Tondo Conspiracy
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The Tondo Conspiracy of 1587, popularly known as the Conspiracy of the Maginoos (), also known as the Revolt of the Lakans, was a revolt planned by Tagalog nobles known as
maginoo The Tagalog ''maginoo'', the Kapampangan ''ginu'', and the Visayan ''tumao'' were the nobility social class among various cultures of the pre-colonial Philippines. Among the Visayans, the ''tumao'' were further distinguished from the immediat ...
s, led by Don Agustin de Legazpi of Tondo and his cousin Martin Pangan, to overthrow the
Spanish government The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the o ...
in the Philippines due to injustices against the Filipinos.Halili, M.C. Philippine History. Rex Bookstore, Inc., 2004. It was territorially one of the largest conspiracies against the Spanish rule next to the
Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...
. It ranged from provinces near
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
all the way to the Calamianes Islands near
Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
.Martinez, Manuel F. Assassinations & conspiracies : from Rajah Humabon to Imelda Marcos. Manila: Anvil Publishing, 2002. Legazpi sought help from a Japanese sea captain named Juan Gayo who was a Christian and asked for arms and warriors to fight alongside them in exchange for one-half of the tributes collected in the Philippines. They also requested help from places such as
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
, Laguna, and
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
with a plan to assault the city of Manila and assassinate the Spaniards. However, their plan was discovered by the Spaniards when Magat Salamat revealed their plan to fellow rebel Antonio Surabao, who turned out to be a traitor when he reported the conspiracy to the Spaniards. Consequently, the rebels associated with the conspiracy were punished, with some being put to death and others being exiled. The plot against the Spaniards died alongside them.


Background


Cause for the revolt

Numerous datus were not in favor of the Spanish rule as they had conflicting interests with regard to authority and freedom. An instance of such is the waning obedience of the slaves to the datus. This was brought about by the initiatives of the Spaniards to abolish slavery in hopes of shifting the slaves' allegiance from the datus to the kingly Spaniards. Furthermore, this elimination of slavery had institutionalized how the slaves were obligated to pay their tributes to the Spaniards instead of the datus. They had been reduced to vassalage, thus the plan of rebellion of the datus against the Spaniards.


Conspirators

Martin Pangan, who was accused of adultery, Agustin de Legazpi, who was accused of not paying fees as governor of Tondo (his Bruneian Muslim name before Baptism to Catholicism was Rajah Muhammad Zahir al-Din), Gabriel Tuambasan, and Pitonggatan all met in jail, where they made a pact of the datus to aid each other in times of need and hardship. They also made a pact to stand united against the Spaniards, though they did not know in which manner yet. After they got out of jail, Martin Pangan (who was exiled from Tondo) went to live in a village in Tambobong (known today as
Malabon Malabon, officially the City of Malabon (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just north of the city of Manila, Malabon is ...
), where he, along with Legazpi, planned a secret meeting. They reached out to the datus of Pandacan,
Navotas Navotas, officially the City of Navotas (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it ha ...
,
Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
, Maysilo, Catangalan, and many others in the Manila area and of nearby provinces such as Candaba, Pampanga who had been thinking of starting an uprising for quite some time then. With a pseudo reason of visiting their dear friend Pangan, arrived Agustin Manuguit and his father Felipe Salalila (chief from Maysilo), Magat Salamat (chief of Tondo), Pedro Balinguit (chief from Pandacan), Geronimo Basi and Gabriel Tuambasan (Legazpi's brothers), Luis Amanicalao and his son Calao, Dionisio Capolo (chief of Candaba) and his brother Felipe Salonga (chief of Polo), Felipe Amarlangagui (chief of Catangalan), Francisco Acta (another chief from Tondo), and Omaghicon (chief of Navotas).
Timawa The ''timawa'' were the feudalism, feudal warrior class of the ancient Visayan people, Visayan societies of the Philippines. They were regarded as higher than the ''uripon'' (commoners, serfs, and slaves) but below the ''tumao'' (royal nobility ...
s, servants, and other allies were also invited to the secret meeting.


Planning of the conspiracy

All conspirators went planning for three days, pretending to be merely celebrating and drinking as they were keeping their planning under the covers. As they recalled the good old times before the Spanish conquest, they had strengthened their unified bond. Subsequently, they agreed that they would always protect each other and if the Spaniards' initiatives toward the freedom of the datus' slaves were reinforced, they would unite in preventing this to come into fruition.


Involved foreign parties

Legazpi told his co-conspirators that he knew a Japanese captain of a trading boat named Juan Gayo, a Japanese Christian, whom he frequently entertained in his home. They were able to communicate through his interpreter, Dionisio Fernandez. Through him, the conspirators were assured of weapons they could use for the revolt. He also allegedly promised to provide them with Japanese warriors, under the deal that he would get a half of the tribute to be collected in the Philippines. The warriors were to arrive in Manila and pretend they arrived with peaceful intentions by bringing in ship flags for the Spaniards to use. Once they captured the Spaniards, Legazpi was to be made king. However, there was no fine print that dictated for how long this deal would go on, thus showing the lack of organization in the plan. Legazpi also had ties with
Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...
, as he was the son-in-law of the
sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
. As such, the conspiracy also sought the help of
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
. They believed they would come join and help the uprising not only because of their apparent blood ties, but because of their historical clash with the Christian Spaniards as well. The plan was that once Bornean fleets arrived at
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
causing the Spaniards to call the chiefs to their aid, they would arrive with their men and attack the Spaniards in their own homes.


Events and plots

The conspiracy would remain a plot for long, as almost a year would pass before the conspirators could come up with another step in their plot. In 1588, they learned that the English
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
Thomas Candish had captured the Spanish galleon ''Santa Ana''. He had apparently threatened the Spaniards of taking over Manila.Corpuz, Onofre (June 30, 2007). ''The Roots of the Filipino Nation''. University of the Philippines Press. pp. 111–119. They waited for him to arrive in hopes that he would act on his threat to fight the Spaniards; once he did, they planned to overthrow the government by overpowering them on land. However, they made no contact with Candish to let them know of their plans. He had made his way to
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...
(where he failed to burn a galleon being built in Aravelo) and after, to India and then England. The conspiracy started to materialize more once Pangan met with Esteban Taes, a chieftain from
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
. They planned an all- Tagalog uprising: Taes invited all other chiefs from Bulacan to Tondo, while Pangan planned to send letters to the gobernadorcillo of Malolos and Guiguinto, as well as to reach out to chiefs from Laguna and Batangas. However, their planned meeting with all the chiefs never pushed through. Thus, Pangan went to approach datus from
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
hoping they could unite their cause because several Pampango chiefs were about to file a petition asking the government to suspend the freeing of their slaves. However, they had no interest in joining the uprising because they were in favor of the Spaniards and the King. It was after the inability to form a meeting with other Tagalog chiefs and the rejection of Pampango chiefs when the conspirators sought the help of Borneans. However, when the time of attack came, Gayo did not come through with the arms or warriors either because he lost interest or betrayed the rebels. While they were waiting in vain for help that did not come, the conspirators were caught when Magat Salamat revealed their plan against the Spaniards to Antonio Surabao. Magat Salamat had been chosen chief envoy to go to Borneo and communicate the plan to the sultan. On his way over, Salamat stopped at Cuyo island, where he was able to recruit a native chief named Sumaclob to join the uprising. After transferring to another Calamianes island, Salamat met Surabao, who was a Cuyo native pretending to be a supporter. He was actually a servant of Pedro Sarmiento, a Spanish
encomendero The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. In theory, the conquerors provided the labourers with benefits, including military protection and education. In pr ...
. Surabao then betrayed the rebels’ plan to his master, Sarmiento, who brought Magat Salamat, Don Agustin Manuguit, and Don Joan Banal to Manila as captives. He exposed the conspirators’ plan against the Spanish government to Governor General Santiago de Vera on October 26, 1588, with the plan having been in motion for over 15 months. As a result, with Salamat in captive, the plan, their letters and gifts never reached the sultan of Brunei. Moreover, the governor ordered the arrest of all members part of the conspiracy who were tried and investigated in court.


Aftermath

There were harsh penalties given to the conspirators, especially to the leaders Agustin de Legazpi and Martin Pangan who were brutally hanged while their heads were chopped off and placed in iron cages. Their properties were also seized, with half going to the royal treasury and the other half to judicial expenses. Furthermore, their homes plowed and sown with salt to remain barren. A similar fate occurred to Dionisio Fernandez who was also hanged and his properties confiscated. Other conspirators who were executed were Magat Salamat, Geronimo Basi, and Esteban Taes. While some people were punished severely, others were let off on a milder sentence such as paying heavy fines or being exiled from their towns. Notable members who were exiled to
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...
were Pedro Balunguit, Pintonggatan, Felipe Salonga, Calao, and Agustin Manuguit. Balanguit was charged with six years of exile and payment of six
tael Tael ( ),"Tael" entry
at the
Ironically, Agustin de Legaspi's family, including his wife of Bruneian Caliph descent, passed through California, which was named after the female Caliph in the novel ' The Adventures of Esplandián', on their route to Mexico. Their exile had also made them some of the earliest Filipino immigrants to the Americas. Later on mixed Christian-Muslim families of newly Hispanized Philippines at the Americas, opposed the issue of slavery in the Americas. They were on different sides to the issue of slavery compared to their Crypto-Muslim and Crypto-Jewish Spanish co-religionists, direct from Spain, who supported slavery in the Americas Filipinos in the Americas were firmly in support of Native American and African struggles against slavery.


Significance

At the beginning of the Manila Galleon Trade, slaves and exiles were exchanged between Manila and
Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...
. The exiles of these datus were significant because they were reported to be the first Filipinos to settle in Mexico.Mercene, Floro L. Manila Men in the New World: Filipino Migration to Mexico and the Americas from the Sixteenth Century. Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press, 2007 The conspiracy is also worth noting for it is the only recorded plot during the Spanish colonial period where
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
chiefs attempted to enlist help from the Muslims. The trace and influence of Islam in Manila and the Tagalog regions disappeared with passing of these Tagalog chiefs—allowing stability for Catholicism in the region in the future. It is also worth pointing out that the Indios tried to fight for their lost freedom only after quickly surrendering to the Spaniards. Thus, their uprising had them labelled as rebels as they were already subject under Spanish rule; this contrasted them from Muslims who never surrendered to the Spaniards. Furthermore, it was different from other uprisings in the seventeenth century because the primary goal was to overthrow the Spanish rule rather than to protest the oppression of a tribute collector, ''
alcalde ''Alcalde'' (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and Administration (government), administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor (position), corregidor, the presiding officer o ...
'', or
friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...
. The chiefs sought to get rid of Spanish control rather than be satisfied with the death of a particular Spanish official. It is also in this uprising where the persona of the traitor first appeared. Lastly, the conspiracy was not an isolated case, as several other uprisings were being planned in regions like
Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
and
Panay Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and a total population of 4,542,926, as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City of Il ...
as well.


References


See also

*
Philippine revolts against Spain During the History of the Philippines (1565–1898), Spanish colonial period in the Philippines (1565–1898), there were several revolts against the Spanish colonial government by indigenous Moro people, Moro, Lumad, Austronesian peoples, In ...
* Military history of the Philippines {{Plots and conspiracies Conflicts in 1587 Conflicts in 1588 16th-century rebellions Philippine revolts against Spain History of the Philippines (1565–1898) Military history of Manila Japan–Philippines relations 1587 in the Philippines 1588 in the Philippines Conspiracies