Facts only: National Historical Commission speaks on Lapulapu origin story
Following remarks by Senator Bong Go that Lapulapu came from Mindanao and was a Tausug, the National Historical Commission (NHCP) has issued a statement addressing what are known facts regarding the heritage of the national hero.
The NHCP said that there is no credible primary source regarding the birthplace of Lapulapu or other details about his personal life. All that is known now is based on the accounts of the survivors of the first circumnavigation of the world, mainly Antonio Pigafetta, the Venetian chronicler of the Magellan-Elcano expedition.
Based on what Pigafetta wrote, it is known that Lapulapu was the chieftain of Mactan.
“NHCP considers all popular accounts and stories outside of these historical sources as speculative and folkloric and should not be regarded as established facts of history,” the statement read.
After causing a stir among historians and scholars, Go has since apologized for the remark he made during the 500th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Mactan in Cebu.
(Thumbnail and banner photo from NHCP)