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mine in my capacity as head of the Constabulary; for anytime
that I need it, I can have it execute my orders at once. On the
other hand, Government departments or offices which have no
powers similar to mine cannot exercise their authority at will. It
is necessary that they follow the usual procedure in deciding cases;
it is but incumbent upon them to act that way. Now then, what
should we do? Necessarily, we should wait. Friends, you can rely
upon my help as long as you do not violate the law. Since you can
bring your complaints to the courts or express your feelings to the
ranking officials of the Government, I do not see why you should
need any weapon or gun. No officer of the law or Government
official can maltreat you, because justice is intended for all.
Strikes—don’t you know?—are not the best method for both
the laborers and the capitalists to resort to, because they harm
both parties. You should keep in mind that associations of capitalists
are financially better equipped than you are. Although you
have your associations, yet you cannot entirely depend on them,
because they do not keep sufficient funds with which to subsidize
your strikes. It is necessary first for you associations to have funds
to spend during the strikes, so that not only you, the members,
but also your wives and children—who are all dependent upon you
labor—would be given sustenance.
Whenever capitalists find themselves hard pressed by your
strikes, and if at the same time you resort to force in asserting
your rights, those very capitalists, in order not to suffer any loss
in their industry, business or property, would surely employ strikebreakers
for whom they would be forced to solicit government
protection should you
assault them, and
thereby maintain
peace and order in the
community.
Friends: I will send
representatives of the
government here—officials
from the Department
of the Interior,
the Department of La-
SOCIAL JUSTICE DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL BE
GIVEN A PIECE OF LAND EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO
PROPERTY, OR THAT THE LAND OF A LANDLORD BE
SEIZED FROM HIM AND GIVEN TO YOU. SOCIAL JUSTICE
MEANS THAT YOU SHOULD RECEIVE ONLY WHAT YOU
RIGHTLY DESERVE.
bor, and the Department of Justice—to investigate or see for themselves
the things happening here. You must know that we have
many laws which can be used as powerful weapons against the
abuses of the rich and the landowners, but you just do not know
what to do with them. Recount to the authorities the offenses committed
against you, and they will do what should be done for you.
In order that you can avoid strikes, I ask you to allow me some
time—at least six months—to study all the means which could solve
your problem and remedy your situation. In that way you will be
able to receive your rightful share; and I promise you that I shall
employ the powers of the government to induce the sugar-central
owners to give better shares to the landowners or hacenderos,
so that they, in turn, could also give reasonable shares to you.
Before the close of the present session of our National Assembly,
we shall enact a law increasing taxes, and collections therefrom
will be used by the Government to help ameliorate the condition
of the laborers. You should not, therefore, create any trouble nor
violate the law, or kill one another, for you who live in this province
would be simply injuring one another. Do not resort to such
means, in as much as your complaints can now reach the government
immediately. Your representatives or a delegate of Mr. Pedro
Abad Santos may at anytime go to the house of his brother, who is
ever ready to hear your complaints.
You can criticize anyone in the government; that would not
matter with me. What is important to me is that you should not
violate the law. If you wish to hold meetings, do so. You may say
that you would let blood flow, yet you should not state that you
would cut someone’s neck. You can also say that you would kill:
but kill only by means of speech. As I have said, you can criticize
any government employee or even my Administration and that
would not bother me. But I wish you to maintain constant peace
here and to allow the government sufficient time to intervene on
your behalf and to study well your situation.
Before coming here, I learned that Secretary Jose Abad Santos
had requested his brother, my friend Mr. Pedro Abad Santos, not
to display red flags in welcoming us. That is of no moment with
me. You can use red, blue, or any other color. You can form any
party or association here—socialistic or any other kind. You can
speak rashly in your meeting; that would not give me apprehensions,
as long as you do not create trouble and violate the law.
But I do not want to hear from anyone that our government is
weak; the government will not allow the citizens to be oppressed.
I wish to see you here in the best of terms and associating peacefully.
The main purpose of my trip here is to have an understanding
with you. Now that we are face to face, I wish to remind you
again that social justice does not give preferences to anyone, be
he rich, poor, wise, or in authority. It grants to everyone his due.
More so, it does not mean that all that you may desire will be
given to you. You should realize that you are not the only ones
profiting by social justice, because you are not the only ones who
receive benefits. Social justice means that you should receive
only what you rightly deserve; social justice does not mean that
if you have no property you will be given a piece of land, or that
the land of a landlord be seized from him and given to you.
Countrymen, in concluding, I wish to thank you all for affording
me an oppor-
tunity to hear
your complaints
through the efforts
of my
friend, Mr. Pedro
Abad Santos. I
promise you that
I am not the only
one ready, but
also all the
members of my Cabinet are, to hear and grant your rightful demands.
I also promise you that I will not allow anyone to use his
influence, wealth, or authority to abuse you! [Applause] Under
my Administration, all persons are equal before the law. I will
favor no one, be he my party man, companion, or friend, or even
my relative. I will side only with the man who is in the right. Have
me informed at once should anyone oppress you and I promise
that, if you could present evidence against the person who had
done you wrong, I would punish him without fail. However, in
return for my promises, I request you to demonstrate in deeds
your desire to cooperate with the government – by complying with
our laws and by avoiding trouble which would undoubtedly upset
the nation or disrupt the orderly relations among the citizens.
Your initiative in forming societies or associations in accordance
with law is not bad, and no one can prevent you from organizing
them. But you should not utilize your associations to violate laws
or orders, so as not cause disorders in the country. I wish to state
once more what I said a while ago; may all the sugar centrals in
Pampanga, at their own initiative, increase the share of the planters
or landowners, so that the latter, in turn, may voluntarily
increase the wages they pay the laborers. Enough of this practice
of charging usurious interest on loans to laborers! What interest
can a person pay when he is hungry and he has nothing to eat?
[Applause] May the landowners in Pampanga, as well as throughout
the Philippines, grant you what you rightfully deserve in your
livelihood without waiting for the law compelling them to do; and
may this be their constant thought, so it could be shown in deeds
that they also have hearts which are charitable to the suffering
of the laborers in our country. [Applause]
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