Aguinaldo could not have chosen a more appropriate person for the job of politico-military governor of Leyte and Samar in 1898 when the newly inaugurated Filipino government reorganized provincial governments . Spain was defeated . The Philippines was no longer her colony after more than 300 years . The forces of America were inside Manila , and they seemed to be friendly . For a while , Aguinaldo and the other Filipino leaders thought the Americans would make no attempt to make the new country its colony . Part of the minutes of the meeting of Aguinaldo with his leaders in Hongkong on May 4 , 1898 , stated :

“ If Washington proposes to carry out the fundamental principles of its Constitution , it is most improbable that an attempt will be made to colonize the Philippines or annex them .“ 1

But the Filipino leaders had seen the urgency of consolidating their forces in the provinces . The provincial governments had to be reestablished under the Filipino flag . For Leyte and Samar , two islands south of the Bicol region , Vicente Rilles Lukban was chosen as the politico-military governor . The appointment came on April 27 , 1898 from Apolinario Mabini , Aguinaldo ’ s trusted secretary . This was eight months before the Treaty of Paris was signed . Lukban was supposed to represent the national government in these islands . As civilian chief , he was instructed to organize the municipal governments by appointing from the residents of the province those who were distinguished by their ‘ attainment , honesty and prestige .’ 2

There seemed to be no doubt that Lukban himself exhibited those same qualities that were demanded of local officials . He had the impeccable credentials of a well-schooled illustrado of his generation , finishing his elementary grades at the Escuela Pia Publica in his hometown of Labo , Camarines Sur , then going to the Ateneo Municipal in Manila for his secondary schooling . After that he went straight to law

Lukban Lukban | Page 12