On January 19, 1898 four American warships appeared before the Iloilo
harbour. General Marcus Miller the commanding officer asked permission to land
his troops but was denied. With the Treaty of Paris still pending ratification
by the U.S. Senate, President William McKinley had ordered the American forces
not to provoke any armed conflict with the Filipinos. For forty four days
remained cooped aboard their ships. This incident became known as the “The
Iloilo Fiasco”
- Demy Sonza from the book, ILOILO A Rich and
Noble Land
On January 19, 1899 this two page
illustrated spread appeared in the Illustrated News of Leipzig * translated from the original Old German by Ilonggo-German Josef Lacson Arroyo Montilla Sagemuller
The
Americans before Iloilo
According to the most recent news, the
situation of the North Americans in the Philippines has taken a very serious
turn. It is a question of principle if the (American) Union should lay its
ambitious hand permanently or temporarily on the rich east Asian archipelago
has become apparent that it is a question of power if the Americans will be
able to take Iloilo, the capital of the island of Panay without having this
important place destroyed by insurgents, or whether the star-spangled banner
will even have to be taken down in Manila. That the situation currently has
taken a turn for the worse is entirely the fault of the Americans who gave
weapons to the Filipinos at the onset of the (Philippine) Spanish War and
thereby recognizing them as a belligerent power and to top it all even signed
an agreement with the bold insurgent chief Aguinaldo in Singapore in April
1898.
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| The Imperial German Vice Consulate |
With the
preliminary peace treaty signed 12 of August (1899) in Washington has left the
fate of the hilippines in limbo because a few days afterward, Manila
surrendered to the American landing forces, the American government insisted
that aside from Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Philippines be handed over to the
United States and enforced this demand despite stubborn opposition of Spanish
delegates at Treaty of Paris 12th of December. On the 4th of January the peace
treaty was presented to the Senate in Washington was referred to the committee
on Foreign Affairs. In the senate there is a strong tendency against the
annexation of the Philippines however without gaining the majority in the
higher body.
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| A street in Iloilo |
The executive
power of the Union has not been waiting for decisions of the law makers and has
already made resolutions that the Philippines henceforth will remain attached
to the dominion of the United States. The instructions telegraphed by President
McKinley to General Otis, the highest commanding officer in Manila arranged for
the preliminary establishment of an American military administration in the
archipelago and opening of ports that are in the possession of the US to
international trade subject to the payment of duties. Aguinaldo who was
recently surrounded himself with the war-minded cabinet of Mabini responded
with the manifesto in which he raises an objection against General Otis as military
governor of the Philippines and assures that never agreed to the recognition of
the sovereignty of the United States. Meanwhile the government in Washington
ordered the deployments of the gun boats USS Princeton, Northtown (?) and
Bennington. Aside from the three already assigned to depart, a fourth infantry
regiment was ordered to embark to East Asia. In a recently issued proclamation,
Aguinaldo again threatened to banish the Americans from the islands hold them
responsible should blood flow.
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| The interior port of Iloilo |
Then events took
a fateful turn: on the 18th of December, Otis ordered General Miller to deploy
to Iloilo an expedition corps comprised of infantry and artillery regiments
while Iloilo was still under Spanish occupation. However, before Miller arrived
at his destination, the Spanish General Rios cleared his troops from Iloilo and
consolidated all of his remaining forces in the southern Philippines in
Zamboanga at the extreme southwest corner in the island of Mindanao. On the 26th of December the insurgents
entered Iloilo and established an administrative authority in the city and put
up guards to protect the property of the foreigners. It was only after the 28th
that the American expedionary forces reached Iloilo. The insurgents put up
barricades in the city and braced against an attack by General Miller. The
foreigners fled on board the British cruiser Bonaventura. Otis deployed
reinforcement and Admiral Dewey sent the gunboats Concord and Petrel. While
General Miller prepared for the Iloilo attack in Guimaras island in front of
Iloilo, the insurgents in Manila gathered for a counter attack. The situation here became so alarming;
General Miller received orders to retreat to Manila where the American troops
were to assemble.
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| Plaza Alfonso XII and the southern part of Iloilo with a view over Guimaras Island |
The turmoil in
the Philippines has increased due to the fact that the peace treaty between the
US and Spanish crown the by no means enviable fate of the Spanish prisoners
fallen into the hands of the insurgent Tagalogs has taken a turn for the
better. Although the Washington cabinet has pledged to take responsibility for
the release of the prisoners in the Philippines. Spanish Minister for Foreign
affairs the Duke of Almodovar has repeatedly reminded the Americans of their
commitment. If there has been no satisfactory answer from Washington is because
of the fact that the Americans are trying to find a way to keep up their promise
with regards to the Spanish prisoners. Because the Tagalogs firmly refuse to
deliver the prisoners to General Otis because they not wrongly fear that this
accommodation would be recognition of American rule over the Philippines.
Aguinaldo would rather deal with Spain but he will not release the Spanish
merchants and officials before the deported Tagalog have received their
freedom. With regards to the officers and soldiers, they will stay as prisoners
of war as long as Spain addresses this matter directly with the government of
the Republic of the Philippines and thus bestow international recognition on
the newly-fledged republic. The release of the monks or friars highly unpopular
with the Tagalogs is dependent on the concession of the Roman Curia (Vatican).
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| Landscape near Iloilo during low tide and sunset |
The previously mentioned Spanish
General Rios has made the announcement to the Spanish government that they
should not expect a successful brokering because of their strained relationship
with the insurgents and Rios himself would seek a satisfactory solution to the
problem. Spanish Premier Sagasta, (Prexedes Mateo 1825-1903) also had his
doubts and after the approval of all his colleague decided to authorize General
Rios to proceed with his proposal.
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| Salog Village in Guimaras |
The recently
much mentioned city of Iloilo is the most important of the Visayan island of
Panay and lies on the southeast coast of the said island and is on a narrow
strait which separates Panay from Negros and made narrower by the Guimaras
Island. Iloilo is blessed with a good natural port and engages in a lively
trading with the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao. Some German businesses from
Manila have established branches here as well as the British and Swiss. Iloilo
is an open city and is only defended by a fort against surprise attacks.
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| A village in Negros |
