasi, Pandan, Sibalon, San Remigio, Egaņa, Anrique, Dao and Anini-y, excepting the one of Patnongon, who fell ill on his arrival at this capital, the Vice Presidentes of the towns of this provincial capital (?) and of Barboga, on account of the inability of their respective presidentes to be present, and the most prominent residents of said towns, under the presidency of Sr. Santos Capadocia y Oberes, President by popular suffrage of this provincial capital and provisional president of the said provincial council by reason of the sickness of the regular incumbent, Sr. Angel Salazar; there was read the decree of the Honorable President of the Republic, Sr. Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy, of the twenty-seventh of April last, which declared the dissolution of the Council of the Federal State, establishing in its place and throughout the Visayas, provincial councils with a Politico-Military Governor as the supreme chief, an assistant chief and a Secretary proposed by the first named, the Councillors of Police, Justice and Finance being the only ones to be elected by popular suffrage; thereupon was also read a communication from Colonel Eleuterio Marasigan, in which he transcribes one received from Sr. Ananias Diocno, General in command of the expeditionary forces of Batangas and Politico-Military Governor of the province of Capiz, who by reason of the many occupations which he stated burdened Government and the superior military headquarters of said province, duly commissioned Sr. Marasigan to hold a conference with Sr. Martin Delgado, General and Politico-military Governor of the province Iloilo, empowering him at the same time to decide any difficulties which might arise and transmitting to him for the purposes of his commission, a part of the instructions received from the Council of Government of the Republic, dated the twenty-eighth of April last, which is as follows: "Third. You must come to an agreement with General Delgado to propose to this Government the person considered most suitable by you for the office of Politico-Military Governor of Antique; but if at a mass meeting in said province of the principales, the said Delgado or yourself should be recognized, you may place a delegate in the same who will discharge the powers of a Politico-Military Governor, until this Government shall give its approval. If at this mass meeting their politico-Military Governor should be elected, you must recognize him until approval is given." All the gentlemen present at this general meeting having heard the communication and decree just read, Sr. Capadocia said: That the provincial as well as the popular assemblies of this small part of the region of Panay since the Spanish authorities were driven out by the expeditionary forces under the command of the valiant Military Chief, Sr. Leandro Fullon y Locsin, and of the other Chief, Sr. Angel Salazar, a talented young man no less valiant than General Fu1lon, have up to the present time observed the provisions of the national Government; and if they followed the dissolved Council of the Federal State of Visayas it was under the idea that a solidary union constitutes the strongest shield against the ambitions of the strong; that this laudible and patriotic conduct, more evident than elsewhere in the neighboring province of Iloilo, probably came to the notice of the the National Government, and to this, without doubt is due the fact that, as a special grace, we are allowed the privilege of recognizing Sres. Delgado and Diocno, in order that they may in such case send a Delegate to govern this province, or elect a politico-military governor for said province, who, upon being elected, must be recognized by the former until approval is given, thus confirming the truth embodied in the third article of the Fundamental Law of the State, which is literally as follows:

"The sovereignty of the nation resides exclusively in the people." That in view of the unlimited confidence that the National Government apparently has Sres. Diocno and Delgado, the speaker is of the opinion that they would not select a Delegate to act as Politico-Military Governor of this province, who did not have the qualifications necessary to be able to direct properly the ship of the same, successfully conducting it to her port of destination; but if, in accordance with the constitutional provisions, the gentlemen present at this meeting should prefer to elect a person to be Politico-Military Governor of this province instead of leaving the matter to the recommendation or appointment of said Sres. Delgado and Diocno, he believes it his duty to warn all to avoid favoritism, to show that they do not belong to any party nor that they wish to form one, that they do not defend other interests than those of the country, nor that they have contracted any engagements than the honor of causing her to be loved by natives and respected by foreigners, and that, therefore, without fear or weakness, ignoring any pressure which may be brought to bear, they elect for so important an office, a person who, by reason of his culture, honest conduct, social position, sincere love of justice, and especially on account of his ardent patriotism, combined with an energy which will stand any test, which is a very indispensable condition under the difficult circumstances through which we are passing, and that he be capable of sacrificing his life and property for the holy ideal of our liberties, or what is the same, for the common welfare of this province in its intimate and immediate relation to the felicity of the entire nation. After this statement the discussion was begun, and thereupon, considering from the result of the discussion that provincial and popular assemblies must be constituted under the principle of popular and direct election in accordance with article 82 of the Venerated Political Constitution of the State, which has been in force throughout the Philippines since the end of February of this year, by virtue of the provisions of its 64th article, referring to the decree of its promulgation made the twenty-first of January of this year, as well as the provisions or article 91 of the same, which, beginning with the Supreme Chief of the Nation, obliges all Filipinos to observe it faithfully, and the 2nd paragraph of article 29 which says: "The superior mandate will not relieve of liability in cases of manifest, clear and conclusive violation of a constitutional provision," this mass meeting resolved unanimously to elect a Governor of this province.

And as this election on account of its importance, requires secrecy, it was at once proceeded with in accordance with the provisions of Rule 6 of the instructions of June 20, 1898, supplementary to the organic decree of June 18 of the same year. The result was the election as politico-Military Governor of this province, of Sr. Leandro Fullon y Locsin, Superior Military Commander of the same, who received one hundred and fifty two votes, against Sres. Angel Salazar, who received twenty, Santos Capadocia, Vicente Gesia, Ruperto Abellon and Ciriaco Ereņa, who received respectively one vote each. Hereupon Sr. Santos Capadocia called on all those present at this meeting to state whether they had any thing to say against this election, all unanimously answering that they had not. Immediately said Sr. Capadocia asked the meeting whether the person elected should be placed in office, upon taking the oath prescribed by article 92 of the Fundamental Code of the State, which oath must be taken before said meeting itself, it being impossible to take it for the present before the National Government, or wait until he should be recognized as such Politico-Military Governor of this province by Sres. Delgado and Diocno; the meeting, after deliberating, taking into consideration that any delay at this time is very dangerous to the country, unanimously resolved that the person elected be placed in possession upon taking the oath. Therefore, Sr. Leandro Fullon y Locsin having appeared and expressed his willingness to accept the office to which he has been elected by popular suffrage, and placing his hand upon the Gospel, formallv took the regulation oath. With this the proceedings were closed, Sr. Leandro Fullon y Locsin taking possession of his office, and affixing his signature hereunto together with all persons present at the meeting.

(Signed) SANTOS CAPADOCIA.
LEANDRO FULLON.
ANGEL SALAZAR.

(And a large number of other signatures.)