After conquering Manila, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi noted that aside from the rulers of Cebu and Manila, the other principales existing in the Archipelago were either heads or Datus of the barangays allied as nations; or tyrants, who were respected only by the law of the strongest.
By this time, the Hiligaynons (people of the coasts) were mostly reduced as vassals of Spain, either by the so-called "pacts of peace" or by force [REF].