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CODE
OF KALANTIAO
Note: The Code of Kalantiao is reproduced
in this site with the reminder that it has been found to have
no historical validity. No serious historian today accepts its
existence or authenticity.
- You shall
not kill, nor steal, nor wound the aged, or you shall be
in danger of death. Whoever shall transgress these laws
shall die by being drowned in a river with a stone or in
boiling water.
- You shall
comply with all your debts due to the chief by fully
paying said obligations. Whosoever is in default shall be
lashed one hundred times for the first offense. If the
debt is considerable, the offender's hand shall be put
into boiling water. For the second offense he shall die by
being beaten.
- You shall
obey by not having wives who are very young or more wives
than you can take care of, nor shall you indulge in
excessive lust. Whosoever shall not comply, obey and
follow shall be sentenced to swim for three hours, and for
the second offense, he shall die by being beaten with
thorns.
- You shall
follow and obey: You shall not disturb the peace of the
graves; upon passing by them, you shall respect them in
the caves or trees where they may be. Whosoever violates
this law shall be put to death by being exposed to ants or
by being beaten with prongs.
- You shall
obey: Barters for food shall always be complied with
strictly and to the letter. Whosoever violates this
agreement shall be beaten for one hour. Whosoever shall
repeat the offense shall be exposed to the ants for one
day.
- You shall be
obliged to revere sacred places of trees of well known
value and other spots. Whosoever shall not comply shall
pay with his labor for one month., in gold or honey; for
the second offense he shall become a slave.
- The
following shall suffer death: Whosoever shall fell trees
of venerable aspect; whosoever at night shoot arrow at the
aged and women; whosoever shall enter the chief's dwelling
without permission; whosoever shall kill a shark or strip
a crocodile.
- Whosoever
shall kidnap the wives of chiefs shall be reduced to
slavery for one year; the same penalty shall be imposed
upon whosoever shall keep dogs that have beaten chiefs and
whosoever burns another's crop.
- The
following shall be beaten for two days: Whosoever shall
sing as he travels at night or shall kill manual birds, or
shall tear the documents of the chiefs or who shall tell
lies with malice aforethought.
- It shall be
the duty of every mother to secretly impart sex education
to her daughters and prepare them for womanhood; for men
to refrain from being cruel or punishing their wives when
caught in adultery.
- The
following shall be burned at the stake: Whosoever shall,
by force or trickery, baffle or elude punishment, or shall
kill two children, or shall attempt to kidnap the elder's
wives.
- The
following shall be drowned: All slaves who resist their
superiors or owners or masters; whosoever shall abuse
their lust; whosoever shall kill their idols by breaking
or throwing them away.
- The
following shall be exposed to ants for one half day:
Whosoever shall kill cats during the New Moon, or shall
steal things pertaining to the chiefs and elders, however
small and inexpensive they may be.
- Whosoever,
having beautiful daughters, shall not consent to their
marriage to the chief's sons or shall hide them in bad
faith, shall be reduced to slavery for life.
- Concerning
beliefs and superstitions: Whosoever shall eat the bad
meat of sacred animals, and herbs that are reputed to be
good; whosoever shall kill manual chickens or white
monkeys shall be whipped.
- Whosoever
shall break wooden or clay idols at their altars and
places of offerings; or whosoever shall destroy the spear
of priestesses with which to kill pigs, or shall break
drinking vessels shall have their fingers cut off.
- Whosoever
shall profane places where sacred things of idols and
chiefs are buried shall be put to death. Whosoever shall
let his bowels moved or urinate on said spots shall be
burned at the stake.
- Whosoever
shall fail to execute these mandates, if he be a chief,
shall be stoned and crushed to death, and if he be an
elder shall be thrown into a river to be devoured by
sharks and crocodiles.
Copy of Code taken from
Digno Alba, Paging Datu Kalantiao
in the New Province of Aklan.
(Manila, 1956), pp. 17-18.
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