ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Tondo conspiracy 1587

Synopsis
Agustín de Legazpi (the last native ruler of Tondo), Martín Panga, and Magat Salamat led a conspiracy, initiated in 1587, aimed at seizing Manila, expelling the Spanish, and restoring the traditional freedoms and privileges of the native elite. Over more than a year, the conspirators allegedly rallied significant support from the indigenous aristocracy and chieftains (maginoos and datus) of Tondo, Cavite, and La Laguna, thus extending their influence across various regions of the Philippines, including the Calamianes Islands, Palawan, and Luzon. They also sought external allies, reaching out to the Sultan of Brunei, a Japanese naval commander, and an English privateer. However, the conspiracy ultimately failed for several reasons. First, they were unable to persuade the leaders of one of the most powerful indigenous groups under Spanish rule – the Pampangos – to join their cause. Second, due to coordination and communication failures, their expected foreign support never materialized. Finally, in October 1588, while Salamat was in the Calamianes negotiating additional support, one of his supposed fellows – who was actually a servant of the Spanish encomendero Pedro Sarmiento – exposed the plot to his master and the authorities. In response, the Spanish Governor of the Philippines, Santiago de Vera, acted swiftly, ordering the arrest of nineteen conspirators. Eight were executed, while the remaining eleven were sentenced to exile in New Spain.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 15 months. Name in sources: Conspiración de Tondo, Conspiración de los Maguinoos, Conjuración de los Maguinoos. Location: Manila, Tondo, Cavite, La Laguna, Calamianes Islands, Palawan Country (current): Philippines. Monarchy: Spanish. Main participants: Indigenous, Local elites. Number of participants: <50. Main reasons & motivations: Anti-colonial, Political. Leadership: Agustín Legazpi, Martín Panga, Magat Sulamat and others. Relevance: medium.

Further reading
MORGA, A. (2007). Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. Ed. Francisca Perujo, Ciudad de México: Fondo de Cultura Económica. PALANCO, F. (2004). “Resistencia y rebelión indígena en Filipinas durante los primeros cien años de soberanía española (1565-1665)”, in L. Cabrero (ed), España y el Pacífico. Legazpi, t. II. Madrid: Sociedad Estatal de Conmemoraciones Culturales, pp. 71-98. SCOTT, W.H. (1994). Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and Society. Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Cite this entry

Bello, Pablo Vázquez (2023). "Tondo conspiracy 1587", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. http://atlas.cidehusdigital.uevora.pt/revolt/tondo-conspiracy-1587/ (accessed on 04 Dezembro 2023).