The Book Of Yesterday | May 11

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TOMAS CLOMA OWNS KALAYAAN GROUP OF ISLANDS IN WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

May 11, 1956

The name Tomas Cloma is not well known in our history, but the islands in the West Philippine Sea that are currently disputed by our country and China have become attached to his name. And on this day in 1956, the so -called modern Fernando Magallanes and his brother Filemon and 40 other comrades occupied the islands and reefs in the western part of the ocean covered by southern Palawan, and named the islands there as "Free Territory of the Freedomland" which is a microstate. This is the first time a Filipino has claimed islands and reefs in the West Philippine Sea, since those islands were featured on the old map of the Philippines drawn during the Spanish period.

On the 15th of May, Thomas and Philemon Cloma declared to the whole world through a manifesto called "Notice to the World" the claim to such islands, and after hoisting there the flag of our country was established. they the “Free Territory of Freedomland” on May 21st. Not only that, he also formed his own government with the capital on Patag Island, and he will oversee the newly established microstate. Both Taiwan, which previously claimed Cloma's claimed islands, and the Philippine government have joined Cloma's action. Then-President Ferdinand Marcos considered Cloma's claim to the islands illegal and even imprisoned him for posing as a military officer and calling himself an Admiral.

In 1974, Cloma was also released from Camp Crame, on the condition that he relinquish his claims to the said islands by Cloma signing a "Deed of Assignment and Waiver of Rights", which was the reason for passing on to the Philippine government the claim to the territories it claimed. After this, President Marcos claimed the islands discovered and occupied by Cloma, military bases were built especially on the current Pag-asa Island, and in June 1978 the Philippines formally claimed the islands which he called " "Freedom Group of Islands", which includes the islands disputed by five countries, including our country, Malaysia, and China. Also by Presidential Decree no. In 1595, the islands formerly claimed by Cloma were made municipalities of the province of Palawan and were also renamed Kalayaan.

DON FRANCISCO MERCADO RIZAL WAS BORN

May 11, 1818

Today is the 203rd birthday of the pillar of the Mercado Rizal family home and the father of our National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal as Don Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro or simply Don Francisco Mercado. He was born in the town of Biñan, Laguna in 1818, and was one of the children of Juan Monica Mercado and Cirilia Alejandro.

Francisco or Kikoy was only eight years old when his father passed away, and after attending a Latin school in Biñan, he was able to attend Colegio de San Jose in Manila, where he met the then girl from Sta. . Cruz, Manila and also Biñan blood Teodora Alonzo, who was also studying in Manila at the time.

At the age of 29, Kikoy married the then 20-year-old Teodora in May 1848 and built his own stone house in the town of Calamba, Laguna. Kikoy became a successful farmer while Teodora or Lolay had a small shop in their home. The marriage resulted in nine daughters and two sons, of whom Jose was the seventh child of Kikoy and Lolay, but Jose's successor, Concepcion, died early.

Known as a disciplinarian, Francisco was a quiet but strict father and husband. As the father of the home he endured trials on his family, such as the imprisonment of his wife on false charges, and the torture of them by Dominican friar landlords for his buck in raising the rent on their land. It was also unaware of Joseph’s trip to Europe in May 1882, and deepened concern for his son because of his activism in Europe. The friars also evicted the Rizal family from their home in Calamba in 1890, and moved to Manila to the family home of his daughter Narcisa. In all of Don Kikoy's life and only a few times he was with his son Jose since he left the country, firstly when he first returned home in August 1887, secondly when the Rizal family came together in Hong Kong in December 1892, in Rizal was about to be exiled there.

When the Filipino revolution broke out, Don Kikoy and the wives of their children were again forced to flee because the authorities were harassing them again because of Rizal. Don Kikoy last met his son in his last letter when Jose Rizal was hanged on December 30, 1896. Don Kikoy died at the age of 79 in Binondo, Manila on January 5, 1898.

THE TOUR OF JOSE RIZAL AND MAXIMO VIOLA BEGINS IN EUROPE

May 11, 1887

After the help of Dr. Maximo Viola's friend Dr. Jose Rizal to publish the novel Noli Me Tangere, the two Filipino friends decided to take a tour of the beautiful scenery all over Europe. On this day in 1887, Jose Rizal and Maximo Viola left Berlin, Germany to begin their long journey in Europe. Earlier, Rizal had already paid Viola his debt after Viola took care of the printing of Noli Me Tangere.

Rizal and Viola first visited the city of Dresden in Germany, which Rizal said was the most beautiful city in Germany he had ever visited. They then went to Leitmeritz, part of the Austrian Empire (now ah Litomerice, Czech Republic), on May 13, where Rizal and professor Ferdinand Blumentritt, who became Rizal's best friend, first met. Blumentritt also had an interest in Philippine culture and history even though it has not yet reached our country. The Blumentritt family welcomed the Filipino guests, and after that Rizal and Viola left Leitmeritz for the Czech Republic's capital, Prague, and the two marveled at the beautiful and historic sites in the city.

They then headed to the capital of the Austrian Empire, Vienna on May 20, where they admired two of the beautiful sights in the city that Rizal even called Vienna the "Queen of the Danube". They crossed the long Danube river, and tasted fine wines in the beerhalls of Munich, Germany, and saw the beauty of the European Alps before entering Switzerland on the 3rd g June. They saw the beauty of the cities of Bern and Geneva, but were disappointed by the ridicule of the native Igorot at an Exposition in Madrid, Spain. Rizal and Viola's trip to Italy ended, when they visited the cities of Venice, Milan and Florence, the salmon of the past Renaissance. June 27 ended the two’s trip to the city of Rome, which Rizal called “the city of the Caesars” and “the dust of the Heroes”.

Aside from the new sights, culture, history, and people Rizal met during his trip to Europe with Viola, Rizal also shared his experiences there that he will take with him on his return to the Philippines.

NAZI WAR CRIMINAL ADOLF EICHMANN ARRESTED IN ARGENTINA

May 11, 1960

After nearly 15 years of hiding, the supposed architect of the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" who gave birth to the Holocaust - Adolf Eichmann - has finally been jailed. On this day in 1960, Mossad or Israeli intelligence agents, and Shin Bet, Israel’s security service agents, arrested the then 54-year-old Eichmann in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital.

It happened to be a holiday in Argentina and so many tourists flocked to the country that Israeli agents took advantage of it to arrest Eichmann. Israeli intelligence agents temporarily detained Eichmann, when they also discovered he was using a fake name while hiding in Argentina. Israeli agents illegally smuggled Eichmann into their country nine days later, although they failed to find doom in Argentina the so -called "Angel of Death" of the Auschwitz death camp Josef Mengele.

It was May 23 of the same year when Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion announced that Nazi war criminal Eichmann had been arrested and was in their custody. The Argentinian government demanded that Eichmann be returned to their country because he was illegally released, but the Israeli government insisted that Eichmann was a war criminal in hiding and should be prosecuted in their court.

After Eichmann’s imprisonment in Israel, he was indicted in the court of that country on April 11, 1961 to face his crimes against humanity because of his direct involvement in the mass murder of Jews during the war. Eichmann was a high -ranking SS officer, who besides being one of those who planned the massacre of Jews throughout Europe he led the exile of Jews in eastern Europe to death camps including Auschwitz.

When the war ended he was arrested by American soldiers but escaped his prison in 1946 and in 1950 Eichmann fled to Argentina and hid under the fake name Ricardo Klement. He was wanted for years by Holocaust survivors, including Simon Wiesenthal, who wanted to hold those involved in the Holocaust accountable, until 1957 when someone found out where Eichmann was hiding.

At his trial he admitted his sins and insisted that he had no regrets for them. It was December 15, 1961 when he was convicted of his crimes and sentenced to death. It was the first day of June 1962 when Eichmann was hanged in Israel.

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