Part 56 (1/2)
The instructions of the President of the United States to the Philippine Commission, dated April 7, 1900, direct as follows, viz.:--”In dealing with the uncivilized tribes of the Islands the Commission shall adopt the same course followed by Congress in permitting the tribes of our North American Indians to maintain their tribal organizations and government, and under which many of those tribes are now living in peace and contentment, surrounded by a civilization to which they are unable or unwilling to conform.”
From the American point of view, but not from the Moro way of looking at things, an apparent state of anarchy prevailed everywhere; but the Sultans and the _Dattos_ took very good care not to tolerate what, in Europe, one would term anarchy, tending to subvert the local rule. There is no written code of Moro justice. If a Moro stole a buffalo from another, and the case were brought before the judge, this functionary and the local chief would, by custom, expect to make some profit for themselves out of the dispute. The thief would have to pay a fine to the headman or go into slavery, but having no money he would have to steal it to purchase his freedom. The buffalo being the object of dispute would be confiscated, and to be even with the defendant for the loss of the buffalo, the plantiff would lop off the defendant's head if he were a man of means and could afford to pay 105 pesos fine for his revenge.
The real difficulty was, and still is, that there is no Sultan, or _Datto_, of very extended authority to lay hold of and subdue, and whose defeat or surrender would entail the submission of a whole district or tribe. The work of subjection has to be performed piecemeal among the hundreds of _Dattos_, each of whom, by established custom, can only act for himself and his own retainers, for every _Datto_ would resent, at the risk of his life, any dictation from another. All this is extremely irritating to the white commander, who would prefer to bring matters to a definite crisis by one or more decisive contests, impossible of realization, however, in Mindanao or Sulu Islands.
Such was the condition of affairs in the southern extremity of the Archipelago when it was decided to appoint a Maj.-General to command it and create a semi-independent government for its local administration. Maj.-General Leonard Wood [252] was happily chosen for this arduous and delicate task, and on July 25, 1903, he took up his appointment, holding it for about two years, when he was transferred to Manila to command the Division in succession to Maj.-General Henry C. Corbin.
This region, now called the _Moro Province_, was established under Philippine Commission Act No. 787 of June 1, 1903 (which came into effect on July 15 following), and includes all Mindanao [253] except the larger portion of Misamis Province and all Surigao Province (N. and E.), which are under civil government, [254] the Jolo (Sulu) Archipelago, the Tawi Tawi group, and all the islands south of Lat. 8 N., excepting therefrom Palauan (Paragua) and Balabac Islands and the islands immediately adjacent thereto, but including the Island of Cagayan de Jolo. The seat of government is at Zamboanga, the headquarters of the military district, whose commander (Maj.-General Wood) acted in the dual capacity (but not _ex-officio_) of military commander and President of the Legislative Council of the Moro Province, which was organized September 2, 1903, and is composed as follows, viz.:--
Legislative Council Emolument
President, the Provincial Governor $6,000 gold (if he be a civilian). [255]
Provincial Secretary Not exceeding Provincial Treasurer $4,000 gold Provincial Attorney Provincial Superintendent of Schools Provincial Engineer
The Council has power to enact laws ”by authority of and subject to annulment or amendment by the Philippine Commission,” and four members of the six const.i.tute a quorum for legislative action. The Provincial Governor is responsible, and must report from time to time to the Gov.-General of the Philippines. The province is sub-divided into five governmental districts, and one sub-district under governors and lieut.-governor respectively. [256]
Districts Emolument of Governor
Zamboanga (including Basilan Is.) Jolo (sulu) (including Tawi Tawi group) Lanao (including Yligan and Lake Lanao) Not exceeding $3,500 Cottabato (including Polloc) gold if he be a civilian.
Davao (including Catil)
Dapitan (a sub-district of Zamboanga) Not exceeding $2,000 gold, if he be a civilian.
Each district is controlled by a District Council composed of the governor, the secretary, and the treasurer. At present all the district governors are army officers.
Section 15 of the above Act No. 787 provides that governors and secretaries of districts must learn and pa.s.s an examination in the dialects of their localities within 18 months after taking office, or be subject to dismissal.
Under Philippine Commission Act No. 82, ent.i.tled ”The Munic.i.p.al Code,”
amended in its application to the Moro Province by the Legislative Council of the Moro Province Act No. 35, of January 27, 1904, the Moro districts and sub-districts are furthermore sub-divided in the following manner, viz.:--
_Munic.i.p.alities_ are established in the district or sub-district capital towns, and wherever there is a population sufficiently large and enlightened to be ent.i.tled to munic.i.p.al rights. [257] A president (mayor), vice-president, or councillor must be between twenty-six and sixty-five years of age, and must intelligently speak, read, and write Spanish, English, or the princ.i.p.al local dialect. Ecclesiastics, soldiers in active service, and persons receiving emolument from public funds are debarred from these offices. Every munic.i.p.al officer must give a bond with two or more sureties equal to at least half of the amount of annual funds which will probably pa.s.s through his hands. The maximum salary of a president (mayor) is P1,200, and that of munic.i.p.al secretary P600. Certain other officers are also paid, but the vice-presidency and councillors.h.i.+ps are honorary posts. A person elected to office by the people is not permitted to decline it, except for certain reasons defined in the code, subject to a maximum penalty of six months' imprisonment. The mayor's symbol of office is a cane with a silver k.n.o.b, plated ferrule, and black cord and ta.s.sels.
Natives whose habits and social condition will not yet permit their inclusion in a munic.i.p.ality are segregated into _Tribal Wards_ [258]
(Legislative Council Act No. 39, of February 19, 1904). The headman is generally the chief recognized by his race or people as such, and is immediately responsible to the district governor by whom he is appointed. His annual salary ranges from P240 to P1,800, and his badge of office is a baldric of red leather with a metal disc, bearing an impression of the Moro Province seal. He and his advisory council perform the usual munic.i.p.al functions on a minor scale, and are permitted to ”conform to the local customs of the inhabitants, unless such customs are contrary to law or repugnant to the usages or moral sense of civilized peoples.”
A Tribal Ward is furthermore divided into _Tribal Ward Districts_. The district headman is the deputy of the tribal ward headman to whom he is immediately responsible. His annual salary ranges from P96 to P600, and his badge of office is a baldric of yellow canvas with a metal disc as mentioned above. The tribal ward headman's district deputies together const.i.tute the police force of the whole ward. Tribal ward headmen and their district deputies are not required to give bond. At any time, on certain conditions, a member of a tribal ward can apply for full citizens.h.i.+p in a munic.i.p.ality. In short, the governmental system adopted is intended to raise the native progressively from savagery to munic.i.p.al life.
The sources of _Revenue_ are briefly as follows, viz:--
_Provincial._--Property tax (7/8 per cent. of a.s.sessed value), industrial, cedula (poll tax of 1 peso for each male over 18 years), stamps, court fees, fines, sales of supplies to munic.i.p.alities, and forestry collection.
_Munic.i.p.al._--Owners.h.i.+p and transfer of cattle, rents and profits, licences, fines and carts.
_Customs Revenues_ in the five ports of entry, viz.:--Jolo, Zamboanga, Cottabato, Sia.s.si, and Bongao.