14 Side Story: The Diary of Simon Crisostomo de la Mercado y Arbol

8th of June 1625

This is the third time this week where I have to be housed in some dark cave in this unknown part of Panay. The storm is thrashing the island, and no one was unable to get out and get some food. We only relied on our decreasing supplies as of the moment. We also had no time to get someone to talk for us with the locals because of this nasty storm.

I have been hiding here on this island for more than a month now. My fellowmen and I, from Maynila had to cross borders and towns for more than half-a-year just to make sure we could deliver the message to the people in the islas that we plan to overthrow Espanya's rule, and we need their help in doing an all-out assault to the Spanish government in all of the islas of Filipinas.

Nevertheless, my men and I got stranded here in this paradise after our boat got wrecked, passing through the unpredictable strait of Romblon. We landed on this place with white sand and serene azure waters. Where we were met by the local tribes who weren't welcoming to us, primarily because of our skin color, we look like their usurpers.

There was a struggle that happened on both sides. The natives tried to kill us when we marooned to their shores. We got greeted with bows and arrows, our friend Anastasio Mandarino tried to reason with the tribe. He held his hand up and spoke to them in their crude language, but to no avail. He got struck with an arrow in the leg that went through the other. Unfortunately, he didn't make it; he bled out.

Our personal doctor, Mariano Yllana de Lopez, got very frustrated with it. The rest of the crew and we can only bury our poor friend Anastacio in a shallow grave just outside the beach. We marked in with a cross, so we know where to find him. Unfortunately, the next day, the cross was gone, along with his body. We went into an outrage!

Some of my men wanted to get back at the natives for desecrating the grave. However, Doctor Mariano reasoned with them. He told them how bad of an idea it was since we were trapped on their island. He told them the risk if they did that and reminded them of the mission that we had.

The men were not having any of it. They accused Doctor Mariano of cowardice, but in fact, he was just trying to avoid any further bloodshed from happening between the parties involved. My men went outside our makeshift hut and brought their armas with them. The bayonetas were safe, and so, they took it along with a load of gunpowder. The poor doctor pleaded with them again, but instead, they shoved him to the ground, hit him with the butt of the bayoneta, and threatened to kill him if he stood in their way.

That's when I've heard enough. I stood up from where I sat and commanded my men to stop. One of them called, Fransisco del Vega, spat at the ground and reasoned to me that they weren't paid to get killed and would take this island to hell for doing that to their ally. I tried my best to tell them how bad their idea is, but they won't listen. He told me that for him to stop, I must kill him, and I did.

The reason I was sitting the whole time was because I was engrossed at cleaning my pistol of which I thought could've been ruined after being submerged in water. Luckily, it was not. I shot him in between the eyes. My men's eyes widened in shock and in fear. I did not want to kill one of my men, but; I have to. I need to make them know that I am their leader and I do not tolerate any uprising in my ranks.

They pointed their bayonetas at me, I laughed at them. I can see in their faces how scared they were for their life at that point. I made a gamble and bluffed them about the bayonetas and how the gunpowder is soaked in water. I threatened them to shoot me, although my heart did pound hard. I don't want to die. Definitely not on this island and for this reason.

Doctor Mariano was petrified as I opened my arms and told them to shoot. I glimpsed Doctor Mariano's face and saw how pale he was as he tried to convince me just to stay down. I insisted on it and mocked my men more.

"Fuego!" I commanded them. The tension was palpable. I looked at them in the eyes and saw their hesitation. One by one, they put down their weapons and asked for forgiveness. I accepted it. Right now, with only a few of us left, it would benefit if we keep each other alive until we can figure out what to do from here.

After the situation calmed down, I asked the men to bury the dead body at sea. We made him a makeshift raft and took it to the shore. We gifted the dead with some of our belongings before we prayed.

I prayed the hardest. I asked for the Lord my God for the forgiveness of killing the man and asked his soul for forgiveness too. I prayed that the angels and the saints would give him a pass to heaven and not give him a hard time in the Purgatoryo and save the man from the fires of Impyerno. After praying, we pushed the raft with his body out to the sea.

Several days later, a storm came, and since then, it did every other day. I think we got her to this cursed island because God wants us to teach something and strengthen our fate and our resolve to free us from the clutches of Espanya. I know he is doing this to us for our own good. It just has to be.

I will end my journal here. I need to pray and recite the novena.

Hasta la Proxima,

Simon Crisostomo de la Mercado y Arbol.