Anything Under the Sun
Iloilo Fiasco (2)
However, the Ilonggos vehemently refused to give the Americans the permission to land. In a defiant letter dated December 30, 1898, the revolucionarios thru Gen. Roque Lopez, president of the Estado Federal de Biayasadressed to Miller, Gen. Roque wrote that "we insist upon pretensions not to consent any foreign interference without Luzon x x x with which we are one in ideas, as we have been until now in sacrifices x x x If you insist x x x upon disembarking your forces, this is our final attitude, may God forgive you."
On January 1, 1899, Miller wrote back asserting the "majesty, dominion and power" of the United States based on the Treaty of Paris and that "the inhabitants of Panay ought to obey the political authority of the United States."
Upon receiving this letter, the revolucionarios were amused because despite the strong words therein, the Americans still asked "permission" to land.
This gave the Ilonggos the impression that the Americans were cowards such that when Miller sent on January 5 two boats ashore, they were confronted by the rebels who warned them not to land or else face dire consequences. The Americans returned to their ship without landing.
On the same date, Miller wrote Gen. Elwell Otis, commander of all American forces in the Philippines: "The people are laughing at us. The insurgents call us cowards and are fortifying at the point of the peninsula (Fort San Pedro) and remounting old smooth-bore guns left by the Spaniards. They are entrenching everywhere, are bent on have one fight and are confident of victory. The longer we wait before the attack the harder will be put down the insurrection x x x let no one convince you that peaceful means can settle the difficulty here."
Otis answered Miller not to be hasty saying that "the firing of a shot in Iloilo would mean precipitation of a general conflict in Manila and entire Philippines."