The Spanish governor in the Philippines, Santiago de Vera, tried to strengthen the Iberian positions in Maluku after Babullah's demise. A small fleet of four frigates under Pedro Sarmiento was dispatched from Manila in 1584 and forced the Ternatan dependency Moti Island to submit temporarily with the help of the Tidorese allies. Three frigates were then dispatched to the Bacan Islands to take in foodstuff. However, Kaicili Tolu met them in a sea battle where one frigate exploded as a vat of gunpowder was lit, and the others withdrew to Tidore. In the next year 1585 a larger Spanish fleet appeared in Maluku, driven by fear that the English might try to establish a post in the Spice islands. Saidi was requested to give up the formerly Portuguese fort on Ternate, but gave a vague answer. Supported by the rulers of Tidore, Bacan and northern Sulawesi, the Iberian forces invaded Ternate. The defenders, reinforced by the crews of 30 Javanese merchant vessels, successfully defeated an attempt to storm the fortress. The Spanish commander Juan de Morones was forced to give up the enterprise and shortly returned to Manila. A new expedition with 2,000 Spanish and Filipino soldiers was dispatched in 1593 but faltered due to a mutiny among the Chinese rowers. A few years later Saidi went on the offensive, sending a strong fleet of korakoras (large outriggers) to Mindanao which was loosely claimed by Ternate. They joined local rebels and Malay raiders to fight the Spaniards, but were eventually expelled in 1596.