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| Muslims warriors in early 1900 |
The Moro raids of the eastern coast of Leyte did not happen in 1602 but toward
the end of 1603. As early as August that year, talks had begun to circulate
that the Moros would be coming. So the alcalde of Cebu ordered the corregidor
of Leyte to make preparations in the coast of Dulag. To comply with the order,
the latter gathered all the Spaniards in the island, consisting mainly of tax
collectors, and mustered whatever force he could have to fortify the area. They
put up some earth works, stayed in the area for two months, and waited. No raid
came. They thought Buwisan and his fleet headed straight for Balayan, repeating
his performance the previous year. Confident that they would be safe, they
disbanded the hastily organized troops. Fr. Otazo, the Jesuit superior of the
residence, called for the other priests who were out in the field to a
conference in Dulag. Fr. Melchor
Hurtado, who was in the interior village of Dagami, arrived in Dulag on
the 28th of October.
Very
early the next morning, a fisherman who went out to sea saw the outlines of
various vessels in the horizon and immediately ran back to the village,
shouting that the moro raiders had come. The people of Dulag lost no time in
packing their belongings and scampered for the nearby forests to designated
hiding places. Hurtado and the boys from the boarding school joined the fleeing
group, while Otazo took the ciborium
with the Blessed Sacrament and headed for the forests too.
But
the women and children slowed down their flight. Moreover, the rain made it easier for the
Magindanaus to track them. Very soon, the Moros were on them. Hurtado managed
to hide inside the hollow part of a large tree. A Moro warrior who had captured
a woman saw the priest in his hiding place and was about to strike him with his
kampilan when he recognized him as a priest. So he brought him to his commander
Buwisan who was delighted, knowing the Spaniards were going to ransom him.
The
raiders ransacked the town, carried away altar vessels and vestments from the
church, dumping armfuls of clothes and books from the mission house on the
shore in order to pick out what they fancied most. Jubilant warriors came out
of the woods with captives.[i]
#dulag
#morosraiddulag
#mororaids
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| Casio G Shock |
[i]Op cit, dela Costa, p. 292-295. Also see Artigas y Cuerva , Manuel, Reseña de la Provincia de Leyte, Impr. Cultura Filipina, Manila, 1914
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