123. REVOLUTIONARY COLONEL MANUEL TOMINES

REVOLUTIONARY COLONEL MANUEL TOMINES

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

28 October 2020

The people of Naguilian, Isabela immortalized one of its controversial sons who rose to national prominence when he continued the struggle of the captured First Philippine Republic President, General Emilio Aguinaldo. Manuel Tomines y Lintao was commissioned as colonel by the remaining revolutionary leaders in Manila and assigned to the whole of Cagayan Valley. Since civil government was already established by the colonizing Americans on August 24, 1901, the Tomines Revolution was dubbed by the new colonizers as an insurrection. In my initial research and scribbling of the life of this great Isabeleño, I changed the perspective and used the term “revolutionary”. This morning, a historical marker was formally installed at the entrance of the newly constructed children’s park and playground in Barangay Magsaysay. This village, originally a part of the old pueblo of Gamu, was formerly known at the turn of the century as Sitio Tomines. Retired Police Colonel Vicente D. Valdez, Jr. who is now the Punong Barangay of Magsaysay initiated the project to make sure that the present generation will remember that once upon a time, an illustrious son of this community contributed to the history of not only of Naguilian, not only of the Province of Isabela but also of the whole nation. The historic inauguration was graced by no less that the honorable municipal mayor, Engr. Juan R. Capuchino who was also celebrating his birthday and the municipal mayor of Reina Mercedes, Isabela, Atty. Ma. Lourdes Respicio-Saguban, who is a descendant of Manuel Tomines and the official representative of the numerous Tomines clan. The grandfather of Mayor Saguban, Manuel Tomines Respicio, was the son of Josefa, a sister of Col. Manuel Tomines. Mayor Capuchino’s brother, former mayor and now Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member of the 2nd district of Isabela, Hon. Edgar R. Capuchino was also present together with the Sangguniang Bayan Members led by Vice Mayor Bernardo P. Dela Peña. After the blessing rites led by Rev. Fr. Darwin T. Mamauag of the St. Joseph the Spouse of Mary Parish Church, messages were delivered including my short words of inspiration.

The following were culled from the booklet, “Revolutionary Manuel Tomines and Old Naguilian, Isabela”: “On June 1902, the Constabulary arrested twenty-five Ilocanos in Naguilian town and charged them with treason and sedition. This ignited the fiery Manuel Tomines and on May 1903, Manuel Tomines was visited by two emissaries sent by Pascual Hicaro Poblete (1857-1921) of the “revolutionary ring” of Manila with the commission to organize a rebellion. Signed by General Artemio Garcia Ricarte (1866-1945), Tomines was made a colonel in command of the Cagayan Valley, Ambrosio Logan a lieutenant colonel and Maurice Sibley, a major. Sibley was an American deserter from the 16th Infantry who married an Ilongot native. The guns of the nationalistic Isabeleños, about 30 to 40 Krag-Jorgensen and Mauser rifles, were remnants from the group of Colonel Raymundo C. Jeciel (later became Governor of Cavite 1922-1925) when they surrendered to Major Henry T. Allen (1859-1930) of the 16th Infantry in Echague.

On January 3, 1903, Colonel Manuel Tomines started his revolution in Isabela and set camp at Rancho Payac in Echague (now a barangay of Jones town). They had several encounters in Carig (now Santiago City) and Echague, thus, delaying the pacification campaign of the Americans in Isabela.

On January 2, 1904, Colonel Manuel Tomines attacked Naguilian town at night with some two hundred men mostly relatives from the numerous Tomines clan residing in what is now Barangay Magsaysay and with the connivance of the municipal officials. The small constabulary detachment was taken by surprise and retreated across the river with the loss of one man. Later, the wife of the Justice of the Peace was murdered.

The following day, the constabulary, together with the Justice of the Peace and six others, returned and disarmed the municipal police in the casa tribunal and engaged with the Tomines group. Presidente Municipal Alejandro Tomines (a cousin), Situes Tomines (a brother and municipal secretary), Francisco Acosta, Benito Acosta, ex-president Espiridion Langay (Landay) and another brother of Manuel Tomines were killed. Forty-five of the men of Tomines were killed. Maurice Sibley fled to the mountains with a number of Ilongots.

On March 27, also of the same year, Colonel Manuel Tomines was captured and imprisoned in the capital-town of Ilagan. On April 7, he was arraigned and was sentenced to death by the Court of First Instance of Isabela. On January 11, 1905, the Supreme Court of the Philippine Islands confirmed the death sentence. An effort was made by his brother members of the Filipino Masonic Order on April 3 to secure his pardon. The petition for executive clemency was denied by Governor-General Luke E. Wright through his Executive Secretary Arthur W. Fergusson (1859-1908). On April 11, 1905, Colonel Manuel Tomines, the revolutionary from Isabela, was executed in Ilagan at eight in the morning.”

The metal historical marker at the Barangay Magsaysay park and playground reads: “MANUEL TOMINES. A REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER AND AMERICAN-ALLEGED BANDIT WHO LED THE "TOMINES' REVOLUTION" ON MAY, 1903 MANUEL TOMINES WAS COMMISIONED TO ORGANIZED REBELLION BY THE "REVOLUTIONARY RING" OF MANILA AND WAS MADE A COLONEL IN COMMAND OF THE CAGAYAN VALLEY WHICH WAS SIGNED BY GENERAL ARTEMIO GARCIA RICARTE (1866-1945). ON JANUARY 3, 1904 COLONEL MANUEL TOMINES STARTED THE REVOLUTION IN ISABELA DELAYING THE PACIFICATION CAMPAIGN OF THE AMERICANS IN THE PROVINCE. THE MANUEL TOMINES GROUP WAS COMPRISED OF THE PRESIDENTE MUNICIPAL ALEJANDRO TOMINES (A COUSIN), SITUES TOMINES (A BROTHER AND MUNICIPAL SECRETARY), FRANCISCO ACOSTA, BENITO ACOSTA, EX-PRESIDENTE ESPIRIDION LANGAY (LANDAY) AND OTHERS. ON MARCH 27, 1904, COLONEL MANUEL TOMINES WAS CAPTURED AND IMPRISONED IN THE CAPITAL-TOWN OF ILAGAN. IN THE SAME YEAR. ON APRIL 7, HE WAS ARRAIGNED AND WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH BY THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE OF ISABELA AND WHICH WAS CONFIRMED ON JANUARY 11, 1905 THAT THE SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. IT WAS EXECUTED IN ILAGAN AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. IN THE LIGHT OF BARANGAY MAGSAYSAY'S HISTORY, SAID BARANGAY AS MENTIONED IN BOOKS, WAS THE ORIGINAL BARRIO TOMINES WHICH WAS FIRST KNOWN AS SITIO TOMINES OF THE OLD PUEBLO OF GAMU. TODAY, BARANGAY MAGSAYSAY TOGETHER WITH BARANGAY ROXAS, BARANGAY QUEZON AND BARANGAY QUIRINO COMPRISE THE CORE OF BARANGAYS OF CENTRO NAGUILIAN. NOTICEABLY, BARANGAY MAGSAYSAY IS ONE WITH AN OLDERLY ZONING OF RESIDENTIAL LOTS AS THEY ARE IN BLOCKS GIVING EASY ACCESS TO LOCATION AND TRANSPORT OF RESIDENTS AND OTHERS. ITS DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS IS INEVITABLE FOR CONTRIBUTORY TO THIS, IS THE MINI-PARK CUM CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND FOR LEISURE AND RECREATION. THE SITE IS A LOT BY THE LATE ALEJANDRO DELA CRUZ PASION LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE BARANGAY MULTI-PURPOSE HALL. IT WAS PURCHASED BY THE BARANGAY REPRESENTED BY PUNONG BARANGAY VICENTE D. VALDEZ, JR. FROM NONITA DL PASION, WIFE OF THE LATE RHUFEL TORRE PASION (SON AND HEIR OF ALEJANDRO) THROUGH FORMER VICE-MAYOR DAMASO PASION BARTOLOME AS ATTORNEY IN-FACT ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2020.”

It is sad to note that we have many local heroes in our community who played important roles in the history of our nation who were forgotten in the past decades. They were overshadowed by national figures of imperial Manila. However, it is very interesting to note also that these past years, people particularly the netizens started to realize the importance of honoring our unsung heroes for the present generation to emulate and serve as a rallying symbol in our continuing strive in nation building. God Bless our heroes!