THE BATTLE OF BAYANG RECOUNTED AFTER A CENTURY: MARANAO PERSPECTIVE by Ms. Phyllis Marie S. Teanco

In commemoration on the Centennial Anniversary of the Battle of Bayang

Abstract

This paper focuses on the Battle of Bayang from the perspective of the Bayang people and Maranaos in general. A survivor during the battle was interviewed who gave an account on how the Maranaos defied the Americans which led to a bloody encounter between the Moros of Lanao and the United States Army.

At the dawn of the 20th century, came the Americans, after the defeat of the Spaniards in 1898. They brought with them the ideals of Democracy their founding fathers have imbued in them. These ideals were supposed to bring peace, justice and equality to mankind. Yet they came to challenge who ever defied their supremacy and authority. They vanquished the natives of this land who sought to preserve their freedom. These were the people who have cherished their independence since time immemorial.

When the Spaniards ceded Philippines in 1898 by virtue of the Treaty of Paris, Mindanao was barely penetrated by these conquistadors. Yet the Americans imposed their authority in the Moroland, home of the Moros for a thousand years. In the case of the Maranaos, whose sphere of influence so isolated with high mountain ranges and impenetrable forests in the interior, the Spaniards barely stepped the land of the Maranaos. As noted by Henry Savage Landor: So that when in 1899, the American troops occupied the coast points such as Iligan and Malabang, the Malanaos were left in undisputed possession of their own beautiful country—absolutely unhampered— and became more arrogant than ever; and it was not till 1902 that the Americans advanced as far as, but not farther than, Lake Lanao. Naturally, the sudden exit of the Spaniards was regarded by the Malanaos as a complete victory for themselves, and, owing to the unfortunate manner in which it was worded, the proclamation of friendship sent to the Lake Mohammedans by the American division commander, General Chaffe, created a feeling exactly contrary to that which was sincerely intended and expected.

Now if one can bear in mind that the Malanaos had never heard of Paris nor of any treaty; that they never considered themselves conquered by the Spaniards—and quite rightly too, for they never were—it seemed preposterous to them that people who had never conquered them should cede their land to another nation whose name Malanaos had equally never heard before.1

It is on this premise that the Moros of the Lake never acknowledged American sovereignty. They openly defied the Americans and moreover declared war against them.

On the part of the Americans, they only inherited the unfinished task of pacifying the Moros in the south of the Archipelago. Their coming only meant a change of masters but not in motives. From the very start Maranaos manifested their defiance through surprise attacks and ambushes.

Apparently, the Americans had always regarded the Moro people as barbaric in terms of its customs, tradition, most especially the practice of slave trade. When the Americans came to colonize the Philippines specifically Mindanao, they felt it was partly their duty and obligation to abolish the slave trade practice and more importantly to suppress any resistance to the colonial rule to safeguard their own interest. The Americans used all authority they possessed to induce the Moros to do things which maybe against their will, but which the Americans knew to be an indispensable step toward the Moros moral and physical advancement.

The Entry of the Americans in the Lake Lanao Region

Because of the policies imposed by the Americans, the Moros of Lake Lanao defied and challenged the American domination in their homeland. Hadji Salic Mangursao, 112 years old, a living eyewitness to the American-Maranao encounter served as the key informant. Mangursao was then ten years old or so during that time. He could still remember the stories circulating at that time when foreigners were seen roaming in their territory. According to him, the Americans were already present before the Battle of 1902. At first they thought they were Spaniards, since there were rumors spreading of any possible attack. However, it was only later they learned that these were the dreaded Americans. Mangursao could still remember the appearance of the Americans. They were big white men, have colored eyes, and were easy targets. At first they were scared and threatened by the Americans since the latter were practically different in every way from them in terms of physical appearance, language and culture.

So the Bayang people, with their firm determination and courage to fight and defeat anybody that subjugated and colonized them, challenged the presence of the Americans. At that time, the Americans were already constructing a bridge along the Matling River, which traverses from Marugong to Malabang. In the adjacent area overlooking the construction site of the bridge, was an elevated portion designated by the Americans for the purpose of watching over approaching enemies within the periphery of the bridge.

Below is an account of American-Maranao encounter that made the Americans believed that the Moros have odd practices and primitive practices which were difficult to understand.

Along the Matling River in the part called “Dilasan”, a Maranao woman saw a white man while she was fetching water from the river. So when she got home she spread the news and told the others she saw “sarwang a tao”2. There were some Maranao men too along the Matling River fetching water to be used in their homes. During those days there were still no utensils and pails to be used for fetching water yet, instead they used cut bamboos as a water container and carried it on their backs. Probably the Americans mistakenly thought that the bamboos were guns. Also, to produce fire, the Americans observed that the Maranaos rubbed crystal stones. This practice probably led the Americans to think that these people were still in the Stone Age period so backward and primitive.

Another incident was the Americans’ encounter with an old man who lived in a “lawig”3 not far from the construction area. The Americans then visited the lawig. This old man could hardly walked nor moved because of old age. At that time the old man was chewing a “mama-an”’4. It has been a tradition of the Maranaos to use mama-an, which when chewed could produce red juices. Usually, after chewing they spit it out. Now the old man’s mouth and clothes were smeared with red juice while he was chewing the mama-an. Inside the tent of the old man, scattered everywhere most especially under his bed were red juices of mama. For those not familiar with this practice, it could be easily mistaken for blood. This was the sight the Americans saw. They then probably thought that the old man ate raw meat. Thus the Maranaos were then reputed to be savages for they were thought to eat raw meat or even human beings for dinner. It was for this reason the Americans started to label the Maranaos as primitive and barbaric. Thus the Americans were forced to abandon the construction of the bridge because of these incidents.

The Maranaos on the other hand, treated the Americans as their natural enemy for the reason that the invaded their territory which was construed by the former as an act of aggression. The Maranaos explicitly told the Americans that none of the troops of the Americans would be permitted to penetrate into the interior of the Lake Lanao without opposition. In the Annual Report of the Philippine Commission it read: The Lake Lanao people was especially resentful of any intrusion upon their isolation and their chieftains explicitly stated that Americans would not be permitted to enter their territory.5

Indeed, clashes were inevitable for in 1902 the Battle of Bayang started. The immediate cause was when on March of 1902 some Maranaos attacked American soldiers while wandering in the wilderness Lanao. In the Annual Report of the Secretary of War Department: Some of the Malanaos Moros who inhabit the borders of Lake Lanao, in the interior of Mindanao, resented attempts made by Americans to examine the interior of the country and in the spring of this year entered upon a regular system of attacking our men when found alone or in small parties and stealing our horses and mules. Several of our men were murdered, and in April a demand was made for the return of the property and the surrender of the murderers. This demand was met by defiance, and after long continued and repeated efforts to secure redress and discontinuance of the practice by peaceable means expedition was organized under Col. Frank Baldwin…6

According to Mangursao, our key informant, when the Maranaos heard that the Americans were back in Lanao region who were garrisoned in Zamboanga, now enroute to Malabang passing through the road of Mount Bunga going to Marugong.

They started attacking and ambushing the Americans. They hid in the mountains and every time they saw Americans passing by, they attacked and killed them. If there were five Maranaos waiting to ambush American soldiers, the former would also kill five American soldiers. Because of this incident, it courted the anger of the Americans. The Americans tracked down these people in their hideouts who were responsible for the death of their soldiers. Somewhere in that portion of Mount Bunga, a small mountain, which was pointing to Marugong was a trail going down called Mantailoco. It was the place, which the Maranaos went on hiding after ambushing the Americans for it was strategically located since it was well hidden and hardly passable by anybody who was not so familiar with the rugged terrain.

Meanwhile the Maranaos realizing that there were “sarwang a tao” invading their land, took the initiative to fortify and strengthen their cottas in the event of any possible attack by these “suranga tao”. The Bayang people then put up “pandi”7 in a “pasandalan” 8 all over the area. The “pasandalan” was raised very high like a bamboo tree. The very purpose of this was that whoever saw the “pasandalan” was obliged to go to the area for a very important gathering. Traditionally, when there was a “pasandalan” soaring in the sky it signified a “call for occasion” or an important gathering was to be held. In solidarity of the event, they gathered upon and call for a rejoicing and celebration. This was called “Kalilang”. Musical instruments made of bamboos were played in the spirit of celebration and that the people have responded to the call. These musical instruments were to convey the message of “gandang prang and gandang kumbali” which means a call for war”. The sounds of the musical instruments reverberated all over the area to evoke the emotions of the people, touching their souls in which to remind them “Day after Life”.

The Commencement of the Battle Of Bayang

Now the Bayang people heard stories that the Americans were back. They thought all the while that those who were constructing the bridge along Matling River were Spaniards when in truth they were Americans. After the Americans arrived in Zamboanga, they proceeded to Cotabato to continue the construction of the bridge, which they had abandoned. When they heard stories that the Americans were within the vicinity of Malabang, with all their strength and fortitude did not hesitate to challenge the Americans the moment they stepped into their territories.

According to our informant9 the encounter of the Maranaos with these foreigners was that the Americans went to Lumbatan to demand from the Maranaos the return of the Mulah (a maranao term for horse) because the Bayang people stole it. At that time the Americans started to survey the area in the Lanao region to determine the size of the territory occupied by the Maranaos. The Datus from Binidayan refused such act of exploring the lands by the Americans. So the people of Bayang held a conference headed by Sultan Pandapatan that they should fight the Americans in order to defend their homeland. At that time there were some Datus who befriended the Americans, “Amigos”10 was the term used by the key informant. Because some of the Datus were friends of the Americans, those Datus who were hostile with the Americans were afraid that eventually they would be conquered if they would not challenge the Americans. Thus at that time of the conference, the hostile datus decided to fight and wage war with the Americans. They should convince the Datus who had befriended the Americans to join forces with them. They realized it should be a concerted effort in challenging the Americans or they would be subjugated. The datus of Bayang met with the datus of Binidayan and had decided to fight the Americans. Thus battle lines were drawn and the Maranaos warned the Americans never to cross the line or else there would be bloodshed. Sultan Pandapatan invited everybody especially those datus who had successfully ambushed Americans. However the Americans insisted to cross the line, thus the battle commenced.

When the Americans were now approaching the Lanao, the whole of the region was galvanized into action in preparation in the advent of possible war against the Americans. The Bayang people and the rest of the Maranaos, to manifest their defiance of the arrival of the Americans hoisted red flags in the cottas of Pandapatan (Bayang), Liampasan (Binidayan) and Phikalilangan (Binidayan). It was to signify as an act of war. These were the three (3) strongholds of the Maranaos, which were prepared to go on battle against the Americans. The Americans took it as an act of defiance on the part of the Maranaos who refused to welcome any strangers in their place. Thus hostilities against the Americans were launched.

The Americans decided now to assault the Maranaos by passing through Marugong, however when they remembered the incident in the “lawig” that these people were fierce and barbaric they decided to pass through another route. Now the Maranaos heard that the Americans were on the way passing through Pualas-Ganassi route preparing for an assault, however when they reached Gadungan they stopped. The Americans heard that there were two forces of Maranaos who were prepared to go on war against them; Bayang forces stationed at Fort Pandapatan and at Liampsan because of the red flags flying in their cottas.

There were other groups of Maranaos who went to Phikalilangan to wait for the Americans there for ambush. They believed that with the help of Allah anything could be possible and that they could defeat their enemies. However, many Maranaos died in the battlefield fighting the Americans. When the cotta of Phikalilangan fell, all the remaining forces of the Maranaos went directly to the Cotta of Pandapatan in Bayang, the last stronghold of the Maranaos. The weapons of the Maranaos were of no match to the Americans yet in the name of strength and honor they fought and defended their homeland. The battle cry of the Maranaos was freedom from any form of oppression.

The Americans who were now based in Phikalilangan decided to attack using its full force the cotta at Pandapatan. They could not imagine how these cottas of the Maranaos were made that no American soldier returned.

The Cotta of Pandapatan : Padang Karbala

The cotta of Pandapatan symbolized power and prestige in the area of Biabi. The Maranaos called cotta of Pandapatan as Padang Karbala. This name was taken in honor of the martyrs who died in Karbala during the battle of Imam Hussein the grandson of the Prophet at Karbala, which claimed thousands of lives from the Muslims. During the construction of the cotta of Pandapatan, sermons were delivered about how Imam Hussein fought his enemies but they died. They were considered then, as martyrs in the famous Battle at Damsik. Thus the struggle of Imam Hussein became the inspiration of the Maranaos to fight the Americans.

It became known as Fort Pandapatan because it was the cotta of Sultan Pandapatan who led the battle. Fort Pandapatan, as known by the Americans, was one of the strongest defences ever built by the Maranaos. It was supposed to be impregnable and invincible from the enemy. The cotta of Pandapatan was constructed long before the coming of the Americans to prepare for any possible conquest with the enemies who undermined the tradition of the Maranaos. According to Decampong,11 the cotta of Pandapatan was believed to be very old since he was a warrior. He was considered to be one of the bravest leaders in Bayang

When the Americans arrived in Lake Lanao, Pandapatan was the one who led in the expansion of the cotta. His cotta became the stronghold of the Maranaos because it was known to be indestructible, tested already for several years.

It was designed with many holes and canals scattered everywhere to trap a charging horse of the Americans before it could enter the inner cotta. In the canals, were sharpened bamboos for the purpose of catching the Americans before it could cross to the next defense line of the cotta.

Cotta Pandapatan had three- defense lines of which the third defense was the main camp. The defense of the main camp was scattered with holes. The walls were constructed of heavy timber and boulders, packed with earth. Below the boulders, a big canal encircled the walls to prevent the enemies from scaling the walls of the cotta. In the first and second defense line of the camp, canals also were constructed with sharpened bamboo to trap the enemies. In addition, these traps and holes were scattered everywhere so that the horses of the Americans fell into these traps. The Maranaos claimed that It was because of these traps and canals with sharpened bamboos where many Americans died.

In preparation of the battle, Sultan Pandapatan organized three (3) groups in Bayang, Bairan, Inged and Pandapatan. He designated a person to lead the forces in Bairan and Inged, headed by Mamao Lumabao but he took charged in the command of the three (3) groups. He also supervised in the construction of the cotta. He was responsible in mobilizing the people of Bayang to prepare for an impending battle against the Americans.

Madayao Sahidusaman was the chairman in the making of the cotta joined by Bantuas, Sarikama (Datu sa Tanog), Datu sa Bayang, Kadayunan, Saripada, Datu Uto Pangarungan and Tumindog. Binidayan people also constructed a small camp near in Ganassi called it Dudupan and Liampasan. Cotta of Pandapatan was constructed to serve as a stronghold of Bayang. They also made traps disguised as shelters however when the Americans sought shelter they fell down into the traps with sharpened bamboos. In the cotta, there were shady places where the Americans went on hiding not knowing the Bayang forces were lurking in the dark killing some of the Americans with their kampilans. In the course of the battle there were Americans and Bayang who died in the cotta.

The cotta of Pandapatan was expanded during the arrival of the Americans, because first and foremost; in preparation of any possible war who invaded their land second; the Americans might hesitate to challenge the Maranaos because they were so prepared thus they might negotiate with the Maranaos instead of waging a war

Sultan Pandapatan: The Leader of the Battle

According to our informant who is the grandson of Pandapatan12 the realm of power of Sultan Pandapatan covered the whole of Biabi. He was known to be a fierce warrior. During his time he was able to subdue datus and made him recognized as their sultan. His enemies feared him because he had so many followers. Sultan Pandapatan had three wives, namely; Inuk the first wife, Patoki the second wife and Morata the third wife.

During his lifetime he had three major legacies. One of the greatest legacies of Sultan Pandaptan to his people before he died in the battle, he was able to instill the value of patience “sabar” and hard work. To be able to achieve anything, it is necessary that one must first experience difficulty in life. He manifested leadership by example among his people. Sultan Pandaaptan mobilized his people to defend their land, their right, and most especially their religion. Islam should be the guiding principle of a true Muslim. In addition, Sultan Pandapatan was successful in uniting his people within his sphere of influence and that they were able to expand his cotta in the advent of war with the enemies

It was believed that when the Americans had taken over his cotta after a bloody encounter, they could not find his body. In an interview with our key informant13 when Sultan Pandapatan died in the battle his body was taken by his slaves and was brought inside the cotta. The slaves sat down around the dead body of Pandapatan watching over. All of a sudden a dazzling light coming from heaven appeared then a big chair was placed in front of the slaves with a big four men all dressed in robes. They carried the dead body of Pandapatan pushed by his slaves and placed it on the chair then the four men ascended to heaven bringing the corpse of Sultan Pandapatan and suddenly they just vanished. It was believed that the angels brought the dead body of Pandapatan.

The Battle of Bayang

In the account of our key informant14 he said that when the Americans captured the two (2) camps of Binidayan, the cotta of Pandapatan was the last defense for the Maranaos. But, still they continued to fight the Americans. That night before the Americans attacked the cotta, the Maranaos were gathered inside. They heard that the Americans already took the cottas nearby and that they were advancing toward their cottas. Not only that, the Bayang people already saw signs in the heavens that something was going to happen. So in preparation for the battle, that night an Imam delivered a sermon. He reminded them that this battle they were waging was for a cause, defending their land and most importantly to defend Islam. A Muslim fights with his wealth and his person “in the way of God” for the sake of these values in which, neither personal gains nor greed is a motive for him. They were imbued with the idea that before a Muslim went in the battlefield, he has already fought a great battle within himself and that was, against his own desire and ambitions, personal interests and inclinations, the interests of his family and of his nation, against anything which was not from Islam against every obstacle which comes into the way of worshipping God and the implementation of the Divine authority to God and taking it away from the rebellious usurpers. The Imam reminded them that the defense of the homeland of Islam is the defense of the Islamic beliefs, the Islamic way of life and the Islamic community. After listening to the sermon, they made an ablution in preparation for the battle. The Maranaos were garbed in their battle costume, which was composed of a trouser snugly fit in their legs and an upper garment decorated with designs. The weapon of the datu used in slaying the enemy was called “sundang” and for the followers were “kampilans”. Every time they assaulted the Americans they hit the agong and shouted “ Ya mugis Ya gizna Ya Allah”.15 It is a verse in Qur’an which, means that “ Oh God controller of rain give us rain for we are thirsty.” This is asking for the mercy of Allah. From the point of view of the Bayang people, the battle they were waging was for the cause of Islam. It is an obligation for every Muslim to defend their religion against anybody who attempts to colonize them. For the Muslim as one of the fundamental teachings of Islam their homeland has become the fortress for their Islamic belief, a place for its way of life and a center for the movement for the total freedom of man. The defense of the dar ul-Islam16 was always paramount. When dar ul-Islam was invaded, its defense as a collective effort normally fell under the leadership of the khalif or sultan.

The day before the assault of Padang Karbala, the Bayang people already knew that they were about to die but it was for the cause of defending the preservation of their religion and upon his death he was called shahid.17 For the Muslims, when they died shahid, the reward awaits for them in heaven. That they were also told about the story of the battle waged by Imam Hussein the grandson of the Prophet in Karbala who fought against the unbelievers however many of his followers died because their enemies poisoned the water in the river.