CHAPTER 7

The Propaganda Movement

The Propaganda Movement, which began in 1882, lasted up to the early months of
1892. It was a peaceful campaign for reforms towards changing the political and social
order in the country under Spanish rule. The objectives of the Propaganda Movement are
the following:
1. Equality of Filipinos and Spaniards before the law;
2. Assimilation of the Philippines as a regular province of Spain;
3. Restoration of Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes;
4. Filipinization or secularization of Philippine parishes
5. Individual liberties for the Filipino people, such as freedom of speech, freedom press
and freedom of redress of grievance

Based on the above objectives of Propaganda Movement, the Filipino reformist were
seeking total transformation of the country's political and social order by attacking and the
civil, military, and ecclesiastical abuses committed by Spanish authorities against Filipino
people. Mostly, the propagandists came from the middle classes who were sent to Europe
to, obtain education. Among the several reform movements organized by the Filipino elites
who went to Spain were the Circulo Hispano-Filipino, Asociacion Hispano Filipina, Masonic
Lodges, and La Liga Filipina. Among the propagandists were the following: Jose Rizal,
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Antonio Luna, Juan Luna, Mariano Ponce,
Pedro Paterno, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Jose Ma. Panganiban, Jose Alejandrino, Mariano
Ponce, and other Filipinos who were in Europe. The greatest reformists were Jose Rizal,
Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Marcelo H. del Pilar.
To prevent the Spaniards from discovering the true identity of the contributors to the
reformist they used pseudonyms the following pseudonyms: Marcelo del Pilar (Plaridel),
Jose Rizal (Laon Laan/Dimasalang), Mariano Ponce (Kalipulako or Tikbalang), Jose Ma.
Panganiban (JoMaPa)

Jose Rizal
He was born in Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861. He was the seventh of the 10
children of Don Francisco Mercado and Dona Teodora Alonzo. Both his parents were
educated and belonged to respected families. At an early age of three, he started studying
under the supervision of his mother. At the age of five, he already showed his inclination to
be an artist. He finished his secondary education at Ateneo Municipal de Manila where he
learned the values of fairness, justice, and reason which, in effect, led him to focus his
lifetime work towards the quest for justice, equality, and dignity. At the age of 18, he was
able to prove that the Filipinos were comparable with the Spaniards in mental ability by
winning the grand prize in a literary contest with his entry, A La Juventud Filipina. His
allegorical play entitled El Conscio delos Dioses was chosen as the best entry in the
competition of 1880. The jury, however, upon discovering that the author was a Filipino,
decided to confer (binigay) the grand prize to a Spaniard.
Two of his famous literary works written when he was already 26 years old were the
Noli me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo. Because Rizal became an ardent exponent of
reform and racial equality and since he considered the friars as enemies of progress in the
Philippines, the friars did everything to have him tried on charges of treason and sedition,
condemned and consequently sentenced to die by musketry on December 30, of 1896
at Bagumbayan.

Graciano Lopez Jaena, the Great Orator and Propagandist

He was born in Jaro, Iloilo on December 18, 1856 to Placido Lopez and Maria
Jacob Jaena. His parents were poor but were instrumental to his religious upbringing. They
enrolled him in the school of the Filipino priest Father Francisco Jayme in the Colegio
Provincial and then in the Seminario de San Vicente Ferrer in Jaro in 1869 to study
Theology. Graciano sailed to Manila for this dream but was not admitted immediately in the
School of Medicine of the University of Santo Tomas because he lacked the preparatory
course. After two years as apprentice in San Juan De Dios Hospital, he returned to Iloilo
where his insufficient medical training was valued by his townmates who could not afford to
seek professional medical help. His medical service was accompanied with a new purpose
when he realized the miserable social and economic condition of many Filipinos under the
Spanish authorities. He started
his own crusade (campaign) by encouraging the people to embrace freedom and equality.
In 1874, he circulated the satire he wrote "Fray Botod" (Big Bellied Friar) during his
seminary by days. It exposed the greed, laziness, and cruelty of the friar fattened by the
delicious n- foods supplied by his parishioners. His crusades enraged the Spanish
authorities.
He studied medicine in the University of Valencia but his passion for reforms in the
Philippines forced him to study journalism. He transferred to Madrid where he became
known for his speeches and writings, which were in defense of the Filipinos. He contributed
write-ups the advocating liberal measures for the Philippines to several newspapers like the
following El Liberal, El Progreso Bandara Social de Madrid Lapublicidad, El Pueblo
Soberano, and El Deluvio o/ Barcelona, Espaha en Filipinas, Revista delCirculo Hispano
Filipino, and Revista Economica de la Cmnara de Comercio de Espaha en Londres.
Graciano's propaganda became a professional entity after Jose Rizal and Marcelo H. del
Pilar joined him. In 1889, they launched the propaganda newspaper called La
Solidaridad, with Graciano Lopez Jaena as editor. He persevered with the difficulty of
keeping the Propaganda alive until his tuberculosis took him on January 20, 1896. The
great propagandist died in Barcelona, the foreign land that welcomed and nurtured his
crusade for reforms.

Marcelo H. del Pilar, the Journalist

Marcelo H. del Pilar started school in the college of Mr. Jose Flores before he upon
transferred to the College of San Jose in Manila. He finished law in 1880. More popularly
known as Plaridel, his talents included playing the violin, piano, and flute and fencing. He
used to sing in serenades and played beautiful pieces on the violin during Flores de Mayo.
He later married his cousin Marciana del Pilar in 1878 and had seven children. Plaridel
established the Diariong Tagalog in 1882 to publish observations and criticisms on how
the Spanish government in the Philippines was run. Pedro Serrano Laktaw helped him in
publishing Dasalan at Tuksuhan and the Pasyong Dapat Ipag- alab ng Puso ng Taong
Bayan. In Spain, he and Graciano Lopez Jaena published the La Solidaridad, which was
the organ containing their desires in improving the Philippine. Government. He succeeded
Lopez Jaena as editor of the La Solidaridad. He died a poor man on July 4, 1896 in
Barcelona, Spain.

La Liga Filipina
In 1892 at Tondo, Rizal and many of his associates founded the La Liga Filipina. Its
objectives were set forth in the organization's constitution:
 unification of the Philippine archipelago into a homogenous polity;
 mutual protection and defense against violence and injustice;
 encouragement of instruction in agriculture and commerce;
 study and application of reforms.
Its three—tiered governing body comprised a supreme council at the apex, and provincial
and popular council at the base. La Liga Filipina was dissolved after Rizal's deportation
to Dapitan. When the La Liga shut down its operations, the organization was divided into
two groups. One group included the Compromisarios which was, supported by the middle
and upper classes who decided to continue to support the La Solidaridad. The other was
led by Bonifacio, who founded the Katipunan and formally inaugurated the era of
revolutionary nationalism of the Philippine masses. Mabini did not join the Katipunan and
remained a compromisario.
Moreover, there were several reform movements organized by the Filipino elites who
went to Spain such as the Circulo Hispano-Filipino, Asociacion-Hispano Filipina, and the
Masonic Lodge but, unfortunately, all of them failed. Spain was very much preoccupied with
her own internal problems and did not have time to consider his colonial problems aired by
the propagandists through the La Solidaridad. In addition, the lack of finances to support
the propaganda activities in Europe led to the failure of the movement. The lack of unity
was also not good for the movement. Despite the failure, the propaganda movement
witnessed the rise of prolific nationalist writers from all strata of Philippine society but mostly
middle class and educated families.

Establishment of the Katipunan

July 7, 1892 was a significant date for the Filipinos because it marked the end of the
peaceful campaign for reforms and the start of a revolutionary movement to gain let
independence. On the evening of July 7, 1892, Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Deodato
Arellano, Ladislao Diwa, Valentine Diaz, Jose Dizon, and two others secretly founded a
revolutionary society. They called it Kataas-taasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan nang
manga Anak nang Bayan (KKK) or simply Katipunan.
The Katipunan was formed in the house of Deodato Arellano at Azcarraga street in
Tondo, Manila. The original leadership of the Katipunan can be classified as lower middle
to middle-middle class and later on evolved as almost plebeian (karaniwang tao) in social
status.

 Deodato Arellano, its first president, studied bookkeeping at the Ateneo Municipal
and upon graduation worked as assistant clerk in the artillery corps.
  Teodoro Plata was a cousin of Gregoria de Jesus, Bonifacio's second wife. His
father was a mail carrier. He studied at the Escuela Municipal where he completed
the segunda ensenanza. First employed as a clerk in Binondo, he later became a
clerk at the court of First Instance in Mindoro, his last post before he joined the
revolution. He joined the Katipunan at the insistence of Bonifacio.
 Ladislao Diwa was an employee of the court of Quiapo and worked actively under
Bonifacio in the La Liga Filipina.
 Valentin Diaz was also a court clerk. He helped draw up the statutes of the
Katipunan (Constantino, 1975).
The Katipunan was founded with the following objectives:
1. Unite the Filipinos under one flag;
2. Achieve independence by means of revolution; and
3. Defend the oppressed and help members who are in need.

The Rise of Andres Bonifacio

The founder and organizer of the Katipunan came from a lower middle-class family.
He was born in Tondo, then a part of the province of Manila, on November 30, 1863. His
parents were Santiago Bonifacio, a tailor who had served as a teniente mayor of Tondo, and
Catalina de Castro, a Spanish mestiza who used to work as a cabecilla in a cigarette factory.
Andres grew up in the slums and never knew the benefits of a prosperous life. He had three
brothers and two sisters: Ciriaco, Procopio, Espiridiona, Troadio, and Maxima. Andres studied
the alphabet in a school conducted by Guillermo Osmena of Cebu. The death of his parents
forced Andres to give up schooling to shoulder the burden of his family. Though very limited in
his education, he was endowed (pinaagkalooban) with a beautiful penmanship and an interest
craftsmanship. He made canes and paper fans which he peddled (ilako) around. The little
leisure that he had was employed in self-study for he was a lover of books. Late in his teens, he
was employed as clerk messenger in the commercial firm of Fleming and Company. Serious-
minded, honest, and dedicated to his work, he later became the company's agent. He sold
rattan, tar, and other articles of trade. His earnings, however, were not enough to make both
ends meet, and so he transferred and became an agent at Fressell and Company.
His constant struggle to make a living did not give him much leisure to improve his mind.
Nevertheless, he read books by the lamplight at home. He read Rizal's two novels, the Noli
and the El Fili, the Ruins of Palmyra, Hugo's Les Miserables, Eugene Sue's The Wandering
Dew, the lives of the Presidents of the United States, International Law, the penal and Civil
Codes, some novels, a book on the French Revolution, paper copies of revolutionary
speeches and documents, a collection of La Solidaridad issues, and the letters of Luna and
Del Pilar. Thus, while not fortunate to have a formal education, he educated himself through
hard work.
In his early manhood, he fell in love with a certain Monica, whom he later married. The
marriage was short-lived because Monica soon died of leprosy. In 1892, he met Gregoria de
Jesus of Kalookan and fell in love with her. After their Catholic marriage at Binondo Church,
the couple was remarried according the Katipunan rites. Gregoria was initiated into the
Women's Chapter of the Katipunan and chose Lakambini as her symbolic name.
Furthermore, she took custody of the papers, revolvers, seals, and other paraphernalia of the
society.
 The ideas of Bonifacio were influenced by Marcelo H. del Pilar. Among the
propagandists, it was del Pilar who supported the revolution. In his speeches and articles, he
revealed that the last option in fighting for reforms was towards a revolution. In fact, Bonifacio
used del Pilar's name as editor-in-chief for the newspaper Kalayaan. He also submitted
the by-laws of the Katipunan to del Pilar for approval and made use of del Pilar's letter to
recruit members in the organization. As a leader, Bonifacio's vital ideology that the revolution
is the sole solution was based on the dignity of a man, in defending the oppressed people, and
raising the banner of separation from Spain (Constantino, 1975).

Recruitment and Membership

The initial recruitment of the Katipunan is the "triangle method," which is also
known as Hasik. Every member initiated two or more persons into the society. This was later
changed into a regular recruitment wherein any member of the society could recruit as many
new members of the society (Kintanar, T. et al, 1996). At their initiation into the Katipunan, the
members (Katipuneros) were asked to recall the glory of pre-Spanish days when the
Philippines had its own civilization and religion, liberty, and commerce with Asia. They were
asked to redeem their freedom with faith and courage. Although the Katipunan seemed to be
patterned after the Masonic lodges, there was no relation between the two. After the
screening, the members signed their oath with their own blood. The member then chose his
own pseudonym which he used every time he attended the meetings of the Katipunan. Andres
Bonifacio was known as May Pag-asa, Artemio Ricarte as Vibora, and Emilio Jacinto as
Pingkian. They used pseudonyms to avoid arrest and protect their families from all sorts of
harassment.
The Katipunan were divided into three grades.
 The first grade was the Katipon or Member, and they wore a black hood with a white
triangle in the middle when they attended meetings. Their password, Anak ng Bayan,
was written on the white triangle of their hood.
 The second grade was the Kawal or Soldier. The members wore a green hood with a
white triangle and a medallion,where the Malayan letter "K" was engraved. Their
password was Gomburza.
 The third grade was Bayani or Hero, who wore a red hood with a green-bordered
sash. The password was Rizal.This was the highest grade in the organization and
was reserved for elected officers. The Kawal, which was second in rank to the Bayani,
was composed of members who had recruited a lot of new ones. All new members
were classified as Katipon.
The Katipunan was strictly for men, but later on, accepted women members for two reasons:
to increase the number of members and to stop suspicion on the part of wives, girlfriends,
mothers, sisters or daughters of members. The women were least suspected by the Spanish
authorities so they were able to keep important documents of the society.

Katipunan Government
The Katipunan had three government bodies: The Kataas-tasang Sanggunian or
supreme Council,the Sangguniang Bayan or Provincial Council, and the Sangguniang
Balangay or Popular Council. The Supreme Council was the highest of the governing bodies,
followed by Provincial Council and Popular Council. There was a Judicial council called
Sangguniang Hukuman, which was responsible for the members who violated the rules of the
Katipunan. Usually, expulsion (pagpapatalsik) was the punishment for the members who
committed mistakes. The Katipunan also imposed strict discipline among its members. The
teachings of use of the Katipunan, which they were ideals coded, as of guidelines the
Filipinos. for the actions of every found member for they embodied the deals and values of
Filipinos. These can be found in the Kartilla written by Emilio Jacinto. The Kartilla (shown next
page) was composed of Spain 13 "commandments." (Agoncillo, Teodoro 1990)

The Kalayaan
This Emilio Jacinto and Andres Bonifacio assumed that they could easily spread
the revolutionary ideas by having a printing press. Dr. Pio Valenzuela suggested the name
Kalayaan to be the official newspaper of the Katipunan. After weeks of preparation, the
newspaper was published in Tagalog in the middle of March 1896. The Kalayaan contained
articles written by Bonifacio, Jacinto, and Valenzuela. To deceive the Spaniards, and they put
Yokohama as the place of publication and Marcelo H. del Pilar served as. editor. To protect
their families and hide their true identities, the contributors used pseudonyms. Emilio Jacinto
used Dimas-ilaw and Pingkian, Andres Bonifacio used heir Agapito Bagumbayan, and
Pio Valenzuela hid behind the name Madlang-Awa. The first issue of the Kalayaan
appeared on March 1896 with 2,000 copies and circulated outside Manila. There was never a
second issue of the Kalayaan because the Spanish s to authorities discovered its publication.
However, the impact of the first issue was so great that the news about the Katipunan reached
even the most distant areas of the or country.

Emilio Jacinto
He was born in Tondo on December 15, 1875, the son of Mariano Jacinto and Josefa
Dizon. He enrolled at San Juan de Letran College and later at the University of Santo Tomas,
where he developed a taste of reading. At the age of 18, he joined the de Katipunan,
becoming the youngest member. Bonifacio and Jacinto were like brothers who never
separated from each other if either one could help it. Separation came late in December 1896
when Bonifacio went to Cavite to mediate between the two rival factions of the Katipunan in
that province and Jacinto, appointed commander-in-chief of the revolutionary forces in
Laguna, went to his province to direct the movements of the revolutionists. Nevertheless, they
communicated with each other when time and Circumstances permitted. While directing a
campaign against the Spaniards in Majayjay, Laguna, Jacinto contracted fever and died on
April 16, 1899.
 CHAPTER 8
The First Phase of the Philippine Revolution
The Discovery of the Katipunan
Rumors reached the Spaniards about the existence of a secret and widespread
movement against the government. The growing tension worried the friars. They urged
Governor-General Ramon Blanco and General Bernardo Echaluce, the military governor of
Manila, to act decisively but he refused to believe them. The discovery of the existence of the
Katipunan came from its own members. Teodoro Patino and Apolonio dela Cruz, both members
of the Katipunan who were employed at the Diario de Manila, had a quarrel. Teodoro Patinio
revealed the secrets of the Katipunan to his sister, Honoria who was residing at an
orphanage during that time. It was the madre Portera in charge of the orphanage whom she told
about the Katipunan. On August 19, 1896, Patinio, at the suggestion of the madre portera,
revealed the secrets of the Katipunan to Father Mariano Gil.
Immediately, the Spanish authorities searched the offices of the Diario de Manila and the
Katipunan receipts and other evidences. After the Katipunan was discovered, there was a
massive arrest of suspects. Even wealthy Filipinos were implicated and imprisoned at Fort
Santiago. Fortunately, Bonifacio and Jacinto were advised and were able to escape (Agoncillo,
1974).

Rizal and the Revolution

Bonifacio, being a former member of the La Liga, wanted Rizal's opinion on the needed
uprising against the Spaniards. He sent Dr. Pio Valenzuela to seek for the advice of Rizal in
Dapitan. Rizal pointed out that a revolution without sufficient arms should not be started against
an armed nation. He remembered the first Cuban revolution against Spain which failed because
of lack of arms. He suggested that influential and wealthy Filipinos should be attracted to the
cause of the society in order to ensure the success of the revolution. In such case, he said,
there would be unity among all classes of Filipinos. Knowing that the society had no competent
military leadership, he suggested that Antonio Luna be appointed to direct all military
operations against the enemy.

The Cry of Pugadlawin

 Bonifacio wanted to seek the assistance of the wealthy Filipinos in its struggle to free the
country from Spain. Many wealthy Filipinos, however, refused to support the Katipunan, with a
few exceptions like the physician, Dr. Pio Valenzuela. On the evening of the discovery of the
Katipunan, Bonifacio and Jacinto together with Procopio Bonifacio, Aguedo del Rosario, and
Teodoro Plata escaped to Balintawak and later proceeded to Pugadlawin. Pio Valenzuela
remained in Manila but followed the next day. On August 23, 1896, all the remaining
Katipuneros met at Pugndlawin at the yard of Juan Ramos, the son of Melchora Aquino, where
they agreed to fight for independence. To prove their intention, they tore their cedulas and
shouted "Long Live Philippine Independence. " This incident is known in history as the Cry
of Pugadlawin and it marked the start of the revolution against Spain in 1896.

The First Filipino-Spanish Encounter

The first encounter between the Katipuneros and Spanish troops happened in San Juan
del Monte on August 30, 1896.The Katipuneros attacked the Spanish arsenal and tried to get
the arms stocked there. The Katipuneros would have been successful in taking the arsenal if not
for the arrival of Spanish reinforcement. As a consequence, many Katipuneros were killed. After
the battle in San Juan, Bonifacio and his men took refuge in the hills at the junction of Marikina,
San Mateo, and Montalban. They were joined by other leaders Macario Sakay, Faustino
Guillermo, Apolonio Samson, Bonifacio then attacked the Spanish troops in San Mateo. They
were able to capture the town but were retaken later by the Spaniards. The Katipuneros
retreated to Balara. Meanwhile, the revolution raged in Cavite under the leadership of Emilio
Aguinaldo, Artemio Ricarte, and Tomas Mascardo.
Aguinaldo won battle after battle against the Spaniards in Imus, Noveleta, and
Binakayan-all in Cavite. Under the leadership of Mariano Llanera, the rebels attacked the
Spanish garrison in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija on September 2, 1896. Before the end Of
September, the provinces of Cavite, Bulacan, Batangas, and Nueva Ecija all joined the
revolution. Other provinces and islands also followed.

Period of Mass Arrests and Execution

On August 30, 1896, Governor-General Ramon, Blanco placed the provinces of
Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Tarlac Nueva Ecija Bulacan and Pampanga under martial
law. Incidentally, these were the first eight provinces which revolted against the Spaniards.
While these provinces were under martial law, prisoners arrested for insurrection were tried in
military courts. Those who surrendered within 48 hours after the declaration of martial law were
promised pardon. However, the Spanish authorities did not honor their promise. Instead of
issuing pardon, they imprisoned and tortured the Katipuneros who surrendered. The Spanish
authorities were very cruel to all those who were suspected as members of the Katipunan. Fort
Santiago waged with prisoners. Others were exiled to the Caroline Islands and Africa. Many
were executed. Among them was Dr. Jose Rizal who was executed on December 30, 1896 at
Bagumbayan. while the objective of the Spaniards was to instill fear, the people felt intense
hatred towards the authorities and this inspired them to fight for independence.

The Rise of Aguinaldo

Emilio Aguinaldo, born in 1869, came from a family of farmers. The death of his father
left him without money at the age of 11. He took to farming afterwards. Aguinaldo was not poor
like Bonifacio. In fact, he became a mayor of Cavite City on January 18, 1895. He was
recognized after his successive victories against the Spaniards. He led the successful attack
on Kawit on August 31, 1896. His brilliant strategy helped him win battles in Cavite. He was
responsible for the retreat of Spanish troops led by Governor-General Blanco in
Binakayan, Cavite on November Il, 1896. In fact, this was his greatest victory. It was in this
battle which won him the admiration of his peers and made him one of the undisputed leaders of
the revolution. His leadership ideally suited a revolution.

Political Factions in Cavite

By December 1896, the Spanish authorities recognized three major centers of rebellion:
Cavite (under Emilio Aguinaldo and others), Bulacan (under Mariano Llanera) and Morong in
Rizal (under Bonifacio). The revolt was most successful in Cavite. Aguinaldo led the revolution
in Kawit. Consequently, he won victory against General Ernesto de Aguirre, who admired his
qualities as a military leader and later on called him Heneral Miong. Thus, the two factions of
Katipunan existed in Cavite. The Magdalo faction under Baldomero Aguinaldo, the cousin of
Aguinaldo was in Kawit, Cavite while the Magdiwang faction under Mariano Alvarez, uncle of
Bonifacio wife, had its headquarters in Noveleta, Cavite. Leaders of both factions came from the
upper class, in contrast to Bonifacio, who came from the lower middle class. Though both were
strong advocates of the revolution, the rivalry between the two factions led to several defeats of
the revolutionists. To settle the dispute. Bonifacio was requested to go to Cavite to serve as a
mediator an assembly between was the held two in factions. He was accompanied by his wife
and two brothers. The Magdiwang favored the retention of the Katipunan, while the Magdalo
favored a change in structure.

Tejeros Election
Cavite was trying to defeat the Spaniards but town after town fell in the hand of the
colonists. Meanwhile, on March 22, 1897, a convention was held to settle the dispute between
the factions. During the convention led by Bonifacio and Artemio Ricarte as the secretary,
the members agreed on the formation of a new government. Whoever will be elected must be
present in the convention and will be respected regardless of educational accomplishment.
Stated below are the results of the election:
President………………………………………………Emilio Aguinaldo
Vice President………………………………………...Mariano Trias Captain
General…………………………………………………Artemio Ricarte
Director of War………………………………………...Emilano Riego de Dios
Director of the Interior…………………………………Andres Bonifacio

The convention would have ended without a problem if not for Daniel Tirona who
questioned the election of Andres Bonifacio as Director of Interior. Tirona argued that the
position required a law degree and suggested that Jose del Rosario, an attorney from Cavite,
was more qualified for the position and should be elected in the place of Bonifacio. Bonifacio felt
insulted and demanded Tirona to take back what he said but he refused. Bonifacio pointed his
pistol at Tirona but Ricarte quickly held his hand. Bonifacio got angry and declared the election
null and void. Being the Supremo of the Katipunan, he dissolved the newly established
revolutionary government.

The Naic Declaration

On March 23, 1897, Bonifacio, Ricarte, and other Katipuneros met at Tejeros. They
agreed to issue a document which would record what happened in the election. This document
was called Acta de Tejeros (Minutes of Tejeros). Based on the documents, it was also
included in the resolution, which consisted 45 reasons for not accepting the elections results,
that the main reason they fraudulent due to cheating committed by the Magdalo people. After
signing the resolution, the men followed Bonifacio to Naic.

Trial and Execution of Bonifacio

Aguinaldo, who asserted that he was sick at that time, heard about the Naic Military
Agreement. He sent his soldier to convince Bonifacio to recognize the Tejeros election results
and continue a unified stand against the enemies. Colonel Agapito Bonzon led to contact
Bonifacio and he was not aware for his arrest together with his two brothers. Bonzon attacked
Bonifacio's camp. Bonifacio did fight back and ordered his men to hold their fire but shots were
still exchanged. His brother, Ciriaco, was killed in the battle, and Bonifacio himself was wounded
on the neck and was shot in the arm, while his brother Procopio was beaten senseless.
Bonifacio's party was brought to Naic where and Procopio stood trial on charges of
sedition and treason against Aguinaldo's government and conspiracy to murder Aguinaldo. The
jury was composed entirely of Aguinaldo's men and even Bonifacio's defense lawyer himself
declared his client as guilty. Bonifacio was barred (pinagbawalan) from confronting the state
witness for the charge of conspiracy to murder on the grounds that the latter had been killed in
battle, but after the trial the witness was seen alive with the prosecutors.
The Bonifacio brothers were found guilty despite insufficient evidence and sentenced for
execution. Aguinaldo commuted the sentence to deportation on May 1897, but Pio del Pilar
and Mariano Noriél, both former supporters of Bonifacio, persuaded him to withdraw the order
for the sake of preserving unity. They were seconded by Mamerto Natividåd and other bona fide
supporters of Aguinaldo.
The Bonifacio brothers were executed on May 10, 1897 in the mountains Of
Maragondon. Apolinario Mabini wrote that Bonifacio's death demoralized many rebels from
Manila, Laguna and Batangas who had come help those in Cavite, and caused them to quit. In
other areas, some of Bonifacio's associates like Emilio Jacinto never subjected their military
commands to Aguinaldo's authority.

The Establishment of the Biak-na-Bato Republic

After the execution of Bonifacio, the rebels suffered successive defeats because of
tropical diseases and lack of experience. One by one, the towns freed by Aguinaldo were
recaptured by 'the Spaniards. In June 1897, the province of Cavite was under the control of
Governor-General Primo de Rivera, Because of this, General Aguinaldo was forced to
transfer his headquarters to Talisay, Batangas. Unfortunately, the Spanish army followed
him and tried to entrap him, Aguinaldo, however, succeeded escaping from the enemy through
the support of his faithful followers in the hilly part of Morong (now Rizal province). From there,
he went all the way to Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan and established
his headquarters. Later, they established the biak-na-Bato Republic.
President…………………………………………………………. Emilio Aguinaldo
Vice President……………………………………………………Mariano Trias
Secretary of Foreign Affair………………………………………Antonio Montenegro
Secretary of Interior………………………………………………Isabelo Artacho
Secretary of War…………………………………………………. Emiliano Riego de Dios
Secretary of Treasury……………………………………………. Baldomero Agauinaldo

On November 1, 1897, they ratified the constitution written by Felix Ferrer and Isabelo
Artacho based on the Cuban Constitution. According to the constitution, a Supreme Council
would be formed composed of the President, election Vice for President, Secretary Council of
War and Secretary of Treasury. On November 2, the Supreme officials was held and the results
were the following.

Pact of Biak-na-Bato
Because of the difficulties that confronted both the Filipino rebels and the Spanish army,
an understanding between the combatants were made. Pedro Paterno, a Filipino of Chinese
ancestry, offered to act as mediator between the revolutionaries and the Spanish
authorities for the final agreement.
Aguinaldo and the other rebel leaders would leave the country voluntarily while the other rebels
would surrender their arms to the Spanish authorities. In return, Spain would pay a total
indemnity of P900,000 for non-combatants and P800,000 for the rebels, payable as follows:
a. P400,000 to be paid as soon as Aguinaldo and company left the country
b. P200,000 to be given after the majority of the arms were surrendered
c. P200,000 to be given after all hostilities ceased and general amnesty was proclaimed
On December 27, 1897, Aguinaldo and his group left for Hong Kong. He had with him a
check for P400,000.00
 CHAPTER 9
The Second Phase of the Philippines Revolution
Leading to the Coming of America
The Cuban revolution gave the United States an opportunity to rule both Cuba and the
Philippines. American capitalists were primarily interested in protecting the millions they had
invested in Cuban industry. During that period, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., one of the
influential Americans, wanted the war between Spain and the United States to break out in
order to expand the navy. When he became Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1897, he
envisioned the idea of attacking Manila to start the envisioned war. To fulfill his plan, he worked
for the appointment of George Dewey to be the commander of the American Asiatic
Squadron. In other words, there were two important persons who plan to lay the groundwork for
American involvement in the Philippines. They were Commodore George Dewey of the Asiatic
Squadron and Assistant Secretary of b the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt.
As the head of the Asiatic Squadron, Dewey carefully studied the description of the
Philippines and read many books on the Far East. On the other hand, Roosevelt strongly
supported some necessary equipment to prepare his squadron for any emergency. He also
ordered Dewey to make Hong Kong his base of operations and to take offensive action
against the Spanish flotilla based in Manila in case of a war in Spain. Therefore, when the war
broke out, Dewey was in a position to move in to Manila to destroy the Spanish warships. In
short, the Spanish-American War was not a mere accident, but a planned action.

The Battle of Manila Bay

On February 15, 1898 the American battleship, Maine, located at the port of
Havana, Cuba, was blown up, taking 260 lives. Spain was blamed for that accident. The
American people insisted that war must be declared on Spain. Thus, on April 25, 1898, the
Congress of the United States formally declared war on Spain.
On the other hand, Commodore George Dewey, upon orders of President McKinley,
proceeded immediately to the Philippines with a squadron of four armoured cruisers, two
gunboats, and a revenue cutter. Headed by the flagship Olympia, they entered Manila Bay
in the early of May 1, 1898 and engaged the Spanish fleet of 12 ship headed by the
Admiral Patricio Montoio. The Battle of Manila the Bay lasted for only few. hours and it
established the United states as a world power. For the Filipinos, however, Dewey's victory is an
indication of the end of more than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule in the country. It likewise
marked the beginning of American colonial rule in the Philippines.

Filipino—American Collaboration
 When Aguinaldo was approached in Singapore by Howard Bray, a British national
and former resident of the Philippines, he informed Aguinaldo that Spencer Pratt, the
American consul in Singapore. wanted to talk to him. Bray served as interpreter because
Pratt did not know Spanish and Aguinaldo did not speak English (Agoncillo,2010). During the
meeting, Pratt promised Aguinaldo that the United States will recognize Philippine
independence. The latter expressed his hesitation but Pratt told him nothing to worry. Aguinaldo
then agreed to return to the Philippines. Pratt then prepared the return Aguinaldo in Hong Kong.
In Hongkong Aguinaldo sought to consult Dewey but the latter had already left for
Manila. Instead, he met with Rounceville Wildman, the American consul in Hong Kong.
Wildman advised Aguinaldo to return to the Philippines and establish a dictatorial government
so that he could continue the revolution against Spain. Furthermore, Aguinaldo assigned
Wildman to buy rifles and ammunition to be used by the Filipino army. The first shipment of
arms and ammunition costing P 50,000.00 was completed but the second transaction costing
P67,000.00 was never accomplished. There was no record that Wildman returned the money.
After consultation with the other rebel leaders in Hong Kong, Aguinaldo, together with 13
revolutionaries, returned to the Philippines aboard the McCulloch, Dewey's dispatch vessel.
They arrived in Cavite on May 19, 1898. Conferences were held between Dewey and
Aguinaldo. The former reiterated that the Americans would leave to allow the Filipinos to
govern themselves as soon as Spain surrendered. Aguinaldo issued a proclamation to the
Filipinos asking support behind the Americans against the Spaniards. At that time, the
Spaniards promised the Filipinos several reforms in an attempt to win them over to their side.
These efforts proved useless for the Filipinos who were no longer interested in reforms. They
now wanted independence for the Philippines.

The Capture of Manila

By the end of May, the Filipinos secured several provinces such as Pampanga, Laguna,
Batangas, Bulacan, Nueva Eciia, Tayabas and Camarines. The only remaining area was the
port of City of Manila under Spain. Meanwhile, the Filipino forces under Aguinaldo captured the
city by means of forcing them to cut off the main sources of prime commodities—food and
water. The people suffered from hunger and thirst. They soon ate rats, cats and horses. The
area of Tondo, Santa Cruz, San Juan Del Monte, and as far north as Kalookan was monitored
by the Filipinos. On June 6, 1898 Aguinaldo offered Governor-General Agustin an
honorable surrender, but he refused.
Due to hunger and thirst, however, the Spanish authorities headed by Agustin and other
Filipinos surrendered in the hands of Emilio Aguinaldo.
Historical records involved controversies in the Spanish-American war. It Was said that
Dewey did nor capture the city of Manila due to lack of forces. When Arthur Mc Arthur was
already in the Philippines, they were ready to fight against the Spaniards Governor Agustin was
also ready to surrender to the Americans but the government of Spain did not like the proposal.
He was only relieved when he was replaced by General Fermin Jaudenes. On the part of
General Jaudenes, he believed that the force of the Spaniards was very weak so he decided to
make a secret agreement With the American headed by Dewey and General Wesley Meritt.
Both parties agreed that there would only be a mock battle leading to a Spanish surrender. It
was also included in the agreement that the Filipino rebels should not be allowed by their
American allies to enter the city. The secret agreement was known only to Jaudenes, Meritt
and Dewey

Treaty of Paris
The Peace Commissioners of Spain and the United States met in Paris, France to
draft a peace treaty on October I, 1898 to end the six-month hostilities between the two
countries. The American commissioners negotiated in a hostile atmosphere because all Europe,
except England, was sympathetic to the Spanish side. The ratification of the treaty marked the
reign of the United States as a powerful country. The treaty was concluded in Paris on
December 10, 1898, and provided the following:
a. Spain agreed to remove all soldiers from Cuba and recognize American occupation in the
area;
b. Spain ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States; and
c. The United States compensated Spain for its losses with a payment of $20 million.
 CHAPTER 10
The Rise of the Philippine Republic
Declaration of the Independence
On June 12, 1898, the leaders of the revolution assembled in Kawit to declare the
independence of the Philippines. Aguinaldo, who was then the supreme leader of the
Filipinos, exercised the powers of government with full authority. The Philippine National
Anthem was played and the Philippine flag was raised with an explanatory speech by General
Artemio Ricarte on its history and meaning. The Declaration of Independence was read by
its writer, Ambrocio Rianzares-Baustista. It was signed by 99 individuals, which included an
American, Colonel Johnson, and Ladislao Diwa, a co—founder of the Katipunan.
On June 23, 1898, by Aguinaldo's decree, upon the advice of Apolinario Mabini, the
Dictatorial Government was changed to a Revolutionary Government. He also changed the
title of the chief of state from Dictator to President. Its purpose was to fight for the independence
of the Philippines and to prepare the country for the establishment of a true republic.

Biography of Apolinario Mabini

Mabini was born to very poor parents, Inocencio Mabini and Dionisia Maranan, in Talaga,
Tanawan, Batangas. He studied in a school in Tanawan, which was then conducted by
Simplicio Avelino. Much later, he transferred to a school conducted by the famous pedagogue,
Father Valerio Malabanan. He continued his studies at the San Juan de Letran and at the
University of Santo Tomas where he received his law degree in 1894. His dream to defend
the poor led him to leave priesthood, which his mother wanted him to pursue. Early in 1896, he
contracted an illness that led to the paralysis of his lower limbs. When the revolution broke
out the same year, the Spanish authorities, suspecting that he was somehow involved in the
disturbance, arrested him. The fact, however, that he could not move his lower limbs showed
the Spaniards that they had made a mistake. He was released and sent to the San Juan de
Dios Hospital. Mabini, it must be noted, was not entirely free from nationalistic association, for
he was a member of Rizal's La Liga Filipina and worked secretly for the introduction of reforms
in the administration of the government. Aguinaldo, upon seeing Mabini's physical condition,
thought that he must have made a mistake in calling for him to help in his work. But when
Mabini spoke Aguinaldo doubts vanished. There was firmness in the sick voice and Aguinaldo
decided to make him trust to adviser. From then on. it was Mabini who stood behind
Aguinaldo. In 1899 Mabini was captured by the Americans but was later set free. In 1901, he
was exiled to Guam but returned to the Philippines in 1903 after agreeing to take an oath
of the allegiance to the U.S. He died of cholera on May 13, 1903 in Manila.
Malolos Congress
Aguinaldo called the Congress to meet at Barasoain Church Bulacan. On September 4.
Aguinaldo appointed 50 delegates to represent provinces that were experiencing
unstable condition due to a lack of peace and order. On the law count, ninety-two delegates
came. Thirty-five delegates were elected, while 57 were appointed. Among them were lawyers,
physicians, pharmacists, and businessmen.
Accordingly. the Revolutionary Congress was inaugurated at Barasoain Church on
September 15 1898, with Pedro Paterno as president. It was not grand affair a but a very
well-organized assembly. In the course of the ceremonies. General Emilio Aguinaldo delivered a
forceful speech. The first significant act of this Congress was the ratification on
September 29, 1898 of the proclaimed independence of the on June 12, 1898 at Kawit,
Cavite.

The Malolos Constitution

The Malolos Constitution was the first republican constitution in Asia. Felipe Calderon, a
descendant of a Franciscan friar of Santa Ana, Manila, prepared his version of the
constitution with the advice of Cayetano Arellano. He borrowed from the constitution of many
countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala. Mexico. Belgium France and Brazil. It was drafted by
a revolutionary convention which consisted of intelligent men of the Philippines during that time.
The Congress that framed It included 40 lawyers, 16 physicians, five pharmacists, two
engineers, and a priest. The congress consisted in part of elected delegates. The other
delegates were appointed by Emilio Aguinaldo to represent provinces which could not be
present due to distance, war conditions, or other reasons.

Features
The Malolos Constitution carried features common to most modern counterparts. It organized a
democratic republic. Sovereign power was recognized to vested on the people. The instituted
government was popular, representative and responsible. It adhered to the principle of the
separation of the power’s government. Power was apportioned among the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches. To ensure observance of the natural rights of the people, it set forth a
Bill of Rights.
Governmental authority was divided among the three branches earlier mentioned.

 Executive power was vested on the President,

 legislative power pertained to an assembly popularly elected, and
 judicial power was vested on an absolutely independence judiciary consisting of the
Supreme Court and the lower courts

Parliamentary System
A distinctive feature of the Malolos Constitution was its institution of the parliamentary system.
The President was not elected directly by the people but by a special assembly for a term
of four years. Provision was made power for legislative the supremacy. It was required that the
President should exercise executive power through the secretaries of government, who were
individually and collectively responsible to the Assembly.The various secretaries of the
government were given seats in the Assembly and were allowed to participate in debates
therein (Fernandez et al, 1974).

The First Philippine Republic

On January 21, 1899, Aguinaldo finally promulgated the Constitution and formed his cabinet.
They were as follows:
Apolinario Mabini……………… President of the Cabinet and Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Teodoro Sandiko . Secretary of Interior
Baldomero Aguinaldo Secretary of War
Mariano Trias Secretary of Finance
Gracio Gonzaga.......... Secretary of Welfare
On January 23, 1899, the First Philippine Republic held its inauguration at Malolos,
Bulacan, in a colorful ceremony. Aguinaldo took his oath of office having been informed that
he had been proclaimed President of the Republic.

Nationalist Activities during the First Philippine Republic

The Malolos Congress continued its sessions and accomplished certain positive tasks. The
Spanish fiscal system was provisionally retained. The same was done with the existing taxes,
save those upon cockfighting and other amusements. War taxes were levied and voluntary
contributions were solicited. Customs duties were established. A national loan was launched.
With education being the cementing ingredient for nationalist integration, the Philippine Republic
provided a free and compulsory primary education for the Filipinos. The Filipino educator,
Enrique Mendiola, founded the Instituto de Burgos as a secondary school. Private citizens
were also permitted to establish educational institutions in conformity with the constitution and
the legal system. On October 19, 1898, a government decree led to the establishment of
Universidad de Literaria in Malolos. The courses offered were medicine and surgery,
pharmacy, and notary public. The President of the Philippines appointed the professors. They,
in turn, chose the University Rector. The first to occupy this position was Joaquin Gonzales.
Later, he was succeeded by Dr. Leon Ma. Guerrero. The University did not live long because of
conflict with Americans leading to its dissolution.
As early as 1898, Philippine nationalists have decided to revive the Propagandists tradition of
seeking popular backing at home and world support abroad. Internal propaganda was designed
to inculcate nationalism and absolute loyalty to the Philippine government as the only means of
ensuring peace and prosperity for the nation. A group of Filipinos headed by Antonio Luna as
editor founded the paper La Independence. Among its staff members were literary stalwarts
Leon Ma. Guerrero, Cecilio Jose Palma. Fernando Ma. Guerrero, Rosa Villa, Rafael Palma,
Mariano V. Del and Salvador Del Rosario. with Felipe Calderon as proofreader. Sometime
later, Ma. Guerrero became its editor-in-chief. Designed to disseminate the decisions
government and popularize the ideals of the revolution,

 El Heraldo de la Revolution made its initial appearance on September 28, 1898 as

a government publication.
 Its name was changed to El Heraldo Filipino
 and then to Indice Official.
 Its last name was Graceta de Filipinas.
Other nationalistic newspapers were

 La Republica Filipina, 1989;

 La Libiredad, which came out on June 20, 1898 under editorship of Clemente Jose
Zulueta;
 Ang Kaibigan ng Bayan (The Peoples Friend ), Malolos, 1898;
 Columnas Volantes (Fly Sheets), Lipa Batangas, 1899;
 La Federacion Kabanatuan, Iloilo,1899;
 La Oputunidad, Tagbilaran Bohol, 1899; and a few others.
Philippine nationalist clergy were also recruited in the course of revolution. These newspapers,
most of which Wert were unanimous in their policy of fighting for the independence of the
country. They may have been ephemeral but their effects on the people were impressive for
they kept alive the sparks of revolutionary character which gave the Philippines its most
significant and colorful epoch. On September 1898, Teodoro Sandido organized recreation
clubs which were really revolutionary committees in disguise. Members were organized
sandabatan (bolo stations) to be ready at any time for an uprising in the city. Symbol
nationalism was diligently propagated. Historic nationalist occasions and anniversaries of the
dead nationalist heroes were celebrated with much fanfare and speeches. Rizal Day was
proclaimed on December 30. The cornerstone of the first monument was completed on
February 1899, despite the wartime conditions, through labor and costs donated by the people.

Diplomatic Activities
In order to recognize Philippine Independence, Aguinaldo created a Revolutionary
Committee under a board of five directors in Hong Kong to send diplomatic agents to foreign
countries.

 Felipe Agoncillo and Sixto Lopez were sent to the United States,
 Mariano Ponce and Faustino Lichauco to Japan,
 Antonio Ma. Regidor to Britain,
 Pedro P. Roxas and Juan Luna to France, and
 Eriberto Zarcal to Australia.
Unfortunately, the diplomatic agents failed to work for the recognition of Philippine
Independence. One example was the case of Agoncillo and Sixto Lopez who reached
Washington on September 28. McKinley did not acknowledge Agoncillo as an official
representative from the Philippines as their meeting was unofficial. The Filipino was treated as
nothing more than a petitioner. Agoncillo returned to Washington to fight for the ratification of
the Treaty of Paris by the Senate but Filipino-American hostilities forced him to flee. He returned
to the Philippines to continue his patriotic, though futile, activities.

Alliance of Filipinos in the Visayas and Mindanao

After the establishment of the revolutionary government, President Aguinaldo, Mabini and
Felipe Buencamino tried to persuade the Muslims to join the revolution. However, the Muslims
refused because of their belief that the Christian Filipinos helped the Spaniards in their
pacification campaign in Mindanao
Despite the refusal, Aguinaldo wrote a letter to the sultan of sulu om January 14, 1898. In
this letter, he praised the Sultan and told him of the Filipino aspiration for independence from
Spain. He further reiterated that Christians and Muslim will be treated as brothers and equals
under the Philippine Republic. There reply of the Sultan of Sulu and Mindanao was brief and
direct. They did not wish to be ruled by anyone, Christian Filipino or Spaniards alike.

Cooperation of Filipinos Misamis, Surigao and Negros

The people of Misamis and Surigao had been sympathetic to the revolution and had informed
Aguialdo their sentiments. In January 1898. Aguinaldo appointed Simon Gonzales as the
commander of the rebel in Mindanao while his brother. Wenceslao, was appointed
governor of Surigao. Unfortunately. the brothers were killed in an encounter with rival local
politics. The two brothers were replaced by Toribio Sison and Captain Adriano
Concepcion. Captain Concepcion was later captured by the Americans who tried their best to
convince Concepcion to pledge allegiance to America. He refused and criticized the Americans
for intervening in the revolution against Spain.
On the other hand. the people of Negros were among the Filipinos who readily cooperated with
the revolutionaries after the return of Aguinaldo from Hong Kong. They actively participated in
the Filipino-American war. On November 4, 1898, in the town of Manapla, Negros Occidental.
the people hoisted the Philippine flag and shouted "Long Live Philippine Independence! " as
an expression of their earnest desire to become an independent people.