4 Ilonggos die fighting American invaders

ILOILO City – During the Philippine-American War at the turn of the 20th century, four Ilonggo army officers, among many others, sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom.

They were killed in action, according to historian and Iloilo Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) member Demetrio Sonza.

Sadly, however, said Sonza, these four local heroes and their other companions killed in action have been forgotten.

Sonza, chairperson of the SP committee on culture, arts, history, and tourism, hoped that Ilonggos would get to know more about these four local heroes, be inspired by their selfless sacrifice for the country, and preserve their memory. They were Captain Elias Magbanua of Pototan, Iloilo; Captain Juan Magallon of Santa Barbara, Iloilo; Captain Agustin Tirador; and Major Marcelo Golez.

According to Sonza, Captain Elias Magbanua at age 19 was the youngest Filipino military officer killed in action during the Philippine-American War just months after the Philippine Revolution against Spain ended.

Elias was a younger brother of another local hero, Teresa Magbanua, and Major General Pascual Magbanua.

The Magbanua siblings belonged to a wealthy and prominent family in Pototan. Their father Juan was a judge of the Pototan branch of the Court of First Instance of Iloilo while their mother Alejandra was a daughter of the capitan municipal of Pototan.

When the Philippine Revolution against Spain broke out, Elias and brother Pascual were college students at the Universidad de Santo Tomas in Manila.

The siblings returned to Iloilo. Pascual became a major general in the Ejercito Libertador,the revolutionary army in Panay Island.

Younger brother Elias, despite his youth, was commissioned as captain because of his university education.

The Philippine Revolution against Spain capped in Iloilo on Dec. 24, 1989 – when Spanish forces surrendered to the Ejercito Libertador under General Martin Delgado – but the Filipinos’ battle continued and would become the Philippine-American War early in 1899.

Elias’ assignment was moved to Negros Occidental. On Aug. 19, 1899 local forces engaged American troops in a fierce battle at Guintabuan, Saravia (now E.B. Magalona). Many died. One of the casualties was the young Elias, then only 19.

To mark that fateful day, Negrenses erected a marker in what is now Barangay Santo Niño, E.B. Magalona, inscribed with the words: “A major heroic stand of Negrense Revolutionary soldiers against American colonial forces in Negros took place in this Sitio Guintabuan, Saravia on Aug. 19, 1899.”

According to Sonza, Captain Juan Magallon was from Santa Barbara, Iloilo and assigned at Camp Pavia under Elias’ elder brother, Pascual.

On Nov. 21, 1899, two battalions of American forces led by Colonel Gilbert Carpenter attacked the Ilonggo line of trenches along the Aganan, River in Pavia town.

Though the American forces suffered many casualties they managed to take down the Ilonggos’ line of defense, said Sonza.

Only some 20 Ilonggo troops died and one of them was Magallon.

According to Sonza, Captain Agustin Tirador perished in the battle of Tamocol, Janiuay on June 19, 1900 against the American invaders.

For his heroics, a statue in his honor was unveiled over half a century later – on March 19, 1968.

Barangay Tamocol is now part of the municipality of Badiangan, Iloilo. To further memorialize Tirador, a street in Janiuay was named after him.

Major Marcelo Golez, on the other hand, sacrificed his life to protect from pursuing American colonial forces Colonel Quintin Salas – the last leader of the local revolutionary forces to yield to the new invaders in October 1901.

Golez fought American troops in Talisay, Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo where he perished.

“Will they and other heroes like them, forever remain unhonored and unsung?” asked Sonza.

The SP member delivered a privilege speech honoring the four Ilonggo patriots and others like them on Aug. 23, four days before today’s National Heroes Day celebration.

According to Sonza, it was only right to mark August as National Heroes Day because it was on this month in 1896 that the Philippine Revolution commenced.

He urged the local governments concerned to preserve the memory of local revolutionaries by erecting shrines, markers or statues of them.

SOURCE: Panay News

Special thanks to: