From Four Nodes of History: The Human Rights Challenge in the Philippine Security Sector 8. What was the Bates Treaty? How did it affect the efforts for the unification of the Filipino people towards nationhood and independence? The Bates Treaty was a desperate but successful US initiative aimed at preventing the Moros from joining the revolutionary forces in Luzon and the Visayas. Such an alliance would have opened a new fighting front in the Sulu and Mindanao, the effects of which the US would not have been able to handle. The revolutionary forces had liberated and established a revolutionary government in Zamboanga under General Vicente Alvarez. Though it had been overthrown with a counterforce supported by US Captain Pratt, the revolutionary remnants in Zamboanga had retreated to Basilan, a vassal island of Sultan Kiram of Sulu. The American forces feared the strategic implications posed by General Alvarez. When the Spanish forces surrendered Zamboanga on May 18, 1899 (after burning the city to the ground), Alvarez was proclaimed the head of the revolutionary government in Zamboanga at a time when the Philippine-American War was 20 American treachery I n the Tausug version of the treaty, no sovereignty issue was raised -only an American commitment of “support, aid and protection of the Jolo Island and Archipelago” as stated in Article I of the treaty. This was treacherously translated in English by the Americans as “The sovereignty of the United States over the whole Archipelago of Jolo and its dependencies is declared and acknowledged.” The treaty also gave assurances that the US will not interfere with the religious belief and practices of Moros, the administrative control of Muslim leaders, and their property rights. This meant the US could not sell any of their property.