The Philippine Referendum of 1599

The Philippine Referendum of 1599, in which Filipinos voluntarily submitted themselves to the Spanish crown thereby legitimizing King Philip II's rule, is an aspect of Philippine history which has been overlooked almost to the point of invisibility. There is a small blurb on the Wikipedia page regarding this event within the context of the timeline of the Sovereignty of the Philippines.

On February 8, 1597, King Philip II, near the end of his 42-year reign, issued a Royal Cedula instructing to Francisco de Tello de Guzmán, then Governor-General of the Philippines in severe terms to fulfill the laws of tributes and to provide for restitution of ill-gotten taxes imposed on the natives. The Cedula also decreed an undertaking by which the natives (referred to as Indians), "... freely render to me submission."

The decree was published in Manila on August 5, 1598. King Philip died on September 13, forty days after the publication of the decree. His death was not known in the Philippines until middle of 1599, by which time a referendum by which the natives would acknowledge Spanish rule was underway. With the completion of the Philippine referendum of 1599, Spain could be said to have established legitimate sovereignty over the Philippines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty_of_the_Philippines

These two paragraphs tell us only the bare fact that there was a referendum where the natives freely submitted to King Philip II. So, let's look between the lines here and fill in the blanks. That same Wikipedia article has a footnote referring to an article by Fidel Villarroel titled, "Philip II and the "Philippine Referendum" of 1599". This article will be based primarily on Viallarroel's article as he has neatly gathered the pertinent and diffused sources regarding the referendum in one convenient space. 

The Philippines and Monarchy

Background

The referendum of 1599 was the end result of reforms in the New World designed to eliminate abuses against the natives. The Dominican Fransisco de Vitoria championed the rights of the natives in the New World insisting that they had sovereignty in their own lands no matter how low their culture was. Three of his most important aphorisms are as follows:

1. The Indian communities are sovereign republics, and, thus, are not properly subordinate to Spain nor do they form part of Spain.

4. The Indian rulers, whether natural or elected, enjoy the same fundamental rights as any Christian or European prince.

5. The Indian peoples may freely change their political regime and subject themselves to a different sovereign in order to defend themselves from oppression and to rid themselves of a tyrant.

https://international-review.icrc.org/sites/default/files/S002086040007100Xa.pdf

The result of the Dominicans, especially Bartolomé de las Casas, speaking out in opposition to abuses directed toward the natives were the New Laws of 1542. These laws were designed to protect the natives from enslavement and other abuses.

A number of Spanish missionaries argued for stricter rules, including Bartolomé de las Casas and Francisco de Vitoria. Their goal was to protect the Indians against forced labor and expropriation, and to preserve their cultures. Some discussions challenged the very legitimacy of the conquest and colonization. Eventually, the reformists influenced the King and his court to pass reforms that came to be known as the New Laws.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Laws

The Valladoid debate of 1550-1551 between Bartolomé de Las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda further discussed the issues of how to deal with the natives in the New World. Villarroel writes:

In those controversies Las Casas echoed faithfully the teachings of his brother Vitoria as he defended the principles of human rights, and discussed the morality of the conquests and colonization. Here are some answers with which Las Casas rebutted Sepulveda.

1. The powers given by Christ to Peter and his successors are purely spiritual and moral, not political and temporal, and therefore papal authorization in this case refers only to the evangelization of those peoples.

2. The lands belong to the original inhabitants who are therefore the rightful owners.

3. No nation can claim moral superiority over another.

4. (Argument of Sepulveda: Realizing the superiority of our culture, those peoples have spontaneously asked us to take them under our sovereignty.) Answer of Las Casas: Have they actually done so? Can you supply evidence for this claim?

The above quoted principles had serious implications in the practical order, that is, in reference to the exalted territorial conquests, to the expansion of the dominions of the King of Spain and to the annexation of peoples to his crown and empire. The big question was: All that, by what right? But the stark reality was that the Indians were human beings with right to be free, to own their lands, and to constitute political societies. Neither Pope nor emperor were lords of the universe. And so, by what right was Spain in the land of the Indians? 

Villarroel, pg 11

This question "by what right was Spain in the land of the Indians" would trouble the Dominicans and other missionaries who came to the islands to evangelize the natives.

The Philippines 1565-1586

The Philippines is unique in that they were claimed for Spain without the abuses of the conquistadors who rampaged the Americas. There, much blood was shed. Here, the case was entirely different. It's not that blood was not shed but that war was seen as a last resort. Legazpi was sent to the Philippines with specific instructions from King Philip II on how to treat the natives.

By the time the Spaniards took over the Philippines in 1565, Philip II had been king of Spain for ten years, Fortunately for the Islands, when the Adelantado Miguel López de Legazapi landed in Cebu, the Crown of Spain, had for more than twenty years, committed itself, clearly and unquestionably, to a kind colonization in like with the New Laws, enacted in 1542.

Besides, Legazpi brought with him specific instructions and norms on how to conduct explorations and conquests, which neither Hernán Cortéz nor Francisco Pizarro had had in Mexico and Peru. Gone were the days of arriving in new lands and taking possession of them in the name of the kings of Castile and León. Legazpi was bound to follow to the letter, the norms of requerimiento or the formalities established by law to deal at the encounter with newly discovered peoples.

Arriving in Cebu, Legazpi spent three days to fulfill the law of  the requerimiento, a notice to the Cebuano ruler that the Spaniard came only to establish friendly relations and to make commercial deals. It was only after the deadline of the requerimiento ended with a refusal by the local ruler to negotiate when Legazpi was forced to declare war on him, And so, the Spaniards landed by force to fight the hostility and resistance of the natives. Soon afterwards conversations were resumed which ended in a treaty of peace. 

Villarroel, pgs 12-13

Legazpi was required to send a notice of peace and submission to the native rulers. If they submitted  everything was fine but if they refused then he was to declare war on them.

Here are the conditions of peace, or rather submission concerted: 1) The natives placed themselves under the Royal Crown of Castile, promising to be faithful vassals and obey his commands. And they promised it for themselves and for their descendants...

Villarroel, pg 47, note 6, citing Jesus Gayo Aragon

As formal and humane as this process was compared to the brutal conquests of Mexico and South America it was still a conquest by the Spanish. Natives were abused and mistreated. The mistreatment of the natives by the Spaniards caused the Augustinians who accompanied them to "doubt the legitimacy of the conquest and, therefore, the legal presence of the Spaniards in the Islands."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domingo_de_Salazar

In 1579 a Diocese was established in Manila. The first Bishop was a Dominican, Fr. Domingo de Salazar. He convened a Synod in 1581 which first met in 1582 and lasted until 1586. At this Synod the issue of the legitimacy of Spain's presence was discussed. Two solutions were given to this thorny problem. The legitimacy of the Spanish presence in the islands was the preaching of the Gospel and the low culture of the natives.

Some legitimate titles must be found for Spain to posses the Philippines. In fact, the Synod came out with only two possible legitimate reasons. One, the right to preach the Gospel anywhere, and therefore here, the other the low degree of culture of the natives which could be invoked as a reason for ruling over them and governing them. But the first title did not condone the use of arms, and the second was among those mentioned by Vitoria as "dubious and never certain titles."

Villarroel, pg. 18

What is meant by "the low degree of culture of the natives" is not made clear. Seeing as there was a system of writing, Babayin, which means many were literate and seeing, as evidenced from the Boxer Codex, that many Filipinos were dressed nobly, and seeing as Filipinos were able sailors and shipbuilders it would seem there was some degree of high culture when the Spaniards arrived. But the issue of low culture was declared by Francisco Vittoria to be dubious.

The problem of the legitimacy of the Spanish conquest was ultimately left uncertain and undecided even by the two proposed solutions. However those solutions were necessary to calm the sensibilities of the missionaries who were told afterwards to forget about political problems and focus on their spiritual ministry.

The Synod, therefore, advised that the missionaries would do better by stopping to talk about these problems. It would be better for them to devote themselves to her spiritual ministry than to engage themselves in matters that did not pertain to their mission and could only serve to stir criticism, division, and scandal. and would be little advantageous to the natives and to the new Christians.

Villarroel, pg. 19

The Arrival of the Dominicans 1587-1597

This advice to remain silent may have served to quite the consciences of the Augustinians, Jesuits, and Franciscans who attended the Synod and were working amongst the natives but the arrival of the Dominicans in 1587 stirred up the question of the legitimacy of Spain's rule once more. These men were trained in the school of Fransisco de Vitoria, the champion of human rights, and were determined to keep his principles to the letter. That meant securing beyond any reasonable doubt the legitimacy of Spain's rule.

In this regard, let it be more that even the Dominicans themselves were desirous that Philip II were to be acknowledged as temporal ruler of the Islands. "All of us," Father Benavides wrote, "seek that the pagan Filipinos give obedience not only to God and to the Pope but also to the King of Castile." But first, he and his fellow Dominicans wanted the legitimate dominion to be established beyond doubt and as soon as possible. It was fundamental to attract the pagan Filipinos to freely choose their submission to his Majesty even before they became Christians.

Villarroel, pgs. 20-21

But it was not simply a matter of having the natives, who were already conquered, freely acquiesce and submit to the King of Spain. In order for the King and his council to accept this free submission they would have to acknowledge that everything about the conquest was illegal. This bold proposal, having the King admit he was in the wrong, seemed impossible but Benavides claimed he knew a way "it could be done without losing face."

"If we," he wrote, "have the ability to do it, let us impress upon the pagan Filipinos so that their leaders and vassals will freely and very voluntarily decide to wish, have, choose, and swear allegiance to his Majesty and to his successors as their legitimate king and lords, and to pay them tribute."

Villarroel, pg. 21

It was therefore necessary to make the long and arduous journey to Spain for an audience with King Philip II himself. To that end Bishop Salzar and Fr. Benavides left Manila for Spain in 1591. Sailing East to Mexico they arrived in Spain in 1593. Salazar, an old man of 82, died soon afterwards in December 1594. This left Fr. Miguel Benavides in charge of the mission to King Philip who nominated him as Bishop of Manila.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Benavides

Benavides was granted an audience with King Philip II in which he handed him two treatises one of which dealt with the requirements for levying tributes and for preaching the Gospel. There is no record of the details of this audience but the result is that Philip convoked a special Junta to deal with the issues raised by Benavides one of which was the legitimacy of Spanish rule and the necessity for the natives to freely submit. 

To that end Philip issued the following Royal Cedula on February 8, 1597 to the Governor of the Philippines Don Francisco Tello. It ends with this instruction:

Likewise you will confer with the said superiors and religious, and bring it about that they shall undertake to remedy by love all which shall be found to have been done through force and fear; for, according to what the bishop tells me of these Indians, they are well disposed (not only in spiritual but in temporal matters), freely to render me submission. Done at Madrid, on the eighth day of the month of February in the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-seven.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 Volume X, 1597-1599, pg. 279

The Plebiscite 1598-1599

Bishop Benavides did not arrive in Manila until May 1598. The Royal Cedula was handed to the Governor who read it in a meeting with all the ecclesiastical authorities in the Islands. The next day the decree of the Governor was read aloud by the public crier on August 5th. Part of the Acts of that meeting is as follows:

For the future they understand that our Lord's service demands that, by peaceful means of love, all the Indians should render voluntary and free submission to his Majesty the king of Castilla, our lord; and they offered that by themselves and the religious, and the other ministers under their control, all efforts should be made that this might be accomplished in a short time.

Villaorel, pg. 27

Shortly thereafter on September 13th, 1598 King Philip II died. The Islands would not receive this news until the middle of 1599 and by then the plebiscite was in full swing. Communication within the Islands was also slow going and it took months before Governor Tello's orders were received in the provinces. Likewise there was no infrastructure of any kind to take a vote as we would know it with ballots. 

There was only one thing to do, and it was done: to ask verbally the representatives of the native population whether they wanted the King of Spain or not. This and nothing more. The important thing is that we know what happened. The results can be known through various reports sent from the Philippines to the Court of Madrid.

Villarroel, pg. 28 

The Results of the Referendum

Results of the referendum are not known from every province but what is known is as follows.

Mangaldan, Pangisan

The referendum in Mangaladan, Pangisan was held on March 21, 1599 and was presided over by Bishop Benavides. From the Acts of this session we read as follows:

(All the men assembled) of their free will, without any coercion, rather much to their satisfaction, were giving and actually gave voluntarily and freely, in the name of all the pueblos and barnagays, for the present as well as for the future, obedience to the Catholic King of Castile and León, whom they were taking and actually took for their King and lord, and they placed themselves under his royal protection, and being their vassals they would be defended and protected, living in peace and with security their lives, honor and properties. And above all they asked his Majesty that he provide them with Bishops and religious [missionaries] and all that pertains to the good of the soul. About all this, they said that they were not moved by said religious or other persons, but by what they saw by experience; and they gave many thanks to God who had deigned to send such king and lord to them.

They added more, saying that if upon entrance in these islands, the Spaniards had explained to the people by word of mouth and any actions in a manner understandable to them the good that derived from being vassals of the king, they [the natives] would have given obedience as voluntarily and as freely as they do now.

Villarroel, pgs, 34-35

Cagayan

Diego Siriban was an early convert to Catholicism and a leader of the people. He was "an open support of the new way of life taught by the missionaries" and when the Royal Cédula of 1597 arrived in Cagayan he "led his people into accepting enthusiastically the sovereignty of the King of Spain."

"Hence, within a few years, when the voluntary offer of their allegiance was asked from them on the part of his Majesty King Felipe II, to satisfy a scruple which he had felt with regard to the conquest of that province, one of the leading chiefs of the province, Don Diego Siriban, responded for himself and for his subjects that he gave his allegiance to the king our Lord with a very good will, because of the great blessing which he had given them by sending religious to them."

He went on to say: "If we had known earlier the good that was coming to us with them, we would have gone to their countries to seek for it, even if we had been sure that half of us were certain to perish in the quest." The same thing was said by the whole town.

Villaroel pgs. 36-37

Another town in the same area also gave its allegiance freely to the King of Spain.

The bishop of Nueva Segovia, Don Fray Pedro de Soria, collected those Indians together, by order of his Majesty, and told them of the advantages of the Spanish monarchy, and how beneficial it would be for them to have Don Felipe, the king of the Spaniards, as their king, who would protect them peacefully and with justice. The chiefs answered not a word to this. Thereupon, the bishop spoke again and asked them whether they had understood the words he had spoken to them, and if they would answer. Thereupon a clownish Indian arose and said: “We answer that we wish the king of España to be our king and sovereign, for he has sent Castilians to us, who are freeing us from the tyranny and domination of our chiefs, as well as fathers who aid us against the same Castilians and protect us from them.”

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XXIII, 1629-30, pg. 253

La Laguna 

The plebiscite took place in Lumban on June 13th, 1599. 143 Barangay captains, chieftains, and other leaders of the people showed up but they were hesitant to give an answer right away instead asking for a year long moratorium to decide upon something so monumental as submitting to the King of Spain.

“Therefore, in answer to what was asked them, as it was of so great importance they sought for a delay, as the time is so short, and they had not conferred and communicated with all the chiefs, nor informed those of their villages of the resolution; and so they separated, saying that there would be enough time from now until the departure of the ships in the coming year, one thousand six hundred, and that information about this negotiation could be sent then to his Majesty. “ 

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 Volume X, 1597-1599, pg. 291

Governor Fransisco Tello reported on the results in a letter dated July 1599.

This is what has been done since then, in virtue of their decision. Instructions and directions have been sent to the alcaldes-mayor and to the religious in all the provinces, that by the gracious methods which your Majesty directs, submission shall be rendered to your Majesty. In the province of Ylocos, in the diocese of the bishop of Nueva Segovia, this was very well done; and submission was rendered to your Majesty. Likewise the whole district of Manila, a mission of the Augustinian fathers, has rendered submission. La Laguna, in charge of the Franciscan fathers, has not so easily yielded; for the natives there have asked a year's time in which to answer; and I have left La Laguna in this state, until I should give an account of it to your Majesty, as you direct me. The same thing will be done in the other provinces which ask delays. Thus far I am not informed of what has been done. 

They are in no wise oppressed by the collection of the tribute; and if the effect of this royal decree must continue and be in operation as provided therein, there will be many difficulties, such as have already commenced with the seeking of delay. Your Majesty will hold nothing securely, and for the same reason will have no justification for possessing this land. I am sending your Majesty a copy of the instruction and directions which are ordered for the execution of these measures, and one of the answers by the natives of La Laguna; so that, seeing these difficulties, your Majesty may be pleased to order a review of this affair and a determination of what is most expedient for the service of your Majesty. In the meantime I shall put matters into the best state possible.

 The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 Volume X, 1597-1599, pg. 253-255

In this letter Governor Tello not only reports the results of the referendum thus far but also warns King Philip that many difficulties would arise were it to continue. Specifically he notes the hesitation of the inhabitants of La Laguna who asked for a year's delay before giving an answer. Unfortunately their answer, if there was one, is not recorded. By that time it was a futile exercise because news of the death of King Philip had reached the Islands.

It is quite possible that matters remained where they were left in June of 1599, Firstly, becasue by June or July of 1599, the news about Philip II's death must have arrived in Manila and now his son Philip III sat on the throne of Spain. Secondly, Governor Francisco Tello de Guzman had shown little enthusiasm for the plebiscite as he explicitly manifested it to the King in his report of July 12, 1599. He went as far as to advise the king to "revise the whole affair" because the referendum would cause more difficulties than solve problems. The king's death liberated the Governor from displeasure of proceeding with the plebiscite further. 

Villaroel, pg. 44

It appears that with the death of King Philip II the referendum came to an end and the results were deemed inconsequential. What little details we do have of the referendum are scattered, almost buried, in the The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 series as well as other dusty and neglected volumes. The Wikipedia article says:

With the completion of the Philippine referendum of 1599, Spain could be said to have established legitimate sovereignty over the Philippines.

Other websites have parroted this line but it's simply not true. First of all the Referendum was never completed. Secondly, while the results we do have are positive they are not comprehensive. One cannot say that Spain "established legitimate sovereignty over the Philippines" because a few provinces gave verbal assent to their rule. 

Conclusion

What can one say about this referendum? When in the history of the world has an already conquered people been asked whether or not they will give allegiance to their conquerors? The past tells us that there is only submission or death when it comes to a conquering army. What would have happened had the natives decided they did not wish to become vassals to Spain? Would the Spaniards have packed up and left? Did not the natives already freely submit themselves and their posterity to the Spanish Crown when Legazpi arrived? 

Here are the conditions of peace, or rather submission concerted: 1) The natives placed themselves under the Royal Crown of Castile, promising to be faithful vassals and obey his commands. And they promised it for themselves and for their descendants...

There are two ways to look at the referendum of 1599. One is through the eyes of the natives. At least four regions gave their allegiance freely. Two of them said they would have done it sooner had they been asked because of the blessings brought by the religion of the Catholic Church. One thanks the Spaniards for freeing them from the tyranny of their own countrymen. But what about the abuses committed by the Spaniards which vexed the missionaries? Why do the natives not mention any such abuses? 

The second way to look at the referendum is through the eyes of the missionaries. This referendum was the culmination of years of reform in the way Spain dealt with the natives in her colonies begun by the Dominican Fransisco de Vitoria. But what did it matter to have the permission of the natives when the Spaniards were already entrenched and had no intention of pulling out? Was this not all an empty show of which the real purpose was ultimately to soothe the consciences of a few men? Surely the referendum says more about the missionaries and their scruples than it does about the natives' willingness to submit. And what about King Philip II? Why would he agree to such a thing except to ease his conscience as well? 

Philip II's decision to order the holding of a referendum among his subjects may surprise many historians, especially the more critical of his policies and character. A monarch who ruled over almost one half of the known world often painted as tyrannical and despotic, insensitive and heartless, was in fact a deeply religious person, principled and magnanimous, pious and conscientious, ready to lend an ear to theologians, moralists, and jurists, to his private confessor and to the entreaties of missionaries, just as he heard the advises of his ministers and his Council of the Indies. His interests were not only Europe, England, France or Italy, but also in the right of his most simple and uncultured subjects in the New World and the Far East. It is a pity that the Philippine Referendum has been bypassed by all historians of Spain and the biographers of the King.

He was above all a man with a social conscience and a Christian conscience. He had the scrupulosity of the righteous man, of the prudent statesman and of the man of God.

Villaroel pg. 46

Just as the referendum of 1935 where Filipinos voted to approve a constitution and independence, the referendum of 1599 has been largely forgotten. Perhaps the endeavor did not amount to much but the motivations behind the missionaries who advocated the plebiscite, of King Philip II who allowed it, and the natives who willingly submitted to the King ought to change our perspective of the nature of the conquest of these islands. It's not as black and white, (evil and greedy Europeans came here to rape these islands of all their resources), as many people make it out to be. 

The Deleterious Effects of Celebrating the Lie of June 12th as Independence Day

June 12th has come and gone and with it the celebration of fake Philippine Independence Day. I have written about this before and so have others but perhaps one might come away thinking, so what? Who cares if the day is celebrated on June 12th or July 4th or perhaps both? Well, this article from June 12th, 2021 shows that celebrating a historical lie leads to a wrong understanding of history.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143419

Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) chief-of-staff, Gen. Cirilito Sobejana on Friday called on Filipinos to remember all the heroes who put their lives on the line for the country's independence from colonizers.

"(We remember this day not only because we attain our freedom from the invaders but for the reason for this victory --- our heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the love of country. Their heroism and bravery in fighting in various forms be it in principle, wisdom, words and works, are the reasons why the Filipinos are enjoying their freedom)," Sobejana said in his message, ahead of the commemoration of the country's 123rd Independence Day on Saturday.

Sobejana also assured the public that this freedom will be further strengthened by the efforts of the nation's soldiers and defenders.

"(This is why I am asking all members of the Armed Forces to continue with their efforts to safeguard the nation's freedom which have been fought for our ancestors so that the independence being enjoyed by today's generation which will be experienced by the next generation. Things may change and the nation may experience a lot of adversity in the coming days, but we remain committed to fighting for a free, peaceful, and progressive Philippines)," he added.

All of that nonsense is an outright lie and the only reason AFP Chief-of-Staff Sobejana is repeating it is because, like all Filipinos, he has been exposed to the lie of June 12th being Independence Day year after year since 1962.

The fact is the Philippines did not attain its freedom because of military victories by the forces of Aguinaldo and his men. The First Republic was never recognized by any foreign government and eventually succumbed to American forces. It was not until 1946 that the Philippines attained independence and that was due to a plebiscite on the issue in 1934. 

In 1962, because the American Senate denied a payment of $70 million to the Philippines, President Macapagal threw a fit and changed the date of independence from July 4th to June 12th. This change was made permanent in 1964. Ever since then the Philippines has celebrated June 12th as Independence Day. But note what Macapagal had to say about the First Republic.

It is noteworthy that no one among the half-dozen great heroes of our history, Rizal, Aguinaldo, Bonifacio, Lapu-Lapu, Abad Santos and Quezon, has played a role in the Republic that we administer today. This fact emphasizes the responsibility which devolves upon us to whom they bequeathed the fruits of their heroic labors to fashion this Republic as an instrument for the welfare and happiness of our people.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2018/06/june-12th-as-independence-day-is-lie.html

If "no one among the half-dozen great heroes of our history" had anything to do with the current Republic then who did? The people did. It was Manuel Quezon and others who lobbied the American government for independence. It was decided that Filipinos should vote on the matter. If they voted "yes" then the Americans would transition authority to Filipinos over a span of ten years. That is the essence of the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934.

Sec. 4 ...If a majority of the votes cast shall be for the constitution, such vote shall be deemed an expression of the will of the people of the Philippine Islands in favor of Philippine independence, and the Governor-General shall, within thirty days after receipt of the certification from the Philippine Legislature, issue a proclamation for the election of officers of the government of the Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands provided for in the constitution.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2019/07/a-brief-and-true-history-of-philippines.html 

Philippine independence remains a manifestation of the will of the people. To celebrate June 12th as Independence Day is to forget that fact and to bury it in history. And that plebiscite is very important because it is not the first time that the will of the people in regards to who would rule them was held. The first such plebiscite was held in 1599 when the inhabitants of these islands voluntarily voted to be submitted to the rule of Spain. To call the Spaniards "invaders" is completely wrong. 

It can be said with historical accuracy that Spain's legitimate sovereignty over the Philippines began with a popular referendum in 1599 and ended with a popular revolution in 1898. 

Philip II and the "Philippine Referendum" of 1599

Here is just one voice from those who voluntarily submitted to the Spanish crown.

“We answer that we wish the king of España to be our king and sovereign, for he has sent Castilians to us, who are freeing us from the tyranny and domination of our chiefs, as well as fathers who aid us against the same Castilians and protect us from them”

Philippine Islands, vol 23, pg. 253

This man says the king of Spain freed them "from the tyranny and domination of our chiefs!" So much for being unwanted invaders. Before the arrival of the Spanish these islands were not even united. Each island was its own dominion.

Later on there was the Spanish Constitution of 1812 which was ratified in Spain with Filipino delegates in attendance. 

In fact, the constitutional process experienced in Cádiz, and the later ratification of the Constitution of 1812, meant for the Philippines and other parts of the empire the birth of the public sphere in the Hispanic world. It ushered in the transformation of the overseas territories into provinces with parliamentary representation, and the theoretical right to participate in political life with civil and political equality of Spaniards in both hemispheres. All of these ideals were greatly desired and the urge to truly put them into practice would continue to drive the political demands of the Philippines throughout the nineteenth century.

Thus, in the first decades of the nineteenth century, following the participation of Reyes in the Cortes de Cádiz, in the Philippines a process was commenced that would take shape over the course of the entire century and prove vitally important in the forging of an independent Philippine nation. As Nick Joaquin (2005) has argued, these initial political struggles undertaken at the beginning of the nineteenth century can be considered important antecedents to the Propaganda Movement founded by José Rizal and those other notable ilustrados who inspired the Revolution of 1896.

https://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/165907/3/philippines_cortes_cadiz.pdf

This constitution leads directly to the revolution of 1896 as well as the plebiscite of 1934 and the current Philippine Republic which was born on July 4th, 1946. Contrary to what the AFP is saying the Philippines has a proud historical tradition of Filipinos expressing their political will by voting rather than by through force of arms. Celebrating Independence Day on June 12th obscures all of those events and keeps the people ignorant of their history.

Book Review: My Country's Godly Heritage

March 16, 2021 marks the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Spanish and Christianity in the Philippines. This auspicious event was the result of many historical factors which were all providentially directed by the hand of God. In "My Country's Godly Heritage" author and Pastor Ferdinand Melendres offers an insightful history of the Philippines as seen from a "Biblical perspective" which analyses these factors and shows God's hand in the shaping of this nation.  

In discussing the Philippines before the conquest of the Spanish Melendres begins by charting the missionary work of both the Nestorian church and Manichaeans. Both of these sects reached China and both of them were eventually banished from China. During their stay in China missionaries from both groups had spread out to the Philippines by the tenth century.

Indeed, the religious factor cannot be separated from the history of this land. Five centuries before the Spaniards arrived, Nestorians and Manichaeans came to this land, to pursue religious expansion and to avoid Christian persecution in the tenth century. Consequently, this land became the epicenter of syncretized heretic and Gnostic Christianity for the next 500 years.

pg. 249

This is proved by pottery which was found in Manila.

Archaeological finds in Manila, such as Chinese porcelain dating tenth to fifteenth centuries, and religious documents testify to the early influx of Chinese heretics and Gnostic Christians in this land.

pg. 77 

This influx of syncretic and heretical Nestorianism and Gnosticism primed the pump, so to speak, and prepared Filipinos to accept Catholicism when the Spanish arrived. The Spanish arrived due to seven favors God bestowed on this nation. These favors are summed up on pages 93-95.

1.The fall of Byzantium. 

The Ottoman Turks conquered Byzantium in 1458. This led to:

2. The closing of the silk road

This meant there was no more land route to the East which forced Europeans to seek alternate routes through the ocean.

3. The abundance of spices in the Maluku Islands which are abundant in spices. This opened the door to the Philippines. Melendres says the Philippines did not have these spices.

The third favor was the location of the best quality spice merchandise. Finding the islands of the Moluccas opened the door for Portuguese and Spanish monarchs to consider the Philippines as one of its colonies. The Moluccan Islands was the focal point, the center stage; and Indonesian historians claims that in history, 'the Philippines and New Guinea was the eastern archipelago integrated into Indonesian history.' The Philippines lacked the spices abundant in the Moluccas and did not have silk products similar to those found in China, so Spain's interest in the Philippines was diverted into a godly enterprise, Christian missionary enterprise.

p. 94

The Moluccan Islands were the only source of significant spices, including clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and mace.

p. 84

This claim might seem shocking to those who claim the Philippines is a land of spices. But it is the Moluccas and not the Philippines which are known as the Spice Islands.

4. The quest for Prester John

For hundreds of years there had been legends of a Christian king and empire in the East. Marco Polo's travels only fueled this speculation and Europeans were eager to seek him out in China.

5. The hunt for the gold of Ophir.

During the 15th and 16th centuries many European ships sailed East looking for Ophir. Melendres does not claim that the Philippines is Ophir but only says that some thought it might be and that the search put it on the map. He notes that even after Magellan arrived in the Philippines the Spanish continued to search for Ophir. Specifically they thought Masaua was Ophir.

The emperor was also interested in the supposed 'treasure of King Solomon in the land of Ophir' because when Elcano and the survivors of the first expedition returned to Spain in 1522, they remembered and reported the gold, the golden daggers, pieces of jewelry worn by Rajah Culambo and his men, including the golden vessels, and the display of gold in his palace. They concluded that Masaua was the land of Ophir.

p. 122

The Spanish were never able to relocate this place and it's exact location remains lost to history. Many think it is Limasawa in Southern Leyte. That is the officially recognized location though Butuan has also lodged a claim as being Masaua.

 6. Religious reform in Europe

According to Melendres the Reformation in Europe caused the Spanish to be more humane towards their subjects.

By the time after Columbus's exploits in 1492, the people of the Caribbean , including the Aztecs, Mayas, and Indians in Mexico and Peru, were already under the Spanish crown. But the Spanish conquerors treated the natives like slaves. And because of religious reformation in Europe that began in 1517, slavery and inhuman treatment of newly conquered territories resulted in a new emphasis on man rights. The Spaniards started thinking that using violence against the natives is contrary to the "sweetness of the name of Jesus Christ" thus making the God of the Catholics the "most cruel, unjust, pitiless God of all."One outstanding advocate of human rights in the Mexican and Caribbean conquest was Father Bartolome de Casa. His strong influence to reform the kingdom of Spain ignited the hearts of the Spanish people to think appropriately and spiritually, By the time Legaspi conquered Filipinos in 1565, the Spaniards who came with him were somehow tame and revived.

p.89

As many scholars declared,  The Spanish way of handling their colonies, particularly the Philippines, was still the most humane and fair in comparison with how other European powers in Asia ruled over their conquests during the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

p. 130

7. Christian royal monarchs.

This is most important regarding Philip II whom Melendres depicts as a very pious king whose heart's desire was to spread the Gospel and convert the world to the Catholic faith. 

At the beginning of his reign in 1558 King Philip prompted Legaspi, a man of humble birth. In 1564 his very important reminder to Legaspi before sailing to Filipinas was, "If possible, not to harm the natives but treat them with kindness and convert them to the Christian faith." He believed that his authority derived from his commission to preach the Gospel to the natives.

p. 128

On page 125 Melendres relates the significance of the King of Spain being named Philip. There are two Philips in the Bible. One in the Gospels and another in Acts. Both men were zealous to spread the Gospel. Likewise so was King Philip II.

One thousand five hundred years later, another famous person with the name Philip, whose passion was to propagate the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ, rose to power to be the greatest king of Spain in its entire history! This Philip became the Lord's instrument to reinforce the Christianization of the natives of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao which began from he time of Legaspi in 1565.

p. 125

Melendres paints a very different portrait of the Spanish conquerers than usual. Rather then being bloodthirsty, demonic, evil men bent on enslaving the people and raping the land for resources we are presented with a Magellan who had been dubbed the "preaching captain." A man who kept a tight ship and checked the immorality of the sailors. A man whose only purpose was to spread the Gospel. Likewise we are treated to a King Philip II who is likened to David or Solomon and whose greatest desire was to spread the Gospel.

According to Melendres Filipinos accepted the Gospel very readily and not by force. This was because they recognized the God of the Spaniards due to remnants of heretic Nestorian Christians.

Nestorian Mongols believed that the 'Heavenly Father' existed beyond the sky and looked down from the heavens. Nestorian missionaries, on the other hand, carried the name of God Abba or Heavenly Father wherever they proclaimed their doctrines and faith. And as the people of Masaua called their God Abba, it was unlikely that Abba was just an idol or a pagan god. We can therefore draw the conclusion that Rajah Culambo, his brother Rajah Siagu, and Rajah Humabon and their respective kingdoms were remnants of the heretic Nestorian Christians. This was why the Culambo brothers paid full attention and with reverence to the Cross during the First Mass in Masaua. And in Cebu, Rajah Human did not resist Magellan's preaching, and even his people showed their hunger for the Word as the listed to Magellan teach the basic doctrines of Christianity. Then, without hesitation, the Cebuano king immediately submitted to Magellan's baptism.

p. 161

It was Magellan and not the priests who converted Rajah Humabon in Cebu. After he and his retinue were baptized Magellan gave them the Sto. Niño. Years later when the Spanish attacked Cebu they found this Sto. Niño in a house hidden in a chest. The Spanish rejoiced at what they considered to be a sign from God blessing their endeavors. When asked about this statue the natives said it had worked miracles for them. Melendres' source for this story is Antonio Morga and this is what he says about the discovery of the Sto. Niño.

The first of our Spanish settlements was made in that port, which they named the city of the most holy name of Jesus, because they found there, in one of the houses of the natives when they conquered them, a carved image of Jesus; and it was believed that it had remained there from the fleet of Magellan, and the natives held it in great reverence, and it worked for them in their needs miraculous effects. This image they put in the monastery of St. Augustine, which was built in that city. 

http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/7001/pg7001.html

Though Melendres paints a glowing portrait of the Spaniards as missionaries sent from God he does not gloss over abuses under Spanish rule. At first Filipinos willingly submitted to Spanish rule and became their vassals and adopted their religion. But as time went on abuses grew and a nationalist fervor arose in the middle 19th century. This led to the revolution led by Aguinaldo. Eventually the Spanish were defeated by the Americans who took over. This brought about the blessing of Protestantism. 

Even though there was a lot of infighting between Protestant groups Protestant Biblical Christianty spread. Protestants brought the Bible and for the first time Filipinos heard the true Gospel message of faith in Christ. 

When the Americans came, the introduced another type of Christian faith to the Filipinos, called Protestant Christianity. For the first time, the Filipinos saw and read the Word of God, the Bible. From the Protestant missionaries, the natives heard and learned that salvation is a gift from God through faith in Christ Jesus, and whosoever believed in His name shall not perish but have everlasting life. The arrival of the Americans was not only a liberation from Spain's three-and-a-half centuries rules but also the liberation of Filipino souls from slavery and bondage to sins.

p. 223

Now Filipinos are spread all over the world. The OFW's are not only workers but also missionaries who herald the end of the world as they spread the Gospel abroad. They do this passively through their works.

God told Abraham that someday "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when He built His Church. In these last days, He continued to fulfill it by sending Filipino Christians to "all the families of the earth" as servants, nannies, caregivers, and nurses God's plan for them is to become living witnesses of HIs love and salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. hey were not 'active' missionaries in the traditional way that missions are done, but they are 'passive' witnesses of God's love and compassion. They have been sent forth that they world may 'actively' search the truth about the Gospel through their lives.

p. 261

As St. Francis so famously, or not, said:

Preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words. 

Overall this is a very compelling and thought provoking book that offers, not a totally radical, but a very different take on the history of the Philippines. What we learn is that God has a definite plan for this nation and her people which has gradually unfolded over time through historical events. We also learn interesting facts like Filipinos would take their fighting cocks to church to drink holy water!

One missionary condemned the Catholic Church's approval of gambling, and it seemed to encourage it. Each game had its patron saint to which the gambler prayed for success. On some occasions, the gambler took their fighting cocks to the church to ear wafers and drink holy water assuming that the rooster would become strong and win the fight miraculously.

p. 226-227

The real strength of this book is the author's viewpoint that God is in control of all things and has brought the Philippines through her trials and to her current place for a reason. Nothing happens outside of God's will. Each chapter ends with a prayer for the Philippines. I highly recommend this book as it will give the reader a new perspective on this nation and an appreciation of all that has happened here both good and bad. The book is a refreshing break from the modern tirades against colonialism as being fundamentally evil. I found my copy at National Bookstore but it can be ordered from New Day Publishers or at Shopee. Reading this book is a great way to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Christianity arriving in the Philippines.

The God Culture: Dishonestly Edited Videos

It was my intent in three blog posts to look at the God Culture's claims and give them an honest critique.  I posted links to two of those blogs on the God Culture's Facebook page so they would have a chance to respond. Instead of dealing with the issues I raised they insulted me and made emotional appeals while copping an attitude of victory as if my criticisms were nothing and they did not care what I had to say. All the while behind the scenes it appears I really struck a nerve so much so that Tim and his gang have taken the time to remove and edit three of the very videos I criticized. I am aware they edited a few other videos too but I didn't watch those so I won't comment on them.

Here is the message they left on my previous post:

There is nothing erroneous in our research. A YouTube Channel quoting a source is normal. It is rare a YT channel sites anywhere near as much as we have and this is a ludicrous track of negative nothing. We have been updating our videos with more extensive sources and even page #s so thank you for pointing this out but let us not pretend you have a gotcha because you do not and you can stop with the act. What is truly laughable is we went back and listened and we never mention Suarez in that slide at all but the Periplus. We have removed Suarez completely and we have added quotes from Nowell proving your thinking that Suarez was right is wrong and Magellan proved that. You found nothing. Enough. We have more than satisfied your questions and we changed our videos already accordingly as one seeking truth should and would. We are also focused on larger print for the sources as the one you criticized was actually even larger than 30 pt but 40 pt in our program but we do get your point on that and we are responding to that as we have responded to your questions fully. There is nothing further to discuss on these

http://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-god-culture-100-clues-philippines.html?showComment=1581003123603#c7535920846141965828

They changed their videos! I couldn't believe it but it's true.  They deleted videos 2, 3, and 4 from their 100 Clues series in order to alter them. You know I feel a little flattered.  Now if only I could get the Senate to launch a proper investigation into the causes surrounding the Marawi siege!

What did they change?  Let's take a good hard look. Here is the playlist once again.

Clue #2

This is the video where they claim that the Philippines is the ancient source of Greek gold. Here is the very first change in their slides.

Original:

Edited:

You see what Tim did here?  He excised the reference to Thomas Suarez's book "Early Mapping of Southeast Asia" from the slide. But that does not matter because he is still referencing it in the audio when he talks about Chryse and Argyre.

Contrary to what the God Culture says their reference is not in 30 or 40 point font but is in VERY TINY FONT at the bottom of the slide. If you do go to the link they provide which is https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/periplus/periplus.html you will find nothing about Argyre, the legendary island of silver, in the whole text of the "Periplus of the Erythaean Sea." Because the audio has not been changed from the original any talk of Argyre in the edited video still comes directly from Suarez who mentions Argyre by quoting Pompoinous Mela. Tim also falsifies what Mela actually wrote about Argyre by claiming it is "placed beyond the Ganges" rather than "in the vicinity of the Ganges."  Here is the quote from Saurez:

Gold and silver, in fact, characterize the earliest extant specific Western Reference to Southeast Asia. Pomponius Mela (37 - 43 A.D.), a Roman geographer and native os Southern Spain, largely carried on the Greek tradition about the East, perpetuating stories about Amazons, people without heads, griffins, and other such characters, but adds two lands which lay to the east of India. One was Chryse, said to boast soil of gold, the other, Argyre, said to have soil of silver: 

In the vicinity of Tamus is the island of Chryse, in the vicinity of the Ganges that of Argyre, According to olden writers, the soil of the former consists of gold, that of the latter is of silver and it seems very probable that either the name arises from this fact or the legend derives from the name.

Early Mapping of Southeast Asia: The Epic Story of Seafarers, Adventurers, and Cartographers Who First Mapped the Regions between China and India, Thomas Suarez, Pg 62-63

This makes the God Culture's claim:

"we never mention Suarez in that slide at all but the Periplus"

just another lie. Did Tim not realize there is no mention of Argyre in the "Periplus?" At 2:20 he says the following:

"Periplus of the Erytheaen Sea in the first century records Chryse and Argyre as being located in "the last part of the inhabited world toward the east, under the rising sun itself beyond the land of China which brought silk to India." Gee, umm I don't know which islands are east of China? Wait! Ethiopia? Nope, that's not it! Yemen?  No. India? Ugh! Someone must know their geography very well in speculating that those guys could possibly be this ancient land of gold. It's the Philippines. Oh yeah! And they also map it.  So really this is not rocket science folks."

The section highlighted in red italics shows just how condescending Tim is to his listeners. He talks this way in every single one of his videos. Here is the section from the Periplus he is referencing.  

63.   After these, the course turns toward the east again, and sailing with the ocean to the right and the shore remaining beyond to the left, Ganges comes into view, and near it the very last land toward the east, Chryse. There is a river near it called the Ganges, and it rises and falls in the same way as the Nile. On its bank is a market-town which has the same name as the river, Ganges. Through this place are brought malabathrum and Gangetic spikenard and pearls, and muslins of the finest sorts, which are called Gangetic. It is said that there are gold-mines near these places, and there is a gold coin which is called caltis. And just opposite this river there is an island in the ocean, the last part of the inhabited world toward the east, under the rising sun itself; it is called Chryse; and it has the best tortoise-shell of all the places on the Erythraean Sea.

Not only does the Periplus not mention Argyre but it locates Chryse as being near the Ganges. "Just opposite this river" in fact. Tim claims this text says it is located "beyond the land of China." Did he even read the Periplus? Or did he pick through it, combine information from elsewhere, and make up his own facts? Let' compare where Tim, Mela, and the Periplus' locate Chryse and Argyre.

Tim: Chryse is beyond the land of China and Argyre is beyond the Ganges. 

Mela: Chryse is in the vicinity of Tamus and Argyre is in the vicinity of the Ganges. 

Periplus: Chryse is near the Ganges just opposite of it and there is no mention of Argyre. 

See how Tim does not agree with the sources he is quoting? He says something completely different from both Mela and the Periplus.

Tim kept the same audio which refers to Suarez and changed the slide to appear as if he did not. He also misrepresents the Periplus as saying it mentions Argyre and that the island of Chryse lies "beyond the land of China" when it makes no mention of Argyre and clearly says Chryse lies just opposite of the Ganges. That is deception. But why be so deceptive? It doesn't make any sense and it doesn't further his cause.  It only exposes him as at best a poor researcher who misrepresents and does not read his sources and at worst a liar.

Starting at 3:26 in this video is where we get an entirely new section. In this part he quotes from a different  source, "Magellan's voyage around the world; three contemporary accounts," by Charles Nowell.

This book contains the account of Pigafetta and other documentation. Tim does not quote from any of the primary sources but only from the introductory material by Nowell. This is all rather dumbfounding because the subject of this video is the Philippines being the ancient source of Greek gold and Nowell's book says absolutely nothing about the Greeks. It's totally out of place.

Tim quotes a bit from pages 21 and 22 but I think it would behoove us to quote a little more starting on page 20 and going to page 23.

Duarte Barbosa, who wrote a geographical account of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean and those within range of the ocean, has this to say of the Ryukyu inhabitants:  

From Malaca they take the same goods as the Chins [Chinese] take. These islands are called Lequios [in one version ‘Liquii']. The Malaca people say that they are better men, and richer and more eminent merchants than the Chins. Of these folk we as yet know but little, as they have not yet come to Malaca since it has been under the King our Lord.”  

The Duarte Barbosa who wrote this book has been identified by some with the Portuguese of the same name who became Magellan's cousin by marriage and accompanied him on his great voyage. Medina has shown that this was probably not the same man, but it makes little difference.” The Barbosa book was finished by 1516 and was available in manuscript to Magellan as he studied to complete his plan in Portugal before transferring allegiance to Spain. Magellan digested Barbosa's work and with his own hand rewrote one passage, which consisted of a list of places between the Cape of Good Hope and the Lequios that were known but not yet occupied by the Portuguese. Magellan's version substitutes for Barbosa's “Lequios” the words “Tarsis” and “Ofir.”” 

These are, of course, the biblical Tarshish and Ophir associated with Solomon and his trading partner, Hiram of Tyre. In I Kings 10:11 the statement is: “And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.” II Chronicles 9:21 says: “For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.” Elsewhere these Old Testament books agree in saying that Solomon received more than four hundred talents of gold from Ophir. 

We shall not enter into the centuries-old debate as to what and where these lands actually were. The writer of I Kings certainly meant that the journey to Ophir began by way of the Red Sea, because in connection with Ophir (9:26) he says: “And the king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.” Later Christian writers for centuries associated the gold of Ophir with East Africa, but at the time of the Portuguese discoveries Ophir was thought of as the Aurea Chersonnesus (Golden Peninsula) of Ptolemy, in which that Greek geographer also placed Cattigara, mentioned by Pigafetta as the immediate transpacific goal of Magellan. But Magellan connected Solomon's treasure with something else he had read in Barbosa:  

"Facing this great land of China there are many islands in the sea, beyond which [on the other side of the sea] there is a very large land which they say is mainland, from which there come to Malacca every year three or four ships, like those of the Chins, belonging to white men who are said tobe great and rich merchants: they bring much gold, and silver in bars, silk, rich cloth, and much very good wheat, beautiful porcelains, and many other merchandises.”  

Barbosa, in mentioning this great land across the water from China, might have been referring to Japan. More likely, though, he meant the island of Taiwan, or Formosa, separated by the Gulf of Fukien from mainland China. At the time Barbosa wrote, the Portuguese can scarcely have had information about Japan. They had some regarding Formosa and the Ryukyus, whose exact latitudinal position they did not know but correctly placed northward of Malacca and the Moluccas and hence north of the equator. These are obviously what Magellan took to be Tarshish and Ophir.  

If further proof is needed that he sought these places in addition to the Moluccas, we have it in the agreement between the Spanish crown and Sebastian Cabot. On April 4, 1525, less than six years after Magellan sailed, Cabot, now pilot major of Spain, signed a contract to make much the same voyage, though with objectives more concisely stated. He offered to go with three ships through the Strait of Magellan to reach the Moluccas “and other islands and lands of Tarshish and Ophir and eastern Cathay and Cipangu.” “The Spanish government had preferred to leave the names Tarshish and Ophir out of the earlier Magellan contract, but now that the western route to the Orient had been discovered, security regulations could be relaxed to the extent of openly mentioning the biblical lands. 

We now see what Magellan's aim in the Far East was: He expected to claim for Spain the Moluccas and the lands known to Solomon and Hiram of Tyre. It remains to be shown how he expected to reach those lands, and for this we must understand his mental image of the New World across the Atlantic.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822013755558&view=1up&seq=34

It is a long quote but rather necessary. What we see here is Magellan himself falsifying Barbosa's text and inserting "Ophir" and "Tarshish" when Barbosa had written no such thing. We also see that Nowell refers just as everyone else does, including Suarez, to the Aurea Chersonnesus as being the Golden peninsula. That is literally what the name means. But Tim discounts everything Nowell has written, admits he is a good scholar, and calls his conclusions wrong. He says at 8:44

"One blogger even said, "Why use an author if you do not agree with his conclusions?" Well, a lot can still be gleaned from the research many times so obviously it's a good thing to do that.  It is unwise not to."

Tim is not just gleaning from one author. He is gleaning from multiple sources and no one of any repute identifies the Aurea Chersonnesus as anything except the Malay peninsula.

Yes I know Tim does not quote this book. The title and subtitle is what is important.

However Tim doesn't care what any scholar says. It is Timothy Jay Schwab, (a man who is no trained cartographer, geographer, oceanographer, historian, linguist, or theologian), who is right, and all the academics who have dedicated their entire lives to studying history, languages, cartography, theology, or geography are wrong. Don't misunderstand me here. Sometimes the scholars, academics, and experts are wrong. Case in point Heinrich Schliemann the amateur archaeologist who discovered the ruins of Troy.  But what Tim is doing is rejecting a solid body of geography and history stretching back to Ptolemey which identifies the Aurea Chersonnesus as the Malay peninsula and twisting it to fit his pseudo-history of the Philippines being both the Garden of Eden and Ophir and Tarshish and Filipinos being members of the lost tribes of Israel.

Tim mentions Columbus and says the following at 9:27

Are we to now call America "Southeast Asia" because Columbus said it was Southeast Asia? Of course not. 

But this is exactly what Tim is doing with the Philippines! He is calling this place Ophir because Magellan falsified Barbosa's book and introduced the names Ophir and Tarshish. Tim is ok with this falsification.  In fact in the video "Solomon's Gold Series - Part 6: Little Known History of Ophir. Philippines History" at 7:46 Tim says the following:

https://youtu.be/12tOU7Szbpk

"In "Magellan's Voyage Around the World" the author Charles E Nowell, notes that Magellan himself had rewritten part of Barbosa's book referring to the Lequios and in his version Magellan substituted "Tarsis" and "Ofir" for the word "Lequios." So "Lequios" equals "Tarshish" and "Ophir." This is huge."

Wow this really is huge!  Magellan falsifies a book and Tim thinks what he wrote is the truth. In Tim's world truth is whatever you want it to be. Lequios is Ophir and Tarshish because Magellan said so. Just as, despite the Philippines being comprised of 7,000 islands, two tiny islands on an old map are the Philippines because Tim says so.

In numerous videos Timothy Schwab claims the two mythical islands of gold and silver, Chryse and Argyre, are Luzon and Mindanao respectively and he uses Mela's map as proof. However not only does Mela have Argyre located at the mouth of the Ganges near India while Mindanao is nowhere near India but none of the rest of the Philippines is accounted for! Tim expects us to believe that the Greeks visited the Philippines and accurately mapped the Philippines BUT somehow forgot to include the Visayas and misplaced Mindanao thousands of miles away at the mouth of the Ganges River!

The next edited slide is the one with the Greek armor.  

How can Tim with a straight face tell us at 13:56

"The thing is these are indisputably Greek from the symbols and structure and they are dated all the way back to 800 B.C. up to about 480 B.C."

when on the slide he has written "Archaeology confirmation pending?" Is it confirmed and indisputable or is the confirmation still pending? As with the first edited slide he keeps the original audio and only changes the slide. The result is a contradiction between the audio and the visual. What a boner from Tim the Joker!

Thankfully Tim listed the place where he saw this armor which is the Balanghai Hotel and Convention Center Museum in Butuan. Sadly there is no website for this hotel/museum and thus no online collection to look at.  However I was able to find a picture of the armor displayed in a glass case outside the entrance to the museum.

Why not just tell everyone the first time around where he saw it? How is anyone supposed to confirm all things when information is being withheld? 

That's it for Clue #2. Let's recap everything we have learned so far.  Tim excises Suarez as a a source but still utilizes him when talking about Argyre because the Periplus of the Erythaean Sea does not mention Argyre. He misrepresents the Periplus' location of Chryse and Mela's location of Argyre. He quotes from Nowell but ignores everything he says especially his identification of the Aurea Chersonnesus. He is ok with the fact that Magellan inserted "Ophir" and "Tarshish" into Barbosa's book thus falsifying it. He says the armor is indisputably Greek while on the slide he contradicts himself by having written "Archeological confirmation pending!"

This edited video is worse than the original because it contains blunder after blunder as Tim tries to cover up his tracks, like removing Suarez from the slide but not from the audio, and it is also about 10 minutes longer because he added the totally unnecessary section with Nowell!  Moving on.

Clue #3

This is the video where we are told Philippine gold was found in first century Egypt. My criticisms of this video were that Tim did not quote from any of the three sources he cites and one of them, J.T. Peralta, he cites erroneously. So what does Tim do to rectify this mess? Does he make a correction of the Peralta citation? No! He gets rid of Peralta altogether!

Original:

Edited:

Let's look at his new sources which are still in the same VERY TINY FONT!

Sources: Wikipedia, Ancientblogspot.ph cite 

1. Legeza, Laszlo, "Tantric Elements in pre-Hispanic Philippines Gold Art," Arts of Asia, July-Aug, 1988, pp 129-136. 

2 Villegas, Ramon N. "Ginto: History Wrought in Gold", Manila: Bangko Central ng Pilipinas", 2004

Tim in his infinite wisdom eighty-sixed the Peralta citation as if that clears everything up. If he was attempting to be honest he would have corrected the citation and not deleted it. He still does not prove to us Philippine gold was found in first century Egypt by quoting the relevant matter from the two remaining sources he listed. It is also still badly cited. What Wikipedia page is he sourcing? What is Ancientblogspot.ph? That is not even a website! It is just another boner on Tim's part. How many more boners can Tim make?

Towards the end of the video he inserts a new section which is a timeline. 

This timeline is supposed to prove that the Philippines has more gold than any nation in the world at any time. I never disputed that. What I did dispute is Tim's baseless assertion that Philippine gold has been found in first century Egypt. Since he took the time to edit this video and still did not include any quotations from Legeza or Villegas it's a safe bet he has not actually read those sources.

Clue #4

Tim edited this video but I don't care because I never took any issue with what was in the original.  The Boxer Codex shows Filipinos decked out in gold. That was never under question.

Summation and End

I only have a few more things to show before I close out. In my original post I wrote:

I can just hear Tim now excoriating me for watching only 6 videos in the 100 Clues series rather then the whole Solomon's Gold series and saying I am uninformed, a hack, and a fraud. Such would be pure deflection on Tim's part as I have already demonstrated his research is incredibly biased, faulty, and downright dishonest. If he cannot deal honestly with his sources here he won't be dealing honestly with them there either. 

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-god-culture-100-clues-philippines.html

Sure enough I was called all of those names and Tim's editing of these videos shows his outright dishonesty in dealing with sources both in the 100 Clues series and elsewhere. He may have edited out Suarez from Clue #2 and Peralta from Clue #3 but these two sources are scattered throughout the rest of his videos including the Solomon's Gold series. 

In the video for Clue #30 at 12:11 we see Timothy quoting Suarez. 

https://youtu.be/mCM371q6_AU

Of course in discussing Argyre he is compelled to cite Mela via Suarez because the "Periplus" does not mention Argyre. Remember every slide that follows which claims the Periplus locates Chryse "beyond the land of China" and Argyre "beyond the Ganges" is a lie. As I demonstrated above the Periplus does not say that nor does Mela.

Clue #33 at 21:23 contains this same quotation from Suarez.

https://youtu.be/q0zY1NYsJCA

In the video "Solomon's Gold Series Part 1C: UPHAZ GOLD & OPHIR. Origin of Gold Sheba, Tarshish, Havilah" at 8:27 we see the following slide:

https://youtu.be/jQWp_OPfEXA

In the video "Let There Be Light... Philippines? Origin of Ophir, Sheba and Havilah. 12G" at 12:58 we see this slide:

https://youtu.be/Xm6REaRW7nw

Suarez is quoted again in the video "Solomon's Gold Series - Part 6: Little Known History of Ophir. Philippines History" at both 18:19 and 19:29.

https://youtu.be/12tOU7Szbpk

https://youtu.be/12tOU7Szbpk

It is pretty clear that Thomas Suarez's book "Early Mapping of Southeast Asia" is an important source for Tim. So why did he delete it from Clue #2 when he includes it in several other videos? He still rejects what Suarez has to say as to the identification of Chryse, Argyre, and the Aurea Chersonnesus but that is no big deal to Tim who picks and chooses, or rather gleans, what will confirm his thesis like any good and honest scholar.

At 32:03, and for almost seven straight minutes, in the video "Solomon's Gold Series - Part 6: Little Known History of Ophir. Philippines History" we see the same three citations that were used to claim Philippine gold was found in first century Egypt which are Legeza, Peralta, and Villegas. But again no actual quotations from them.

https://youtu.be/12tOU7Szbpk

Look closely because those citations are in VERY TINY FONT underneath all the text. At 41:40 in the same video we see this slide:

It's the same claim of Philippine gold being found in first century Egypt with the same three citations and with no actual quotations from those sources. Tim goes on to show us not actual Philippine gold found in Egypt but the similarity between a Philippine gold necklace and an Egyptian gold necklace. As if similarity of style proves his claim. 

In the video "Solomon's Gold Series Part 1D: Testing the RESOURCES of Ancient Ophir, Tarshish, Sheba" we see the following slide at 21:39:

https://youtu.be/gG39WFEYfiU

The same claim about Egypt with the same three sources as were in the video Clue #3 before he edited it is to be found right here.  Obviously Tim thinks these three sources are important which is why they are included in the main series Solomon's Gold which he tells everyone to watch!

What is going on here? Why is Timothy Schwab and the God Culture being dishonest about their sources? Why edit information out of some videos when other videos include the exact same information? These edits do not make any sense whatsoever. They are totally absurd and don't add to the veracity of their claims. They are not even good edits because, as in Clue #2, the original audio is kept and only the slide is changed!

The God Culture has been posting HUGE BLOCKS of text in the comment section on this blog. They have insulted me, they have made appeals to emotion (like the testimony of the lawyer), and they have manifested a triumphalist attitude ignoring everything I wrote about their poor research and documentation. In comment after comment they disdain what I have written as the work of an ignorant hack. They even called me a communist agitator twelve times!

But in private it is obvious I struck a nerve or they would not have edited their videos. They put up an offensive front when they knew I was right all along as these edits prove. But the edits cannot obscure what is in the main series Solomon's Gold which is Thomas Suarez and J.T. Peralta being used to bolster their claims.  Is Tim going to edit those videos too?  Will he be an honest man and quote the Periplus accurately? Will he be a good researcher and actually order the articles by Legeza and Peralta from Arts of Asia? The burden of proof lies squarely on Tim, not me. It would be better if Tim and the gang simply believed the sources they cite rather than make up their own facts, like Magellan did when he rewrote Barbosa's book, in order to propagate their pseudo-history.

As I wrote before, "If he cannot deal honestly with his sources here he won't be dealing honestly with them there either." Tim's quick editing and reposting of his videos without the same sources he utilizes elsewhere reeks of dishonesty. This is just a tiny sampling of the God Culture's output. I can't imagine what duplicitous twisting of facts lies in their other videos. And yet thousands of people are being taken in by this garbage.

P.S. 

After writing all of the above I must add a postscript. The God Culture is adding links to their videos which have sources for people to check up on and confirm. That's a good thing. Why didn't they do this earlier? However they are still making blunders.

https://f2568e15-4b6b-4cbb-b68a-3d729eeed9e4.filesusr.com/ugd/e23929_c5850fbfa12d4a3390a6a541db01540d.pdf

Let me this get this straight. Tim edits Suarez out of the video for Clue #2 saying he wasn't quoting Saurez anyway but now he includes him in this PDF as a "Supporting Research Source!?" Then why did he edit him out of Clue #2?  It makes zero sense!

The little note requires our attention.

NOTE: Under Fig. 31 is the exact quote we cited for the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st Century C.E.)

“the last part of the inhabited world toward the east, under the rising sun itself”

The note says the exact quote is "“the last part of the inhabited world toward the east, under the rising sun itself.” But in this video Tim says much more than just that. He says at 17:36

"the last part of the inhabited world toward the east, under the rising sun itself beyond the land of This (China) which brought silk to India"

https://youtu.be/12tOU7Szbpk

Tim says this making it appear as if he is quoting the Periplus as locating Chryse beyond China! It doesn't. It says it is just opposite of the Ganges. Why doesn't he tell us exactly what he is quoting and what are his own words? It's simply confusing and dishonest. See above where I already discussed this.

In this PDF mention is made of Peralta and the Philippine gold allegedly found in Egypt. See the relevant slide above.

16. PH Gold found in Egypt: Wikipedia, AncientBlogspot. ph and many others cite 1 Legeza, Laszlo. “Tantric Elements in pre-Hispanic Philippines Gold Art,” Arts of Asia, July-Aug. 1988, pp.129-136. 2 Villegas, Ramon N. Ginto: History Wrought in Gold, Manila: Bangko Central ng Pilipinas, 2004. (FYI. Peralta is out of print but cited as well.)

This is basically the same edit as was made in the video for Clue #3. Instead of correcting the erroneous Peralta citation they leave it in the video and remove it from the sources listed in this PDF. Why didn't they just give the correct citation?

They also mess up the citations again. What Wikipedia article or articles are they sourcing? AncientBlogspot.ph IS NOT A WEBSITE!!  The FYI about Peralta being out of print is a non-issue because so is Legeza and it is Legeza, though not cited here as such, that has the reference to Philippine gold being found in Egypt.

"Legeza, Laszlo. "Tantric Elements in pre-Hispanic Philippines Gold Art," Arts of Asia, July-Aug. 1988, pp.129-136. (Mentions gold jewelry of Philippine origin in first century CE Egypt)" 

Both Legeza and Peralta can be ordered and shipped to the Philippines for $15 per article. I'm not going to do any research for Tim and order those articles. The burden of proof lies on him not me.