Report of the governor general of the Philippine Islands. [1908]

REPORT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION.

of the crime. Manila is the favorite ground for disposing of stolen carabaos.
The escape in June from Corregidor Island of 3 other desperate criminals under
the lead of Fructuoso Vito, a life prisoner whose sentence of death had been
commuted, threatens trouble this year in Cavite and Batangas. A policy which
permits the sending to outside work, within a few miles of hundreds of his
friends, of a bloodthirsty murderer and torturer on life sentence like Vito does
not appeal to those who chased him through the jungle for years, and face the
probability of doing it again, not to mention the expense to the government,
and the hamstringing, lip cutting, etc., that may follow his return to his old
haunts.
SECOND DISTRICT.
The second district comprises Tayabas, Ambos Camarines, Mindoro, Albay,
Sorsogon, and Samar. The dispersion this year of Valerio Avila's band near
the Ragay Gulf, the capture of Guinaha and Ugas in Albay, and the scattering
of the following of Vargas and Deseo in Tayabas leave no organized bands of
outlaws in this district outside of Samar, Esteban Deseo, in Tayabas, and
Valerio Avila, in Ambos Camarines, are still at large, but without following at
present. In Samar there is much improvement over conditions of a year ago.
For the first year in four no troops but constabulary have operated in Samar.
Otoy's band is supposed to have about 18 miscellaneous firearms, and is kept
on the move. Since the beginning of the dry season several engagements have
been had with scattered detachments of his following, the last of which a few
days ago resulted in the destruction of the party of Simeon Angeles, the
second pulahan chief left in Samar, and his own death from wounds. Banigoos,
a brother-in-law of Otoy and a major under him, was killed in June. Ubaldo
Diaz, Otoy's principal fighting man, was captured by Governor Cinco in the
same month. The importance of Otoy is principally a newspaper fame gained
in the last months of military operations in Samar, and he does not constitute
the menace, for example, of Salvador, on Luzon, or of chiefs on Panay with
much less fame. Conditions on Samar are more promising for permanent peace
than at any time since the American occupation. Sorsogon and Mindoro have
been entirely quiet during the year. Systematic animal stealing does not prevail in this district, although there is some in Tayabas and occasionally some
reported from Masbate.
THIRD DISTRICT.
This district comprises Antique, Bohol,' Capiz, Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros
Occidental, and Negros Oriental. There are no organized bands of outlaws
therein outside of Iloilo, where there are 2 of about 20 men each, with a total
of 18 firearms between them. Alcachufas with 1 revolver and a few followers
still hides in Cebu, and possibly passes occasionally to Negros. The capture of
Santiago in October rid Negros Occidental of the last leader of an organization
of outlaws. There has been some carabao stealing on northern Leyte, but it
has practically ceased, and the turbulence which distinguished Leyte for the
last two years ended with the surrender of Idos, the last pulahan chief, in
October. Much carabao stealing prevails in Iloilo Province. This province
lost its governor by assassination in December last, a victim, no doubt, of political feuds. The murder of two Americans, Mr. Everett, of the forestry bureau,
and Mr. Wakeley, a teacher, and two Filipino assistants, by wild tribes in the
mountains of Negros Oriental, occurred in May. It was not known until information was received that the party was lost that such a trip was contemplated
or they would have been given suitable escort. There are some 20,000 wild
pagans in the Negros mountains.
FOURTH DISTRICT.
This district includes La Union, Ilocos Sur-Abra, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan,
Isabela, and Lepanto-Bontoc. In Cagayan is the subprovince of Apayao. Lepanto-Bontoc includes the subprovinces of Bontoc, Kalinga, Lepanto, and Amburayan. There are no organized bands of outlaws in this district. Carabao
stealing prevails to a slight extent among the Christian provinces. The menace
to peace in this district is the raiding of Christian communites by the fierce warriors of the mountains and the taking of heads. Of heads, 44 are known to have
been taken, and, with dozens that were probably not reported, this represents
the principal stain of crime on our Philippine record for the year. The Christian provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur-Abra, Cagayan, and Isabela are bordered by the mountain country from which come the head-hunters. The great