SONS OF DATU PIANG
ARTICLES / DOCUMENTS:
Lachica, Agustin. The Manila Times.
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. 12th House of Representatives, Relatives in Government.
WEBPAGE LINK:
DATU ABDULLAH PIANG
Lucman, Norodin Alonto (2000). Moro Archives. A History of Armed Conflicts in Mindanao and East Asia.
Quezon City. FLC Press, Inc.
1921. A Document dated June 9 called "The Declaration of Rights and Purposes" addressed to the
Congress of the United States and U. S. President Warren Harding signed by Datus of Mindanao and Sulu, requesting
that in the event of Philippine Independence, the Muslim areas be kept under the American flag. The document was signed
by Sultan Mangigin of Maguindanao, Hadji Panglima Nuno, Datu Sacaluran, Maharajah Habing, Abdullah Piang and Datu
Benito of Lanao. (Page 286)
Tan, Samuel K. (1977). The Filipino Muslim Armed Struggle, 1900 -1972. Filipinas Foundation, Inc.
Datu Abdullah, favorite son of Datu Piang, aptly commented in 1925 that disturbances in Mindanao were
caused by continuing hostility between Christian and Muslims, as well as jealousies and antagonism between "different
groups of Muslims." To eliminate chronic disruptions of public order, local leaders thought that more economic progress
was needed and a step in this direction was to support the Bacon Bill which envisioned the agricultural development of
Mindanao by American capital. (Page 103)
___ (1980). Darangen: Epic of History. The Presidential Commission for the Rehabilitation and
Development of Southern Philippines. Metro Manila.
In Cotabato, Datu Piang and his sons Abdula and Ugalingan were fighting for the Americanization of the
posts of responsibility, for the return of the military, and for the denial of the Philippines of its independence, or, if granted,
the separation of Mindanao and Sulu, "under the sovereignty of the United States." (Page 83)
Meanwhile, the
americanistas
had stepped up their activities in the person of Abdula Piang, a
Representative in the Philippine Legislature. In July 1927, he toured Lanao campaigning against Philippine independence,
because:
The Philippines is like yet a little child sucking her mother's brest for milk, unable to support herself and
unable to stand alone, so that when she is left by her mother, she is sure to die, dying from starvation. (Page 84)
But the
filipinistas
were not to be caught unaware of the
americanistas'
activities. They were certainly
keeping an eye especially on Piang. Datu Barabadan Marohombsar and Datu Macabato Malako, both Lanao government
officials, gave Filipino officials at Manila a brief account of Piang's tour. In a letter addressed to Quezon, Osmena and
Roxas, the two datus reacted this way:
... we request that all possible measures be made to put out Datu (Abdula) Piang from the "Door of the
Legislature." And because Datu Piang is not a Maranao, we also beg and request you select one good man from Lanao
to represent us in the Congress. We greatly oppose to Datu Piang's present policy and therefore we want him to be out of
our way. We further request that if Datu Piang will say in the Legislature that the Lanao Moros favor American Control, we
hope him not to be given due consideration for this as he alone is in favor of the Americans. (Page 85)
DATU BUAYA PIANG
Baclagon, Uldarico S. (Col. Infantry) (1988). Christian-Moslem Guerrillas of Mindanao. Manila. Lord Avenue
Printing Press.
To do the job of Supply Officer was 2nd Lt. Buaya Piang, who together with Capt. Piang and Lt.
Mamalangkas, were all basically assigned to the 101st Division Headquarters. (Page 59)
DATU GUIALUD-DIN PIANG
February 12, 1945. Letter of Captain Datu Gumbay Piang to General Douglas MacArthur.
DATU LUMUNDA
Russell, Charles Edward (1922). The Outlook for the Philippines. New York. The Century Co.
Two years before, she
(Bangungan)
had been married to one Lumunda, the adopted son of her uncle, the
Datu Piang. The most powerful chieftain of that region was the Datu Oto, with whom Datu Piang had long been on good
terms. Piang now asked Oto that he might be allowed to hunt wild cattle in Oto's territory. Oto was willing, but when he
thought that Piang had stretched the permission to cover many days of slaughter, and was in a way to kill all the game in
the neighborhood, he protested. Piang resented the protest, a quarrel followed and, as was always ending of Datu's
quarrels, tribal war broke out, the Spaniards fostering it and helping Piang. Lumunda sided with Oto. It may be taken as
evidence of the natural independence of the Filipino woman, or of the slight hold orthodox Mohammedanism has in the
Islands, or both, but Mrs. Lumunda refused to follow her lord into Oto's camp. She remained loyal to her uncle Piang and,
when Lumunda departed, divorced him.
She went to live in Piang's household. one of his lieutenants was the Datu Inuk. (Page 144)
DATU MENANDANG PIANG
Gowing, Peter Gordon (1979). Muslim Filipinos - Heritage and Horizon. Quezon City. New Day Publishers
of the Christian Literature Society of the Philippines, Inc.
Dato Ombra Amilbangsa, Datu Salih Ututalum and Datu Gulamu Rasul of Sulu, and Datu Sinsuat Balabaran
and Datu Menandang Piang of Cotabato, were among some of the other Moro leaders who thought it in the best interests
of their people to go along with Japanese policies. That their people understood their intentions, and did not hold their
wartime collaboration against them, is demonstrated by the fact that some of them were elected to responsible
government offices after the war. (Page 180)
Lucman, Norodin Alonto (2000). Moro Archives. A History of Armed Conflicts in Mindanao and East Asia.
Quezon City. FLC Press, Inc.
No effort was made by the US colonial administration to revert the Moro homeland back to the Moro peple.
Although there were only four Muslim delegates to the convention, namely, Datu Blah Sinsuat, Datu Minandang Piang of
Cotabato, Sultan Alauya Alonto of Lanao and Hadji Butu Arolas Tulawie of Sulu, they are not in the position to represent
the best interests of the Moro people either by numbers or simply out of ignorance due to language problems. However,
only two Muslims, Datu Ombra Amilbangsa of Sulu and Datu Sinsuat Balabaran of Cotabato, were elected as Members of
the National Assembly in 1935. Sultan Alauya Alonto of Lanao was elected Senator in a nation-wide election, circa 1941-
1946. Consequently, this conspiracy was so blatant and one-sided that one delegate from Lanao province, Tomas Cabili
did not sign the final draft of the 1935 constitution. US colonial intentions to deprive the Mindanaoans, Muslims and
Lumads, of a secure future will reverberate from generation to generation of hatred, uneasy peace and suspicion among
the Muslims and Filipinos. Philippines will never stand as a sober, progressive and unified nation under this historical
anomaly. (Page 290)
Sons of Datu Piang - Related Photos, Postcards and Prints Collection.
Abinales, Patricio N. (2000). Making Mindanao. Cotabato and Davao in the formation of the Philippine
Nation - State. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
In time, the datus accepted the contracted world of colonial Philippines. They no longer sought a role in an
expansive maritime world, but aspired to positions within the colonial state. The culmination was Abdullah Piang's
symbolic assertion of being one in blood with his Christian Filipino brethen. (Page 46)
Cross Reference:
1. In the first speech before the convention, Alonto implored his fellow delegates to stop referring to
Muslims as "Moros":
We do not like to be called "Moros" because when we are called "Moros" we feel that we are not
considered as part of the Filipino people. You also know that the name "Moro" was given to us by the Spaniards because
Morocco had been under the rule of Spain like Mindanao and Sulu. So that I would like to request the members of this
Convention that we prefer to be called "Mohammedan Filipinos" and not "moros," because if we are called Moros we will
be considered as enemies, for the name "Moro" was given to us by the Spaniards because they failed to penetrate into
the Island of Mindanao (
Philippine Constitutional Convention
1935, 420 ).
1. Abinales, Patricio N. (2000). Making Mindanao. Cotabato and Davao in the Formation of the Philippine
Page 1
Page 1
Nation-State. Ateneo de Maila University Press. Page 61.
NOTICE: Contains graphic wartime images that may be disturbing for viewers.
" The First Moro Lawyer "
AUGUST 10, 1901 ~
