BRIDGING THE GAP
Montor: Notorious outlaw or revolutionary hero?
Montor, the folk legendary hero immortalized in the Ilonggo composo or ballad, is actually a historical figure. However, very little is known about him because he had been deliberately consigned to oblivion by those who considered him an enemy, especially the Americans.
But, who exactly is Montor? What kind of background had he? According to the History and Cultural life of Guimbal (1976), Montor was a Muslim who settled in Barangay Lubacan, Guimbal, Iloilo during the latter part of the 19th century. It is not known as to which part of Mindanao did he come from but it is speculated that he hailed from southern Cotabato. He got married to Asuncion Gico of Lubacan and, therefore, became a Christian and adopted Monteclaro as his surname. One writer mentioned that a Spanish officer named Juan Rios served as his godfather when he was baptized in the Christian faith (Magahum, 1930).
Through the inherited properties of his wife in Iyasan, Lupsag and Lubacan, and through his being hard-working, Montor and his family prospered. Eventually, he was appointed head of Lubacan which, at that time, was a minuro (sitio) of Lupsag. He was a highly respected leader, especially due to his stern appearance and fiery temperament. He was also believed to have possessed an anting-anting or amulet.
Montor's brush with the authorities came in the 1890s when the Jesuit friars who had a church and convent in the site between Laguna and Santa Rosa, Guimbal seized his lands as part of their estates (Madrid & Santarita 1998). He protested and demanded the return of his landholdings but to no avail. Angry and disgruntled, Montor went to the mountains and joined the group of local bandits led by Blas and Oto who had their hideout in Igcabugao, Igbaras.
Since then, Montor had been accused as responsible for the many plunders and lootings that occurred in Guimbal, Igbaras and Miag-ao in the last decade of the 19th century (Ibid.). He became notorious and was reported to have killed helpless inhabitants and burned houses and crops. Montor was reported to be armed only with a talibong (long bolo) and bankaw (spear) but no one could harm him. It was believed that his possession of an anting-anting made him vulnerable and invincible if he wanted to.
When the revolution against the Spaniards broke out, Montor joined the forces of Gen. Leandro Fullon in Sibalom, Antique. He saw action with Fullon's troops in San Jose de Buenavista, the capital of the province of Antique, and later, in Arevalo and Molo in Iloilo. Although not mentioned in revolutionary
documents, Montor was also believed to have participated in the triumphal entry of revolutionary forces in Iloilo City on December 25, 1898.
When the Filipino-American War flared up, Montor fought valiantly together with the other patriots in the battles of Tacas and Sambag in Jaro, Iloilo. After the Americans had succeeded in breaking the resistance in Iloilo Province and the remnants of the native troops had organized themselves into small guerilla units, General Fullon and his remaining troops went back to Antique to continue the struggle there. Montor, on his part, decided to stay behind and returned home to Guimbal. Later, he joined the revolutionary force organized under the renegade Spanish officer, General Napoleon of Miag-ao, in fighting the Americans. Because of his commendable record in fighting the enemies in Guimbal and Miag-ao, he was later promoted to the rank of captain. Montor exhibited a strong and assertive leadership and was highly respected by the enlisted men.
With the capture of General Napoleon, the group dispersed. General amnesty was offered by the Americans to those who still remained in the field. Finally, Montor surrendered to the American authorities on April 28, 1900 in Barangay Aguiauan. With his laying down his arms, he was reunited with his family in Guimbal. However, this was not the end of his exploits. He was reunited with some of his former bandit associates and he was made leader of the band. They took advantage of the chaos and disorder brought about by the Filipino-American War. His band perpetrated an unrestrained pillage of barangays after barangays in boath Miag-ao and Guimbal. They even attacked the poblacion of Guimbal (Ibid.)
Montor's notorious career finally ended when he was captured by an American patrol under a certain Captain McDonnel, head of the enemy's detachment in Tigbauan, Iloilo. A grinding stone was said to have been tied to his neck to prevent him from escaping. He was tried by the American Colonial Tribunal and was meted the death sentence. He met his tragic death when he was hanged in Jaro, Iloilo in the mid-1930s.