Battle of Sambat

After centuries of Spanish colonial rule, resentment towards the colonists, particularly the Dominican friars who owned much of the farmland in Laguna province, grew and grew with colonial and clerical powers abusing their powers and punishing the tenants of the farmlands if they refused to pay their dues. A good example of this is the eviction of the Rizal clan from Calamba town after their struggles with their Dominican tenants. José Rizal, national hero of the Philippines wrote about such issues in his 2 great novels, Noli me tangere, and El filibusterismo. The latter called for a revolution urgently. the call of revolt was answered by the Katipunan secret society. Established by Andres Bonifacio in Manila, within a few years, Katipunero chapters were opened in the surrounding provinces with the Katipunan chapter "Maluningning" established in Pagsanjan on December 12, 1894, by Severino Taiño. Members came over from Lumban, Paete, Pakil, Siniloan, Cavinti, Santa Cruz, Magdalena and other towns even from Tayabas province.^[1]

In August 1896, the Katipunan was discovered by Spanish authorities, hostilities soon flared and simultaneous uprisings occurred in Cavite, Manila, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Batangas, Nueva Ecija, and Laguna. Such that these 8 provinces were placed under martial law by Governor Ramon Blanco. The Katipuneros of Laguna were forced to meet up and plan their revolution in even more secluded areas. One famous site of Katipunan meetings is the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery.^[4]

Laguna's revolutionaries initiated actual hostilities late in the year, choosing Severino Taino as their commander, they began their revolt by assaulting their respective towns in the hopes of getting arms from the local garrisons of Guardia Civil as well as to recruit rebels from the native garrisons under the Spanish army.^[1] The attacks on the Laguna towns of Lumban, Paete, Pakil, Siniloan, Cavinti, Santa Cruz, Magdalena and Pagsanjan were tactically successful in gaining arms and recruiting the cuadrilleros or local native police of each town. However, no strategic points were captured and the army of Laguna remained a guerrilla force. By the time General Taino organized his volunteers he had with him, over 3,000 men from all over Laguna and Tayabas provinces, the arms they had taken from the Spaniards proved hopelessly insufficient, however, it was now or never for the revolutionaries who intended an attack on the major town of Santa Cruz.^[1][3]

The attack on Santa Cruz was initiated on November 15, 1896 with general Taino attacking the Casa Real and the Church and convent of Santa Cruz, the detachment of cazadores and infanterias had been reinforced by the arrival of General Nicolas Jaramillo, put in command of the zone of Laguna by Gov. Blanco.^[2] The 3,000 Katipuneros armed with very few guns, with mostly spears and Bolo knives faced a numerically reinforced and technologically superior Spanish force armed with Remington and Mauser rifles, as well as some Artillery. Unsurprisingly, the attack failed with the Katipuneros taking heavy casualties.^[1]

Severino Taino and his army retreated to the crossroads near the Barrio of Sambat in Pagsanjan. This was his de facto capital and base, realizing the Spaniards' intention to strike his positions here, he took to defending the crossroads of Sambat with the remainder of his army, with his rear guard of cuadrilleros under Colonel Francisco Abad. The following day, November 16, saw the Spanish cazadores clash with the rebels. the beleaguered and morale-depleted rebels were rallied one last time by Colonel Abad and as the charged at the cazadores, Abad was shot and killed, falling from his horse. After 3 hours of fierce hand-to-hand combat, the rebels were reduced and General Taino no longer had enough men to fight the Spaniards in battle, he shifted to guerrilla warfare with the remainder of his once massive rebel army. The Spaniards began their persecution and arrest of suspected rebels throughout the province the following weeks.^[1]