News on Sakay's monument in Plaza Morga, Tondo

Ito ang ilan sa mga balita tungkol sa rebulto ni Macario Sakay sa Plaza Morga St., sa Tondo, Maynila

http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/metro-manila/09/09/08/monument-sakay-manila-last

A monument for Sakay in Manila, at last

ABS-CBN News

Posted at Sep 09 2008 10:16 PM | Updated as of Sep 10 2008 06:16 AM

After 101 years, Gen. Macario Leon Sakay, who led the KKK movement in Tondo against American colonial rule, will finally get his proper place in history with a monument in his honor to be unveiled on Saturday by Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim.

The unveiling of the statue and wreath laying will be held at the Plaza Morga corner Moriones St. in Tondo at 8 a.m.

Sakay was born in 1870 in Tabora St., Tondo, the haven of other heroes like Rajah Soliman and Magat Salamat and continued by Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto.

In 1894, he joined the Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan (KKK)ng mga Anak ng Bayani in Tondo, established the Republika ng Katagalugan and became its supreme president and commander.

His objective was independence from the US colonial rule.

Betrayed to the Americans by Dominador Gomez, Sakay was arrested in 1906 and jailed at the Old Bilibid in Manila where he was hanged to death on Sept. 13, 1907 with Col. Lucio de Vega.

To invalidate the rumors spread by the enemies that Sakay and his men were bandits, Sakay wrote his message to Filipinos before he died.

“Maaga man o huli ay dumarating sa ating lahat ang kamatayan, kaya mapayapa kong haharapin ang Maykapal. Subalit nais kong ipahayag na hindi kami mga bandido o mga magnanakaw tulad ng sinasabing mga Amerikano kundi mga kasapi ng pwersang rebolusyunaryo na nagtatanggol sa ating bansa, ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Republika at isilang sana ang ating kalayaan sa kinabukasan.” -- by MARLYN SIGLOS, Manila City Gov't Media Bureau

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/119219/lifestyle/phil-am-war-hero-sakay-to-be-honored-with-monument-in-manila

Phil-Am War hero Sakay to be honored with monument in Manila

Published September 9, 2008 11:01pm

MANILA, Philippines – General Macario Leon Sakay, the Katipunero who kept fighting even after the end of the Philippine-American War in 1902, will finally get honored with monument right in Manila, where he was born in the Tondo district.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim will lead the unveiling of the monument at the Plaza Morga in Tondo at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Sakay was born in 1870 on Tabora Street, in the home district of other heroes like Rajah Solima, Magat Salamat, Andres Bonifacio, and Emilio Jacinto.

In 1894, he joined the Katipunanin Tondo to fight the Spanish colonizers, which the Katipunan, led by General Emilio Aguinaldo, defeated in 1896.

The Americans came in shortly after that, and in 1899, when the Philippine-American war erupted, Sakay kept on fighting against the new agressors. But he was captured in 1902.

When US President Theodore Roosevelt declared the war over on July 4 of the same year, Sakay was granted amnesty and released from prison.

In November 1902, the Philippine Commission, which operated under US sanction, passed the Bandolerism Act, requiring all resistance fighters and insurgents to be tried in court as bandits or robbers.

In 1904, a disgruntled Sakay issued his own manifesto declaring himself president of the Republika ng Katagalugan (Tagalog Republic), making himself an outlaw under the Bandolerism Act.

He and his men had several skirmishes with the Philippine Constabulary and Philippine Scouts until 1906, when American governor-general William Howard Taft offered him and his men amnesty if they would surrender.

Sakay and his men surrendered on July 14 of that same year. But then three days later he was arrested, on the betrayal of Dominador Gomez, and jailed at the Old Bilibid in Manila. There he was hanged on Sept. 13, 1907 with one of his officers, Colonel Lucio de Vega.

To answer rumors spread by his enemies that he and his men were bandits, Sakay wrote his message to the Filipinos before he died:

"Maaga man o huli ay dumarating sa ating lahat ang kamatayan, kaya mapayapa kong haharapin ang Maykapal. Subalit nais kong ipahayag na hindi kami mga bandido o mga magnanakaw tulad ng sinasabing mga Amerikano kundi mga kasapi ng pwersang rebolusyunaryo na nagtatanggol sa ating bansa, ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Republika at isilang sana ang ating kalayaan sa kinabukasan."

[Translation: Sooner or later, death comes to all of us, so I will calmly face my Maker. But I wish to tell all that we are not bandits or thieves as the Americans say. We are revolutionary forces that defended our country, the Philippines. Long live the Republic, and may tomorrow see the birth of our freedom.] - GMANews.TV