Reply of Fray Salazar to the five decrees sent by the King of Spain

1. The Letter of
Fray Domingo Salazar
to the King of Spain
MANILA
June 24, 1590

2. - Student of the “School of
Salamanca” which was a
group of university-based
theologians renowned for
their work on moral
philosophy and legal
thought.
- Arrived in Manila in 1581
- Served as the First Bishop
of the Philippines

3. 1st Paragraph:
• Five decrees of your Majesty came to
me this year of ninety in the ship
“Santiago”.
• After pursuing the contents of the
said decrees, I can truly not restrain
my surprise that there can be men in
the world who dare to say and
declare things which are not
certainly proved to be truth.

4. • Such persons may properly be
called destroyers of their
countries.
• This commonwealth is subjected
to many hardships and
misfortunes.

5. • This letter will appear by my reply
to each decree—not as an excuse
for myself, as I consider myself to
be very rightly judged elsewhere;
but in order to satisfy your
Majesty, as I shall proceed to
relate.

6. First decree:
Treats of the confessions of the conquerors
that they being constrained to make
restitution in solidum [entire sum: whole].
Fray Salazar:
From investigations which I have had made
regarding those persons who inflicted the
injuries, I am assured that the sum collected
as restitution do not amount to the
hundredth part of the valuation of the
damages.

7. Second Decree:
Orders that when Sangleys
[Chinese] wish to baptized,
their hair shall not be cutoff.
Fray Salazar:
I would not decide to have
their cut off, if it were not so
necessary not to do so would
be to endanger greatly the
faith and the persons with
whom I dealt with.

8. Third decree:
States that there are many ecclesiastics
[priests or members of the clergy] in the
bishopric who trade and carry on traffic,
to the great scandal of and bad example to
both Spaniards and Indians.
Fray Salazar:
More than 1 and ½ years before this
decree came, I had taken measures to
correct the excess which might result,
having ordered that no ecclesiastic should
carry on traffic.

9. Fourth Decree:
Commands Salazar to take the place
belonging to him – regarding to the issue
of boundary of power and position
between him and the President of
Audencia [royal court of justice].
Fray Salazar:
This order means that I take the same
place which I took then, as that is the
proper place belonging to bishop, without
giving any cause whatever to Audienca to
feel injured, as places are very distinct
from each other.

10. Fifth decree:
Commands Salazar to end the issue
about the Audiencia’s accusation that
he did not permit a report to be made
in regards to the cases of fuerca
[indicates violence to law, done by
ecclesiastical judges] and he seize the
writs and records of proceedings from
the notary so that they cannot be
issued.

11. The accusation was based on: (Salazar)
1. When they erased my name from the
mass of the Audencia, and substituted
their own names.
2. When, in an investigation, they
claimed the right to examined the
proceedings, I refused to give up the
records in one instance because therein
very secret matters touching the office
of Inquisition, of which I was then in
charge.

12. Fray Salazar:
• I even urge the notary to give a report and
I am so far from what has been said to the
contrary, that I assure your Majesty that I
much regretted the suppression of the
Audiencia.
• In the case touching the honor of clergy
[religious leaders], I could not comply,
for it would been impossible to do so
without very grave damage to my office.

13. • It was not right to exhibit the guilt of
others, as they did not feel that their
sentences were unjust.
• Both then and now I have felt much
aggrieved by the injustice done me
by the Audiencia.

14. University of Makati
Social Sciences Department
Presented by: I-A Educ (Group Mabini)
Abainza, Jerrom E. Anda, Jazzel C.
Bautista, Regina T. Boco, Resa M.
Cruz, Kristine G. Danao, Carlos Jr. B.
Mendiola, Rosie C. Pacalundo, Reema M.
Rotia, Joy Cindy M. Sanggalang, Mark Ryan B.
Tacaisan, Arvelyn D. Wenceslao, Debnie May F.
Soc Sci 1 Professor:
Prof. Tessie Tapiador – Sagadraca

15. ~ END ~
THANK YOU!