The God Culture: 100 Lies About the Philippines: #12 Lapulapu Rejected Colonialism

Welcome back to 100 lies The God Culture teaches about the Philippines. Today's lie concerns Timothy Jay Schwab's assertion that LapuLapu killed Magellan as a defiant act rejecting colonialism.

This lie is a direct result of Tim's unfamiliarity with all of the primary sources regarding Magellan's voyage around the world except for Pigafetta's journal. 

https://youtu.be/130c3XUuPEs

Today is a very special day for the world. It marks the five hundredth anniversary of one of the greatest stories in the fight to stop foreign invaders from coming in and taking over our lands. Yes, the story of a man and his followers who indeed stopped the invasion, killing their leader Magellan. Then in a separate encounter killing his replacement and brother-in-law and other leaders and then they chased them out of the country with a fleet of ships. That’s what Pigafetta’s journal says, and we cover. This is an inspiration to the whole world who was being conquered by colonialism yet this man and his people put up a standard and stopped them the story of Lapu-Lapu five hundred years ago today. Wow.

Is any of that true? It's rather disgusting that Tim takes a perverse joy in the death of Magellan. What exactly does Pigafetta say? Well, you see that is the problem. Timothy relies ONLY on the account of Pigafetta. In the description of this video Tim writes:

Do you know the full story of Lapu Lapu? Have you read Antonio Pigafetta's Journal which is the only actual historic account? There are many narratives based on even rumor but the facts are clear. 

What narratives based on rumor is he talking about? In all of his videos and in his book The Search for King Solomon's Treasure Tim never mentions these narratives. Well, the fact is there are other narratives about Magellan's voyage around the world and they are not based on rumor but on the sworn testimony of the surviving crew members. They add details Pigafetta omits such as about the mutiny. He also never tells us exactly why Lapulapu got angry with Magellan.

Fernando Bustamante, the ship's barber-surgeon gave this testimony when he arrived back in Spain:

12. He said: that they killed the said Magellan in a port that they say Matan, because those of the kingdom of Matan wanted to obey the king of Castile, and the said Ferdinand of Magellan said that they had to kiss the hand of the king of Zubú, and they did not they wanted to kiss the hand of the said king of Zubu; And about this the said Magellan went there, and they killed the said captain and seven other men, and wounded other people.

Navarette Colección pg. 294-295

Peter Martyr D' Anghera interviewed the crew on their return and wrote the following in book five of De Orbe Novo:

De Orbe Novo, Vol. 2, pg 158

Leaving the ships at Zubo, Magellan crossed to the island of Matam, visible on the horizon at a distance of only four leagues. He used the shallops and the native boats dug out of tree trunks. His intention was to persuade the ruler of Matam, through his interpreters, to make his submission to the great King of Spain, and to the chief of Zubo; and to pay tribute to the former. The king answered that he was willing to obey the King of Spain, but not the chieftain of Zubo. Thereupon Magellan ordered a fortress composed of about fifty houses, near the royal residence, to be sacked and burnt. He afterwards returned to Zubo, bringing his booty, some foodstuffs which were needed there, as well as several pieces of furniture; but the inhabitants of Zubo, who were hostile to the islanders of Matam, stole the greater part from him.

The king of Matan was Lapulpau and he was not the only king who said he would give obedience to the King of Spain but did not wish to bow the knee to Humabon the King of Cebu. Juan Sebastian Elcano testified that the King of Bohol was also willing to obey the King of Spain but not Humabon.

Said Magellan went from the island of Zubu to the island of Bohol, and to the island of Matan, and invited the batels to make war with all the people so that those of the other islands would obey the King of Zubu; and they said that they would obey the King our Lord, and they would give him parias; but that they were not to obey the King of Zubu, because they were as good as him; I know that they would give gold jewels for the King our Lord.

Navarette Colección pg. 288

The following comes from Dr. Danilo Gerona who wrote a book titled, "Ferdinand Magellan, The Armada de Maluco and the European Discovery of the Philippines." This history is based on years of research and reading primary source documents tucked away in Spain before they became available online. Here is what he writes concerning this testimony.

While Magellan seemed to have used Humabon as a political ally to establish his base in Cebu as a springboard for establishing Spanish hegemony, Humabon, on the other hand had also used Magellan to coerce others to submission to his authority. As Pigafetta recalled Humabon was said to have asked Magellan: “but that if the captain would send him the following night one boat full of men to give him assistance, he would fight and subdue his rival. On the receipt of this message, the captain decided to go himself with three boats.” 

https://sulugardenfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gerona-Battle-of-Mactan-for-Miagao-with-foreword-from-JRM-and-for-Web-FINAL.pdf

Do you see how this story is not so cut and dry? According to these three men the rest of the story is that Humabon, the King of Cebu, was using Magellan to manipulate others to be placed under his authority. He was playing political chess like those in power still do today. But Lapulapu wasn't having it. He was willing to give obedience to the Spanish Crown but not to Humabon who was his enemy. It's absolutely pathetic that this history is unknown to Timothy Jay Schwab because he relies solely on Pigafetta and calls all other eyewitness testimony rumor. It is also a testament to the fact that he is no real researcher and there is no God Culture Team.