The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55: 1609; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55: 1609; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
12. Concerning thieves: If the thief were a chief, he returned the
plunder, and was fined in proportion to the theft, according to the
opinion of one of the chiefs of the village, whom the other chiefs
selected as judge for that purpose. They say that they ordinarily
appointed the oldest and the most intelligent. The latter could
moderate the penalty, which was divided between the judge and the
other chiefs, the judge taking one half.
13. If a timagua or slave committed a theft: If the thief were
a timagua, they compelled him to return his booty, and fined him
according to the regulations of the preceding section. If he had
nothing with which to pay, they sold him in another village, in order
to pay what he owed, as a penalty for the theft. If the thief were a
slave, his master paid for him, or delivered the said slave to the
party, and he was soundly lashed. If the owner of the said stolen
goods caught the thief in the act of such robbery, he could kill or
beat him without any penalty.
14. As for the old men, old women, and witches who committed murders
by any of their practices, when it was ascertained that they had
killed any person with their witchcraft or tricks, the chief of their
barangay, or of the barangay of the murdered man, could kill them with
daggers if he pleased; and if these chiefs did not do this, any of the
other chiefs could kill the criminals. Their property was seized, and
one half was given to the relatives of the murdered man, and the other
half to him who executed the sentence upon such sorcerers and witches.
15. Insulting words caused great anger among these natives, and it
was considered a very grave offense, especially among the chiefs. They
fined the culprits in heavy sums therefor, inflicting this penalty in
order not to cause murders, and in the following manner. The insulted
person and he who insulted him named a chief, who must be greater
than those in the whole province, to hear this suit, who accepted
and decided it. If either of the two parties refused to conform to
the agreement which the judge prescribed, there was a custom among
them that each one lavished expense, on his own account, on feasts
and assemblies, and he who spent the greater sum they considered the
more powerful and honorable. From these debaucheries and gatherings
sometimes resulted wars between them. If either one of the two was
the most considerable chief of the province, three or four, chosen by
the rest, judged the case. In case the injurious words were said by a
timagua to a chief, if the said timagua had nothing wherewith to pay
the penalty imposed--which was very excessive--he was made a slave;
and if the insulted party were a great chief, the timagua's wife and
children were made slaves. If the chief applied insulting words to
any timagua, the penalty was very light, and many times nothing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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