1898: Our Last Men in the Philippines

THIS STORY IS INSPIRED BY REAL EVENTS

SOME CHARACTERS AND SITUATIONS HAVE BEEN FICTIONALIZED

IN MEMORY OF PEDRO COSTA

The first time I heard of Baler, I was 20.

I was told it was a Tagalog town,

north of Manila,

an accursed place surrounded by sea and jungle,

inhabited by bloodthirsty rebels who hated Spain.

One night,

in October 1897,

a detachment defending the town was massacred without mercy.

There was terror,"...

Lieutenant!

Despair,

chaos...

It was shameful.

Of fifty soldiers, only thirteen survived.

They fought for their freedom,

we fought for the survival of an empire.

And we lost.

Three months later, I was sent with the next group.

Our mission was to recover this accursed town,

and the grandeur of Spain.

I didn't know it yet,

but we were destined to be the last defenders of the Empire,

the last ones on the Philippines.

1998, OUR LAST MEN IN THE PHILIPPINES

I'd never been in a war...

and I thought that, to survive,

I just needed a little luck

and common SENSE.

I was young.

I was naive.

- You can't see anyone. - Lt's what they do best:

hide, kill, hide...

That'll do, "Ron", you'll get a belly ache.

Keep your eyes peeled.

Away all boats, arms ready!

Let's go, men!

- Away all boats! - Come on, hurry up!

God help us.

- Come on, go! - How did I get into this? Damn it!

Lieutenant, there's a man on the shore!

Lieutenant Martin Cerezo, 2nd Ranger Battalion.

Brother Carmelo, I look after the parish.

Do you command these men?

That's Captain Las Morenas. He's coming.

- Have you come from Manila? - Yes, Father.

To recover the town.

- Where's the best access? - An hour upriver.

The rebels left two weeks ago...

Fix bayonets!

The remaining natives are peaceful.

Let me be the judge of that.

We advance in two columns. Carvajal, on point.

Everyone on the alert. Move!

Unfurl the flag and come with me.

Luis, take five men and check the church.

On me!

How thick are these walls?

Almost five feet.

Five feet can take the impact of heavy artillery.

Apart from the sacristy, what else can we use for storage?

Sergeant Jimeno Costa.

I'm a survivor of the previous detachment.

At your orders, Lieutenant.

I've been waiting for you for weeks.

Regulations say you should've gone with your men to Manila.

The first duty of a soldier, Lieutenant,

- is to defend Spain. - You didn't do that too well.

I didn't surrender, God knows I fought until I had no strength left.

Isn't this enough for you, or this?

If the Tagalog come down again,

you're going to need me.

I know what's going on here.

Why didn't you take down that flag?

They cut ours to pieces.

And the townspeople want this one.

Jose.

Hoist it.

Keeping it as a souvenir?

Be careful of the women in the town, Lieutenant.

They all spy for the enemy.

- What's your name? - Teresa.

She's a whore, her brother fights with the rebels.

What my brother does is his business.

I've got nothing against Spain.

I'm baptized

and I sing in the church choir.

What do you sing? Christmas carols?

Love songs.

Whatever you like.

What songs do you know?

Spanish, Filipino...

Sing one.

- I sing when I get paid. - Like all whores.

I will tell you...

Go on.

That's all you paid for.

Welcome to Baler...

sir.

The rebels belong to a Masonic organization,

the Katipunan, that seeks an independent Philippines.

They don't care that Spain has been here for 400 years,

that we've built its cities. They want us out, and dead.

The Tagalog are tough,

they're very violent, and they have great allies:

the heat, malaria,

typhoons and beasts.

You're very young, very green,

and inept

If you want to survive,

you'll have to learn fast.

Whoever doesn't, God have mercy on him.

We'll survive.

This little Virgin is lucky.

Lucky for everyone, or just you?

If you want to trust in the Virgin, it's up to you,

but the men butchered here had crucifixes too.

They died for Spain.

For Spain... What's Spain done for you?

I'm not here by choice.

When why the hell are you here, Juan?

Aim!

Fire!

Ready!

Fire!

- Cease fire. Weapons down. - Are they really this bad?

It's the first time they've fired a gun.

My God.

You've said it my captain, they'll have to learn.

I don't know if they'll have time.

Then we'll need to dig a lot of graves.

I'm not making my wife a widow.

Aim!

I know yours died recently.

Fire!

I lost my daughter too. Three days old. Tuberculosis.

- My condolences. - Fire!

Why didn't you stay in Spain?

It's the last place I wanted to be.

Fire!

You didn't come to sacrifice yourself?

Look, Lieutenant, in war there are two types of soldier:

those who want medals and those who want to get home.

Given the choice, I'd prefer the former.

They're the most dangerous.

Put your heart into it!

A circle around me! Let's go!

- In a circle! - Keep your distance!

They didn't even get your boot size right, eh?

They send you here without knowing how to shoot,

- with boots the wrong size... - I’ll adapt, Lieutenant.

Is your morale that high?

If I get back from the war with an exemplary conduct letter,

I can study at the Royal Academy.

- Study what? - Painting, Lieutenant.

I want to be a painter. Don Gabriel says I'm good.

- Who's Don Gabriel? - The mayor of my hometown.

He promised to pay for my studies if I make it back with that letter.

He should've paid the 2,000 pesetas

- to get you out of the Army. - Don Gabriel is a patriot.

- He says that Spain needs... - Spain is full of patriots like him.

They send off other men while they stuff themselves.

The aim is restore

the original tone and brightness

and emphasize their contour.

Look.

You see?

- And you want me to do it? - Well, I saw your drawings.

And the lieutenant tells me you want to devote yourself to this.

It's an opportunity.

I don't know, Father, I haven't had much practice with brushes.

- I don't want to desecrate... - Desecrate?

I've been a missionary around the world for 20 years.

If I only did what the seminary taught, I'd be dead.

Son,

the natives like to be told stories.

I'm just asking you

to make them more attractive.

And I needn't tell you that while you're on this job

you'll be off guard duty or anything else.

Where God is in charge, no captain is.

Rifles up close!

Present... arms!

Order... arms!

Head up! With pride!

Who taught you to paint like that?

I learnt with limestone and clay. While Grandpa herded,

I'd amuse myself by drawing.

Where are you from?

Fuenlabrada de Los Montes, in Extremadura.

Son, I think you were born in the wrong place.

Crocodiles.

Sergeant.

Sometimes they get dogs, cats,

whatever they can find.

I wish they'd eat the captain's dog.

How the hell can you come to war with a dog?

Don't you ever rest?