Heroes in Pampanga: Tarik Soliman / Bambalito

FIRST MARTYR

By Robby Tantingco (external link) Page 1 ; Page 2 Then Tarik Soliman “left and without going down the stairs, to show his bravery, jumped out of a window to the street below, and went directly to his caracoa. He told the Spaniards to inform (Legazpi) that he would wait at the mouth of the estuary, where he had earlier entered, for a battle. After saying this, he began sailing, amid hurrahs, to the place he mentioned.” Legaspi sent 80 Spaniards and an unspecified number of Visayan warriors, led by his master-of-camp, Martin de Goiti, to Bangkusay. “Ahead of them,” the documents say “was the caracoa of the Moor leader (Tarik Soliman)” who “courageously fired some shots and fought animatedly and without showing any weakness or disarray, until he died from a rifle shot by one of our soldiers. With his death, they began to fade away. They scattered and fled.” More than 300 Kapampangan warriors died in the Battle of Bangkusay on June 3, 1571. The Spaniards proceeded to conquer the rest of the “widely spread province,” meeting resistance only in Betis, “the most fortified throughout the island of Luzon.” The “brave youth from Macabebe,” despite his heroic sacrifice, faded into obscurity. Because many people confused him with Rajah Soliman of Manila, and because he remained nameless for a long time, he did not gain the recognition accorded to another hero, Lapu-lapu. Credit must be given where credit is due: Tarik Soliman was the first Filipino to die defending his country. Rajah Soliman, Rajah Matanda and Lakan Dula were ready to welcome the Spanish invaders;he alone continued resisting them. Lapu-lapu killed Magellan and lived on, Tarik Soliman fell and died a martyr, thus passing the ultimate test of patriotism. The Battle of Bangkusay should also be recognized as historically significant as the Battle of Mactan. The Cebuanos’ victory may have delayed the Spanish Conquest by a few decades, but it was the Kapampangans’ loss that sealed our fate in the next 300 years as a colony. Although it ended in defeat, the Battle of Bangkusay showcased the bravery and sacrifices of Kapampangans and altered forever the destiny of an entire nation. PampangaTalents Acknowledge the first publisher of this text. It is a part of the: Singsing Magazine for Kapampangan Studies Vol. 6 No.1 of the Holy Angel University

Heroes in Pampanga: Tarik Soliman / Bambalito

FIRST MARTYR

By Robby Tantingco (external link) Page 1 ; Page 2 Then Tarik Soliman “left and without going down the stairs, to show his bravery, jumped out of a window to the street below, and went directly to his caracoa. He told the Spaniards to inform (Legazpi) that he would wait at the mouth of the estuary, where he had earlier entered, for a battle. After saying this, he began sailing, amid hurrahs, to the place he mentioned.” Legaspi sent 80 Spaniards and an unspecified number of Visayan warriors, led by his master-of-camp, Martin de Goiti, to Bangkusay. “Ahead of them,” the documents say “was the caracoa of the Moor leader (Tarik Soliman)” who “courageously fired some shots and fought animatedly and without showing any weakness or disarray, until he died from a rifle shot by one of our soldiers. With his death, they began to fade away. They scattered and fled.” More than 300 Kapampangan warriors died in the Battle of Bangkusay on June 3, 1571. The Spaniards proceeded to conquer the rest of the “widely spread province,” meeting resistance only in Betis, “the most fortified throughout the island of Luzon.” The “brave youth from Macabebe,” despite his heroic sacrifice, faded into obscurity. Because many people confused him with Rajah Soliman of Manila, and because he remained nameless for a long time, he did not gain the recognition accorded to another hero, Lapu- lapu. Credit must be given where credit is due: Tarik Soliman was the first Filipino to die defending his country. Rajah Soliman, Rajah Matanda and Lakan Dula were ready to welcome the Spanish invaders;he alone continued resisting them. Lapu-lapu killed Magellan and lived on, Tarik Soliman fell and died a martyr, thus passing the ultimate test of patriotism. The Battle of Bangkusay should also be recognized as historically significant as the Battle of Mactan. The Cebuanos’ victory may have delayed the Spanish Conquest by a few decades, but it was the Kapampangans’ loss that sealed our fate in the next 300 years as a colony. Although it ended in defeat, the Battle of Bangkusay showcased the bravery and sacrifices of Kapampangans and altered forever the destiny of an entire nation. PampangaTalents Acknowledge the first publisher of this text. It is a part of the: Singsing Magazine for Kapampangan Studies Vol. 6 No.1 of the Holy Angel University