Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

126 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

The provincial government reform of 1844 did away with
the institution of the alcalde who was at the same time a merchant, judge and soldier. The bandalas were abolished at the
beginning of the nineteenth century. The specie tax survived
until the middle of the century; but little by little, the evils
arising from the government monopolies were being eliminated
and many evils peculiar to that antiquated financial regime
passed into history when the tax reform of 1884 brought
about the establishment of a more equitable, practical, and
progressive system of taxation.
In the midst of that life full of tribulations and dangers,
the public order was maintained almost exclusively by the
people themselves, at the expense of the local or community
funds, which does not mean, however, that the service of public
security was not directed by the central government and that
there was not a military force composed of all arms, made
up almost entirely of native troops, for the defence of the
territory.
One feature peculiar to our country in the time of the Spanish
rule was the secular popular institution of the bantayans, something in the nature of a night patrol formed by the taxpayers
of each pueblo. These men usually mounted guard in the
center of the town, at the entrance of the same, and every
fifteen minutes travel on foot along the highways, in order to
defend the people against raids by brigands or Moros. In
one word, they maintained a service of vigilance during the
night. Huts or shelters, provided with light and a bell, were
erected at certain distances from each other for these guards,
who were constantly on duty and gave the alarm in case of
necessity. The bantayans consisted of seven or eight men who
would halt all people who were passing. The former alguacil.mayor of the tribunal subsequently became the lieutenant of
police, under the orders, the same as the other local officials
(juez de sementeras, de ganado, etc.) of the gobernadorcillo.
"All", says Buceta y Bravo (1850), "watch over the public
security and it is their duty to pursue evildoers and guard the
prisons."
The gobernadorcillos exercised in those days the functions of
alcalde and justice of the peace, having at the same time charge