Code of Kalantiaw: Leyendas de La Isla de Negros (English: The Ancient

CABLAYAN, CHARMAINE ROSE D.
HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

LL. B 2-B RESEARCH PAPER NO. 3
Code of Kalantiaw
The Code of Rajah Kalantiaw was a supposed legal
code in the epic history Maragtas that is said to have
been written in 1433 by Datu Kalantiaw, a chief on the
island of Negros in the Philippines. The code is now
believed by many historians to have been a hoax and
that it had actually been written in 1913 by Jose E.
Marco as a part of his historical fiction Las antiguas
leyendas de la Isla de Negros (English: The Ancient
Legends of the Island of Negros), which he attributed
to a priest named Jose Maria Pavon.
Philippine historian Teodoro Agoncillo describes the

code as "a disputed document." Despite doubts on its
authenticity, some history texts continue to present
it as historical fact.
Laws of the Kalantiaw Code
In his book, Struggle for Freedom (2008), Cecilio Duka

provides a full reproduction of the code for the
reader's "critical examination... to decide on its
veracity and accuracy".
Article I
You shall not kill, neither shall ye steal nor shall
you hurt the aged, lest ye incur the danger of death.
All those who this order shall infringe shall be tied
to a stone and drowned in a river or in boiling water.
Article II
Ye shall punctually meet your debt with your headman.
He who fulfills not, for the first time shall be lashed
a hundredfold, and If the obligation is great, his hand
shall be dipped threefold in boiling water. On
conviction, he shall be flogged to death.
Article III
Obey ye: no one shall have wives that are too young,
nor shall they be more than what he can take care of,
nor spend much luxury. He who fulfils not, obeys not,
shall be condemned to swim three hours and, for the
second time, shall be scourged with spines to death.
Article IV
Observe and obey ye: Let not the peace of the graves
be disturbed; due respect must be accorded them on
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passing by caves and trees where they are. He who
observes not shall die by bites of ants or shall be
flogged with spines till death.
Article V
Obey ye: Exchange in food must be carried out
faithfully. He who complies not shall be lashed for an
hour. He who repeats the act shall, for a day be exposed
to the ants.
Article VI
Ye shall revere respectable places, trees of known
value, and other sites. He shall pay a month's work,
in gold or money, whoever fails to do this; and if
twice committed, he shall be declared a slave.
Article VII
They shall die who kill trees of venerable aspect; who
at night shoot with arrows the aged men and the women;
he who enters the house of the headman without
permission; he who kills a fish or shark or striped
crocodile.
Article VIII
They shall be slaves for a given time who steal away
the women of the headmen; he who possesses dogs that
bite the headmen; he who burns another man's sown
field.
Article IX
They shall be slaves for a given time, who sing in
their night errands, kill manual birds, tear documents
belonging to the headmen; who are evil-minded liars;
who play with the dead.
Article X
It shall be the obligation of every mother to show her
daughter secretly the things that are lacivious, and
prepare them for womanhood; men shall not be cruel to
their wives, nor should they punish them when they
catch them in the act of adultery. He who disobeys
shall be torn to pieces and thrown to the caymans.
Article XI
They shall be burned, who by force or cunning have
mocked at and eluded punishment, or who have killed two
young boys, or shall try to steal the women of the old
men (agurangs).
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Article XII
They shall be drowned, all slaves who assault their
superiors or their lords and masters; all those who
abuse their luxury; those who kill their anitos by
breaking them or throwing them away.
Article XIII
They shall be exposed to the ants for half a day, who
kill a black cat during the new moon or steal things
belonging to the headmen.
Article XIV
They shall be slaves for life, who having beautiful
daughters shall deny them to the sons of the headman,
or shall hide them in bad faith.
Article XV
Concerning their beliefs and superstitions: they shall
be scourged, who eat bad meat of respected insects or
herbs that are supposed to be good; who hurt or kill
the young manual bird and the white monkey.
Article XVI
Their fingers shall be cut off, who break wooden or
clay idols in their olangangs and places of oblation;
he who breaks Tagalan's daggers for hog killing, or
breaks drinking vases.
Article XVII
They shall be killed, who profane places where sacred
objects of their diwatas or headmen are buried. He who
gives way to the call of nature at such places shall
be burned.
Article XVIII
Those who do not cause these rules to be observed, if
they are headmen, shall be stoned and crushed to death,
and if they are old men, shall be placed in rivers to
be eaten by sharks and crocodiles.
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The Code of Maragtas (Bala-od Maragtas)
The book "Glimpses in History of Early Cebu" written

by Lina Quimat in 1980 tells of a code written by a
Cebuano and not by several datus from Borneo, contrary
to what has been said by others to us. It said that
the original manuscript containing the code had been
given by its author to Fray Roman Andres, and the owner
hid under an assumed name of one Fr. Oripiano
Rodriguez, OSA, of Cebu. Here are the rules of the
Code:
1.) Great penalty shall be imposed on laziness. Land

shall be cultivated and planted.
2.) A lazy person shall be arrested and sold as a slave

to work in the fields.
3.) When a slave becomes industrious and an able

worker, the purchase money shall be returned to his
purchaser and the slave shall be freed to fill his own
land.
4.) When a man, after gaining his freedom, again

becomes lazy and improvident he shall be rearrested and
thrown into the deepest forest to keep him from
associating with his own people.
5.) Theft and reaping plants grown and cultivated by

others shall be severely punished and the person found
guilty shall have his fingers cut.
6.) Marriage to as many as three women may be permitted

in the beginning in order to increase the population.
Afterwards only those who can support many wives and
children may be permitted more than one wife.
7.) Poor persons shall not have more than two children.
Children of the poor in excess of two in number, shall
be killed or thrown to swift river.
8.) The authorities shall arrest a man who dishonors a

woman, runs away and does not marry her.
9.) If the man is not found, the illegitimate child

shall be killed and they shall both be buried in one
grave.
10.) Parents shall no longer take of their children who

beget illegitimate children.
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The Maragtas Code is proof of the advanced civilization
of the Bisayans. Morals were high, industry was
encouraged. Gregorio Zaide agreed in his book, that the
Code of Maragtas was promulgated in 1212. The original
manuscript which was given to the custody of the Order
of Saint Augustine and changed hands is missing and may
the search be made upon orders of the national and
local government of a national treasure.
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CABLAYAN, CHARMAINE ROSE D.

HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

Philippine historian Teodoro Agoncillo describes the

Laws of the Kalantiaw Code

In his book, Struggle for Freedom (2008), Cecilio Duka

The book "Glimpses in History of Early Cebu" written

1.) Great penalty shall be imposed on laziness. Land

2.) A lazy person shall be arrested and sold as a slave

3.) When a slave becomes industrious and an able

4.) When a man, after gaining his freedom, again

5.) Theft and reaping plants grown and cultivated by

6.) Marriage to as many as three women may be permitted

8.) The authorities shall arrest a man who dishonors a

9.) If the man is not found, the illegitimate child

10.) Parents shall no longer take of their children who

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