Raid of Visayas (1599–1600)
# Raid of Visayas (1599–1600)

In 1599 and 1600, the allied Moro fleets of Mindanao and Sulu raided the Spanish-held islands of Visayas in two raids.

## Background

After the failure of the Mindanao expedition in 1596, Juan Ronquillo was dispatched to Mindanao and took charge of the Spanish camp there. He then fought with the Mindanaons, allied with the Ternateans, and successfully routed the Moro army. Hearing of this success, the council of war ordered Juan to inflict as much damage as possible. However, Juan wrote that he wouldn't abandon his camp, claiming it would be an unwise decision. At the same time, Sulu was already in submission to the Spanish in 1598, who sent 30 soldiers to Sulu for supplies. However, one of the Mindanao chiefs, who was the brother-in-law of the Sulu sultan, killed 13 Spanish soldiers. When this news was brought, they launched an expedition of 600 men led by Juan Pacheo to punish the sulus, but they were repulsed with a loss of 30 killed, including Juan Pacheco.

In 1599, news arrived that a number of English ships had been spotted in Java and in Ternate, two English ships with 400 men. The Spanish council of war decided that they should withdraw their fort in La Caldera so that the English must not capture these areas. The Spanish governor, Francisco de Tello de Guzmán, held a council on what to do with the fort. The audience told him not to withdraw, as this would encourage the Moros to carry the war to the Spanish doors. Notwithstanding this reply, he ordered the garrison of La Caldera to burn and withdraw.

## Raid of 1599

Seeing the Spanish had retreated from Mindanao, in the month of July 1599, the Mindanao Moros prepared an armada of 50 Caracoas and 3,000 men armed with arquebuses, swords, and shields and began sailing for the Oton and Panay islands. They passed the Negros islands and went to the river of Panay, where they landed 5 leagues from the chief settlement, where the Alcalde mayor and some Spanish were living. They sacked the settlement, burned houses and churches, and captured many native Christians, including men, women, and children. They pursued them in boats more than 10 leagues up the river and destroyed all the crops. They also burned all the Spanish vessels on the river and left the river with goods and prisoners. They did the same for other islands and towns that they passed by, including Cebu and Negros. They then returned to Mindanao with goods, gold, and captives, numbering 800.

## Raid of 1600

The Mindanao and Sulus returned with a large fleet of 70 well-equipped ships and 4,000 men led by the same commanders and some Sulu Chiefs to the same islands of Visayas with the goal of capturing and sacking the Spanish town of Arevalo, Captian Juan Garcia de Sierra, the Alcalde Mayor of the province, having heard of the upcoming Moro fleet, took necessary precautions, gathered all the Spanish in the town, shut himself up and having repaired the wooden fort there, Juan alongside 70 men awaited the enemy, The Moros landed close to the settlement with a force of 1,500 men and marched to the town, The Spanish divided into troops, sallied forth and opened fire upon the enemy, which forced them to retreat, creating confusion in their ranks, The moros embarked with heavy losses and halted at Guimaras then went to Mindanao.

## Aftermath

The daring attack on the Mindanao Moros caused great damage to the Visayas islands. Because the power was being held by the Spanish, who kept the natives subjugated, tributary, and disarmed, neither protecting them from the Moros nor leaving them to defend themselves. Therefore, many However, revolted, withdrew to the mountains, and refused to descend to their houses, magistrates, and encomenderos. However, they were appeased and subjugated by a few promises and gifts, and although Manila regretted these injuries caused by the Moros, they did nothing to stop future raids since the governor was ill-equipped with ships and other necessities.

The raids of the Moros into the Visayas islands reached a state where it was expected they would come as far as Manila, plundering and devastating, prompting a expedition in 1602. However, it would end in failure.

