In response, the Governor-General of the Philippines Gonzalo Ronquillo commissioned Juan Pablo de Carrión, hidalgo and a captain of the Spanish navy, to deal with the piracy.

[1] Ronquillo wrote to King Philip II on 16 June 1582:[9][10] Los japoneses son la gente más belicosa que hay por acá.

All provided from the works of the Portuguese, whom they have shown to them for the detriment of their souls [sic] ... Carrión took the initiative and shelled a Wokou ship, possibly of Chinese manufacture, in the South China Sea, removing it from action.

Spanish sources record it as Tay Fusa, which does not correspond to a Japanese name but could be a transliteration of Taifu-san or Taifu-sama, with taifu (大夫) being a word for a Japanese medieval chieftain rank,[11] also pronounced as tāi-hu (POJ) in Hokkien Chinese, or dàfū (pinyin) in Mandarin Standard Chinese.

[12] To counter this, Carrión gathered forty soldiers and seven boats: five small support vessels, a lightship (San Yusepe), and a galleon (La Capitana), with their respective crews.

[9][10] Though lesser in numbers, the Spanish were advantaged by their greater experience with firearms than the pirates, as well as the superior quality of their armor and weaponry.

Contrary to popular belief, they did not belong to the Tercios and no more than five or six had fought in Europe, since the majority were born in New Spain (what is today, Mexico and the Southwestern United States).

[12] The flotilla continued down the Cagayán River, finding a fleet of eighteen sampans and a Wokou fort erected inland.

The pirate activity was sparse afterward, although the impression left by the fierceness of the battle led the local Spanish viceroy to request more troops.

The commercial activity near Cagayan was focused in Lingayen Bay, in Pangasinan, on the port of Agoo and consisted principally of deerskin trade.