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| Moro vintas prepare for battle |
After some two decades of inaction, the Magindanaus found a new leader in Cachil Kuralat (Sultan Kudarat) and once more put out to sea in their predatory ships, with some 1,500 men. They roamed the southern Visayas, plundering and taking prisoners where they could. First was Dapitan, then Maribojoc and Inabanga in Bohol, then Cabalian and Sogod in southern Leyte. Then finally, the west cost of Leyte, Baybay and Ormoc. It was in the latter village which the Mindanaus dealt the most devastating blow.[i]
This was the third such raid, the first two being in 1605 and 1608. Before that Ormoc raid, Murillo wrote about the raiding parties of Joloans and Camucones in the year 1629 that ravaged the islands overpowered the islands, robbing, destroying and desecrating churches, causing the natives and fathers a lot of suffering. Fr. Ignacio Acevedo, who was praying the Orate Fratres in Bincay of Dagami, witnessed how the people ran away from the church where he was praying, fleeing for their lives. He was barely able to save the vestments and was in grave danger as the moros were closing in. At this time, Fr. Juan del Carpio was travelling from Sogod to Cabalian (by boat) that he barely touched land. The moros confiscated his vestments and precious vessels he left behind.[ii]
But the December 3, 1634 raid is provided with more details by the Augustinian missionary Casimiro Diaz. That Sunday, the Magindanaus arrived with 18 vessels near the shores of the village of Ormoc, leaving behind the rest of the fleet in Baybay. Some 50 native warriors went out to resist them, but outnumbered, they gradually retreated to a small fort they had earlier constructed following the example of Fr. Melchor de Vera in Carigara. They thought they would be able to resist the pirates there, being encouraged there by their minister , Fr. Juan del Carpio[iii], of the Society of Jesus.
But their courage was no match to the enemy’s cunning and numbers. Seeing that the church stood on a higher ground than the fort, the marauders entered it and positioned themselves there, so that the native warriors could not reach them with their shots. They planted three pieces in a convenient place at the church, in order to do great damage to those in the fort. At that vantage position, the moros started firing at the native warriors trapped inside the small wooden fort, while the latter could not return fire.
Others of the moro contingent uncovered the roofs of nearby houses to gather bundles of thatch, fastened together what wood and bamboo they could gather, and pushing this contrivance toward the fort, they set it afire. The fire burned a quantity of rice and abaca, and the men inside were choked by smoke. The local warriors, seeing that fire had caught the inner timber-work of the small fort, saw only two options: continue fighting and burn to death or surrender. They chose the second option.
Some 200 were captured, to be sold to slave traders in places close to their territories in Mindanao. But when they came to the missionary priest, Fr. del Carpio, a contest arose as to who should have him. The Spaniards would pay a handsome price for any Spaniard caught in battle. But when they referred the issue to Corralat, he ordered his men to behead him. He had earlier vowed not to bring any Spaniard alive, a promise he made to Mohamet when he became seriously ill. Thus, del Carpio was beheaded and his head was brought to the moro king as present. Then they sacked and burned the village and its church. From there, they sailed out and also destroyed the villages of Soyor (Sogod), Biñangan, Cabalian, Canamucan (Inopacan) and Baybay.[iv]
[i] Ibid, de la Costa, p. 324
[ii] Op cit, Redondo, pp. 38-39
[iii] Fr. Juan del Carpio, of the province of Avilla, came to the islands with Fr. Alonso Humanes in 1615. He was 51 years old and labored in the Visayas for 18 years. [Redondo, p. 39]
[iv] Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493 – 1803, Volume XXV, p. 153 - 154, still on the raid of Ormoc, Related by Casimiro Diaz, OSA
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