LUKBAN TO PEOPLE OF LEYTE, AUGUST 3, 1901

Exhibit 1384

[Proclamation by General Lukban, published in "El Noticiero de Manila," November 20th, 1901. P.I.R., 502.5 . ]

SAMAR, August 3, 1901.

To the people of Leyte:

The Commander of your province having surrendered to the enemy, though without arms because of the unwillingness of the worthy soldiers to obey his orders, and in view of the solicitude of these soldiers and a great number of the inhabitants that I shall agaln assume command of the province as I had before, I do so today, and address you as follows:

History tells us that independence has always been costly, at all times and all places; it is not strange then, that some individuals wearied by the length of the struggle, surrender, submitting themselves to the sovereignty of the invaders who by force aspire to be our masters. A sad spectacle, indeed, for a people who on more than one occasion have given unmistakable proofs of patriotism, integrity, valor and constancy in the struggle.

But fortunately, fellow citizens, people of Leyte, many still remain within our lines who ever show their worth, and feeling in their breasts a patriotic ardor, do not weaken at sacrifice but remain steadfast in their irreconcilable attitude, without being disheartened by the most grievous calamities, defending our cause with the sublime heroism of the convinced and with the indominatable tenacity of soldiers of liberty. There still remain with us, I repeat many, very many, Filipinos, who, constant and faithful in the discharge of their duties, have not allowed themselves to be deceived by the enemy but continue working with greater fearlessness and ardor than before, certain that the voice of justice and of reason will be heard by the consciences of ·the North American imperialists and that no distant day will arrive the moment, hope for all, when we will again see our flag floating over all the towns of the Archipelago kissed by liberty.

Even brothers, nationally, of those who wish to subjugate us, but true sons of Washington and Jefferson, labor for the arrival of that moment; they are not dismayed and cannot condemn, as, unfortunately, do our servile fellow patriots, the continuations of the struggle on our part.

And there is, of a truth, nothing more natural than that we should continue, no matter what obstacle we may encounter, and notwithstanding the capture of him who was our Captain General, and the surrender of various Generals. Such occurrences are but the misfortunes which occur in our wars and it should in no way effect the attitude of those who are truly worthy and patriotic. In the Transvaal War, Jouvert the Commander in Chief, died, but the war did not cease on that account; on the contrary, Bota immediately took command and continued operations for the Boers more furiously, more actively, and more successfully, than at the beginning. In Cuba, Maceo died and many other Commanders were captured, still the revolution did not die; quite the contrary, it was prosecuted more forcibly and vigorously, until after a short time thnt island was declared independent.

If because of such disasters we were to falter in our work we would be cursed by our successors, excerted, derided and scourned by the nations, who then would surely see with pleasure that we were enchained, even more than we were before, with chains of a true slavery to see if with them we ended in awakening and succeeded in learning to appre. ciate our rights, They would say to us, and with reason that we only fought out of sympathy, or for fear of Sr. Aguinaldo and other persons and not from a common ideal which is the liberty of our country. Before they tell us that we shall show the world that the Filipino Army is so organized that if a Commander dies or is captured another instantly comes forward to take his place, that we do not fight on the suggestion of other persons but because of our convictions, and that, in fine, we are worthy of independence and universal respect because we know our rights and how to die in their defense.

We remain then in the breach and continue the work of the revolution as the last, the only, solution by which we may secure recognition of our independence, as also our honor, our dignity and our patriotic duties require us to do, because we have taken up arms against the invading army in order not to humble nor submit ourselves to its sovereignty after a little pressing as in a theatrical performance. No! we have resorted to arms because Imperialism wished to trample upon our rights and because it broke that alliance which united us according to the proclamation of Aguinaldo when it still needed our aid and we Filipinos indignant at this deception acted most naturally and logically ill defending ourselves and demonstrating before the universe that we throw off slavery and demand on just ground our national independence.

Dismiss personal resentments from your breasts if you have such feelings, because all such conduce to nothing other than our own ruin and slavery. Let us all unite in ono spirit, work with faith, without fear of the dangers which may be conquered by constancy and labor; let us disregard death, and. if by chance it comes to us in the noise of battle, we know how to meet it with honor and thus we may be able to say to our Country that on its fields we have shed our blood obeying its commands. Let us recollect that for hearts that are great and magnanimous, faithful to convictions, History, the Nation and the Supreme Being have prepared garlands of unfading glory, while to villains and cowards there is but hope of eternal dishonor and well merited slavery.

Equally desirous that the national defense may go with glorious and triumphant march throughout the territory of my jurisdiction without being hindered by difficulties nor stained by stigma under this date.

I order and command:

That there will be shot to death with musketry:

1. Any soldier or civilian who does not respect the life and interests of all foreigners who do not bear arms in support of the enemy but keep themselves neutral, as well as all Filipinos under similar circumstances.

2. He who violates a woman or enters by force into the house of any citizens whatever may be his nationality.

3. He who mal-treats prisoners of war or insults the person or nation of the same, and he who even though it may be in the heat of combat does not respect the life of an enemy when the latter has thrown down his arms.

4. He who serves as a spy of the enemy or furnishes information of whatever character regarding the position of the Filipino forces.

5. He who robs or loots be he author or accomplice in whatever class of brigandage or outlawry, and he who collects contributions of war without express authorization from the appointed Military Commander or these Headquarters.

6. He who destroys or damages the crops or fields or takes the cattle of neutral citizens.

7. The Filipino who does not engage in agriculture, such as the cultivation of palay and other products, or to the occupation from which he may best derive a livelihood and remain in tranquility of mind.

8. He who interferes with or opens correspondence addressed to me officially or to those of my command without being duly authorized by these Headquarters.

9. The soldier who refuses to furnish a neutral citizen, who needs it, the means of security for the preservation of his life and interests.

These dispositions will be in force in all provinces in my command, and local officials and military commanders of stations and guerrilla

bands are charged with seeing that they are exactly complied with, sending those who disregard them to the military headquarters, by which in turn they will be placed at the disposition of these Headquarters for execution in conformity with law.

Given in the Encampment of Samar this 3rd day of August, 1901.

VICENTE LUCBAN,
Politico-Military Commander in Chief.