Ambos Camarines

On September 18, 1898, Elias Angeles, a corporal of the guardia civil, headed an uprising against the Spaniards.  The Spanish officer in command, and all of his family, were killed by shooting up through the floor of the room which they occupied.  Angeles then assumed the title of Politico-Military-Governor.

When the Tagalog Vicente Lucban arrived on his way to Samar, he ordered Angeles to meet him at Magarao, with all his troops and arms, disarmed the troops, giving their rifles to his own followers, marched into Nueva Caceres and took possession of the entire government.  Aguinaldo subsequently made Lucban a general, and sent him on his way to Samar.

Lucban was succeeded by another Tagalog, “General” Guevara, a very ignorant man, who displayed special ability in making collections, and is reported to have kept a large part of the funds which came into his possession.

Colonel Pena, who called himself “General,” was one of the worst of the Tagalog invaders, for they were practically that.  He threatened all who opposed him with death, and summarily shot at least one man in Tigaon.  That town subsequently rose against him, and he was badly cut up by the Bicols. [318] On getting out of the hospital he was sent away.

The daughters of prominent families suffered at the hands of these villains.  Pena abducted one, a son of Guevara another.  Her brother followed young Guevara and killed him.  If girls of the best families were so treated, how must those of the common people have fared?

Braganza ordered the killing of all Spaniards and Chinese at Minalabag.  Some forty-eight Spaniards were murdered.

Many Chinese were killed at Pasacao; about thirty at Libmanan by order of Vicente Ursua a Tagalog; more than twenty at Calabanga.

Conditions became so unbearable that Faustino Santa Ana gathered around him all Bicols who were willing to fight the TagLlogs, but the troubles were finally patched up.

American troops had little difficulty in occupying Ambos Camarines and other Bicol provinces, owing to the hatred in which the Tagalogs were held.

Mindoro

Conditions in the important island of Mindoro may be inferred from the fact that it became necessary for its governor to issue a decree on November 10, 1898, which contained the following provisions among others:—­

“2nd.  The local presidentes of the pueblos will not permit any one belonging to their jurisdiction to pass from one pueblo to another nor to another province without the corresponding pass, with a certificate upon its back that the taxes of its holder have been paid.

“3rd.  That from this date no one will be allowed to absent himself from his pueblo without previously informing its head who will give him an authorization on which will be noted the approval of the presidente of the pueblo. . . .

“5th.  Persons arriving from a neighboring town or province in any pueblo of this province will immediately present themselves before the presidente of said pueblo with their passes.  He will without charge, stamp them with his official seal.” [319]