MAGELLAN CAME TO LANDGRAB

This is just to correct the column of Conrado de Quiros (13 signs, 4/11/07) that Magellan landed in the Philippines “looking for the Indies and spices.” In fact, Magellan came to forcibly grab the islands from their original owners, the natives (our forefathers), in the name of the King of Spain, King Charles I. In his contract with Magellan dated March 22, 1518, Charles authorized the navigator to “go in search of discoveries,” adding, “you shall receive as reward the twentieth part of the proceeds and gains from all lands and islands that you will have discovered, and shall besides receive the title of Viceroy of these lands and islands for your sons and heirs for all time.”

In his Last Will and Testament, dated August 24, 1519, Magellan bequeathed to his son, Rodrigo Magellan, and his heirs in perpetuity, all the proceeds and benefits that he may receive as a result of his “capitulation” with the King, including the title and authority of governor of all the lands and islands that he may discover. The contract in turn was based on the Papal Bulls issued in 1493 by the most infamous pope in history, Pope Alexander VI, biological father of Cesare Borgia and Lucrecia Borgia, granting to the King of Spain all the lands in the West, and to the King of Portugal all the lands in the East, and drawing a demarcation line, extending from the North Pole to the South Pole between the “territories” of Spain and Portugal. Pope Alexander VI invoked the name of God in the global land-grab but sadly he showed no power of attorney from God granting him this right. In short, Alexander’s Bulls were a lot of “bull-s”. What if the Prophet Mohammed did the same, would the Christians accept?

When Magellan came to the Philippines in 1521, he found no spices, but he exacted tribute from the natives and died trying to subdue Lapu Lapu who refused to accept foreign rule. Despite finding no spices in the Philippines, Spanish forces returned 50 years later, this time in an unabashed voyage of conquest. Did Magellan “discover” the Philippines? The Chinese had been peacefully trading with the native Filipinos hundreds of years before Magellan arrived. They never tried to conquer our forefathers and grab their lands, and were generally honest in dealing with the Filipinos. Besides the Malays were here first.

Spain sold the Philippine islands and the Filipinos to the US for $20 million in the Treaty of Paris of December 1898 after being defeated in a war by the Filipino-American forces. The Spanish crown’s title to the Philippines was null because it was imposed by force, “without the consent of the governed.” Stolen property cannot be legally sold by the thief. People cannot be owned and sold by other people. To deny this would be to sanction slavery and robbery, thus destroying the foundation of civilization itself.

The Treaty of Paris was also contrary to morals and the natural law of equality of every human being and the right of ownership by original occupancy. It was treacherous of the US to turn against its allies, the Filipinos, in the war against Spain and then buy them from Spain as if they were chattels, and then kill them if they demanded liberty. According to Agoncillo, the Philippine-American war lasted from 1899 to 1913, with hundreds of thousands of Filipinos killed.

Unless Filipinos learn their true history, they will always remain slaves and servitors of foreigners. Mr. Robert Pidal (US didn’t cheat us, PDI 4/12/07) blame Filipinos. In law, natural or human, it is the aggressor, the robber and the slaver that are blamed, not their victims. It is sadism to blame the victim, masochism is when the victim blames himself. Sado-masochism is a mental disease.

MANUEL F. ALMARIO

Spokesman

Movement for Truth in History (MOTH)

mfalmario@yahoo.com