Today in the past

Today, September 13, 1907, Macario L. Sakay and Lucio de Vega, the last of the Filipino resistance fighters against the Americans, are hanged for "banditry."

The revolutionary impulse that had spurred the formation of the News Katipunan in Rizal and Bulacan was to culminate in the birth of a Filipino Republic with the consolidation of several resistance forces which were led by Macario Sakay, Julian Montalan, and Cornelio Felizardo.

Macario Sakay, a barber from Tondo who had been with Bonifacio and Jacinto during the initial struggles of the Katipunan, was among those captured during the early days of the Filipino-American war. He was jailed under the Sedition and released after the proclamation of amnesty in July, 1902.

He resumed his Katipunan activities and went to the mountains, eventually taking command of the guerrillas in the area. Sakay and his companions decided to formally establish the Philippine Republic, or what Sakay referred to as the Tagalog Republic. He was chosen to head their movement with the title of president and worked out the chain of command. The coordinated guerrilla raids became a serious threat to the American. But the guerillas were no match for the combined strength of the Constabulary, the Philippine Scouts, and elements of the U.S. Army. And deception was to be employed on a broader scale involving the highest of American officialdom in order to write fines to the Tagalog Republic. Invited to party, Sakay and his officers were trapped and tried for banditry and accused of all sorts of crimes. Sakay and De Vega were sentenced to be hanged. Standing on the death platform, General Sakay shouted at the top of his voice.

"Death comes to all of us sooner or later ... But I want to tell you that were are not bandits ... but members of the revolutionary force that defended our country, the Philippines Farewell! Long live the Republic....!"