Cebu historians split on Lav Diaz's Lapulapu 'myth' claim

" Magellan," a co-production with Portugal, Spain, France, and Taiwan, was recently chosen as the Philippines' bid for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards next year.

- By Januar Junior Aguja

It bested other contenders, including “Sunshine,” “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea,” “Some Nights I Feel Like Walking,” and “Green Bones.”

Before flying to the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where the two-hour-and-40-minute film premiered, the auteur filmmaker explained in interviews why he considers Antonio Pigafetta’s accounts of the chieftain unreliable.

The Venetian scholar was part of Magellan’s expedition and chronicled its journey, including its return to Spain after Magellan’s death.

“Nobody ever saw Lapulapu. He was actually created by Rajah Humabon, the King of Cebu, in an attempt to drive away Magellan, who at that time had already converted almost all of Cebu to Christianity. Humabon invented Lapulapu because he didn’t want his people to convert. It was all part of the plan,” Diaz said.

Local historian I.M., requesting anonymity, reacted strongly to Diaz’s claim. He told The FREEMAN: “How is he going to discredit Lapulapu’s existence? Why would Humabon do that? Several eyewitnesses can prove Lapulapu’s existence, including Enrique of Malacca. Even Chinese people wrote something about the people of Mactan. That alone is a telltale sign that he existed.”

Harvey, an independent researcher based in Lapu-Lapu City who likewise requested anonymity, argued that Pigafetta’s accounts are highly reliable since he witnessed the Battle of Mactan himself and documented the voyage across the Pacific.