Brigands in the Eyes of the Law: Inventory of Brigandage Cases Determined in the Supreme Court of the Philippine Islands as Reported in the Philippine Reports from 1903 to 1909 (English Edition)

The Philippine Islands became independent on June 12, 1898, but faced a new colonizer upon the acquisition of the Islands by the United States of America from Spain through the Treaty of Paris. The revolutionaries fought a new, protracted war despite the superiority of the American forces.

Against all odds, Filipinos continued the struggle for independence. Many died in battle while the unwavering hold-outs faced the dubious distinction of being convicted for the crime of brigandage. Of those convicted, many were hanged at the gallows, while others endured long prison sentences. They all went down in history as brigands, rebels, and criminals. What happened to these men were written in the decisions of the Supreme Court, with the Philippine Islands still under American rule. These decisions, compiled in the Philippine Reports, contained “names and facts” which historians and researchers could use to evaluate and complete the story of the Philippine nation during an era systematically forgotten.

In the turmoil of nation-building, the Filipinos’ convictions became their badge of honor, their exploits perpetually etched in the pages of the Philippine Reports. This is their story.