 After, the American colonial government designated Zamboanga as capital of the newly established Moro Province which served as the provincial entity of Mindanao with Brigadier General Leonard Wood as its governor.The Republic of Zamboanga during President Álvarez's term claimed territorial rights over the islands of Mindanao, Basilan, and Sulu, encompassing all of the southern Philippines in the midst of war against the Spanish, Americans, and natives of those islands.However, the Republic's actual sovereignty extended only to the current boundaries of Zamboanga City.