On This Day - July 14, 1906 - General Macario Sakay surrendered to the United States

 On July 14, 1906, General Macario Sakay surrendered to the United States. He would be among the last of the Filipino generals fighting since the Philippine Revolution to lay down their arms. The Tondo-born revolutionary entered various jobs in his early years, including being a barber, a tailor, a kalesa (cart) manufacturing apprentice, and even a stage actor. He joined the Katipunan in 1894 with the codename Tagausig (Prosecutor).

Organizing for the Revolution in the Manila area, he would later be imprisoned by the time of the Filipino-American War. During the advent of American rule in the Philippines, Sakay was granted amnesty and became a founding member of the Partido Nacionalista in 1901, which campaigned for Philippine independence through legal means. The 1901 Sedition Law (Act No. 292), however, prohibited advocating for independence, whether through "peaceable or forcible means." Disenchanted with the new setup provided by the United States, Sakay took up arms once more, assuming the presidency of the Republika ng Katagalugan (Tagalog Republic) in May 1902.

Establishing his center of operations in Morong (now Rizal Province, Dimasalang in Sakay's documents), Sakay organized his forces and awarded ranks to integrees who would be able to contribute weapons to the republic. It was also by this time when Sakay decided to keep his hair long, which became an iconic theme for the revolutionary leader. It was said that Sakay was once ambushed while taking a bath. While he survived the incident, he was convinced that personal care would be detrimental to the cause of attaining freedom. He would maintain a long hair until his death. The American government, meanwhile, took every opportunity to put Sakay in bad light, designating him as a bandit, among others.

In 1905, union leader Dominador Gomez was tasked to negotiate with Sakay in exchange for his freedom. Gomez's organization, the Union Obrera Democratica Filipina (UOD), was known to have conducted the first May Day commemoration in the Philippines for labor. The union, however, was also accused of supporting Sakay's activities, leading to arrests which forced members to dissolve the union.

Upon meeting with Sakay, Gomez argued that continued resistance was blocking the way towards the creation of a Filipino national assembly, the next legal step towards independence. Persuaded that a constitutional means was now available for Filipinos, Sakay agreed to end his struggle on the condition that amnesty was granted for all of his troops. Warm reception for Sakay in Manila, however, proved to be a conveniently concealed trap.

On July 17 of the same year (1906), a party supposedly hosted by Cavite Governor Louis J. Van Shaick (a Medal of Honor recipient) led to the disarming and the arrest of Sakay and the revolutionary leaders with him. While the Philippine Assembly was indeed organized and inaugurated in 1907, as provided for by the Philippine Organic Act, Sakay would have no opportunity to participate in the new body.

On September 13, 1907, Sakay was executed by American authorities. His recorded last words would be as follows:
"Death comes to all of us sooner or later, so I will face the LORD Almighty calmly. But I want to tell you that we are not bandits and robbers, as the Americans have accused us, but members of the revolutionary force that defended our mother country, the Philippines! Farewell! Long live the Republic and may our independence be born in the future! Long live the Philippines!"