The Lives of Luis Flores, Julio Llorente, Juan Climaco and Arcadio Maxilom: Collaboration and Resistance in Cebu, 1898-1902
Beyond the horizon as far as the eyes could see, the gently lolling waves of Cebu were suddenly broken by the top mast of the USS Petrel cutting across the peaceful waters. It was February 21, 1899, and as the Cebuanos stood breathing in the salty air of the sea, they watched apprehensively the approach of this American naval ship. Many wondered what further steps need to be taken to face this new development. The Cebuanos experienced mixed emotions. While some prepared themselves for an upcoming battle, others resolved to commence packing their belongings and getting ready for evacuation.
As the American gunboat docked near the shore, the task of meeting the Americans fell on the British and American consul of Cebu at that time, John N. Sidebottom. He stepped on board and met with the Petrel’s commanding officer, Capt. Charles C. Cornwell. By the time Sidebottom stepped out of the ship, he carried with him a message from the Americans to the Cebuano leaders which read:
Within 34 hours after receiving this letter, the Provincial Council of Cebu must surrender to the United States. If the Cebu government chooses not to surrender or hesitates to do so, the commander of the Petrel will be forced to begin bombarding the city in order to impose an American administration on Cebu City.
A congregation of Cebuano leaders then met with the Americans on board the Petrel to discuss the issue pertaining to the surrendering of the Cebu government to Americans. Included in this congregation were Julio Llorente, Pablo Mejia, Juan Climaco, Segundo Singson, Fr. Pablo Singson and Fr. Juan Gorordo. What resulted from this latter discussion with the Americans was an extension of 14 hours granted to the Cebuano leaders in order for them to deliberate on the matter at hand.
The Cebuano leaders were in a dilemma: to surrender or not to surrender. As the Cebuano leaders convened at the Casa Real to come up with a decision to this dilemma, they weighed out the options heavily against each other, keeping in mind that the repercussions of their decision are to be strongly felt by the Cebuanos themselves.
To surrender would mean recognizing American sovereignty. To surrender would prevent a destructive bombardment on Cebu by the Americans. This would not only save the city, more importantly, it would save lives. To the revolutionaries who had fought in the preceding war against the Spaniards, pledging loyalty to another foreigner was probably like tasting sour fruit after long months of toiling and tilling the hard soil. To the moderates , however, surrendering to the Americans would mean saving this very soil the people have tilled.
On the other hand, to not surrender would entail taking up arms against the Americans. To fight was to remain steadfast and true to the Revolutionary government of Aguinaldo, of the Filipinos, and of the Philippines. Many have died in their brave struggle against the Spaniards, and for the more radical side of the Cebuano leaders, they were willing to “die” again. If it would take them a thousand deaths to see the Filipinos free, then so be it. This radical side had one problem, though, and this was their incohesiveness in coming up with a strategic plan of resistance against the Americans. As with anything that lacks cohesion, this radical side crumbled.
The next day, February 22, the government of Cebu as headed by Luis Flores surrendered to the Americans. Wasting no time in making their presence felt, the Americans went ashore and hoisted the American flag over Fort San Pedro to the sound of the trumpet. Undoubtedly, the “starry flag of the Union” represented a nation asserting its sovereignty over a budding nation, but to the Cebuano leaders, it also marked the beginning of a conflict cut so deep into the skin that its stabbing pain would still be felt even long after the wound has healed.
This conflict is a reflection of the political milieu in Cebu upon the arrival of the Americans on the island in the early months of 1899. In order to grasp better this conflict, it is necessary to look into the top Cebuano personalities who were directly involved. This paper will present the lives of four personalities and the roles that they played in the political arena of Cebu from the years 1899-1902. In addition to that, in order to bring about a sense of continuity with the events prior and after the aforementioned years, references to the roles played by these personalities in the outbreak of the Revolution in Cebu in 1898 and also upon the establishment of American sovereignty in Cebu in the following years will also be given.
The four personalities to be discussed hereafter are Juan Climaco, Luis Flores, Julio Llorente and Arcadio Maxilom. The choice of these four persons is based mainly on the two fractions that developed upon the arrival of the Americans. The first fraction consisted of men who showed support for the Americans not only by pledging their allegiance to the foreigners but also by aiding in putting a stop to the resistance movements still existing even after the establishment of American rule in the island. From this fraction, two prominent personalities will be discussed and these are Luis Flores and Julio Llorente. On the other hand, the second fraction consisted of men who stubbornly resisted the establishment of American sovereignty in Cebu. They moved further into the interior of Cebu, waging war against the Americans that lasted for almost three years. Within this other fraction, the other two personalities to be discussed will be Juan Climaco and Arcadio Maxilom.
The discussion of these four personalities will be divided into three sections. The first section will deal with introducing the person through demographic data regarding the person’s birth, education, and profession. The second section will then deal with the person’s participation, if any, during the outbreak of Revolution in Cebu on 1898. The third section will then give an account of the person’s actions upon the coming of the Americans in Cebu and on the establishment of American sovereignty in the islands.
Luis Flores y Perez was born in Samar. He came to Cebu in 1891 as a steward of Bishop Martin Garcia Alcocer. He served in the Spanish local service through various positions he acquired with the patronage of Bishop Alcocer. He served as procurador of the Cebu audiencia and regidor of the Cebu ayuntamiento in the 1890s. He became one of the earliest Cebuanos to enter the Katipunan and as will be discussed later on, he became one of the leaders in leading the 1898 Revolution in Cebu.
Julio Llorente y Aballe was born in Cebu on May 22, 1863. He was born to one of the wealthiest families in Cebu during the nineteenth century. His father, Don Ceferino Llorente, was a Spanish who owned several inter-island vessels and a sugar estate in Medellin. His mother, Martina Aballe, was a Cebuano from Argao, a town located south of Cebu.
Llorente’s first education came from a private school in Cebu. Later on, he was able to go to Manila to study at the Ateneo de Manila in 1876. Afterwards in 1881, he left for Spain to proceed with his studies at the University of Madrid where he acquired a doctor of laws degree. After acquiring his degree, he was admitted to the bar and he first practiced law in Madrid. It was while he was here that Llorente got acquainted with Jose Rizal and other personalities from the Propaganda Movement. He, himself got involved with this movement through some articles he regularly contributed to La Solidaridad.
After his stay in Madrid, Llorente came back to Cebu where he occupied several positions in the Department of Justice. He was a “substitute magistrate” in the Audiencia of Cebu and later on served as a teniente alcalde segundo from 1892-1893.
Don Juan Climaco y Faller was born on December 24, 1860 in Cebu City. Known as “Tan Hantoy”, he was born to a wealthy Chinese mestizo family. His grandfather, Juan Cuico Climaco, was a wealthy Cebuano entrepreneur who led a luxurious life-style in the post-1860 period and whose inventory of possessions included various carriages, pianos, and other expensive pieces of furniture within a spacious and well decorated house worthy of mention at that time by a reporter from the Manila newspaper El Oriente.
Upon the death of his parents, Climaco moved to Toledo where his family had several landholdings. In this sugar town of Toledo, Climaco was able to acquire land and it is mentioned that he was able to own large tracts of land specifically in Barrio Magdugo. He married Regina Ramas and lived in Toledo where he was able to acquire the position of municipal captain of the town.
Arcadio Maxilom y Molero was born in Tuburan on November 13, 1862 to Roberto Maxilom and Gregoria Molero. His father was a gobernadorcillo of Tuburan from the years 1862-65.
Maxilom’s first exposure to education was through the cartilla. Later on, his education was further broadened by a Tuburan parish priest who tutored him. From the years 1877-1881, Maxilom was a school teacher in Tuburan.
The revolutionary then held various government positions in his municipality. In 1882, he became a secretary of the Court of Peace in Tuburan. This was a position that he held until 1888. After this, he was voted to become a 2nd lieutenant by the principalia in the area. In 1892, he was elected as gobernadorcillo until 1894. Afterwards, he became the municipal captain until 1896.
As can be seen from their backgrounds, these four figures came from the upper class of society of that time. Although classifying them into one class, the elite class, would be simplifying the nuances that were already existent among the elites in Cebu at that time, these men had more wealth, more money, and more political influence than the ordinary peasant.
In terms of wealth, these four men did not come from the lower class. Maxilom’s father was a gobernadorcillo in Tuburan. His family owned land in this municipality. Although his wealth was not at par with the extravagant riches of the renowned families of Climaco and Llorente, Maxilom cannot be classified simply as a peasant. Climaco and Llorente, on the other hand, represented a more urbane elite since they came from already very prominent families in Cebu who owned tracts of land in the provinces and owned commercial businesses in the city.
In terms of education, they had all acquired the necessary education to be able to acquire civil service positions. Admittedly, Llorente was at one end of this educational spectrum since he was not only able to acquire education outside Cebu, but outside the Philippines as well.
As already mentioned, another factor that distinguished these four men from the lower classes was that they all held positions in the government, whether it be administrative or judicial. Both Climaco and Maxilom were municipal captains in their towns, Toledo and Tuburan respectively. Similarly, Flores and Llorente both served in the audiencia. During that time, holding an administrative position or entering the priesthood were seen to be acceptable vocations within a family since there were for social advancement.
To illustrate these nuances among the elites, Cullinane classifies Maxilom as a municipal elite, Climaco as a provincial elite, and Llorente as an urban elite. Undoubtedly, they had differences when contrasted with one another, but they definitely had more similarities with one another than with members of the lower class.
Given their relatively “homogenous” backgrounds, it is interesting to note that upon the outbreak of the Revolution in Cebu, their differences among each other begin to emerge and are magnified even further upon the arrival of the Americans. To show the beginning of these differences, significant events during the Revolution in Cebu will first be narrated. Then, the next section will deal with the participation, or non-participation for that matter, of these four personalities in the said revolution.
Although the outbreak of the Revolution in Cebu did not begin until early 1898, as early as 1895, Andres Bonifacio, the Supremo of the Katipunan, was already making attempts to send representatives in the Visayas. When the Revolution broke out in the provinces in Luzon, tensions were high in Cebu, but the Spaniards took pains not to let any information through the masses. This, however, did not prevent Cebuanos from still hearing about the fights occurring in Luzon through merchants that came in ships coming in from Manila. Therefore, although Cebuano participation in the Revolution came a little later, an awareness of what was happening in Luzon already existed amongst the Cebuanos.
The outbreak of the Revolution in Cebu was marked by the revolt that occurred on April 3, 1898 at Valeriano Weyler Street, now known as Tres de Abril. It is said that what precipitated this event was the Camba incident in Binondo where fighting with the Spaniards led to the killing of about 70 Filipinos. This is significant to the Cebuanos because stories circulating at that time about this incident state that most of those killed were Visayan sailors.
Accounts describing how this outbreak on Palm Sunday, April 3, 1898 occurred reveal that tensions were mounting heavily in Cebu. A wave of arrests made by the Spaniards led the Cebuanos to think that the Spaniards were closing in on their plans. An attack by suspected Katipuneros on 3 Filipino Guardia Civil in Talisay on the night of April 2 led the Spaniards to turn on the offensive. This, in turn, made the Cebuanos feel the moment had come for them to rise in revolt. Therefore, although their original plans called for a revolt on April 8, the succeeding events led the Cebuanos to revolt earlier than planned.
A dramatic but interesting portrayal of the moments before the revolt is given in Enriquez de la Calzada’s work with Cebuano women bawling over their men as they prepared themselves for an upcoming battle. The men, in turn, took pains in wiping themselves with oil and other “supernatural” concoctions to ensure protection in the revolt. Enriquez de la Calzada’s account has been mentioned to be a romanticized account of the revolt in Cebu and caution is indeed needed when dealing with his work. Nevertheless, it affords mention because his accounts are said to be based on interviews he conducted with Cebuano Katipuneros.
Leading the Cebuano revolutionaries in this historic revolt of Palm Sunday was a legendary Katipunero hailing from Negros, Pantaloen Villegas or “Leon Kilat.” A mystical figure shrouded with stories about his feats and fearlessness in battles and all the more epitomized by his controversial assassination in Carcar, a town south of Cebu, Leon Kilat was sent to Cebu by Katipuneros in Manila for the purpose of heading the revolt here.
The Cebuanos succeeded in holding up the loyalist troops in Fort San Pedro but Spanish reinforcements from Iloilo on board the Don Juan de Austria arrived on April 7 to counter the revolutionaries. The Cebuanos were scattered and they occupied the towns outside Cebu. The revolutionary government, which was previously established on April 3 and had Luis Flores for president was moved to Sudlon and later on to Pardo. From here, operations of resistance against the Spanish were planned.
Meanwhile, on April 21 of the same year, the Spanish-Ameircan War begins which entailed the closing in of American troops in Manila. On May 1, the Americans won over the Spanish fleet in the Battle of Manila Bay. Emilio Aguinaldo arrived from his exile and proceeded to work for the establishment of an independent state. With the Americans at first seemingly supportive of the Filipino’s desire to break free from Spain, Aguinaldo was able to proclaim Philippine independence on June 12. However, as the months progressed, it became more and more obvious that the Americans were not going anywhere. The Treaty of Paris signed on December 10, 1898 between Spain and the United States culminated the war fought by the Filipinos against the Spaniards with Spain ceding the Philippines to the United States.
With Spanish withdrawal from the islands becoming imminent, the politico-governor of Cebu at that time, Governor Montero, decided to turn over the Cebu government to a transition government headed by a Spanish mestizo, Pablo Mejia. This was done on December 24, 1898 with the Spanish flag being lowered at Fort San Pedro. Mejia, in turn, turned over this government to the revolutionary army of the government in Cebu, which at that time as already mentioned was headed by Luis Flores. This turnover from Mejia to Flores occurred on December 29, 1898. This signified the start of the first Philippine Republic in Cebu.
On January 24, 1899, Emilio Aguinaldo acknowledged this government headed by Flores until such time when elections can be held in the provinces in accordance to decree given on June 18 of 1898 by the Philippine Republic. In addition to this recognition of the revolutionary government headed by Flores in Cebu, Aguinaldo also gave instructions regarding the continued collection of taxes and the administration of civil and military authorities in restoring peace and order in the island.
The following months before the arrival of the Americans on February 21 will show the Cebuano leaders occupied with establishing civil authority in the island. At this time, local elites emerged to take positions in the government. Although many of them had not participated in the war against the Spaniards, what can be seen during this time is the taking over of “non-revolutionaries” of important positions in the government. Therefore, upon the arrival of the Americans on February 21, the composition of the government in Cebu was a mixed breed. There were those who comprised of the elite and had not participated in the previous war and there were those who were revolutionaries and had fought bravely against the Spaniards.
To illustrate further this element of “participation/non-participation” in the war against the Spaniards, what Luis Flores, Julio Llorente, Juan Climaco, and Arcadio Maxilom did during the Revolution will now be given in this succeeding section.
Luis Flores became involved in the Katipunan as early as 1896 or 1897. During the revolution, he became known as Unos or “storm” in Cebuano. He was among the pioneer members of the Katipunan in Cebu. Together with him were Francisco Llamas, Nicoles Godines, Eugenio Gines , Mariano Hernandez, Nicomedes Machahon , and Florencio Gonzales to name a few.
As with most Katipunan chapters, membership into the organization required initiation rites. Luis Flores was supposedly initiated into the organization by none other than the famous revolutionary, Leon Kilat. Flores is mentioned to be present in various meetings wherein the Katipuneros not only initiated members but also strategized their plans for revolution in Cebu. Among their meeting places were houses of Cebuano Katipuneros (Candido Padilla’s house in San Nicolas, Luis Flores’ house in Plaridel-Juan Luna Street, Casino Alaura’s house, and Isidro Guibelondo in Carreta).
Before the revolution broke out in Cebu, a Katipunan meeting was held on April 2. In this meeting, they decided to get organized and elected a set of officers who would be in charge of the planning and the operations of the revolution. Luis Flores was elected president, Candido Padilla as vice-president, Elpidio Rama as secretary, Alejandro Climaco as procurator, Gonzalo Abellana as propagandist, and Leon Kilat as general-in-chief.
When Leon Kilat made the decision to bring up arms against the Spaniards on an earlier date, April 3, 1898, Luis Flores was among those who were present. Those officers who were in this meeting at a sugar cane field (near an area where Southern Islands hospital is now located), decided to split up and spread the word that the revolution would take place that afternoon at 3 o’clock.
Fighting began at the intersection of V. Rama Avenue and Tres de Abril St. (formerly known as Valeriano Weyler Street) with the Katipuneros being divided into two groups, a left column led by Eugenio Gines and Francisco Llamas and a center column led by Leon Kilat and Alejo Miñoza. What resulted from this battle was victory for the Katipuneros with the loyalist troops retreating to Fort San Pedro. It is said that the casualties from the fight comprised of 5 dead: 3 Spaniards and 2 Cebuanos. In addition to this, there were 2 Cebuanos who were injured.
When the gunboat Austria arrived from Iloilo with troops to aid the Spanish in April 7 and with the death of Leon Kilat on April 8, many Katipuneros scattered all over Cebu. Cohesion was lost. Luis Flores was said to have retreated to Arsobing Mountain near Barrio Paril, Cebu City. It was here where he was contacted by Jacinto Pacaña on May of 1898 in order to reorganize the Katipunan once again, this time in Sudlon, located northwest of Cebu City.
Flores arrived in Sudlon sometime during May 2. It was here that the Katipuneros reorganized themselves for battle against the Spaniards. Flores’ role as president led him to make several appointments regarding Katipunan officers and the areas of their jurisdiction . Until the withdrawal of the Spaniards from Cebu on December 24, 1898, Flores remained the president of the Katipunan. When elections for the provincial government was held on December 30, 1898, Luis Flores was elected as president.
In the meantime, while the Revolution broke out in Cebu, Llorente was arrested in his mother’s house and taken to a prison called Cotta de Cebu.. Together with other urban illustrados like Don Pedro Cui and Don Isidro Guivelondo, he was imprisoned for suspected links with the revolution. He was never considered to be at the forefront of the Revolution. Nevertheless, he was tried by a Military Tribunal created by the Spaniards and sentenced to death. He remained in prison for 10 months with his sentence hanging over his head. It is said that Segismundo Moret, ex-minister of the colonies, intervened with the sentence and helped free Llorente. Another account states that it was the Treaty of Paris and his association with the Propaganda Movement that saved Llorente’s life. By the time the Americans had arrived in February 1899, Llorente was free to interact with the other local leaders of that time.
Differing accounts are also found about Juan Climaco’s activities during the outbreak of hostilities towards the Spaniards in April 1898. One account states that he was one of the few Cebuanos who remained loyal to the Spaniards during the Revolution and he only came into scene during the fight against the Americans when he joined the resistance movement with his cousin, Arsenio Climaco. Another account states that he was involved in the Tres de Abril resistance led by Pantaleon Villegas; however, upon the death of the latter on April 8, 1898, he faded out of the scene and supposedly went to San Carlos, Iloilo. Another account mentions Climaco in Toledo on April 11, 1898, where he was captured several Katipuneros headed by Bonifacio Aranas who raided some barrios near Toledo. Climaco’s large house was then turned into a headquarters where a parish priest was asked by the Katipuneros to say mass.
Even with the differing accounts given about Climaco during the Revolution against the Spaniards, what remains clear is that by 1899 upon the coming of another set of foreigners, he was to play a decisive role in the struggle of the Cebuanos against the Americans.
As was already mentioned above, Arcadio Maxilom was a native of Tuburan, a town on the western part of the island of Cebu. He came to Cebu in March of 1898. He was recruited into the Katipunan and was involved with their activities early on.
On April 2, 1898, he was commissioned by Luis Flores as captain to raise the standard of the revolt on the western coast of the island. On April 7, 1898, Maxilom returned to his hometown, Tuburan, in order to establish a stronger ground for Katipunan operations there. With the help of Fausto Tabotabo, who was also a resident of Tuburan, they began to make preparations for battle. At midnight that same night, Maxilom left Tuburan in order to return to Cebu City. However, on his way back to the city, Maxilom heard of news of the gunboat Austria arriving in Cebu and the loss it inflicted upon the revolutionaries. He returned to Tuburan, instead, to organize revolutionary operations there.
On April 16, 1898, a battle occurred in Tuburan between the Spanish troops and Katipuneros. With Maxilom and Tabotabo leading the Katipuneros in Tuburan, they were initially able to answer the shots fired by the Spanish who arrived from a boat. However, upon the arrival of more loyalist troops in another boat, the revolutionaries were unable to hold their positions and thus retreated to the mountains. The loyalist troops looted the town and set fire to the houses before leaving the town. When the residents returned the next day, they found that the battle had left their town in a disastrous state. Equally devastating was the number of lives they lost. There were 45 revolutionaries killed, among them were relatives of Maxilom, seven cousins and his brother, Cesario. After this battle, Maxilom together with his brothers and his men retreated to the mountain of Anijao in Tuburan.
When a Cebuano Katipunero, Jacinto Pacaña, decided to bring together the Katipunero leaders once again in Sudlon, Maxilom was contacted in Tuburan. On May 20, he left Anijao to go to Sudlon. With him were some of his men and his 12-year old son, Emiliano.
Sudlon Mountains, are located in the interior northwest of Cebu. In addition to its strategic position, Sudlon also possessed a productive plateau where the Katipuneros may acquire supplies. While in Sudlon, the Katipuneros busied themselves in fortifying their area especially the possible routes leading to Sudlon. These routes were the hills of Bitland, Lumbang, Budlaan, Alemagahan, Butong, and Ginkiutan.
Late May or early June marked a battle in Ginkituan hill. It was here where Maxilom led a few men to win a battle against some loyalist soldiers who attempted to attack them. Because of his admirable leadership here, he was promoted from captain to major.
From August 28 to September 4, 1898, Maxilom led a force of approximately 300 soldiers. They went through mountain towns reminding residents of their cause. On November 10, 1898, Maxilom led another group of men to Talisay. It was their intention to regain control of the town; however, the Spaniards had already retreated to Cebu City feeling that with the overall pace of the war, they were already on the losing end. When Maxilom and his men arrived in Sudlon after regaining Talisay, he was promoted to Brigadier General by Flores.
When the Americans arrive in the Philippines in May of 1898, Spaniards in Cebu were already beginning to feel that their attempts to hold on to their control over the island was futile. The Katipuneros began operations in retaking the towns of Cebu. They were adhering to decrees given by Aguinaldo asking for the formation of town and provincial governments. By December 1898, the Katipuneros had restored order in the towns of Mandaue, Mabolo, Talamban, Lilioan, Opon, Toledo, Balamban, Asturias, and Tuburan. The only remaining Spanish stronghold was Cebu City.
On December 16, 1898, Maxilom led his men to El Pardo to retake the town. The Spaniards withdrew seeing no reason to defend their town especially with the Treaty of Paris already signed. Upon hearing of Maxilom’s action on December 20, 1898, Flores appointed him as gobernador interno of Cebu province as long as the Spaniards remained in Cebu. Military officers in a meeting that was set on December 22, also named Maxilom as general-in-chief of the army.
On December 24, 1898, the Spaniards left Cebu. On December 30, 1898, in accordance to Aguinaldo’s decree asking for the reorganization of provinces, the election of officials for Provincial Council of Cebu was held. Luis Flores was elected for president, Julio Llorente for vice-president, Arcadio Maxilom for Councilor on Police Matters, Pablo Mejia for Councilor on Fiscal Matters, Miguel Logarta for Councilor on Justice, and Leoncio Alburo as secretary of the Provincial Council.
When the American USS Petrel docked in Cebu on February 21, 1899, these were the men who headed the provincial government. As was already mentioned briefly in the beginning of this paper, when the Americans threatened to bombard Cebu City, these were the men who had to deliberate on the fate of the city.
The choice was between saving Cebu by surrendering it to the Americans or wreaking destruction on the city by resisting the foreigners. Those who opted to surrender were considered as collaborators and those who opted to fight led a resistance that lasted until 1901. This was the division that clearly demarcated the Cebuano leaders at that time. From the former group belonged Luis Flores and Julio Llorente, while from the second group belonged Juan Climaco and Arcadio Maxilom.
As was already mentioned, when the provincial government was established in Cebu, Luis Flores was elected as president. He was deemed to be a good choice for a leader since he was well-respected by the revolutionaries as well as the elites of Cebu. In this manner, he had the qualities of acting as an intermediary between the revolutionaries and the elites. With both revolutionaries and elites vying for the top positions in government, Flores was able to appease both sides by convincing the revolutionaries to hold on to their positions in the revolutionary government and allow the elites to use their knowledge and expertise on political matters.
The lenient manner in which Flores dealt with the revolutionaries and the elite also reflect the manner in which he dealt with the religious personalities in Cebu. An example of this can be seen in the way he dealt with his patron, Bishop Alcocer. As will be remembered, Flores first came to Cebu from Samar because he was a steward of Bishop Alcocer. When the Spaniards withdrew from Cebu in December 1898, Bishop Alcocer was among the few Spaniards who remained. By January 1899, General Vicente Lukban of Samar and Leyte, sent word to Flores to put Alcocer under house arrest. Instead of doing so, Flores aided Alcocer in slipping out of Cebu.
In February 1899, it was Flores who signed the document surrendering Cebu to the Americans. Although he had fought valiantly against the Spaniards in the preceding war, he realized the point posited by the moderates regarding their inability to defend the city against any bombardment. He states:
Sad and painful is the position of this undefended city which is forced to act contrary to its convictions, on which account it declares in the face of the entire world that this occupation is based on no law of the many forming the code of all civilized countries, who did not expect such a scene at the close of the century called the Enlightened. One talks of conquests, of protectorates, of cession by the Spaniards, as if the Archipelago and especially our souls were merchandise to be bartered, when a single on of them is worth more than a thousand worlds though they were made of that metal called vile, perhaps because it fascinates like the eyes of a serpent.
On February 23, the day after Cebu was surrendered to the Americans, Flores convened a meeting of top officials in the provincial government of Cebu. The purpose of the meeting was to decide on the request of the Americans for local officials to continue in office. The main issue that arose was who held legitimacy in the government. Flores and those on his side contended that they had still had authority as a civil government; however Maxilom and those on his side argued that the moment Flores surrendered Cebu to the Americans, the legitimacy was passed on to the military government. What resulted was the creation of two governments: the civil government headed by Flores and Llorente and the military government headed by Climaco and Maxilom.
On April 16, 1899, a popular junta was convened in Cebu for the purpose of electing a new set of provincial officials. With this event, Flores resigned from his position as provincial president. The newly elected officers were Julio Llorente as president, Segundo Singson as vice president, Florencio Noel as councilor of police matters, Miguel Logarta as councilor of justice, Mariano Veloseo as councilor of finance, and Gabino Sepulveda and Juan Climaco as Cebuano representative to Manila.
It is said that it was the Americans were the ones who pressured Flores into retirement. Flores retired to his house on Basco de Garay (presently Juan Luna Street) where he suffered a long illness. He supposedly wanted to take arms in resisting the Americans but due to his ill health, he was unable to do so. He also did not accept any wages from the Americans and kept quiet about his comrades’ activities. He died on May 17, 1899, from a sickness that he contracted while fighting in the hills.
In the scene now emerged Julio Llorente as provincial president. He showed support to the Americans and although the Americans had some reservations about him, they considered him a better alternative than Flores. With Maxilom and Climaco establishing their own government, Llorente now had to fight for the legitimacy of his own government. He attempted to do this by undermining the government established by Maxilom and Climaco.
An example of how Llorente tried to undermine the military government of Maxilom and Climaco was by cutting off their salaries from public funds. In fact, on May 15, 1899, Llorente decreed the abolition of Maxilom’s government and authority over towns.
Llorente’s term as provincial president, however, was only short-lived because upon the outbreak of hostilities between the Americans and the resistance movement on August of 1899, Lt. Col. Thomas Hamer took over as military governor. Llorente was only to relinquish this post with the establishment of civil government in Cebu upon the visit of the Taft Commission on April 17-18, 1901. By this time Llorente was already a member of the Federal Party, which was the party strongly supported by Taft himself.
The Taft Commission announced their appointments for the Cebu provincial government on April 18, 1901. The list of officials were Julio Llorente as governor, Leoncio Alburo as secretary, Lt. Fred S. Young as treasurer, Maj. James E. Case as supervisor, and Miguel Logarta as fiscal.
By August of 1901, Llorente’s provincial government made stringent pacification efforts to put the war between the Americans and insurgents to an end. Townspeople were urged not to show support to the guerillas. Together with the Americans, Llorente established a peace commission that would aid in talks with the guerilla leaders. By December 1901, insurgent leaders had already surrendered and the war was formally put to an end.
On February 3 to 5, 1902, the first election for governorship in Cebu was held. There were two candidates for the governorship. The first was Julio Llorente and the second was Juan Climaco. The result of the elections showed that Climaco won. Llorente was thus succeeded by Climaco as governor of Cebu.
After his term as governor of Cebu, Llorente was appointed as governor of Samar in 1902. In 1903, he was named judge of first instance of the 12th district which included Leyte and Samar. Within a few months, he was transferred to the 4th district which included Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija. This latter position was the position he held for the next ten years.
It is mentioned that Llorente sold all his properties in Cebu and lived in Manila, feeling that he was not given due recognition by his fellow Cebuanos. It was here in Manila where he died a “poor and largely forgotten man” in the 1950s.
Juan Climaco, on the other hand, figured prominently not only in the fight for resistance against the Americans but also in Cebuano politics after his surrender. When the Cebuano leaders became divided in their stand towards the Americans, Climaco sided with Maxilom and took up arms against the Americans.
Before the Americans arrived in Cebu, a meeting was held on February 10, 1899, among the top personalities in Cebu to plan for war against the Americans. This preparation for war was in accordance to instructions sent by Aguinaldo on February 5. In this meeting, Climaco was appointed as “chief-of-staff” in charge of war preparations.
When Flores and Llorente proceeded to establish a civil government in Cebu, Climaco pointed out that upon their surrender to the Americans, authority had passed over to the military head which was in the person of Arcadio Maxilom. Therefore, it was government of Maxilom that must be recognized.
Because Flores and Llorente stubbornly insisted on holding on to the authority that they held, Climaco along with Maxilom established a separate government in Pardo. In an order that he issued on March 29, 1899, Climaco established the revolutionary government outside Cebu City.
By the time the insurgents began to wage war against the Americans in July of 1899, the focal area of the resistance was centered on Cebu’s central zone. Sudlon, which was already a strategic location for the Katipuneros in the previous war with the Spaniards was again the base of resistance since it was here that the insurgent leaders decided to camp. As well as in Pardo, a concentration of guerillas may be found in these areas.
Together with Maxilom, Climaco was to lead the Cebuano resistance against the Americans. From 1899 until their surrender in 1901, Climaco and Maxilom busied themselves with organizing an army. First, they had to organize the army. This proved to be difficult since conflicting interests within the resistance movement could not assure a cohesive force against the Americans. For example, with increasing loss of control over looters and disadvantageous persons, Maxilom had to issue provisions regarding the conduct and proper actions to be taken with regards to such persons. Other examples can be found in guerrillas, such as Francisco Llamas and Potenciano Aliño, who disbanded from Maxilom and Climaco in order to create their own independent armies.
In addition to the lack of dependable men for a cohesive army, Climaco and Maxilom also lacked the funds to keep an army intact. They accepted donations from several townspeople and in another attempt to acquire more funds, they issued taxes.
Another problem that they faced was the lack of arms and ammunitions. As early as April 11, 1899, when Mabini wrote Maxilom and congratulated him on his continued effort for resistance, he also mentioned that the revolutionary government of Aguinaldo was unable to send them arms or forces. Even Vicente Lukban from Samar could only give the Cebuano revolutionary force a meager number of 20 rifles and 4,000 cartridges.
What is clear then is that Climaco and Maxilom had to resort to their own resources when it came to organizing the resistance movement in Cebu. Although they put up a good fight, the resistance movement was clearly on the losing end. By December 1900, Climaco was already an ailing man and was hoping for a political settlement with the Americans. By April 1901, he was in the process of effecting his surrender and was working with Segundo Singson on trying to get Maxilom to surrender as well. On September 26, 1901, Juan Climaco surrendered to the Americans in Carmen.
As was mentioned briefly above, Juan Climaco ran for governor in the first elections for governorship in Cebu. This was in February 1902. Climaco won over Llorente with 249 votes against Llorente’s 122. It was said that there were 35 delegates who could not write but this issue was brushed aside. Nevertheless, Climaco was sworn in as governor on March 3, 1902. Climaco ran again in February 4, 1904 against Alejandro Ruiz and won a second term as governor.
Under his term, Climaco tackled with the problems of the pulahanes, an irregular, half-organized group with mixed political and religious sentiments that emerged in Cebu and was at its peak in 1902-1905. Through continued efforts to suppress this group, their harassment in the towns were put to an end by 1906.
By the next elections for governorship, Climaco had already decided to no longer run for governor because of his poor health. It was the young and talented, Sergio Osmeña, who succeeded him as governor of Cebu. One year after Climaco left the governorship, he died at the age of 47 on July 16, 1907.
If Climaco was able to figure prominently in Cebuano politics even after his participation in the resistance in the Americans, this was not the case with Arcadio Maxilom. Sadly, although among the four personalities discussed, he was the one who fought the longest and hardest, Maxilom would never figure prominently in the Cebuano scene after his surrender.
When the government of Flores and Llorente surrendered Cebu to the Americans, Maxilom was not present because he was in Samar conferring with Vicente Lukban and Ambrosio Moxica in the Leyte-Samar area. When he got hold of what had happened in Cebu, a meeting was held on February 23 to discuss what had transpired. As was already mentioned, what resulted was two fractions with Flores and Llorente on one side and Climaco and Maxilom on another.
When Llorente decreed the abolition of the government being established by Maxilom and Climaco, Maxilom asked for legitimation from Mabini in a letter that he wrote on May 15, 1899. When Mabini replied, he recognized Maxilom as commander of the Cebuano forces and as head of the Cebu provincial government. In addition to this legitimation, Maxilom also asked permission to take over the civil government of Cebu. This permission was granted by Gen. Antonio Luna in a letter dated June 2, 1899. It is clear then that the government established by Maxilom and Climaco were not only in correspondence with the revolutionary government of Aguinaldo in Luzon, it was vested with authority from the latter.
Together with Climaco, Maxilom organized the resistance from Sudlon. They busied themselves with building up an army and resisting the Americans. They urged the townspeople to fight the Americans and to remain faithful to the cause.
On January 8, 1900, the central headquarters in Sudlod fell in the hands of US forces who were helped by Cebuano guides. This was a severe blow to the resistance movement. By January 16, 1900, it became obvious that the Americans had superior arms over the Cebuanos. Maxilom issued a decree asking the insurgents to resort to guerilla tactics. He divided the resistance movement into 6 groups and assigned them to various areas. In addition to this, he also assigned the officers in charge of each group.
Resistance continued to mount between the guerillas and the Americans, however, because of problems within the resistance movement itself, it soon became obvious that they were fighting a losing battle. They had no men and they had no arms. Even if they had the support of a few townspeople, many towns had already pledged allegiance to the Americans. It was only a matter of time before they would surrender.
When Climaco surrendered in September 1901, he was working on helping get Maxilom to surrender as well. A month later, on October 27, 1901, Maxilom surrendered to Lt. John L. Bond in Tuburan. With him were 78 of his men who turned over a total of 29 rifles, 4 cannons, 1 pistol and about 40 bolos.
After his surrender, Maxilom was used by the Americans to get other Visayan insurgent leaders to surrender as well. In a letter to Dionisio Sigobela (Papa Isio) written on January 17, 1902, Maxilom urged the Negrense leader to surrender. He added that the Americans would pay 30 pesos for each rifle and 20 pesos for each revolver turned in.
On March 18, 1902, five months after his surrender, Maxilom was arrested in Tuburan by Lt. McCarthy. The Americans had found nine guns in the nearby mountains and Maxilom was accused of hiding them. Arrested on the same day was his brother, Enemecio. On March 25, Arcadio and Enemecio were on a steam ship bound for Cebu City. Enemecio was said to have become deranged and grabbed a bayonet and attacked his guard. He was shot to death.
Another brother, Samuel, was also arrested on March 23, 1902. While a prisoner, Samuel was reportedly shot to death for having overstepped a demarcation line traced on the floor of his prison.
After his imprisonment, Maxilom returned to his hometown, Tuburan. He attempted to engage in local politics but was never successful. On August 10, 1924, after a long bout with paralysis, Maxilom passed away. His funeral on Setpember 12, 1924 was attended by prominent personalities such as President Emilio Aguinaldo, Mayor Jose Herrero and Venecio de Jesus.
The lives of these four personalities, Luis Flores, Julio Llorente, Juan Climaco, and Arcadio Maxilom are a reflection of the political milieu of Cebu which began from the struggle against the Spaniards in 1898 and culminated in the surrender of the leaders of the resistance movements to the Americans in 1901.
Their story is tainted with resistance and collaboration and although it would be simple to say that the determining factor on who resisted and who collaborated was the socio-economic class that one had, this is not necessarily the case with the four personalities discussed. Of the four, Julio Llorente and Juan Climaco belonged to the upper bracket of Cebuano society. They both came from very rich and prominent families. If one is to follow the line of thinking that collaborators were usually from the upper bracket of society, then both Llorente and Climaco should have been the strongest supporters of the Americans. As was seen, Climaco waged resistance against the Americans and stood staunchly beside Maxilom until it became clear that they were fighting a losing war. Similarly, the idea that those who resisted came from the lower brackets of society is not necessarily the case here as well. It can be seen that Climaco came from a rich family and even Maxilom came from a well-to-do family. Although, Maxilom’s family does not come at par with the riches of the Climacos, Maxilom was certainly not of the lower class.
What, then, could their reasons be for resisting or collaborating? It may be a more complex reason tinged with social, economic, as well as psychological factors. For just as Cebuanos experienced mixed feelings upon seeing the USS Petrel on their harbor, these four personalities may have at some crucial moments asked themselves, “Should I pack up my things and go? Or do I stay and fight?” Their answer to those questions is what made them worthy of a place in history.
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