Signed Document of Filipino Deportees to Guam in the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
By: Diana Galang
Date Published: October 5, 2023
In July 2009, the National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) received from Teresa Haman of Maureen & Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana an important Philippine-American War document. It is entitled Primeros Prisoneros Politicos Filipinos Deportados por el Gobierno de los E.E. U.U. en el Archipielago Filipino a la isla de Guam (Pioneer Filipino Political Prisoners of the Philippine Islands Deported by the U.S. Government to the Guam Island) dated 25 January 1901. It measures 60 centimeters, containing the signatures of 31 Filipino civil and military officials deported to Guam.
The said officials are identified as Artemio Ricarte, Maximino Hizon, Pio del Pilar, Francisco de los Santos, Mariano Llanera, Mariano Barruga, Lucas Camerino, Julian Gerona, Bartolome de la Rosa, Cornelio Riquiestas, Alipio Tecson, Macario de Ocampo, Anastacio Carmona, Igmidio de Jesus, Juan Villarino, Hermogenes Plata, Jose Buenaventura, Antonio Reyes, Jose Florante, Pedro Cubarrubias, Pio Varican, Silvestre Legaspi, Simon Tecson, Pablo Ocampo, Norberto Dimayuga, Apolinario Mabini, Mariano Trias, Lucino Almeida, Doroteo Espino, Fabian Villaruel, and Juan Mauricio.
The said officials were captured by or surrendered to the U.S. Army during the Philippine-American War. Because they refused to take the oath of allegiance to the American flag, U.S. Military Governor Arthur MacArthur ordered their deportation duly approved by U.S. War Secretary Elihu Root. On 7 January 1901, MacArthur issued a list of deportees to be confined within the walls of Presidio de Asan on Guam.
Mabini recorded in his memoir the day of their deportation:
At 11:00 a.m. (15 January 1901), we boarded Rosecrans which was anchored at Manila Bay. The prisoners on board were the following: Artemio Ricarte, Pio del Pilar, Maximino Hizon, Mariano Llanera, Francisco de los Santos, Macario de Ocampo, Esteban Consortes, Lucas Camerino, Julian Gerona, Pedro Cobarrubias, Mariano Barruga, Hermogenes Plata, Cornelio Riquiestas, Fabian Villaruel, Juan Villarino, Jose Mata, Igmidio de Jesus, Alipio Tecson, Apolinario Mabini, Pablo Ocampo, Maximino Trias, Simon Tecson, Lucino Almeida, Pio Varican and Anastacio Carmona. All in all, there were 25 of us, excluding the 9 accompanying assistants of the prisoners. Among them my brother, Prudencio Mabini, Mr. Ocampo’s brother-in-law (Pablo), Mr. Rivera and a young son of Francisco de los Santos…
At about noon, the following prisoners from Malate boarded the boat: Norberto Dimayuga, Juan Mauricio, Bartolome de la Rosa, Silvestre Legaspi, Antonio Prisco Reyes, Doroteo Espino, Jose Buenaventura, Joaquin Agramon and Eulogio Gonzales. Together with their servants, they comprise a total of 12 individuals.
Compared to Mabini’s entry, the following are not included in the donated document: Esteban Consortes, Jose Mata, Joaquin Agramon, and ten assistants and servants (which included his elder brother, Prudencio, despite his advice not to aid him anymore).
This document is available at the NHCP National Memory Project for the appreciation of the public. Please see link https://memory.nhcp.gov.ph/?s=primeros
