Samonte, John Paulo O.

A-105

I. Summary

The story started in 1898 while the Philippines are in the middle of war against the
Americans. And the Philippine Army was being led by General Antonio Luna, a very strict
leader in every way, and because of that, the people around him doesn’t like him and the
way he lead the Philippine Army.

While in war seeking for freedom from the foreigners, General Antonio Luna wants
to do it in the way of fighting the Americans. He knows that there will be lives that will be
lost but he wants the true freedom. But as the cabinet members of President Emilio
Aguinaldo had a meeting together with General Luna on how to deal with the Americans,
there are two of the members which is Felipe Buencamino and Pedro Paterno who want to
compromise and just negotiate to the Americans and do not fight anymore and we will be
under the colony of the Americans, but General Luna doesn’t like it and became mad at
them. While they were in the middle of war, Luna’s army is falling down because of lack of
members and because the enemy has Gatling gun and cannons. He told someone to go to a
certain place to back-up them because they are already losing to the enemy, but they didn’t
listen so Luna himself, went to the place and he witnessed the laziness of the soldiers and
he went to the captain’s room and he found out that the captain was with a girl in the bed
and it also made Luna mad and he said to the captain about the Article one which is “if
someone doesn’t follow the General of the war will take away their rank and will be killed
without hearing”. While he was planning on how to defeat the Americans, he realized that
he will need more people that will help them and he gave himself 3 days to gather people,
he succeeded in doing that only because Luna said that they will be killed if they do not
join. And as the plan goes on, he needed a support from the northern army but the General
there do not listen to what Luna says because he insist that he will only follow the
President’s order not on Luna’s order because they were just in the same rank. And they
exchange words until they will just decide that they will need to end this so Luna went to
the northern province to settle until it just stop because one of the subordinates of Luna
came with a letter from the president that he need to follow to Luna. And one day Luna
received a letter from the president that there will be a meeting and there will be changes
in the cabinet.

Because of Luna’s excitement and joy because his wish will finally come true, he
went with only few men with him. And he did not find the president there. And there were
men who seek revenge on him and attack him with swords and guns. But the mastermind
of this incident is never been found.
1. Who is General Luna today? Explain.

- Sen. Miriam Santiago. Because she wants that the corrupt in the government
will be punished. She doesn’t care who they are as long as she do her job and
she wants peace and order in the Philippines with corrupt-free government.
She also received death threats but she doesn’t mind it. And for me she was
the General Luna today with the same motives and love for the country and
doesn’t care if there will be enemies.

2. What is the significance of the death of Antonio Luna in history and our present
situation?

- It only proves what General Luna said that “our enemy is not the Americans,
but ourselves”. It also shows how prideful the people are even today that is
why there is no peace an order in our country because of pride because they
think that they are much higher rank than the others. But as General Luna
said “no one is above the law, not even the president”.

3. If you will give your own ending, how will you end the story, why?

- Because I am a pro Filipino, the ending will be: the Filipino army will follow
Luna’s orders and they will see the reason behind the attitude of the General
and they will have the nationalism and they will win over the Americans and
will win against them.