Death by Garrote (1901).

Death by Garrote (1901)

Described by historian Teodoro Agoncillo as “death by strangulation using an iron-collar,” garrote vil became the prominent form of capital punishment when death by hanging was abolished in 1832.


The collar could be made from handheld chain, rope, fishing line or scarf although brass/iron collars were more common in the Philippines.

A typical garrote usually includes a small seating board, a moving back piece which crushes the upper spine, and a front hinge controlled by a large fourth-rate screw.

Interesting fact:   Prior to execution, the condemned was usually preceded by priests and soldiers for the final walk. A man in front carries a sacred banner which was not allowed to be touched by the convict–doing so would reduce his sentence to life imprisonment.

The executioners, on the other hand, were one of the highest-paid ‘workers’ in town—getting at least $16 in addition to a $20 monthly salary for every executed convict.

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