FILIPINO GRIEVANCES

AGAINST GOVERNOR
WOOD
DOCUMENT 608
Approved by the Commission on
Independence on November17, 1926
Primary Source
Gregorio F. Zaide
 A Filipino Historian,
Author, Politician from the
town of Pagsanjan, Laguna.
Contribution to the Grand
Scheme of Philippine
history.
Born: May 25, 1907
Died: October 31, 1988
 HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND
OF THE
DOCUMENT
 Filipino Grievances Against
Governor Wood
Governor Wood, an English
person was the reason
behind this document.
He fueled Gregorio Zaide,
wrote this document under
the language of English
during American regime in
the Philippines.
 The document is a form of protest.
The document served as an
impeachment request for Governor
Wood.
The document was approved by the
COMMISSION ON INDEPENDENCE on
November 17, 1926.
This text is taken from
Gregorio F. Zaide and Sonia
Zaide’s Documentary
Sources of Philippine History.
The document was originally
published as Appendix of
Maximo M. Kalaw’s
Philippine Government
under the Jones Law.
Major-General
Leonard Wood
• Leonard Wood arrived in the
Philippines Islands in 1903 after
his services in Cuba.
• He was appointed governor of the
Mero Province.
• He is also responsible for five
districts, and the commanding
general of the troops in the
department of Mindanao and
Sulu.
 CONTENT PRESENTATION
AND ANALYSIS OF THE
IMPORTANCT HISTORICAL
INFORMATION
General Wood’s personality caused
strong antagonism between the
Governor –General, and Filipino Political
Leaders.

Governor Wood retaliated by abolishing

the Council and governed the Islands
without the cooperation of the
legislature.
The struggles between Wood and
Filipino leaders enhanced the
nationalistic spirit of the people.

Two opposing political parties

formed a coalition known as the
NATIONAL SUPREME COUNCIL.
Based on the document, Ancient Filipinos
were patient and diligent to the task of
meeting the conditions given to them.

They both have understanding and the

Filipinos were committed in trust since
the Americans promised that the
Philippines would be conserved and
developed for the benefit of the people
Calvin Coolidge

• The President of the USA

Advised Congress of
America to fulfill their
promise since the goal has
been reached.
Expectation Reality
• Cognizant of General • Resulted in
wood’s participation curtailment of our
in the liberation of autonomy and
Cuba, Filipinos destruction of our
expected that spirit constitutional system
of cooperation would • Reversal of America’s
maintained. Philippine Policy.
• Political
emancipation would
be complete.
• There was a train of
usurpation &
arbitrary acts.
 Arbitrary Acts
1. He has refused his assent to laws.
2. He has set at naught both the legal authority and
responsibility for the Philippine heads of
department
3. He has substituted his constitutional advisers for
group of military attaches.
4. He has reversed the policy of Filipinizing the
service of the government.
5. He has obstructed the carrying out of national
economic policies.
6. He has rendered merely perfunctory the
power of the Legislature.
7. he has made appointment to positions and
authorized the payment of salaries.
8. He has used certain public funds.
9. He has arrogated unto himself the right of
exercising the power granted by law to the
Emergency Board.
10. he has unduly interfered in the
administration of justice.
11. He has refused to obtain the advice of the
Senate in making appointments
12. He has refused to submit to the Senate
appointment for vacancies occurring during the
recess of the Legislature in contravention of the
Organic Act.
13. He has continued in office nominees whose
appointments had been rejected by the senate.
14. He has usurped legislative powers.
15. He has, in the administration of affairs in
Mindanao.
16. He has by his policies created strained
relations between resident Americans and
Filipinos.
17. He has endeavored, on the pretext of getting
the government out of business.
18. He has sanctioned the campaign of insidious
propaganda in the united states against
Filipino people and their aspiration.
19. He has attempted to close the Philippine
National Bank.
20. He has adopted the practiced of interviewing
in , and controlling directly, to its minute
details, the affair of the Philippine
Government both insular and local, in
violation of self-government.
21. He has insistently sought the amendment of
our laws approved by the Congress of United
States.
Important Terms
 American Flag – an emblem of
freedom and symbol of altruism
 EO no. 37 – These are to nullify
the laws creating the board of
control which was issued by
Governor-General Wood.
 Mohammedan Filipinos –
Pertaining to Muslim Filipinos.
 Inconsistencies of the content and alike of the
document
 The document is an example of a joint resolution
or protest or a petition letter.
 It is loaded with political bias and partisan interest
since the persons behind it and the circumstances
surrounding it were highly political.
 Some elements are truthful and some are mere
black propaganda.
 Some of the issues raised here are partially true but
were blown out of proportion in order to disgraces
Wood’s administration
CONTRIBUTION
AND RELEVANCE
OF THE
DOCUMENT
 Relevant of the document in reconstructing the past of the
Philippine and its people.

The document was applicable in reconstructing

the past of the Philippines and its people by
showing how the abusive power of General
Wood resulted to degenerate relationship of
American and Filipino leaders to the point that
the Philippine members of the Council of State
resigned. Wherein, this paved the way for our
Filipino representatives to improve the
nationalistic spirit of the people.
 Significance of the document with the HISTORIANS,
PERSPECTIVES, SOCIO- CULTURAL,POLITICAL,
RELIGIOUS, ad GEOGRAPHY
• HISTORIANS
> Served as a guidance to those who’s
interested in knowing the truth of what really
happened during the American period here in
the Philippines, not only a guidance but an
evidence to those who think otherwise.
• PERSPECTIVE
> Serves as an eyewitness on how the united
states indirectly controlled the Philippines and
how the Filipinos were fooled by their promises
• SOCIO-CULTURAL
> The document revealed how Filipinos
representatives dealt with the difficulties existed
under the governance of general Woos in order
to preserve the supremacy of the laws and to
safeguard the rights of the Filipinos.
• POLITICAL
> This document has affected the political field in
terms of separation of powers.
• RELIGIOUS
> The document had shown significance in terms
of religion. Aside from it enable us to have
knowledge about the undemocratic government
under the governance of Governor Wood, it also
permitted us to know on how the dissension
between Christian and Mohammedan Filipinos
was created.
• Geography
. This document has affected the geography in
terms of government Island
 LEARNING
EXPERIENCE
 Having to learn about the Philippine-
American war from the American
perspective, this experience of
researching and gathering this
information from the native Filipino
perspective was really eye opening and
took time for us to understand and
reverse whatever we had in a previously
learned. We were able to discover the
racial tensions and beliefs that the Filipino
held while fighting to revolt for freedom
over their country.
 This experience allowed us to gain insight that
history is not always as it’s told. From the
background research and findings we had, we
were able to find that although the U.S.
government claimed that their involvement and
colonization of the Philippines was for the
betterment of the country by introducing
education, religion, government, infrastructure,
etc. (which the Spanish colonization supposedly
did as a common goal), was all just a play
pretend to control us which clearly shows that
the Filipino people being mistreated most of as
slaves and prisoners of war when protesting for
their freedom.