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Andrés Bonifacio

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Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro
A photo engraving of Andrés Bonifacio.
Born(1863-11-30)November 30, 1863
Tondo, Manila, Philippines
DiedMay 10, 1897(1897-05-10) (aged 33)
Maragondon, Cavite, Philippines
Cause of deathExecution
NationalityFilipino
Known forPhilippine Revolution
Political partyLa Liga Filipina
Katipunan
SpouseGregoria de Jesus
This article is about the person Andrés Bonifacio. For the Philippine Navy ship, see BRP Andres Bonifacio (PF-7). For other uses, see Bonifacio (disambiguation).

Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (November 30, 1863 — May 10, 1897) was a Filipino leader of the Philippine Revolution in the 19th century. He was the leader of the Katipunan movement which sought independence from Spain. He is celebrated as a national hero in his country and is dubbed as the "Father" of the Katipunan and of the Philipppine Revolution.[1][2] Bonifacio is also considered by some Filipino historians to be the first president of the Philippines.[3]

Early life

Bonifacio was born to Santiago Bonifacio and Catalina de Castro[4] in Tondo, Manila and was the eldest of six children.[5] His father was a tailor who served as a teniente mayor (municipal official) of Tondo. His mother was a mestiza from Zambales who worked in a cigarette factory.[6] He was orphaned in his late teens - his mother died of tuberculosis in 1881 and his father followed a year after.[7] Bonifacio was forced to drop out of school and work to support his family.[8] He worked as a mandatorio (clerk/messenger) for the English trading firm Fleming and Company, where he rose to become a corredor (agent, salesman) of tar and other goods. He later transferred to Fressell and Company, a German trading firm, where he worked as a bodeguero (warehouseman/agent). He also set up a family business of selling canes and paper fans.[9][8][6] Bonifacio was married twice. His first wife was a certain Monica who died of leprosy. His second wife was Gregoria de Jesus of Caloocan.[10][9][8]

Despite not finishing formal education, Bonifacio was self-educated. He read books on the French Revolution, biographies of the Presidents of the United States of America, the Philippine penal and civil codes, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, Eugène Sue's Le Juif errant and José Rizal's Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.[8][6]

Bonifacio was a Freemason and a member of the Gran Oriente Español (Spanish Grand Lodge). In 1892 he joined Rizal's La Liga Filipina (The Philippine League), an organization which called for political reforms in the Spanish government of the Philippines. However, La Liga Filipina disbanded after Rizal was arrested and deported to the town of Dapitan in Mindanao.[3] Together with other members such as Apolinario Mabini, Bonifacio revived La Liga Filipina and was active at organizing local chapters in Manila. La Liga Filipina contributed moral and financial support to Filipino reformists in Spain.[11]

Katipunan

Main article: Katipunan

On July 7, 1892, the day after Rizal's deportation was announced, Bonifacio and others founded the Katipunan, or in full, Kataas-taasang Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan[3] (Supreme and Venerable Society of the Children of the Nation). The secret society sought independence from Spain through armed revolt.[12][11] It was influenced by Freemasonry through its rituals and organization, and several leading members aside from Bonifacio were also Freemasons. Within the society Bonifacio used the pseudonym Maypagasa (Hopeful).[3]

For a time, Bonifacio worked with both the Katipunan and La Liga Filipina. But La Liga Filipina eventually split because members from the middle and lower classes, like Bonifacio, lost hope for peaceful reforms, and stopped their monetary aid. Members from the upper classes who still believed in peaceful reforms set up the Cuerpo de Compromisarios, which pledged continued support to the reformists in Spain. The radicals were subsumed into the Katipunan.[11][3] From Manila, the Katipunan into expanded several provinces, including Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija.[13] Most of its members, called Katipuneros, came from the lower and middle classes.[3] At first exclusively male, membership was later extended to females, with Bonifacio's wife Gregoria de Jesus a leading member.[14]

From the beginning, Bonifacio was one of the chief Katipunan officers, though he did not become its Supremo (supreme leader) or Presidente Supremo (Supreme President) until 1895. Bonifacio was the third head of the Katipunan after Deodato Arellano and Roman Basa. Prior to this, he served as the society's comptroller and then its fiscal.[15][3] The society had its own laws, bureaucratic structure and elective leadership. For each province it involved, the Katipunan Supreme Council coordinated provincial councils in charge of public administration and military affairs and local councils in charge of affairs on the district or barrio level. Bonifacio was a member and eventually head of the Katipunan Supreme Council.[16][3]

Within the society, Bonifacio developed a strong friendship with Emilio Jacinto who served as his adviser and confidant, as well as a member of the Supreme Council. Bonifacio adopted Jacinto's Kartilla primer as the official teachings of the society in place of his own Decalogue which he judged as inferior. They collaborated on the society's organ Kalayaan (Freedom), which had only one printed issue. Bonifacio wrote several pieces for the paper, including the poem Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa (roughly, "Love for the land of origin[17] under the pseudonym Agapito Bagumbayan. The publication of Kalayaan in March 1896 led to a great increase in Katipunan membership. From less than 300 members in January 1896,[13] it had 30,000 to 400,000 members by August.[3]

Philippine Revolution

The Katipunan was discovered by the Spanish authorities on August 19, 1896. Hundreds of Filipino suspects, both innocent and guilty, were arrested for treason. Bonifacio eluded the authorities and called thousands of Katipunan members to a mass gathering in Caloocan, where they decided to start their revolt (the event was later called the "Cry of Balintawak" or "Cry of Pugad Lawin"; the exact location and date are disputed). The Supreme Council of the Katipunan declared a nationwide armed revolution against Spain and called for a simultaneous coordinated attack on the capital Manila on August 29. Bonifacio appointed generals to lead rebel forces to Manila. Other Katipunan councils were also informed of their plans. Before hostilities erupted, Bonifacio reorganized the Katipunan into open revolutionary government, with him as President and commander-in-chief of the rebel army and the Supreme Council as his cabinet.[16][3][18] On August 28, Bonifacio issued the following general proclamation:

This manifesto is for all of you. It is absolutely necessary for us to stop at the earliest possible time the nameless oppositions being perpetrated on the sons of the country who are now suffering the brutal punishment and tortures in jails, and because of this please let all the brethren know that on Saturday, the 29th of the current month, the revolution shall commence according to our agreement. For this purpose, it is necessary for all towns to rise simultaneously and attack Manila at the same time. Anybody who obstructs this sacred ideal of the people will be considered a traitor and an enemy, except if he is ill; or is not physically fit, in which case he shall be tried according to the regulations we have put in force. Mount of Liberty, 28th August 1896 - ANDRES BONIFACIO[19]

On August 30, 1896, Bonifacio personally led an attack on San Juan del Monte to capture the town's powder magazine and water station (which supplied Manila). The defending Spaniards, outnumbered, fought a delaying battle until reinforcements arrived. Once reinforced, the Spaniards drove Bonifacio's forces back with heavy casualties. Elsewhere, fighting between rebels and Spanish forces occured in Mandaluyong, Sampaloc, Santa Ana, Pandacan, Pateros, Marikina, Caloocan,[20] Makati and Taguig[21]. The conventional view among Filipino historians is that the planned general Katipunan offensive on Manila was aborted in favor of Bonifacio's attack on San Juan del Monte,[21][22] which sparked a general state of rebellion in the area.[23] However, more recent studies have advanced the view that the planned offensive did push through and the rebel attacks were intregrated; according to this view, Bonifacio's San Juan del Monte battle was only a part of a bigger whole - an unrecognized "battle for Manila".[3][20] After Bonifacio's defeat in San Juan del Monte, he and his troops regrouped near Marikina, San Mateo and Montalban, where they proceeded to attack these areas. They captured these areas but were driven back by Spanish counterattacks, and Bonifacio eventually ordered a retreat to Balara. On the way, Bonifacio was nearly killed shielding Emilio Jacinto from a Spanish bullet which grazed his collar.[21] Despite his reverses, Bonifacio was not completely defeated and was still considered a threat. Further, the revolt had spread to the surrounding provinces by the end of August.[3][20]

By December 1896, the Spanish authorities recognized three major centers of rebellion: Cavite (under Emilio Aguinaldo and others), Bulacan (under Mariano Llanera) and Morong (under Bonifacio). The Cavite revolutionaries saw the most success[24] and won prestige in defeating Spanish troops in set piece battles while other rebels were engaged in guerrilla warfare.[3] Bonifacio served as tactician for the rebel guerilllas and issued commands to areas other than his personal sector, though his prestige suffered when he lost battles he personally led.[3]

In Cavite, there were two rival Katipunan factions: the Magdalo, led by Emilio Aguinaldo's cousin Baldomero Aguinaldo, and the Magdiwang, led by Mariano Álvarez, uncle of Bonifacio's wife. Leaders of both factions came from the upper class, in contrast to Bonifacio, who came from the lower middle class. After initial successes, Emilio Aguinaldo issued a manifesto in the name of the Magdalo ruling council which proclaimed a provisional and revolutionary government - despite the existence of the Katipunan government. Emilio Aguinaldo in particular had won fame for victories in the province.[11]

The Magdalo and Magdiwang clashed over authority and jurisdiction and did not help each other in battle. Bonifacio was called to Cavite to mediate between them. He travelled to Cavite accompanied by his wife, his brothers Procopio and Ciriaco, and some troops. Perhaps due to his kinship ties with Mariano Álvarez, Bonifacio was partial to the Magdiwang.[25] In their memoirs, Emilio Aguinaldo and other Magdalo people claim Bonifacio became the head of the Magdiwang, receiving the title Hari ng Bayan (“King of the People”) with Álvarez as his second-in-command.[26] However, these claims are unsupported and are not generally given credence by Filipino historians.[27] Some historians suggest these claims stem from a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of Bonifacio’s title Pangulo ng Haring Bayan (“President of the Sovereign Nation”)[27] or alternately, Pangulo ng Haring Bayang Katagalugan (President of the Sovereign Tagalog Nation).[3] Santiago Álvarez (son of Mariano) distinguishes between the Magdiwang government and the Katipunan Supreme Counci headed by Bonifacio.[28]

In Cavite, friction grew between Bonifacio and the Magdalo leaders. When Aguinaldo and Edilberto Evangelista went to receive Bonifacio at Zapote, they were irritated with what they regarded as his attitude of superiority. In his memoirs Aguinaldo wrote that Bonifacio acted "as if he were a king".[26][29] Another time, Bonifacio ordered the arrest of one of them for failing to support his attack in Manila, but the Magdalo leaders refused. Townspeople in Noveleta (a Magdiwang town) acclaimed Bonifacio as the ruler of the Philippines, to the chagrin of the Magdalo leaders (Bonifacio replied: "long live Philippine Liberty!"[29] Aguinaldo disputed with Bonifacio over strategic troop placements and blamed him for the capture of the town of Silang.[26] Aguinaldo secretly negotiated for a truce with the Spanish. When Bonifacio found out he was angered, not only at the negotiations, but also that the Spanish considered Aguinaldo the leader of the revolutionaries instead of him.[3]

On December 31, Bonifacio and the Magdalo and Magdiwang leaders held a meeting in Imus, ostensibly to determine the leadership of Cavite in order to end the rivalry between the two factions. The issue of whether the Katipunan should be replaced by a revolutionary government was brought up by the Magdalo, and this eclipsed the rivalry issue. The Magdalo argued that the Katipunan, as a secret society, should have ceased to exist once the Revolution was underway. They also held that Cavite should not be divided. Bonifacio and the Magdiwang contended that the Katipunan served as their revolutionary government since it had its own constitution, laws, and provincial and municipal governments. Edilberto Evangelista presented a draft constitution for the proposed government to Bonifacio but this was rejected as too Spanish influenced. Upon the event of restructuring, Bonifacio was given carte blanche to appoint a committee tasked with setting up a new government; he would also be in charge of this committee. He requested for the minutes of the meeting to establish this authority, but these were never provided.[30][3]

The rebel leaders held another meeting in a friar estate-house in Tejeros on March 22, 1897 on the pretense of more discussion between the Magdalo and Magdiwang, but really to settle the issue of leadership of the revolution. Bonifacio mantained the Katipunan government was republican amidst insinuations of his dictatorship. He presided, though reluctantly, over the elections that followed. Before elections started, he asked that the results be respected by everyone, and all agreed. The Caviteños voted their own Emilio Aguinaldo President in absentia, as he was in the battlefield. Bonifacio received the second-highest number of votes for President. Though it was suggested that he be automatically be awarded the Vice Presidency, no one seconded the motion and elections continued. Bonifacio was eventually voted Director of the Interior. The Katipunan as a government was thus legally abolished and replaced by a Cavite-led government later called Republica Filipina (Republic of the Philippines). A later iteration of Aguinaldo's government was inaugurated in 1899 and is considered the first by that name.[3][31][32] Danilo Tirona of the Magdalo protested Bonifacio's election to Director of the Interior on the grounds that the position should not be occupied by a person without a lawyer's diploma. Tirona suggested a prominent Caviteño lawyer for the position. Hurt and angered, Bonifacio demanded an apology, since the voters had agreed to respect the election results. Instead, Tirona left the room. Bonifacio drew a pistol, but he was restrained by Artemio Ricarte before he could shoot Tirona.[33] As people left the room, Bonifacio declared:

"I, as chairman of this assembly and as President of the Supreme Council of the Katipunan, as all of you do not deny, declare this assembly dissolved, and I annul all that has been approved and resolved."[33]

The next day, Bonifacio met with his remaining supporters in the same house and drew up the Acta de Tejeros (Act of Tejeros) wherein they gave their reasons for not accepting the election results. Bonifacio alleged the election was fraudulent due to rigged ballots and accused Aguinaldo of treason due to his negotiations with the Spanish.[34] Aguinaldo later sent a delegation to Bonifacio to get him to cooperate, but the latter refused. Several days later in Naik, Bonifacio asserted his leadership of the revolution with the Naik Military Agreement. In response, Aguinaldo's government ordered his arrest.[35]

A party of Aguinaldo's men led by Agapito Bonzon attacked Bonifacio's camp. One of Bonifacio's brothers, Ciriaco was killed and Bonifacio was wounded in the arm and in the neck, though he did not fight back himself. He and his other brother Procopio were captured, and his wife narrowly escaped rape. He was brought to Naik, where he and his brother stood trial, accused of sedition and treason against Aguinaldo's government and conspiring to murder Aguinaldo.[3][36] The jury was entirely composed of Aguinaldo's men; Bonifacio's defense lawyer himself declared Bonifacio's guilt; and Bonifacio was not allowed to confront the state witness for the charge of conspiracy to murder on the grounds that the latter had been killed in battle, but later the witness was seen alive with the prosecutors.[3][37]

Bonifacio and his brother were found guilty despite insufficient evidence to prove their alleged guilt and recommended to be executed. Aguinaldo commuted the sentence to deportation on May 8, 1897, but Pio del Pilar and Mariano Noriel, both former supporters of Bonifacio, upon learning of this, persuaded him to withdraw the order for the sake of preserving unity. They were supported by other leaders. The Bonifacio brothers were executed on May 10, 1897 in the mountains of Maragondon.[38][39]

The commanding officer of the execution party, Lazaro Macapagal, testified in two separate accounts that the Bonifacio brothers were shot. One account has Bonifacio attempting to escape after his brother is shot, but he is also killed while running away. Macapagal writes that they buried the brothers in graves dug with bayonets. However, another account related by Guillermo Masangkay, a general allied with Bonifacio, states that Bonifacio was stabbed and hacked to death lying prone in a hammock. Masangkay claimed to have gotten this information from one of the execution party.[40]

Apolinario Mabini, Emilio Aguinaldo's adviser, wrote that Bonifacio's death demoralized many rebels from Manila, Laguna and Batangas who had come to help those in Cavite, and caused them to quit.[41] In other areas, some of Bonifacio's associates like Emilio Jacinto and Macario Sacay never subjected their military commands to Aguinaldo's authority.

Historical controversies

The historical assessment of Bonifacio involves several controversial points. His death is alternately viewed as a justified execution for treason and a "legal murder" fueled by politics. Some historians consider him the rightful first Philippine President instead of Aguinaldo. Historians have also called that Bonifacio share or even take the place of Jose Rizal as the (foremost) Philippine national hero.

Bonifacio's trial and execution

Bonifacio's actions after the Tejeros Convention have been called counter-revolutionary, the charge of treason justified, and his elimination even necessary to ensure unity of the Filipino revolutionaries.[42][43]

Teodoro Agoncillo writes that Bonifacio's declaration of a government in opposition to Aguinaldo posed a danger to the revolution because a split in the rebel forces would result in almost certain defeat to their united and well-armed Spanish foe.[39] In contrast Renato Constantino writes that Bonifacio was neither a danger to the revolution in general for he still planned to fight the Spanish, nor to the revolution in Cavite since he was leaving; but Bonifacio was definitely a threat to the Cavite leaders who wanted control of the Revolution, so he was eliminated. Constantino contrasts Bonifacio who had no record of compromise with the Spanish with the Cavite leaders who did compromise, resulting in the Pact of Biak-na-Bato whereas the revolution was officially halted and its leaders exiled, though many Filipinos continued to fight (though Aguinaldo, unofficially allied with the United States, did return to take charge of the revolution during the Spanish-American War).[44]

Historians have also discussed the motives of the Cavite government to replace Bonifacio, and whether it had the right to do so. The Magdalo provincial council which helped established a republican government led by one of their own was only one of many such councils in the pre-existing Katipunan government.[43][3][45] Therefore, Constantino and Alejo Villanueva write they may be considered guilty of violating constituted authority, instead of Bonifacio.[46] Aguinaldo's authority was not immediately recognized by all rebels. Constantino and Villanueva also interpret the Tejeros Convention as the culmination of a movement by members of the upper class represented by Aguinaldo to wrest power from Bonifacio who represented the middle and lower classes.[46][43]

Bonifacio as first Philippine President

Some historians such as Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion, and Ramon Villegas have pushed for the recognition of Bonifacio as the first president of the Philippines instead of Aguinaldo, the officially recognized one. This view is based on his position of president/Supremo of the Katipunan revolutionary government from 1896-97. This view also emphasizes that Bonifacio established a government through the Katipunan before a government headed by Aguinaldo was formed at the Tejeros Convention. Guerrero writes that Bonifacio had a concept of the Philippine nation called Katagalugan which was displaced by Aguinaldo's concept of Filipinas. In documents predating Tejeros and the First Philippine Republic, Bonifacio is called the president of the Tagalog Republic.[3][16][47][40]

Bonifacio as national hero

Teodoro Agoncillo writes that the Philippine national hero, unlike those of other countries, is not "the leader of its liberation forces".[48] Reformist José Rizal is honored as such. Both Bonifacio and Rizal have national holidays named after them: November 30 for Bonifacio Day, and December 30 for Rizal Day.[49] Renato Constantino writes Rizal is a "United States-sponsored hero" whom the American administrators declared as the Philippine national hero during the American colonial period after the Philippine-American War, which Aguinaldo lost. The United States promoted Rizal, who represented peaceful political advocacy (in fact, repudiation of violent means) instead of more radical people whose ideas could inspire resistance against American rule.[50] Rizal was selected over Bonifacio who was viewed "too radical" and Apolinario Mabini who was considered "unregenerate."[51] Based on this, Bonifacio has been suggested as a more worthy national hero.[52] However, Ambeth Ocampo writes that this view is moot since Rizal inspired the Philippine Revolution. Bonifacio, Aguinaldo and other figures held Rizal in high esteem and it was Aguinaldo who first declared the anniversary of Rizal's death a national holiday.[52] Agoncillo that writes Bonifacio should not replace Rizal as the national hero but be honored alongside him.[48]

File:Bonifacio Monument.jpg
Bonifacio monument in Caloocan City.

Bonifacio's birthday on November 30 is celebrated as Bonifacio Day and is a public holiday in the Philippines. There are many monuments to Bonifacio in the country, the most famous being two sculptures, one by Napoleon Abueva and the other by Guillermo Tolentino in Caloocan, both National Artists. The former previously resided at Balintawak and is currently at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, while the latter is at Caloocan. In current Philippine currency, Bonifacio is depicted in the 10 peso note and 10 peso coin, along with fellow patriot Apolinario Mabini.

Bonifacio has been portayed in Philippine film and television. He was portrayed by Julio Díaz in Bayani (Hero), a film based on his life directed by Raymond Red. Diaz also played Bonifacio in an educational Philippine television series for ABS-CBN, also called Bayani. Gardo Verzosa portrayed Bonifacio in the 1998 film José Rizal. The film depicts his membership in La Liga Filipina and idolization of Rizal.

Notes

  1. ^ Agoncillo 1996[page needed]
  2. ^ Agoncillo 1990.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Guerrero 1998.
  4. ^ Agoncillo 1996, p. 69
  5. ^ Agoncillo 1990, p. 157.
  6. ^ a b c Constantino 1975, p. 166.
  7. ^ Agoncillo 1996[page needed]
  8. ^ a b c d Agoncillo 1990, p. 158.
  9. ^ a b Ocampo 2001.
  10. ^ Agoncillo 1996[page needed]
  11. ^ a b c d Constantino 1975, pp. 158–159. Cite error: The named reference "constantinop158-159" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  12. ^ Agoncillo 1990, p. 149
  13. ^ a b Agoncillo 1990, p. 166
  14. ^ Agoncillo 1990, p. 163
  15. ^ Agoncillo 1990, p. 152
  16. ^ a b c Guerrero 1996.
  17. ^ Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa. Philippine Revolution Web Center Site.
  18. ^ Agoncillo 1990, p. 152
  19. ^ Salazar 1994, p. 107.
  20. ^ a b c Salazar 1994.
  21. ^ a b c Agoncillo 1990, p. 173
  22. ^ Zaide 1984.
  23. ^ Salazar 1994, p. 104.
  24. ^ Constantino 1975, p. 179
  25. ^ The Philippine Revolution of 1896:Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times. Ateneo de Manila University Press. 2001.
  26. ^ a b c Aguinaldo 1964.
  27. ^ a b Quirino 1969.
  28. ^ Alvarez 1992.
  29. ^ a b Constantino 1975, pp. 181–182
  30. ^ Constantino 1975, pp. 182–184
  31. ^ Constantino 1975, p. 184
  32. ^ Linn 2000, pp. 4–5.
  33. ^ a b Agoncillo 1990, p. 178
  34. ^ Constantino 1975, pp. 188
  35. ^ Agoncillo 1990, p. 178-180
  36. ^ Agoncillo 1990, p. 180
  37. ^ Constantino 1975, pp. 189–191
  38. ^ Constantino 1975, p. 191
  39. ^ a b Agoncillo 1990, pp. 180–181.
  40. ^ a b Cristobal 2005.
  41. ^ Mabini 1969.
  42. ^ Constantino 1975, pp. 190–191
  43. ^ a b c Villanueva 1989.
  44. ^ Constantino 1975, pp. 190–206
  45. ^ Constantino 1975, pp. 188, 190–191
  46. ^ a b Constantino 1975, p. 190
  47. ^ "La Ilustración Española y Americana", Año 1897, Vol. I. Museo Oriental de Valladolid Site.
  48. ^ a b Agoncillo 1990, p. 160
  49. ^ Selection and Proclamation of National Heroes and Laws Honoring Filipino Historical Figures. Reference and Research Bureau Legislative Research Service, House of Congress. National Commission for Culture and the Arts Site. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
  50. ^ Constantino 1980.
  51. ^ Friend 1965, p. 15
  52. ^ a b Ocampo 1999.

References

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