Philippine Revolution: Phase 1 (1896-1898)
but also a general area which included some of
Revolutionary sentiments arise in 1872 after three
Filipino priests, Mariano Gmez, Jos Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora, known as Gomburza, were
accused of sedition by colonial authorities and
executed. This would inspire a propaganda
movement in Spain, organized by Marcelo H. del
Pilar, Jos Rizal, Graciano Lpez-Jaena, and
Mariano Ponce, that clamored for adequate
representation to the Spanish Cortes and later for
independence. Jos Rizal, the most celebrated
intellectual and radical illustrado of the era, wrote
the novels "Noli Me Tangere", and "El
filibusterismo", which greatly inspired the
movement for independence.[91] The Katipunan, a
secret society whose primary purpose was that of
overthrowing Spanish rule in the Philippines, was
founded by Andrs Bonifacio who became its
Supremo (leader).
The Philippine Revolution began in 1896. Rizal
was wrongly accused of implication in the outbreak
of the revolution and executed for treason in 1896.
The Katipunan in Cavite split into two groups,
Magdiwang, led by Mariano lvarez (a relative of
Bonifacio's by marriage), and Magdalo, led by
Emilio Aguinaldo. Leadership conflicts between
Bonifacio and Aguinaldo culminated in the
execution or assassination of the former by the
latter's soldiers. Aguinaldo agreed to a truce with
the Pact of Biak-na-Bato and Aguinaldo and his
fellow revolutionaries were exiled to Hong Kong.
Not all the revolutionary generals complied with the
agreement. One, General Francisco Makabulos,
established a Central Executive Committee to
serve as the interim government until a more
suitable one was created. Armed conflicts
resumed, this time coming from almost every
province in Spanish-governed Philippines.
Start of Revolution
-The existence of theK atipunan eventually became
known to the authorities through amember,Teodoro
Patio, who revealed it to a Spanish
priest,MarianoGil.Patio was engaged in a bitter
personal dispute with fellow Katipunero Apolonio
de la Cruz and exposed the K atipunan in revenge.
-Father Gil was led to the printing press of the
newspaper Diario de Manila, where a lithographic
stone used to print the secret society's receipts
was uncovered. A locker was seized containing a
dagger and secret documents.
-In the last days of August, 1896, Bonifacio called
Katipunan members to a mass gathering in
Caloocan, where they decided to start a nationwide
armed revolution against Spain. The event was
marked by a mass tearing of cedulas (community
tax certificates)accompanied by patriotic cries.
-The exact date and location are disputed, but two
possibilities have been officially endorsed by the
Philippine government: August 26 in Balintawak
and later, August 23 in Pugad Lawin. Thus the
event is called the "Cry of Balintawak" or "Cry of
Pugad Lawin".
-However the issue is further complicated by other
dates such as August 24 and 25andother locations
such as Kangkong, and Furthermore, at the time
"Balintawak"referred not only to a specific place,
these proposed sites like Kangkong.
-Bonifacio also reorganized the Katipunan into an
open revolutionary government, with him as
President and the Supreme Council of the
Katipunan as his cabinet.
-On the morning of August 25, the rebels came
under attack by a Spanish civil guard unit, the
rebels having greater numbers but the Spanish
being better armed. The forces disengaged after a
brief skirmish and casualties on both sides
-By August 30, the revolt had spread to eight
provinces. On that date,
Governor-General Blanco declared a state of war
in these provinces and placed them under martial
law. These were
Manila,Bulacan,Cavite,Pampanga,Tarlac,Laguna,B
atangas, andNueva Ecija. They would later be
represented in the eight rays of the sun in the
Filipino flag.
Biak-na-Bato
-Aguinaldo and his men retreated northward, from
one town to the next, until they finally settled in
Biak-na-Bato, in the town of San Miguel de
Mayumo in Bulacan. Here they established what
became known as the Republic of Biak-na-Bato,
with a constitution drafted by Isabelo Artacho, and
Felix Ferrer and based on the first Cuban
Constitution.
Declaration of Independence
-By June 1898, the island of Luzon, except for
Manila and the port of Cavite, was under Philippine
control. The revolutionaries were laying siege to
Manila and cutting off its food and water supply.
With most of the archipelago under his control,
Aguinaldo decided it was time to establish a
Philippine government.
-When Aguinaldo arrived from Hong Kong, he
brought with him a copy of a plan drawn by
Mariano Ponce, calling for the establishment of a
revolutionary government.
Upon the advice of Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista,
however, an autocratic regime was established
instead on May 24, with Aguinaldo as dictator.
-It was under this dictatorship that independence
was finally proclaimed on June 12, 1898 in
Aguinaldo's house in Kawit,Cavite. The first Filipino
flag was unfurled and the national anthem was
played for the first time.
- Apolinario Mabini, Aguinaldo's closest adviser,
was opposed to Aguinaldo's decision towards a
dictatorial rule. He instead urged for the
reformation of a government that could prove its
stability and competency as prerequisite.
Aguinaldo refused to do so; however, Mabini was
able to convince him to turn his autocratic
administration into a revolutionary one. Aguinaldo
established a revolutionary government on July23.
Imus Assembly
Was the meeting held between the Magdalo and
Magdiwang factions of the Katipunan at Imus,
Cavite, Philippines, on December 31, 1896. This
was convened in order to settle the leadership
dispute between the two factions.
-The assembly, presided by Andres Bonifacio, was
to discuss whether to retain the current Katipunan
government or to set up a new revolutionary
government. The Magdalo supported the idea of
having a revolutionary government while the
Magdiwang favored the old Katipunan government.
The assembly, however, failed to have a firm
resolution. According to Santiago Alvarez and
Artemio Ricarte, the assembly agreed to appoint
Bonifacio as the head of a legislative committee
and to authorize him to appoint members he
considers worthy. It is, however, uncertain whether
Bonifacio did appoint members of the committee.
At this meeting also, a Magdalo engineer and
general named Edilberto Evangelista submitted a
draft of a constitution both requested by the two
factions. Bonifacio ignored the constitution since
the Katipunan already had its own laws.
Tejeros Convention
-In order to unite the Katipunan in Cavite, the
Magdiwang invited Bonifacio, who was fighting in
Morong (now Rizal) province, to come to Cavite,
Aguinaldo's home ground. The Supremo
reluctantly obliged. On December 31, an assembly
was convened in Imus to settle the leadership
issue once and for all. The Magdalo insisted on the
establishment of a pamahalaang mapanghimagsik
(revolutionary government) to replace the
Katipunan and continue the struggle. On the other
hand, the Magdiwang favored the Katipunan's
retention, arguing that it was a government in itself.
The assembly dispersed without a consensus.
-On March 22, 1897, another meeting was held in
Tejeros. It called for the election of officers for the
pamahalaang mapanghimagsik. Bonifacio, again
reluctantly, chaired the election. This convention
ended in further conflict and led to the Katipunan's
demise.
-Bonifacio, apparently confident that he would be
elected president, called for the election results to
be respected. When the voting ended, Bonifacio
lost the race--and the leadership of the revolution--
to Aguinaldo, who was away fighting in Pasong
Santol. According to historian Ambeth Ocampo,
Bonifacio lost through dagdag-bawas. Instead, he
was elected to a much inferior position, director of
the interior, and even then his qualifications to
serve were questioned by a Magdalo, Daniel
Tirona. Bonifacio, though literate, was not an
ilustrado and only had an elementary-school
education. Humiliated, Bonifacio drew his pistol
and was about to shoot him had not Artemio
Ricarte intervened. Bonifacio declared the election
null and void and stomped out in anger. Aguinaldo
took his oath of office as president the next day in
Santa Cruz de Malabon (now Tanza) in Cavite, as
did the rest of the officers, except for Bonifacio.
Biak-na-Bato
The flag used by the Republic of Biak-na-Bato.
Augmented by new recruits from Spain,
government troops recaptured several towns in
Cavite. The succession of defeats for the
Katipunan could also be attributed to conflict within
the organization that resulted from Bonifacio's
assassination, with those loyal to him refusing to
subject themselves to the command of Aguinaldo.
It did not, however, deter Aguinaldo and his men to
keep on fighting. They moved northward, from one
town to the next, until they finally settled in Biak-na-
Bato, in the town of San Miguel de Mayumo in
Bulacan. Here they established what became
known as the Republic of Biak-na-Bato, with a
constitution drafted by Isabelo Artacho and Felix
Ferrer and based on the first Cuban Constitution.
With the new Spanish Governor-General Fernando
Primo de Rivera declaring, "I can take Biak-na-
Bato. Any army can capture it. But I cannot end the
rebellion," he proffered the olive branch of peace to
the revolutionaries. Lawyer Pedro Paterno
volunteered as negotiator between the two sides.
For four months, he traveled between Manila and
Biak-na-Bato. His hard work finally bore fruit when,
on December 14-15, 1897, the Pact of Biak-na-
Bato was signed. Made up of three documents, it
called for the following agenda:
The surrender of Aguinaldo and the rest of the
revolutionary corps.
Amnesty for those who participated in the
revolution..
Exile to Hong Kong for the revolutionary
leadership.
Payment by the Spanish government to the
revolutionaries in three installments: 400,000
pesos upon leaving the country, 200,000 pesos
upon the surrender of at least 700 firearms, and
another 200,000 pesos upon the declaration of
general amnesty.
In accordance with the first clause, Aguinaldo and
twenty five other top officials of the revolution were
banished to Hong Kong with 400,000 pesos in their
pockets. The rest of the men got 200,000 pesos
and the third installment was never received.
General amnesty was never declared because
sporadic skirmishes continued.
Philippine Revolution: Phase 2 (1898-1902)
Pact of Biak-na-Bato
The Pact of Biak-na-bato was signed on
December 14, 1897 by Emilio Aguinaldo and
Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera.
The principal conditions were as follows:
Aguinaldo to live in any foreign country he
wished; Spain would be paying him
800,000 Mexican dollars when all arms
are surrendered; and the Te Deum be
sung in the Cathedral in Manila.
The money to be paid personally to
Aguinaldo with only his knowledge along
with his insurgents on how much it was.
The Governonr-General would send two
generals of the Spanish Army to be held
as hostages by Aguinaldos associates.
The religious corporations in the
Philippines would be expelled and an
autonomous system of government be
established.
The first installment of money which was
$400,000 was given when Aguinaldo went to
 Hong Kong while the two Spanish generals But hostilities broke out and a three-year war
were being held captive. raged in the Philippines declared by the
The revolutionists surrendered over 1,000 Malolos Congress on June 2, 1899 with Pedro
arms but Spain failed to give the second Paterno issuing the Proclamation of War.
installment of the money they were never It was called the Philippine Insurrection so that
paid again. it may appear as a rebellion, calling the
Nothing happened to the Religious Orders by Filipinos bandits, and for the United States to
expelling them although the Te Deum was not be held liability.
sung. Guerilla Warfare
The treaty was abandoned when Aguinaldo Aguinaldo shifted from conventional tactics to
received a letter from the Governor-Generals guerilla warfare in the 1900s for their
nephew, Lieutenant-Colonel Don Miguel Primo advantages.
de Rivera, informing them that they can no The Americans had almost 500 casualties in
longer return to the Philippines. the first four months alone.
While Aguinaldo was away, the Governor- Bloody ambushes and raids were staged to
General ordered the killings of the rightists and force the Americans to surrender or withdraw.
leftists in March of 1898. He also ordered the But this only made the situation worse when
deportation of people who only have personal the Americans started burning towns and
identification cards. suspecting every civilian then torturing them in
The Spanish-American war broke out concentration camps.
afterwards. Torturing of captives were evident on both
President Aguinaldo sides with the Balangiga Massacre
Aguinaldo went into a voluntary exile in Hong masterminded by the Filipinos.
Kong after signing the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Aguinaldo was captured on March 23, 1901.
During the outbreak of the Spanish-American The war finally ended on July 4, 1902 with the
War, he forged an alliance with Admiral Dewey establishing of the Philippine Commission.
after being promised Philippine independence
afterwards.
His first proclamation was to declare himself as
the Philippine Head of State.
On June 12, he proclaimed the independence
of the Philippines in Kawit, Cavite.
While on September 11 after joining the
American forces to take over Manila, they went
to Malolos and made it the Capital of the
Republic.
He was chosen unanimously to be the
President of the Philippine Republic on
January 23, 1899 and proclaimed himself as a
Dictator a month after.
Treaty of Paris
Representatives of Spain and United States
met in Paris and drafted a peace treaty.
The Treaty of Paris was signed on December
10, 1898 by US and Spain and ended the
Spanish-American war.
It states that Spain was to give the Philippines
and Guam to the United States, give up all
rights to Cuba, and surrender Puerto Rico and
give its possessions to the West Indies.
Spain would be paid $20,000,000 in return.
(Philippines only)
The treaty was being ratified while hostilities
between the Filipinos and Americans were
taking place.
It was approved by the US Senate on
February 6, 1899.
The Philippine Insurrection
Hostilities between the two camps (Philippines
and US) happened because the Americans
advanced against the Filipino line of defense
on August 13 ,1898 and General Otis
proclaimed the sovereignty of America in the
Philippines on January 2, 1899.
Otis decreed that Filipinos who protested to
the rule will be punished harshly.