MOXICA ORDER, MAY 20, 1900

Exhibit 1378.

[Original in Spanish. D.S. P.I.R., 965.6.]

HEADQUARTERS, WALANGPANGANIB, May 20, 1900.

Citizen Sr. AMBROCIO MOXICA y RODRINS, Brigadier-General, Chief of Operations, and Politico-Military Governor of the Province of Leyte.

Know ye: Having observed and had knowledge of the conduct of many residents of this Island, who commit acts of vandalism which tend only to the prejudice of the progress of the cause that every good Filipino is sustaining and to the prejudice of the public treasury, and that many Filipinos are guilty of acts which are opposed to our ideals; availing myself of the powers vested in me as chief of operations.

I order and command:

ARTICLE 1. All Filipinos and foreigners are forbidden from going from a point where there are enemies to another where there are none, or vice versa, without the proper pass.

ART. 2. The passes which may be issued shall first be authenticated by the Military Zone commanders and chiefs of guerrillas.

ART. 3. The said commanders shall see that no persons be lacking in the respect due to honor, lives and property, both of natives and foreigners, this provision applying also to the enemy who may lay down arms and prisoners of war.

ART. 4. Whenever news shall be received, even of an unofficial character, of any movement of the enemy, the said commanders as well as the local chiefs shall without loss of time inform my authorities thereof, and the latter shall inform the nearest commander of guerrillas, for such action as he may deem proper to take.

ART. 5. No soldier or officer shall absent himself from his post without my authority; for which reason the military commanders and local chiefs referred to must apply for their respective leave or pass; any person failing to do so, shall be held subject to my orders.

ART. 6. Abuses committed by the militarY shall be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

ART. 7. Military crimes are committed by: 1. Filipinos who enter the service of the enemy, either by making it possible for them, by words or writing, to descend upon the towns occupied by the former, or by acting as spies or revealing to them the secrets of our war, and the plans of the revolutionary positions and fortifications. 2. Those who shall be guilty of a ttempts against the union of the revolutionaries, by promoting rivalry between the leaders and forming divisions and armed bands, as the so-called "polis" and "polis-polis." 3. Those who demand contributions without the authority of the Government and misappropriate the public funds; and 4. Those who kidnap any person who has done no injury to the Revolution, who violate women, murder or inflict grave injuries upon defenseless persons, and those who commit robberies and arson.

ART. 8. Those who may violate these provisions shall be tried by a most summary court martial, and shall incur the proper penalties.

ART. 9. This proclamation shall go into effect twenty days after its date.

Let this proclamation be communicated to the Military Zone Commanders and to the chiefs of guerrillas, in order that the former may communicate it to the local chiefs of their districts and the latter to their respective commanders, for a strict observance hereof, under their strictest liability.

Given at the Headquarters at Walangpanganib, May 20, 1900.

(Signed) AMBROSIO MOXICA,
General commanding operations.