An Unarmed Clash: The Philippine Scouts’ Unsuccessful Battle

Randolf Palmes Bio

Faculty Member, College of Humanities and Sciences, De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute
Graduate Student, Department of History, University of the Philippines Diliman
Visiting Assistant Professor, Philippine National Police Academy
rpbio@upd.edu.ph, +63 926 079 7406
B14, L33, Burol II, City of Dasmariñas, Cavite

Abstract

The creation of the Philippine Scouts in 1901 under the banner of the United States

manifested its intention to use it as a colonial tool for the gradual pacification of the Philippine

Islands. It was the genesis of a colonial army in Asia by the United States composed of officers

from the United States Armed Forces and heavily equipped with enlisted men from natives or

Filipinos. It was a dubious experiment for the new imperialist. As a matter of fact, the Philippine

Scouts proved to be the ‘local militia’ of the Philippines under the U.S. Army even when a civil

government was already established in the Philippines. They were used as a counterinsurgency

force and a support for the Philippine Police – Philippine Constabulary – whenever necessary. The

research presents a short account of the history of the Philippine Scouts with emphasis on the

recruitment, training, instruction, and its status in the U.S. Army. The research employs the

methods of historical research which paved to a better context of the study. Further, the research

found that, despite the status and fame of the scouts in the Philippines, the Philippine Scouts was

not ‘recognized’ by the U.S. Army which became a constant struggle of the force that led to an

internal problem of the organization later. Despite this problem, its training and instruction were

patterned after the standards of the U.S. Army creating a world-class native army in the

Philippines. Thus, the Philippine Scouts’ experienced under the U.S. Army would give us a better

understanding of the United States military hegemony in the Philippines and its employment of

natives as soldiers which is worth probing for.

Selected References:

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__________. Report of the Philippine Commission to the Secretary of War, 1911. Washington:
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__________. Special Report of William H. Taft to the President on the Philippines Washington:
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