Datu Ali


Datu Ali was the Rajahmuda of Tinungkup within the Sultanate of Buayan before succeeding his cousin, Datu Uto, as Rajah of Buayan formally from Uto's death in 1902 until his death in 1905. He was the cousin of Datu Uto of Buayan and brother of Datu Djimbangan and Sultan Tambilawan of Kudarangan, and as a rising leader, Datu Ali overpowered his brothers to rule over Kudarangan.

History

Spanish period

In 1886, Datu Ali and his cousin Datu Uto refused to honor the Spanish flag and swore to leave no Spaniards alive in Cotabato. Some of Uto's cottas were destroyed by the Spaniards but Spanish troops failed to penetrate the Moro territory. Datu Ali attacked the town of Lepanto near the Spanish fort of Bugcaon, killing fourteen and looting the place as the campaign ended.
The fall of Datu Uto to Spanish advances in 1890 led to his exile. This created a vacuum in the Buayan sultanate that was filled by Datu Ali, Datu Djimbangan and Datu Piang.
Regardless of the fact that Datu Piang had served under Datu Uto as his Minister of Lands, his apparent treachery against Uto by declaring himself the Sultan of Mindanao despite being considered ignoble by the ruling authorities of Buayan, led Datu Uto to turn over the command of his warriors to his cousin Datu Ali.

Conquest of Buluan and Talik

was known to have wide expense of fertile plains, and an invigorating climate, which became a subject of interest to Datu Ali, who proceeded to take control of the whole territory. On the other hand, the people of the south, had viewed this luxuriant valley from the top of the mountain ranges at Tupi and Koronadal, under the leadership of Sultan of Talik which is Sultan Sambuto, who decided to explore and take possession of this uninhabited place.
When Datu Ali learned that the Sultan of Talic and his followers encamped in Talic, Datu Ali assembled his men and gave Sultan of Talic battle and easily put him to flight. By his victory, Datu Ali became the most powerful leader in the region between Koronadal in the south and Maganoy in the north. His domain now extended from the neighborhood of Malabang to Sarangani Point.
Datu Ali was then the able ruler of Cotabato upper valley and was considered the paramount leader of the Sultanate of Maguindanao in the early 20th century. Acquiring all of the prerogatives of a legitimate leader, Ali claimed the title "Rajah of Buayan" or "Rajah Buayan".

American expedition in Buayan

While Datu Djimbangan and Datu Piang conceded to the American colonial establishment in Cotabato, Datu Ali declared that he would not yield to the Americans one iota of his independence, or liberate his slaves, and swore vengeance on all who went in his pursuit. Being the hereditary datu, the inhabitants of the valley generally sympathized with him.
He headed the revolt with some 3,000 followers against the American government through open battle and guerrilla warfare for 3 years, beginning in 1903. In an attempt to coerce Ali to surrender, the American expeditionary forces captured his brother, Datu Djimbangan, at Fort Sar-raya. However, Datu Ali viewed this as an act of deception.
Datu Ali continued to fight until his death on October 22, 1905, when he and most of his men were killed in the Battle of the Malala River after a surprise attack by a provisional company of the 22nd Infantry, led by Captain Frank McCoy, the aide-de-camp of General Leonard Wood. Colonel John White, who spent 15 years as an officer in the Philippine Constabulary, sets the stage with a description of Ali's homeland—the Cotabato district of Mindanao.
Datu Ali was the last, and most formidable Moro chieftain to oppose American rule on the island of Mindanao. For nearly two years, operations against Ali were carried out by several formations of the US Army and the Philippine Constabulary.

The annual report to the Secretary of War

The following passages illustrate the problems the US Army was having with Datu Ali. They are taken from the Annual Reports to the Secretary of War, and indicate encounters with Datu Ali during the year 1904.
  • March 5, 1904 - Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood left Cotabato, with a force consisting of Companies K and M, Twenty-third Infantry, Companies B and F, Seventeenth Infantry, Troop B, Fourteenth Cavalry, and a small detachment of marines and sailors under Commander Coffin on an expedition against the Moros of the Rio Grande Valley, the object being to examine into the alleged war-like and hostile preparations of Datu Ali and his brother Datu Djimbangan, with whom were united many other datus of the Rio Grande Valley.
  • March 7, 1904 - General Wood's force operating against the Moros of the Rio Grande Valley, Mindanao, encountered a party of well-armed Moros, who fired on the column, but were quickly dispersed, with a loss of 2 killed and a number wounded. No casualties to General Wood's Command.
  • March 10, 1904 - Detachment of 50 men of the Forty-eight Company, Philippine Scouts, under First Lieut. Thomas F. Loudon, accompanied by 1 Officer and 10 men of the Philippine Constabulary, while in pursuit of 2 Moro murderers surprised a band of Moros with the murderers, and in the ensuing engagement 3 Moros were killed and a number wounded; 7 carbines, 2 revolvers, and 400 rounds of ammunition were recovered, and 7 rifles, knives, and spears belonging to the Moros were captured. Casualties, 2 men killed and 1 wounded. The force under General Wood operating in the Rio Grande Valley was reinforced by Companies L and I, Twenty-third Infantry, and Troop A, Fourteenth Cavalry, and the fort of Datu Ali having been located, a vigorous bombardment was kept up throughout the day.
  • March 11, 1904 - The fort of Datu Ali was captured by General Wood's force, the Moros having abandoned it during the night. Nineteen iron and 2 brass cannon were captured, also 45 lantakas and an immense amount of powder and military projectiles of all kinds. The fort was destroyed.
  • March 14, 1904 - General Wood's force returned to Cotabato from its expedition up to the Rio Grande Valley.
  • May 8, 1904 - During a reconnaissance to locate the whereabouts of Datu Ali, who had been sending in threatening messages and attempting to stir up trouble, a detachment of 39 enlisted men, Company F, Seventeenth Infantry, was attacked by Moros, near Lake Liguasan, Mindanao, and 2 officers and 13 enlisted men killed, and 6 enlisted men wounded.
  • May 16, 1904 - Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, with 450 officers and men, started on an expedition to recover the bodies of the men killed on May 8 by Moros near Lake Liguasan, Mindanao.
  • May 30, 1904 - Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood returned from expedition to Lake Liguasan, Mindanao, with remains of officer and men killed in action on May 8. He reported that Ali with a small aggregation of outlaws were hiding and would be pursued until captured or destroyed. No casualties in expedition.
  • June 14, 1904 - The camp of Buluan, Mindanao, was attacked by a force of about 120 Moro under Datu Ali, who were repulsed without loss and driven from the trenches which had been constructed during the night. First Lieut. Frederick S. Young, Twenty-third Infantry, with detachments of Company K, that regiment, and Troop D, Fourteenth Cavalry, was sent in pursuit and encountered the enemy of Malangit. A sharp fight, lasting about forty-five minutes, ensued, when the Moros were put to flight and scattered, with a loss of about 29 killed and wounded. Our casualties, 1 Officer and 2 enlisted men wounded.

    Warfare over slavery

When the Moro Province announced the anti-slavery law in the last months of 1903, General Wood and Taft believed that the Maguindanao would continue to follow the lead of colonial progress. Instead, the declaration of abolition destroyed the political and economic system of indirect rule over the whole valley through Datu Piang in Cotabato.
A treaty had been made with the Sultan of Sulu while in Mindanao there were different sultans who claimed headships in their own districts, and one of them was Datu Ali, who waged a long and successful war with the Spaniards. A difficult problem for the Americans to establish civil government among hill tribes, Filipino settlements, and piratical Mohammedan groups each with fears and hate one another.
Warfare over slavery began in March and April 1904, when Datu Ali, led his followers to battle in the northern half of the Pulangi River Valley, the sa-raya region that had supported the late Datu Uto's resistance against the Spaniards in 1899. Slave parties were active and tribes in Mindanao were raided and oppressed; there were violence and disorders everywhere. The sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram II, was defeated by his subordinate datus. Meanwhile, the sultan of Maguindanao, Datu Mangigin, fled from the Cotabato valley in fear of his rival Datu Ali and was a refugee in Dumankilas Bay. Such condition could not be ignored, and it was felt that American authority must be exerted.
Datu Piang, on the other hand used his political skill and control of long-distance trade through the Chinese merchants of Cotabato to bring the other major datus of the valley into an accommodation with the United States. Upon Datu Uto's declined in power, Datu Ali, the heir to the Sultanate of Buayan, emerged as the dominant leader of the sa-raya region. He assembled the most powerful armed men expert in guerrilla warfare and constructed the largest and most heavily armed Kota in Mindanao in preparation for the American resistance.
The governor of Cotabato district knew through his reliable intelligence that Mastura, son of the last sultan of Maguindanao and the sultan of Talakuku and several allied datus including the important Datu Ampatuan pledge d that if they would have to give up their slaves, they would rather fight and join Datu Ali. With Datu Ali's efforts to recruit support from the Lake Lanao Region, several thousand followers had congregated in Ali's great kota to revolt against American rule. Datu Ali married Datu Piang's daughter, bonding their alliance in ties of kinships. The ending of slave trade resulted in many heavy, long-drawn-out fights with the principal Moro Band of Mindanao.