Moro and narcotics

[Lew]

Ariel

As Moslems they were forbidden to use any type of cannibis or opiates. Betel nuts is a strong stimulant stronger than caffine so I guess is you chew a few of them you can get quite wired up. Ariel we all know you hung out with Cheech Marin back is the 1970s man

Please read page 4.

http://www.morolandhistory.com/Relat...0Colt%2045.pdf

[Dimasalang]

Im glad this topic has been brought up for discussion.
Here is my own personal opinion on this matter regarding Moros and narcotics. I don't believe the Moros were on drugs either...I believe these warriors on drugs were from other groups. Too many historians attribute what ever war or battle that existed after the Phil-Am War(1902) as being with "the Moros". Anything and everything considered "South" of Luzon was always written up as Moro related. As the years past by, all dates and places of these other wars and battles were long forgotten and they all forgot who was who in the Philippines... so anything 1903 and after was just chalked up as Moro related being they were the more famous of all groups. Most don't even realize how large and diverse the Philippines is, let alone how many different groups reside there. You can look around now and there is still very little history written on this time. I can't tell you how many times I have run across stories of Moros taking round after round of 38s and Krag bullets; and the story is centered in "Samar". The Pulajanes(or Pulahan; J is pronounced w/ H like in Spanish) fought against the Americans during the same time as the Moros...but the Pulajanes get very little to no credit for their ability to with stand rounds of gunfire. For those that don't know about the Pulajanes, they were Christians, but of the remote mountain regions of Visayas...it is important to note, as an isolated group their belief in the Christian faith became twisted...believing in God and the bible but were left with no priest or no direction to interpret and guide them...they developed their own spin on the Christian faith all the while mixing in native folklore. In other words, they were a cult. Their leaders weren't Generals or presidents, they were Papas(Popes) and priestesses...some going so far to take on the names of saints, angels, and prophets. They strongly believed in Anting Anting(magical amulets or objects) and the Oryson(protection prayers). US officers would report on the same strategic behavior of each encounter...stating they had no strategy, just run out in the open with their bolos in hand. They did this because they believed their anting anting or oryson would make them bullet proof and protect them. I have researched and spoke with a few individuals that claimed to have anting anting...saying that if you ever doubt the power(ie duck or take cover from gunfire), it will stop working. So you can see how if this story was told much later of a group seen charging out of the jungle with religious fervor, not taking cover in a hail of gunfire, could easily be misrepresented as being Moro related. They're religious fighting styles, although different in beliefs and principles to the Moros, were similar in fashion. It is also worth noting there were several different groups of Pulajanes stemming from Samar/Leyte and covering all major islands to north Mindanao. So I personally believe these drugged out warriors were more then likely coming from these groups like the Pulajanes, Waray, Colorum, or other out of control warrior/religious tribes. And all these other warrior groups were being exterminated at the same time as the Moro groups.

With that said, there is still a small possibility that some Moros could of been on drugs. Not all Moros were strict to their religion, in fact the Moslems rules were very loosely followed during that time. Im sure most living within the major tribes followed their religion closely...but we all know the Chinese and their opium drug trade thrived in the the Moro region...which would mean the Moros were big customers. Just because they are Moslems doesn't mean they can not be drug addicts. Also, look what happened to the Christian tribes that were in remote regions, the same could possibly happen to other Moro groups living on the outskirts of society who were outcasts and criminals...possibly being outcast and criminals for taking drugs and/or not following Moslems laws. Obviously these folks would be the ones to defy and fight against any authority.

[Dimasalang]

Excerpt from a website on a Samar natives ability to take several gun shots.

One of the most graphic references about lack of stopping power comes from Colonel Louis A. LaGarde, M.D. in his classic text, Gunshot Injuries, published in 1916.

LaGarde writes the following:
Antonio Caspi a prisoner on the Island of Samar, P.I. attempted to escape on Oct. 26, 1905. He was shot four times at close range in a hand-to-hand encounter by a .38 Colt's revolver loaded with U.S. Army regulation ammunition. He was finally stunned by a blow on the forehead from the butt end of a Springfield carbine. 1. Bullet entered chest near right nipple, passed upward, backwards and outwards, perforated lung and escaped through back passing through edge of right scapula. 2. Bullet entered chest through left nipple, passed upwards, backwards and inwards, perforating lung and lodging in subcutaneous tissues. 3. Bullet entered chest near left shoulder, passing downwards and backwards, perforating lung and lodged in back. 4. Bullet entered through palm of left hand and passed through subcutaneous tissues and escaped through wound on anterior surface of forearm. Treated at military hospital, Borongan, Samar. Turned over to civil authorities cured, Nov. 23, 1905.

This exacting, clinical description by Col. LaGarde, is chilling in its implicit condemnation of the .38 Colt.

The name of the prisoner obviously not a Moro. Borongan Samar was infested with Pulajanes during that time, I would say this person was likely associated with them. The other interesting part is this Filipino survived.

[aiontay]

Staunch Moslems using drugs!?!? Next you'll be telling me followers of the Prince of Peace rode through the blood of Moslems and Jews they slaughtered. I'm shocked, shocked to find people not living up to the precepts of their religion ...

I've heard more than one first hand account of hashish use by devout Muslims in various countries, including from people from the country in question. Not to say the Moros used drugs, but where did the term "assassin" come from?

As for opium, I can't say I've had any direct experience, but I have been told that in small doses it, like booze, initially can act as a stimulant. In Burma during WWII Kachins would eat a small amount of opium to help them stay awake overnight, and US and British supply drops routinely included opium. Again, this is from first hand accounts from people there at the time. Long term use of course was problematic.

Still, I suspect that the majority of Moros didn't touch the stuff, but there always could be an exception.

[migueldiaz]

Nice topic. I too believe that they were not on drugs.

I still wonder though what's the medical explanation for withstanding so many bullet wounds before being felled.

Panglima Hassan's 33 hits before being stopped is a classic example. And if it was not the historian Robert Fulton who mentioned it, I wouldn't believe such was possible.

[Battara]

Well don't forget that the warrior didn't live long at all before blood loss and heart problems set in. Today there are those who are shot many times and are still able to pull off rounds at the police here in the US. Much easier to survive .38 caliber than a .45 caliber. Although I will not be shocked that perhaps some may have had some tubo or opium, as far as US accounts are concerned, drugs for this type of usage were not mentioned (as far as I know) and that would be something noteworthy like the Zulu plant concoction, or, at the very least, to use as a reason to denigrate the Moros even further in US Army eyes.

[Rick]

Agree with you Jose .
I wonder if, for Juramentados at least, the secret was in the funeral bindings .
I think they would minimize exit wounds and help keep blood loss down .

[Dimasalang]

I remember watching a show on the history of drugs in America. Opium at the turn of the 20th century was legal in America. Sears & Roebuck also offered Heroin along with a syringe from their catalog of 1900. On the show they mentioned many soldiers who came back from the Philippine American War were addicts from the Opium dens in Manila. The entry dock from Manila to the US for these soldiers was San Francisco, where the largest Chinese community was located(China town)...and the soldiers would continue their addiction at the opium dens there.

If America at one point thought opium was harmless and didn't ban the substance, then to me there is a small possibility opium was not a illegal drug by the Moros either.


From the Sears & Roebuck catalog

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Dimasalang

If America at one point thought opium was harmless and didn't ban the substance, then to me there is a small possibility opium was not a illegal drug by the Moros either.

Dimasalang, that's a very valid point.

Also, we know that the Moros practice folk Islam, in the same manner that (Filipino) Christians practice folk Catholicism.

Thus what was actually practiced by those people did not strictly follow the hard-and-fast tenets of those religions.

Very recently, millions of Filipinos saw on TV a bolo rush of Mindanao cultists against a group of police and govt. militiamen. Please see attached news clips.

I myself saw the video footages. The first to rush was a cult member who attacked from a stationary position about 10 meters away from the govt. troops. As soon as he sprung from where he stood, he immediately met a hail of M16 and pistol rounds. And yet he almost hacked a frontline trooper after being able to cover the 10 meters, before he finally fell, literally at the feet of the troopers.

And then the others cult members, waving their bolos and also no firearms, started rushing to the troopers (three of the cultists can be seen in the clip below, with the rightmost cultist seen as hit already).

Surely a religiously-inspired and determined attacker will be able to withstand a lot of gunshot wounds before he is stopped.

The news articles are here and here.

[Dimasalang]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

Dimasalang, that's a very valid point.

Also, we know that the Moros practice folk Islam, in the same manner that (Filipino) Christians practice folk Catholicism.

Thus what was actually practiced by those people did not strictly follow the hard-and-fast tenets of those religions.

Very recently, millions of Filipinos saw on TV a bolo rush of Mindanao cultists against a group of police and govt. militiamen. Please see attached news clips.

I myself saw the video footages. The first to rush was a cult member who attacked from a stationary position about 10 meters away from the govt. troops. As soon as he sprung from where he stood, he immediately met a hail of M16 and pistol rounds. And yet he almost hacked a frontline trooper after being able to cover the 10 meters, before he finally fell, literally at the feet of the troopers.

And then the others cult members, waving their bolos and also no firearms, started rushing to the troopers (three of the cultists can be seen in the clip below, with the rightmost cultist seen as hit already).

Surely a religiously-inspired and determined attacker will be able to withstand a lot of gunshot wounds before he is stopped.

The news articles are here and here.

Interesting article. I notice they called them "Tad-Tad"(Chop Chop). This was originally a Pulajane name from the early part of the century. I know many Pulajane groups migrated south in the Mindanao after their battles with PC, PS, and soldiers. Is this cult descended from the Pulajane group?