Image from Wikipedia: Filipino and American forces engage in battle
Our country is fated to have been conquered by foreign powers who were bent in seeing our country as an extension to theirs. They found our country quite attractive to their sword-bearing, gun-totting tastes, a paradise where they can brandish their swords and yield their guns freely as if there are no laws. Colonizers wouldn’t even admit they have exploited our country for plunder and slavery. Among those who have colonized us were the Americans, whose presidents are seen as demi-gods.
Our diplomatic relationship with the most powerful nation in the world did not start with a handshake of friendship. It started through deception and betrayal of trust. On the painful night of February 4, 1899, the Americans, who were supposed to the the Filipinos’ allies against Spain, revealed their true colors as they fired the first shots that ignited the Filipino-American War. That part of history will be forgotten by many of us, history-unconscious Filipinos.
The Filipino-American War was a hard test for Filipinos. They rose to challenge against the pale-faced and coal black foes who were much superior in warfare technology. To pay allegiance to the stars and stripes of the milk-white, coal-black foes is a blasphemy to the fallen who had struggled against foreign invasion. From 1899 to 1902, our heroes had only one option: To fight.
A Fiipino being executed through the "garrote" by the stooge of the American colonizers
It was three years of pain, suffering, and bloodshed. A considerable number of Filipinos turned traitors (They were the first political prostitutes.) and offered the blood of fellow Filipinos in exchange for gold and the American dream. Filipinos, saints and sinners alike those who love the country, resisted against the uninvited westerners. There was no United Nations or Amnesty International to prevent the Americans that time, but opposition to the war was strong in the United States. The colonizers had lots of dirty tricks in their sleeves. They cannot conquer us so easily, so they resort to banditry, thievery, thuggery and terrorism.
Despite the gallantry and courage shown by our heroes, it was not enough to overturn the destiny of having been conquered. The Americans fused their own type of warfare with brutal human rights violations (among the first done by the Americans in the world) and terrorism.
On September 1901 American soldiers pillaged and massacred the poor inhabitants of a village in Balangiga, Samar days after they were defeated in the same village by Filipino cleverness, Not contented, they even stole the church bells, a profane act against the faith of the unfortunate people. Such violations of human rights were committed too by them throughout the country. The fanatical struggle of an enslaved and oppressed people to achieve freedom, justice and independence through blood had ended dishearteningly.
Filipino fighters surrendering to the Americans
The Filipino-American War is one of the saddest chapters in Philippine history. It is a sad picture of our first encounters with America. It was 113 years after the first gunshot the started the war was heard.
Within those 113 years, the Philippines would side with the Americans in whatever they do. We would play puppy or dummy to them. We would stand behind Uncle Sam in their wars, in the promulgation of their world domination policies and concerns while hurting Filipino sensitivities.
We receive aid from them in return for them to exploit us and our natural resources. The American government calls us to reduce our population before they would hand us their millions or billions worth of aid. Why so? They are afraid our big population would prevent American interests in our natural resources. They want them for themselves.
I can say that the Philippines is the biggest puppet of the United States of America. It is either we go against them or we lose.
The cries for justice of the millions of Filipinos who suffered and perished from the atrocities of the Americans were forever unheard and unheeded. We history-unconsciousness Filipinos did nothing. We really did forget our history. Come to think of it.
Filipino natives challenging the American imperialist rule
