Officers will endeavor to learn the customs and dialects of the tribes among
whom stationed and to gain the confidence of Chiefs and Headmen, so as
to be able to exert the influence of the Constabulary in settling
disagreements between individuals and bands.
--Constabulary Manual

THE combination of rapid Filipinization of the Constabulary and the outbreak of the Great War in Europe was to see the Insular Police losing the services of some of the best names on the roster.

By 1918, the force of regular United States soldiers in the Philippines had been reduced to 8,307, supported by a staff of 7,000 Scouts. These troops held positions in garrison, and were not concerned with the preservation of internal order in the Philippines. The Constabulary, with a force of 5,348 men and 347 officers, became in truth the sole peace agent of the archipelago..

In that year, 88 Constabularymen went to their deaths in the preservation of that synthetic peace. For the Moros were active on all of the southern islands, engaged now in that deadlier form of battle that is represented by small party assaults from the jungle edge.

The Moro outlaws, Sampang and Janni, were eliminated ini a series of guerilla fights in Sulu. In Mindanao, isolated cottas were still being erected in defiance of the law. When the World War closed, the American participation in the affairs of the jungle police was practically at an end. Coming to the year 1920, but seventeen American officers remained in the corps. The well-known names were gone. Seventy-four men died during that year in the course of the scattered cotta fights and the stands against amuck Moros.

The year 1920 saw many small bloody engagements against the Moros. In August of that year vintamen crossed into Dutch territory and murdered a man and outraged two Dutch girls. A Dutch cruiser reported the incident and Constabulary patrols took the field in search of the pirates. The Constabulary launches failed to find trace of the Moros, but a patrol at Bongao, in Tawi-Tawi, captured eight pirates led by Moro Sanwali, who confessed to the foray into Dutch territory.

Lieutenant Abull was killed in a desperate ambuscade in the south, but his men succeeded in eliminating the Moro outlaw, Inda and Pion, who had terrorized the countryside for months.

The Manobos in Cotobato massed near Davao and fought an all-day battle against a Constabulary force. The result was the elimination of the band and the killing of all the leaders. One hundred and two prisoners were taken and sentenced to jail.

In Lanao, Moro Daimla attacked the Constabulary barracks at Ganassi, and was killed leading his bolomen against the police post. During the sacred day known as "Buci Sa Ariraya," a Moro leader named Sarawang gathered fifty men about him and swore on the Koran to avenge the death of Diamla. The avengers took refuge in a cotta at Tugaya when a strong Constabulary force under Colonel Waloe and Major Santos appeared. After futile negotiations, the Constabulary took the fortress by storm. Fifty-four Moros were killed.

The murderers then withdrew to a fortified cotta near Lati, and there an attack was made by Constabulary troops under Captain Nicdao. The engagement lasted from dawn until 11:30 in the morning. When the Constabulary at last were able to enter the silent fort, ninety dead Moros were found within.

The reason for this attack on Lieutenant Velasquez remains unexplained. Maharajah Untung was wealthy and respected by the authorities. Why he should suddenly decide upon a life of outlawry remains an obscure problem of Moro psychology.

Certain it is that the Constabulary lost much of its old prestige and the respect and confidence of the Moro leaders when the corps became predominately Filipino, The Moros were unwilling to accept governmental direction from their hereditary enemies of many centuries. The series of minor combats and disputes that began to appear with regularity could only be traced to the lack of that prestige that went out of the corps when the famous old-timers had resigned.

Men like Crockett and Tiffany and Whitney, Preuss and Furlong and Cochrun, were able in diplomacy and prestige-building, and as capable in the field when necessary. They had the whole-hearted respect of the Mohammedans. A nu cleus of these grand old-timers remained; Fort was there, and Bowers and Livingston and Stevens, but their influence was too thinly spread across the long line of Constabulary posts and the lonesome miles of the bush patrols.

Among the high type of native officers in the corps was Captain Antonio Costosa, an old-time fighting man who had seen much service. Costosa had received his education in Spain, returning to the Philippines with an assignment to the Spanish infantry. He then served in the Guardia Civil until that organization was disbanded in 1898.

On March 14, 1920, Captain Costosa was aboard the steamer Dalupaon, en route to Tacloban, Leyte. The ship's helmsman suddenly ran amuck. The insane native rushed beneath decks, seized the revolver of Captain Costosa from an unlocked drawer, and began to fire upon the passengers.

Costosa, unarmed, grappled with the maniac, attempting to disarm him. The amuck shot the Constabulary Captain twice in the body and wrenched free. The officer, bleeding from his wounds, went below to search for another weapon and the amuck headed the ship ashore in the direction of a reef. Costosa reappeared with a borrowed revolver and shot the maniac dead.

Antonio Costosa was awarded the Medal of Valor for this act, but he was so weakened by the wounds he sustained that he died in service two years after.

In August, 1921, the Constabulary fought a bloody engagement at Bubung Hill in Lanao, with Lieutenant Nunog demolishing the cotta of Amai Binianing after a severe fight. Later in the same month Lieutenant Ballesteros made a thrilling fight for life against Moro Mahang in Parang, near Jolo. Mahang and his band of pirates had held up a Jolo garage truck, murdered the chauffeur and ticket collector, and escaped with revolvers and 100 pesos in currency. After certain treacherous negotiations with the Constabulary on the part of three Moros named Indasan, Israel, and Hassan, in which it was agreed that they should join Mahang and report his movements to the Constabulary, the affair reached a climax on the night of September 24.

On that evening, the three Moros came in to report that they could not find Mahang. In a dark room, Captain Tigno and Lieutenant Ballesteros fought hand to hand with the Moros, who suddenly ran amuck with bared barongs. Tigno fell, mortally wounded, and Ballesteros stood with his back to the wall, in the dark, waiting for the attack. A Moro rushed him, and Ballesteros killed him with a stroke of the kris he held. A second Moro loomed up in the darkness slashing at Ballesteros' head. The officer received a slash in the face, and as he reached in turn for the Moro with his blade, the crazed Mohammedan seized him by the throat and both fell to the floor, each trying to cut off the head of the other. The Moro, more expert with a blade, raised it for a killing blow and Ballesteros seized the sharp edge in his hand to prevent decapitation. With terrific fortitude, Ballesteros held that razor sharp blade that cut his hand almost through, hacking all the while at the head and shoulders of the Moro. His enemy slashed to pieces, Ballesteros rounded up the remainder of his patrol before he collapsed from loss of blood.

He is still in service in Zamboanga, survivor of one of the most horrible hand-to-hand battles in Constabulary history. A few weeks later this troublesome band of Moro pirates was rounded up and killed to a man.

In 1923, Lieutenant Angeles survived a severe Moro attack on Pata Island near Jolo. Pata Island is inhabited by the most warlike tribe of Moros to be found in the Sulu Archipelago. For centuries Pata had been a resort for pirates and bandits. It was there that Jikiri had spent much of his time and recruited many of his men. On Pata the Constabulary maintained two small detachments: one at Kiput School House under Angeles, the other at Sapa Malauna under Lieutenant Lasola. In May, because of signs of disorder on Pata, the Provisional Commander of Constabulary combined these two forces into a strong detachment on station at Kiput School House.

The movement of the troops was accomplished with little time to spare, for on May 18 a strong Moro force under Ackbara, Ujaman, and Hatik cut off Lieutenant Angeles's water supply by throwing manure in the well, after which they returned to the swamps to consolidate for an attack on the police detachment. At 3:30 on the next day, the outlaws, numbering some 300 attacked the school from four directions with five columns of warriors armed with spears, barongs and campilanes. One column, commanded by Moro Isani, succeeded in closing to the walls of the schoolhouse, where they were thrusting with spears at close quarters with the Constabulary. As the attackers massed before the windows, Angeles gave the order for a volley at a range of five feet, and twenty-two of the bandits fell. The remainder withdrew, leaving Angeles in command of the field with no casualties.

But this attack had been but a feeler, and the authorities thoroughly appreciated the gravity of the situation on Pata Island. Colonel Waloe headed an expeditionary force of 112 men and nine officers, and on May 28 a march across the island was undertaken. At Bud Tinga, the village was destroyed, and Upao and fourteen of his followers were killed in a short, savage fight. The expedition then proceeded to Bud Lahi, where the trenches were found deserted. The cotta of Mutla was then explored and also found to be deserted, Mutla having been killed in the assault on the school house.

At the headquarters of the Datu Impus, the Constabulary found action. As they came over the hill the sound of the brass gongs was heard, and the exhortations of the priests. Then the voices of the Moros rose in a war song. After two and one half hours of useless parley the advance was ordered. The Moros had steeled themselves to the death battle and no quarter was expected. The running fight was waged against individuals and small bands of amucks who hurled themselves from the walls of the cottas and charged the Constabulary force. Thirty-four Moros were killed before the expedition moved on across the island.

The purging of Pata Island ended on a dramatic note. At Niug-Niug it was expected that the Moros would offer the most serious resistance. But the sole occupant was found to be Pandaog, one of the best leaders of the Pata bandits. He had waited patiently there in the cotta for the arrival of the troops. As they approached, he raised his barong and uttered that shrill war shriek of the Moros, rushing the long Constabulary column with magnificent disdain for death. The Krags roared and Pandaog turned in mid-air, spinning, as the heavy bullets thudded through him. His companions in crime, pushing their war vintas through the coral reefs, en route to the main island of Jolo, heard faintly the sound of the volley that killed him.

In 1923, the Constabulary called briefly upon the Navy for support in cleaning out the pirate nests in Sulu. The small gunboats rode down the pirate vintas after the Constabulary had flushed them from the jungle. It was tiresome, bitter work, and it accomplished no lasting result. The outlaw bands became smaller, more difficult to find. To cope with the situation, the Constabulary increased their patrol duty. More than 2,000,000 kilometers was the patrol total for the year.

Mindanao came to life again with a serious disturbance in the person of Datu Santiago. This Moro came down in force at Bugasan School in Cotobato, and killed three teachers, one Constabulary officer, and nine enlisted men. He was located a few months later in a strong position at Bita Cotta which was assaulted and captured with the killing of fifty-four Moros. Santiago escaped from this battle, to come in and surrender at Camp Kiethley in June, 1924.

The massacre at Bugasan School had been the culmination of many grievances. Moro objection to the payment of the cedula tax had been one cause for rebellion; another had been the forcing of Moro girls to attend Christian schools. These, coupled with proposed taxes on buildings, lands, and dogs had raised the resentment to fever heat. But possibly the principal factor contributing to the unrest had been the increasing uneasiness of the Moros over the growing influence of Christian Filipinos in the Moro country.

This feeling had been plain to the authorities, and Lieutenant Magno had received orders to conduct regular patrols through the affected area. This he had been doing on the morning of October 13, 1923, arriving at Bugasan, where he intended to remain.

The next morning he visited the school, and as noon approached the soldiers sat down for their midday meal. Some thirty Moros were working on the roof of the school building, and Datu Gumuyud, a henchman of Santiago's, himself gave the signal for the attack. "What are you waiting for, my children?" he said. "Let us finish our work." Whereupon the Moros working on the roof dropped down among the soldiers and began to cut and slash with barongs. Lieutenant Magno killed two Moros before he was cut down. Sixty Moros engaged the ten soldiers in cramped quarters, and the patrol of an officer and ten men had but one survivor who escaped to Parang to carry the news.

Colonel Waloe placed the punitive party under Captain Fort, and the campaign lasted from October, 1923, until late in February of the following year. Fort whittled away at the band, accounting personally for many of the Moros with his old Winchester "Susan," and in time Datu Gumuyud tired of the chase and surrendered, Santiago came in during June of that year, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

A new coalition of fanatics now appeared to disrupt the peace of the Philippines. Until 1923, the Colorums, as they were called, had offered no resistance to authority. In 1918 these religious fanatics had emigrated in great numbers from the islands of Leyte and Samar to Surigao in northern Mindanao, in search of the New Jerusalem. There in the northern Mindanao provinces of Surigao and Agusan they began a gradual withdrawal from the Catholic Church and an affiliation with the Aglipayano Church. This new religion being also not acceptable, they founded the Sacred Family, the sect we know today as Colorums.

As Colorums, they established headquarters on Surigao Island, and to that place came their Supreme Head, one Laureano Solamo. Affiliated with them was Felix Bernales, who represented himself as the reincarnation of Jose Rizal, returned to life for the purpose of obtaining independence for the Philippines.

These leaders began a campaign of impressing the ignorant taos that the world was coming to an end in the year 1924; that the world had slipped so badly in its orbit that it was necessary to collect funds to send to Cebu for a huge hempen rope to tie the earth and keep it from slipping away into outer space. Money came to the leaders in huge amounts.

With these ready funds the Colorum leaders began training of an army of bolomen, destined to take over the government during these last days of the world. Bathing tanks were constructed in the larger communities in which the adherents to the faith bathed to cleanse themselves of all earthly impurities. The tanks were equipped with amulets and holy water and human bones with which the converts anointed themselves to secure immunity from bullets. They were told that if killed in battle, a loyal Colorum would be resurrected five days after the battle.

When Lantayog, a new Jose Rizal, arrived in Socorro where a magnificent house and bathing tank had been constructed, the Constabulary moved in to take charge of a serious situation. The town of Socorro was proclaimed the New Jerusalem--the only town that would escape destruction when the earth whirled off into space.

In its capacity as peace and health supervisor, the Constabulary took civil action. A detachment under Captain Juan entered Socorro and destroyed the bathing tank to protect the ignorant people from a disease epidemic. After destroying the tank, Captain Juan toured the country, and then the detachment withdrew with information of the activities of the Colorums. Two soldiers were left in Socorro to continue the investigation. They were murdered by the Colorums.

Three secret service men were then detailed to worm their way into the fanatical society. Upon landing at Socorro, they were hacked to pieces by the mob. Two more law officers made an effort to penetrate the town peacefully, and they in turn fell before the blades of the fanatics. The hearts of these seven victims were eaten raw by the fanatics.

At this juncture, Captain Juan decided that peaceful overtures were no longer effective, and he, with Lieutenant Guillermo and eighteen Constabulary soldiers, prepared for an armed invasion of the Colorum country. The Constabulary launch arrived at the barrio of Pamosaingan at four o'clock in the afternoon and found no sign of trouble. After a short wait while the troops were preparing to disembark, one man with a rifle came into a coconut grove near the shore and fired on the launch.

Captain Juan landed immediately. Two detachments--the first, eight men under Lieutenant Guillermo; and the second, ten men under Captain Juan--moved in from two directions upon the silent houses of the Colorums. The Constabulary halted when near the houses, and each Constabulary section called three times to the occupants to surrender. At the third call an old man came from one of the houses and shouted to them, "Your guns are useless. You are our victims. Come out, comrades."

The soldiers instantly fired at him and the Colorum fell, riddled with bullets. Five others appeared and were similarly killed. Then, a frenzied horde of more than 500 Colorums burst from the houses and rushed the small detachment. Captain Juan was killed in the landing boat; Guillermo fell as he gave an order to rally in close order. Fifteen of the soldiers were dispatched in a savage minute of close combat, and the three Constabulary survivors managed to escape to deep water and swim to the launch.

In that short interlude of volley fire that the Constabulary had time to deliver, eighty of the closely packed Colorums. died. All of the rifles and ammunition of the Constabulary fell into the hands of the Colorums, and the immediate result was a rallying of hundreds of recruits to the Colorum cause.

This Colorum uprising was the most serious obstacle to peace in the Islands that had existed for more than a decade. The duty of breaking the sect was delegated to Lieutenant Colonel C. H. Bowers, and 500 Constabulary soldiers were sent into the field. With this force was a supporting party of 600 American sailors from the gunboat Sacramento.

Colonel Bowers, with 150 men of this force, arrived at Socorro on January 3, and three days later the Sacramento dropped anchor off the coral reefs before the town. . . .

The troops were landed immediately, and the guns of the Sacramento began to lay down a terrific artillery barrage. The hillsides were combed with shrapnel; the valleys were carefully quartered, and broadsides were laid alongside the town. When the smoke blew away the Colorurns opened fire vigorously. Pits had been prepared to entrap the Constabulary, but the appearance of the Sacramento, with its artillery, had changed the plans of the Colorums, who were set to repel an infantry attack. A slashing defeat was the result here, and it was followed by a similar strafing of the mainland town of Timamana.

As these battles were in progress, information was received that the Colorums were threatening the town of Placer on the mainland of Surigao; and at Bad-as, seven miles from Timamana, 200 Colorums were organized to resist all law. A Constabulary column moved in, and was immediately charged by the Colorum force. These fanatics were able successors to the deadly pulajans of Samar, for they crawled, riddled with bullets, until life left them. Some of them struggled to their feet in a last effort, and hurled their bolos at the troops they opposed. Fifty-four of the Colorums were killed at Bad-as, and the remainder were wounded or captured.

Then, on February 12, 1924, the last massed Colorum attack occurred in Agusan. Some hundred survivors of the bombardment at Socorro ambushed and killed Lieutenant Mendez and ten of his men in a narrow trail near Balite-Tibung. Thirty-five Colorums, including the two leaders, fell in that affray before the Constabulary were cut down to a man.

The ambush of Lieutenant Mendez finished the active resistance of the Colorums in Mindanao. The sect was to reorganize again, in Luzon, the succeeding year.

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Original publication © 1938 E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc.

Filipiniana Reprint Series © 1985 Cacho Hermanos, Inc.

This publication (HTML format & original artwork) © 2001 Bakbakan International.

Transcription courtesy of Ashley Bass.