Battle of San Jose de Buenavista

The most important event that took place in the Antique province during the Spanish Regime was the counterpart of the Philippine Revolution. After the capture of Manila in 1898 and the establishment of government in Cavite on June 2, 1898, Gen. Aquinaldo sent expeditionary forces to Panay under the command of General Fullon.

Don Esteban de la Rama who was then the Secretary of the navy (Secretario de Marinos) sent the ship, Don Francisco to Panay. Accompanying Gen. Fullon were Pedro Ledesma, Silvestre Salvio, Lt. Ruperto Abellon, Angel Salazar, Sr., who was then Secretary to Don Esteban de la Rama, the official designated to accompany the troops. Angel Salazar, Sr. however did not return and was commissioned by Gen. Fullon Chief of Staff with the rank of colonel. The ship arrived in Pandan (Inayawan, Libertad) at 11:30 p.m. of September 21, 1898. They immediately occupied the town of Pandan and captured Fr. Ricardo Villanueva. In the afternoon they left Pandan for Culasi and reached Lipata at 10:00 p.m. The following morning they landed and were well received by the natives.

The Spaniards upon learning of the arrival of the Expeditionary Forces left the town of Culasi and garrisoned themselves in Tinubucan a barrio of Culasi. They were under the command of Lt. Agustin Alcayre and Sgt. Juan Espino. The Spaniards, however, later left Culasi for Tibiao because of their dangerous position. On their way to Tibiao, the Filipino Guardia Civiles fought against the Spaniards and killed Sgt. Espino, while Lt. Alcayre was wounded. The mutineers then presented themselves to Gen. Fullon in Culasi. While in Culasi, Gen. Fullon asked for recruits. He reorganized his forces, then trained and equipped them for the next move southward.

On September 29, the Expeditionary Forces and the Guardia Civiles fought in the outskirts of Bugasong near the cemetery and Bo. Imbuludan, causing the death of Lt. Gamo of the Expeditionary Forces. Because of the superior force of the enemy, the Expeditionary Forces retreated to Culasi to reorganize. The Spaniards were hard to defeat because of the re-enforcement that landed in Bo. Igpaljo, Barbaza on September 28, 1898. While in Culasi, Gen. Fullon sent an officer to Malolos to report to Gen. Aguinaldo the situation. Gen. Fullon should have gone himself had he not been arrested in Buruanga by the civil officials. He was released later upon intervention of the Filipino parish priest.

After the defeat suffered by the Expeditionary Forces in Bo. Imbaludan, Bugasong, the Spaniards followed them in Culasi. When the Spaniards passed Barbasa, the town officials surrendered to them the arms and ammunitions left by Gen. Fullon together with the other paraphernalia of war. The Spaniards occupied the town of Culasi and a detachment was posted in Pandan. The Spaniards were under the command of Gen. Brandies. The Filipino “Guardia Civiles” and the members of the Expeditionary Forces especially the “Macabebes”, often met in a certain rendezvous and it was agreed by them that the Filipino “Guardia Civiles” should turn against the Spaniards.

On the night of October 20, 1898 the Filipino “Guardia Civiles” under Pfc. Marcelino Eping mutinied and killed the Spanish officers in the convent of Culasi. Gen. Brandies was forced to retreat to Bugasong. The following day, October 21, 1898, Pfc. Marcelino Eping presented himself to Gen. Fullon with 190 soldiers. Gen. Fullon immediately reorganized his forces for the attack of San Jose. The Expeditionary Forces reached the outskirts of San Jose on November 22, 1898 at 10:00 a.m. Spanish Governor Castro Verde, upon learning of the presence of Filipino troops sent a messenger to ask for a cease-fire for 3 days so they can evacuate San Jose. Fullon granted them only 24 hours.

The following day, November 23, at 10:00 a.m. the Expeditionary Forces attacked San Jose and the fight lasted until 11:00 p.m. The following day San Jose was occupied. With the fall of San Jose, the following officials were named to head the province: Governor – Angel Salazar Sr.; Vice Governor – Santos Capadocia; Councilor of Justice – Anacleto Villavert Jimenez; Councilor of Justice – Jose Fontanilla; Councilor of Internal Revenue – Anselmo Alicante and Representative of Malolos – Vicente Gella. This was the counterpart of the Philippine Revolutionary Government in Antique.

The Filipino troops rested for one week before leaving for Iloilo. While the Filipino troops were in Iloilo, re-enforcement sent by Gen. Aguinaldo under the command of Gen. Pablo Araneta landed in Antique. Iloilo was captured and occupied by Gen. Fullon on December 25, 1898.

• History of Antique by the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collection