Scientia (Dec 2017)

Human Rights and Justice Issues in the 16th Century Philippines

  • James Loreto Piscos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.57106/scientia.v6i2.77
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 2

Abstract

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In the 16th century Philippines, the marriage of the Church and the State was the dominant set-up by virtue of Spain’s quest for colonization and evangelization. Civil administrators and church missionaries were called to cooperate the will of the king. In most cases, their point of contact was also the area of friction because of their opposing intentions. The early Spanish missionaries in the 16th century Philippines were influenced by the teachings of Bartolome de Las Casas and Vitoria that ignited them to confront their civil counterparts who were after getting the wealth and resources of the natives at the expense of their dignity and rights. Since the King showed interest in protecting the rights of the Indians, Churchmen used legal procedures, reports and personal testimonies in the Royal Court to create changes in the systems employed in the islands. The relationship between the Spaniards and the natives cannot be reduced to a monolithic relationship between the two races. The power dynamics should be viewed within the plethora of groups who were engaged in the discourse including the bishop of Manila, governor-general, encomenderos, adelantados, soldiers, religious orders, native leaders and even the common indios. Given the canvas of conflicting motives, the proponents of conquests and missionary undertakings grappled to persuade the Spanish Royal Court to take their respective stand on the disputed human rights and justice issues on the legitimacy of the conquest, tributes, slavery and forced labor. References Primary Documentary Sources Anales Ecclesiasticos de Philipinas: 1574-1682. Volume 1. Manila: Archdiocese of Manila Archives, 1994. Arancel. Quezon City: Archivo de la Provincia del Santo Rosario (APSR), MS Tomo 3, Doc.3. Blair, Emma Helen and Robertson Alexander, eds. at annots. 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Licuanan, Virginia Benitez and Mira Jose Llavador, eds and annots. Philippines Under Spain. 6 Volumes. Manila: National Trust for Historical and Cultural Preservation of the Philippines, 1996. Munoz Text of Alcina’s History of the Bisayan Islands (1668). Translated by Paul S. Lietz. Chicago: Philippine Studies Program, 1960. National Historical Commission, Coleccion de Documentos Ineditos de Ultramar, Madrid, 1887. Navarette, Martin Fernandez D. Colleccion de los Viajes y descubrimientos que Hicieron por mar los espanoles desde fines del siglo XV. Madrid: 1825-1837. Pastells, Pablo. Historia General de Filipinas in Catalogo de los Documentos Relativos a las Islas Filipinas. Barcelona, 1925. Recopilacion de Leyes de los Reynos de las Indias. Tomo I. Madrid, 1943. San Agustin, Gaspar de. Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas: 1565-1615. Translated by Luis Antonio Maneru. Bilingual Edition. Manila: San Agustin Museum, 1998. Zaide, Gregorio, eds. at annots. 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Kirkpatrick, F. A. “Repartimiento-Encomienda.” Hispanic American Historical Review XIX: pp.373-379. Pastrana, Apolinar. “The Franciscans and the Evangelization of the Philippines (1578-1900).” Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas, 29, Jan-Feb 1965:pp.83-85. Quirk, Robert E. “Some Notes on a Controversial Controversy: Juan Gines de Sepulveda and Natural Servitude.” Hispanic American Historical Review Vol.XXXIV No.3 August 1954: 358. Ramirez, Susan S. “Encomienda.” Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture, Vol.2 Edited by Barbara A. Tenenbaum. New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1996. Schwaller, John F. “Patronato Real”. Encyclopedia in Latin American History and Culture, Vol.4. Edited by Barbara a. Tenenbaum. New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1996. Scott. William Henry. “Why did Tupas betray Dagami?” Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society 14 (1986): p.24. Villaroel, Fidel. “The Church and the Philippine Referendum of 1599.” Philippiniana Sacra Vol.XXXV 2000: pp.89-128. Internet Source Hyperdictionary. http://www. hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/politics, accessed on 18 December 2004. Human Rights Watch World Report for Philippines, 2017 https://www.hrw. org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/philippines. General References Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture, Volume 1-5. Edited by Barbara A. Tenebaum. New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1996. Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino People ,Vol. 3 The Spanish Conquest. Hongkong: Asia Publishing Company Limited, 1998. Unpublished Materials Cabezon, Antonio. An Introduction to Church and State Relations According to Francisco Vitoria. Unpublished Thesis: University of Sto. Tomas, 1964. De la Costa, Horacio. Jurisdictional Conflicts in the Philippines During the XVI and the XVII Centuries. Harvard: Unpublished Dissertation, 1951.

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