To put it in one word.... TOBACCO

He was the first person to grow tobacco in the Philippines and very quickly everyone was growing it. Prior to this the US had been selling US band tobacco to the entire country, making a fortune.

My father stepped on the toes of Uncle Sam and when he was asked to do certain favours for the US in exchange for the money they were no longer making, he said F**K you and that was the beginning of the end for him.