Gen. Arcadio Molero Maxilom, the Patriot of Tuburan, Cebu
The main thoroughfare of Cebu City formerly known as Mango Avenue, named by the Americans who came to Cebu in 1899 was renamed in honor of the bravest Cebuano general who was last to surrender to the Americans. The name was General Arcadio Molero Maxilom, must forever be remembered by every Cebuano. He was a teacher and gobernadorcillo of the town of Tuburan, Cebu before he decided to rise against the Spaniards.
The greatest battle he fought was not in the field fighting the Spaniards and the Americans against their bullets and cannons but the injustice committed against him and his family. Here is the story:
General Maxilom owned a hacienda being the son of a wealthy of Spanish descent couple in Tuburan. Gen. Maxilom before the outbreak of the Cebuano revolt against Spain in 1898 was in possession of 25 head of carabaos and other cattle.
Gen. Maxilom who replaced the military chief of the KKK of Cebu, Pantaleon Villegas more known as Leon Kilat who was murdered in Carcar, Cebu days after the famous Battle of Tres de Abril, left his family in Tuburan to join the battle. Entrusted to manage his hacienda was his wife, DoÒa Ciriaca Novicio and the father of the latter, Don Lope Novicio.
DoÒa Ciriaca Novicio left alone with her father was defenseless when the then Municipal President of Tuburan Bonifacio Alburo (the Americans installed town officials when they arrived in 1899) conspiring with Felix Estrella and several others with the help of an American constable, a certain Lieutenant McCarthy and sent American constables and armed police and by means of force and intimidation took the carabaos and cattle from the hacienda of General Maxilom.
The Americans was very mad with Gen. Maxilom as he stubbornly refused to surrender to them, stood his ground in the mountains of Sudlon, Cebu City. Maxilom was so busy fighting against the colonizers he was not able to defend his family and his property.
Upon his surrender to the Americans seeing that his battle was a lost cause as his Commander in Chief, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo already surrendered. Then Maxilom went back to his family in Tuburan and filed cases against those who stole his cattle. At the Court of First Instance, he won his case. The court identified the defendants, as the beneficiary of the thievery of the Americans: Severino Mercado, Felix Estrella and Demetrio Ouano. They were made to pay the amount of P775 for every carabao taken and for P2 a day from the time the animals were taken starting from August 23, 1902.
The defendants went to the Supreme Court who on December 4, 1908 reversed the decision of the lower court and acquitted the defendants. The decision was written by the American Associate Justice, Willard.
The Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of the witness of Gen. Maxilom of Basilio Piala that he saw the carabao of Maxilom in the possession of Demetrio Ouano in 1903.
The Supreme Court also declared that the testimony of the witness of Gen. Maxilom, Felix Abaqueta against Felix Estrella as hearsay. Also the testimony of Julio Villarin against Micael Tabotabo that the cows at their yard belonged to Gen. Maxilom was not given credence.
Catalino Tabotabo, one of the defendants testified that the carabao was not his but was that of Vicenta Brasa, wife of Andres Bantay, and was not one of the carabaos brought at the tribunal.
Gen. Maxilom was represented by the American lawyer, Martin M. Levering based in Cebu who was admitted to the Philippine Bar on December 22, 1899. The defendants were represented by Jose A. Clarin (complete name is Jose Aniceto Butalid Clarin), a son of the First Civilian Governor of Bohol, Anecito Velez Clarin, who was originally from Cebu. Senator Jose Clarin became senator representing the 11th senatorial district from 1916 to 1935. The 11th senatorial district was composed of the Provinces of Surigao, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Bohol. A municipality in Misamis Occidental was renamed in honor of the Boholano Senator, Clarin.
The Cebu Provincial Police Office honors the great general and leader of warriors by naming its camp in Sudlon, Cebu City as "Camp Gen. Arcadio M. Maxilom."
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