Code of Kalantiaw

It is now generally accepted by historians that the documents supporting the existence and history of the code, according to some sources, "appear to be deliberate fabrications with no historical validity" written in 1913 by a scholar named Jose Marco as a part of a historical fiction titled Las antiguas leyendas de la Isla de Negros (English: The Ancient Legends of the Island of Negros).

[6] In 1965, then University of Santo Tomas doctoral candidate William Henry Scott began an examination of pre-hispanic sources for the study of Philippine history.

When Scott presented these conclusions in his doctoral dissertation, defended on 16 June 1968 before a panel of eminent Filipino historians which included Teodoro Agoncillo, Horacio de la Costa, Marcelino Foronda, Mercedes Grau Santamaria, Nicolas Zafra and Gregorio Zaide, not a single question was raised about the chapter which he had called The Contributions of Jose E. Marco to Philippine historiography.

However, in 1971 a decoration to be known as the Order of Kalantiao was created, to be awarded to any citizen of the Philippines for exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic in the administration of justice and in the field of law.

[5] In his book, Struggle for Freedom (2008), Cecilio Duka provides a full reproduction of the code for the reader's "critical examination... to decide on its veracity and accuracy".

Article IX They shall be slaves for a given time, who sing in their night errands, kill manual birds, tear documents belonging to the headmen; who are evil-minded liars; who play with the dead.

Article X It shall be the obligation of every mother to show her daughter secretly the things that are lascivious, and prepare them for womanhood; men shall not be cruel to their wives, nor should they punish them when they catch them in the act of adultery.

Article XI They shall be burned, who by force or cunning have mocked at and eluded punishment, or who have killed two young boys, or shall try to steal the women of the old men (agurangs).

Article XII They shall be drowned, all slaves who assault their superiors or their lords and masters; all those who abuse their luxury; those who kill their anitos by breaking them or throwing them away.

Article XV Concerning their beliefs and superstitions: they shall be scourged, who eat bad meat of respected insects or herbs that are supposed to be good; who hurt or kill the young manual bird and the white monkey.