Write a critical analysis of the important historical information found in these articles.

1. The 1898 Declaration of Philippine Independence by Ambrosio Rianzares

Bautista. (20 points)
The declaration was prepared by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista who patterned it after
the American Declaration of Independence. Aguinaldo invited Dewey to the festivities,
but the latter declined the invitation and did not even report the event to Washington.
The declaration was signed by ninety-eight persons, including an American office, L.M.
Johnson, Colonel of Artillery. With a government in operation, Aguinaldo thought that it
was necessary to declare the independence of the Philippines. He believed that such a
move would inspire the people to fight more eagerly against the Spaniards and at the
same time, lead the foreign countries to recognize the independence of the country.
Mabini, who had by now been made Aguinaldo's unofficial adviser, objected. He based
his objection on the fact that it was more important to reorganize the government in
such a manner as to convince the foreign powers of the competence and stability of the
new government than to proclaim Philippine independence at such an early period.
Aguinaldo, however, stood his ground and won. On June 12, between four and five in
the afternoon, Aguinaldo, in the presence of a huge crowd, proclaimed the
independence of the Philippines at Cavite el Viejo (Kawit). For the first time, the
Philippine National Flag, made in Hongkong by Mrs. Marcela Agoncillo, assisted by
Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herboza, was officially hoisted and the Philippine
National March played in public. The Act of the Declaration of Independence was
prepared by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, who also read it. A passage in the
Declaration reminds one of another passage in the American Declaration of
Independence. The Philippine Declaration was signed by ninety-eight persons, among
them an American army officer who witnessed the proclamation. The proclamation of
Philippine independence was, however, promulgated on August 1 when many towns
has already been organized under the riles laid down by the Dictatorial Government. A
dramatic feature of the ceremony was the formal unfurling of the Filipino flag amidst the
cheers of the people. At the same time, the Philippine National Anthem was played by
the band. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista solemnly read the "Act of the Declaration of
Independence" which he himself wrote. The declaration was signed by 98 persons. One
of the signers was an American, L.M. Johnson, Colonel of Artillery.
2. Excerpts from Emilio Aguinaldo's Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan
Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo was the first and the youngest president of the Philippines.
His leadership was attacked by numerous controversies from the death of Procopio and
Andres Bomifacio to the different governments he established. This made his
memoir/book more intriguing to read with the expectation that he would present his side
or story on the different issues he was involved with. On March 22, 1897, while Aguinaldo
in Pasong Santol, Dasmariñas, Cavite, Tejeros convention was held and resulted to
election of Emilio Aguinaldo as president where Andres Bonifacio did not recognize
instead declaring the results as null and void. In the chapter 44 of Aguinaldo’s memoirs,
Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio were arrested with criminal charges of
Treason, Sedition and a conspiracy to murder Emilio Aguinaldo. The military court found
the two Bonifacio’s guilty and hence subjected to death penalty. Mga Gunita ng
Himagsikan is Produced in long hand and written in Tagalog between 1928 and 1946, it
gave us essential information to visualize how Filipino revolutionaries engaged in battle
with the Spaniards which were important events in the Philippine history.

Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan is the memoir of Emilio Aguinaldo written based on a diary
he kept, several
documents he preserved, and family lore he gathered from his elders. Aguinaldo was
one of the many members
of the Katipunan and belonged to the Magdalo faction. He led numerous attacks and
won victories against the
Spaniards in the Cavite province. After the death of Bonifacio, he assumed total
leadership of the revolution.
Later, Aguinaldo forcibly set up a provisional dictatorship in the country, declared
Philippine independence on
June 12, 1898, and sworn in as the first president of the new, self-governed Philippine
republic.
Believed to be of two volumes, Aguinaldo’s memoir includes accounts beginning from
his birth, his early
life, and his participation in the revolution. However, the first volume ends the memoir
only with the details of
the Treaty in Biak-na-Bato. Although its existence is still not proven, the second volume
is assumed to continue