Heroes in Pampanga: Tarik Soliman / Bambalito
FIRST MARTYR
By
Robby Tantingco
(external link)
Page 1
;
Page 2
Bambalito
or
Tarik
Soliman,
this
“brave
youth
from
Macabebe”
was
the
first
Filipino
to
die defending his country’s freedom.
Tarik
Soliman
was
a
16th-century
Kapampangan
datu
who
deserves
more
than
a
footnote
in
history.
We
have
established
his
existence
and
heroism
from
four
historical
documents:
(1)
Conquistas
de
las
Islas
Filipinas
1565-1615
by
Fray
Gaspar
de
San
Agustin,
OSA,
pp.
333-335;
(2)
Historia
de
las
Islas
Filipinas
by
Joaquin
Martinez
de
Zuñiga,
OSA,
pp.
49-50;
(3)
Copia
de
carta
que
el
general
miguel
lopez
legazpi
ascrive
al
virrey
de
la
nueva
españa
fecha
en
la
ciudad
de
manila
a
xi
de
agosto
de
1572
in
Isacio
R.
Rodriguez,
OSA’s
Historia
de
la
Provincia
Agustiniana
del
Smo.
Nombre
de
Jesus
de
Filipinas,
Vol.
XIV,
pp.
117-131;
and
(4)
“Un
codice
desconocido,
relative
a
las
Islas
Filipinas
(a
codex
found
in
the
collection
of
Don
Antonio
Graiño;
its
anonymous
author
was
determined
to
have
lived
in
Manila
in
1590-
1593)
first
published
by
Lorenzo
Perez,
OFM
in
the
journal
Erudicion
Ibero-
Ultramarina 13:IV (Enero, 1933), p. 526.
In
1570,
when
the
Spaniards
led
by
Miguel
Lopez
de
Legazpi
sailed
into
Manila
Bay
from
Panay
and
Cebu,
they
initially
encountered
resistance
from
the
Tagalog
chieftains
of
Manila
(Rajah
Matanda
and
his
nephew
Rajah
Soliman,
and
the
king
of
Tondo, Lakan Dula), but were eventually welcomed by them.
One
particular
chieftain,
however,
continued
resisting.
He
was
a
“brave
youth…
the
bravest
on
the
island,”
who
ruled
Macabebe
in
Pampanga,
“the
most
warlike
and
brave
nation.”
The
documents
did
not
mention
his
name
(except
one,
which
named
him
Bambalito
,
“young
Bamba,”
a
surname
that
still
exists
in
Pampanga),
but
succeeding
historians
(Pedro
Paterno
in
Historia
de
Filipinas
,
1908-1912)
named
him
Tarik Soliman
, which is most likely a fictitious name but which has stuck.
Tarik
Soliman
organized
more
than
2000
Kapampangan
warriors
from
Macabebe,
Hagonoy
and
other
villages
along
the
Pampanga
River,
and
sailed
on
40
caracoas
(warships)
through
the
Bangkusay
estuary
to
Tondo,
where
he
discussed
battle
plans
with Lakan Dula.
When
Legazpi
sent
two
emissaries
to
Tarik
Soliman
to
win
him
over
to
the
Spaniards’
side,
the
Macabebe
datu
“replied
excitedly
that
neither
he
nor
his
followers
wanted
to
see
(Legazpi)
nor
have
his
friendship,
nor
that
of
the
Castilians.”
Then,
Tarik
Soliman
“stood
up
and
with
audacity
and
ferocity,
unsheathed
his
sword.
Brandishing
it,
he
said,
‘May
the
sun
divide
my
body
in
two,
and
may
I
fall
in
disgrace
before
the
women
for
them
to
hate
me,
if
I
ever
become
even
for
a
moment
a
friend
to
these Castilians!’”
Heroes in Pampanga: Tarik Soliman / Bambalito
FIRST MARTYR
By
Robby Tantingco
(external link)
Page 1
;
Page 2
Bambalito
or
Tarik
Soliman,
this
“brave
youth
from
Macabebe”
was
the first Filipino to die defending his country’s freedom.
Tarik
Soliman
was
a
16th-century
Kapampangan
datu
who
deserves
more
than
a
footnote
in
history.
We
have
established
his
existence
and
heroism
from
four
historical
documents:
(1)
Conquistas
de
las
Islas
Filipinas
1565-1615
by
Fray
Gaspar
de
San
Agustin,
OSA,
pp.
333-335;
(2)
Historia
de
las
Islas
Filipinas
by
Joaquin
Martinez
de
Zuñiga,
OSA,
pp.
49-50;
(3)
Copia
de
carta
que
el
general
miguel
lopez
legazpi
ascrive
al
virrey
de
la
nueva
españa
fecha
en
la
ciudad
de
manila
a
xi
de
agosto
de
1572
in
Isacio
R.
Rodriguez,
OSA’s
Historia
de
la
Provincia
Agustiniana
del
Smo.
Nombre
de
Jesus
de
Filipinas,
Vol.
XIV,
pp.
117-131;
and
(4)
“Un
codice
desconocido,
relative
a
las
Islas
Filipinas
(a
codex
found
in
the
collection
of
Don
Antonio
Graiño;
its
anonymous
author
was
determined
to
have
lived
in
Manila
in
1590-1593)
first
published
by
Lorenzo
Perez,
OFM
in
the
journal
Erudicion
Ibero-
Ultramarina 13:IV (Enero, 1933), p. 526.
In
1570,
when
the
Spaniards
led
by
Miguel
Lopez
de
Legazpi
sailed
into
Manila
Bay
from
Panay
and
Cebu,
they
initially
encountered
resistance
from
the
Tagalog
chieftains
of
Manila
(Rajah
Matanda
and
his
nephew
Rajah
Soliman,
and
the
king
of
Tondo,
Lakan
Dula), but were eventually welcomed by them.
One
particular
chieftain,
however,
continued
resisting.
He
was
a
“brave
youth…
the
bravest
on
the
island,”
who
ruled
Macabebe
in
Pampanga,
“the
most
warlike
and
brave
nation.”
The
documents
did
not
mention
his
name
(except
one,
which
named
him
Bambalito
,
“young
Bamba,”
a
surname
that
still
exists
in
Pampanga),
but
succeeding
historians
(Pedro
Paterno
in
Historia
de
Filipinas
,
1908-1912)
named
him
Tarik
Soliman
,
which
is
most
likely a fictitious name but which has stuck.
Tarik
Soliman
organized
more
than
2000
Kapampangan
warriors
from
Macabebe,
Hagonoy
and
other
villages
along
the
Pampanga
River,
and
sailed
on
40
caracoas
(warships)
through
the
Bangkusay
estuary
to
Tondo,
where
he
discussed
battle
plans
with
Lakan Dula.
When
Legazpi
sent
two
emissaries
to
Tarik
Soliman
to
win
him
over
to
the
Spaniards’
side,
the
Macabebe
datu
“replied
excitedly
that
neither
he
nor
his
followers
wanted
to
see
(Legazpi)
nor
have
his
friendship,
nor
that
of
the
Castilians.”
Then,
Tarik
Soliman
“stood
up
and
with
audacity
and
ferocity,
unsheathed
his
sword.
Brandishing
it,
he
said,
‘May
the
sun
divide
my
body
in
two,
and
may
I
fall
in
disgrace
before
the
women
for
them
to
hate
me,
if
I
ever
become
even
for
a
moment
a
friend
to
these
Castilians!’”
