The Generals' War Exploits: Preliminary Activity

Gabriel & Espiritu Salaysay at Saysay Manuscript (Unedited)
Chapter 9
The Generals’ War Exploits
As the whole of Cavite fell in the hands of the revolutionaries at the outbreak of the
revolution in August 30, 1896, the province was witness to the ascent of several middle class
Caviteños into generals. Among them was the former cabeza de barangay of Binakaya, the
former gobernadorcillo of Cavite Viejo or Kawit, Capitan Miong or Capitan Emilio
Aguinaldo; Capitan not because he was a military captain but the title was derived from the
office of gobernadorcillo or municipal-capitan. But after the successful defense of Imus on
August 31, 1896 which defeated the offensive of the Spanish regiment under the command of
Gen. Ernesto Aguirre, Capitan Miong and the triumphant revolutionaries at the acclamation
of the crowd and the rejoicing Caviteños chanted Heneral Miong; thus he got the rank from
them Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo (Agoncillo 1956:178). If this happened to Miong, the same
would have happened to other members of the principalia and middle class men who speedily
assumed the ranks of generals and colonels only days after the outbreak of the revolution.
These ranks were never commissioned from the Katipunan hierarchy since the Katipunan
only had three ranks: Katipon, Kawal and Bayani. Thus it would be clear how these men of
power as members of the principalia, men of means as belonging to the middle class, and men
of prestige as those having educational degrees or at least had entered San Juan de Letran or
Ateneo de Municipal, and men of rank as sudden generals and colonels would not bow down
to Bonifacio during the Tejeros Convention of March 1897. The memoirs of Gen. Emilio
Aguinlado and Gen. Artemio Ricarte present not just their military acumen but also their
recollection of the revolution.
Preliminary Activity
Figure 9.1 shows the map of Cavite during the Revolution of 1896. The Katipuneros
used codes or symbolic names to hide the identity of the pueblos under their control. The
coded names were enumerated by Gen. Artemio Ricarte (1963:4) in his memoirs. Table 9.1
enumerates the pueblos and their corresponding codes. On the map shown on Figure 9.1,
write the equivalent Spanish names of the pueblos on the blank spaces after the codes.
Table 9.1 Spanish Names and their Corresponding Codes

Spanish Names Codes(Insurgent Names)
Noveleta Magdiwang
San Francisco de Malabon (Gen. Trias) Mapagtiis
Rosario Salinas
Santa Cruz de Malabon (Tanza) Pangwagui
Naik Magwagui
Maragondon Magtagumpay
Ternate Katua-tua and later Molucas
Indang Walangtinag
Cavite Viejo (Kawit) Magdalo
Imus Haligue
Bacoor Gargano
Perez Dasmariñas Magpuri
Silang Bagongsinag
Amadeo Magpagibig
Alfonso Naghapay kay Alfonso
(Source: Ricarte 1963:4)
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Figure 9.1 Map of Cavite during the Revolution of 1896
Process Question
In Chapter 3, you will find the pueblos under the control of Magdiwang and
Magdalo factions. What are these pueblos belonging to either side? Draw the
boundary line that separates both factions.
The Spanish forces were concentrated in Manila. The Spanish forces woud
march from Manila to attack the province. What pueblo will first be attacked?
Under what command was this pueblo?
The pueblos you have designated close to Manila were the seat of the heaviest battle
from August 1896 to January 1897. These were the seat of heroic war exploits and eventual
controversies and rivalries among the revolutionists.
Historical Context of the Document

August 24, 1896,… Andres Bonifacio while at Pasong Tamo, wrote a manifesto to all
provincial Katipunan councils that the assault of Manila would take place on August 29,
1896. Katipuneros on all provinces were ordered to reinforce the attack which will commence
when the lights in Intramuros were turned off (Aguinaldo 1967:47). Capitan Miong, the
150
gobernadorcillo of the town having sworn in to the Katipunan and having been initiated into
the masonry on January 1, 1895, together with his men, waited for the dimming of the lights
in Intramuros all that suspenseful night until dawn of August 30, but the lights kept ablaze
until the next day. With no attack, the other leaders of Katipunan councils in Cavite who were
also members of the principalia declared their pueblos under the Katipunan command and
braced to attack their municipal buildings. Gen. Mariano Alvarez, gobernadorcillo of San
Francisco de Malabon (Gen. Trias) attacked its municipal office and declared the pueblo
under rebel command. Cavite Viejo (Kawit) was declared under rebel territory of Magdalo as
commandeered by Gen. Baldomero Aguinaldo, cousin of Gen. Miong and justice of the peace
of the same town. Under this condition, the heroics and controversies had begun.
About the Author

Gen. Miong was born on March 22 (the later date of the Tejeros Convention when he
was elected President in absentia) in the year 1869 (the year coinciding with the opening of
the Suez Canal). Both his parents Trinidad Famy and Carlos Aguinaldo were native residents
of Kawit. His father first worked as non-salaried clerk in the office of gobernadorcillo
(capitan-mayor or municipal-capitan) at the Fort of Cavite until his permanent appointment as
desk clerk. He became a temporary capitan-mayor of Factoria or San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and
returned to Kawit to be elected several times as gobernadorcillo of the town. He was
paralyzed at the age of 48 and died on October 16, 1878. Miong was second to the last of
eight children: Primo, Benigno, Esteban, Tomasa, Crispulo, Ambrocio, Emilio and Felicidad.
Tomasa and Esteban died while young (Aguinaldo 1967:4-5). When he was three years old he
had a remembrance of what was later known as the Cavite Mutiny of 1872:
When I was three years old, I contracted smallpox… On the evening of

January 15, 1872, a few days after I became well, the fighting at the marine infantry
at the arsenal of Cavite began. This coincided with the lighting of the fireworks
during the celebration of the fiesta of Sampaloc in Manila. This fighting threw people
in the towns bordering the shore of Manila and Cavite in confusion. The following
morning the news that the artillery and the musketeers from Manila were to institute
the Juez de Cuchillo (beheading of anyone who stood in the path of the soldiers)
spread like wildfire (Aguinaldo 1967:2).
The young Miong had one thing he abhorred – studies. As his mother ran the property
his father left behind in Kawit, he was sent to Manila to study at San Juan de Letran only to
fail examinations and go back home again only to be scolded by his mother in order to go
back to school. But rather than attending classes, he would rather hang around Magallanes
Street watching ships moored along Manila Bay. When cholera plagued a number of
provinces, he found the right time to go home and drop out of school in order to help his
mother run the property. In order to help his mother earn a living, his brother Crispulo, who
earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, purchased a calesa and a horse to start a delivery service
of panutsa. The two brothers was joined in by Benigno who finished a degree in surveying
and bought a 10-ton paraw which they used to deliver wax, diliman and nige from Mindoro to
Manila (Aguinaldo 1967:8-13).
Problem struck the family when Benigno had to be conscripted to the army. His
mother worked all she had to evade his son’s conscription by paying re-enganche at the
amount of ₱500.00. But when it was Miong’s turn to be conscripted, they had already run out
of money that the only way for him to evade conscription was for him to work in government.
She worked for his appointment as cabeza de barangay of Binakaya at the age of 17, tasked to
collect taxes from cedula. But as any other difficult job of a cabeza, collecting taxes was
difficult since Filipinos would hardly want to pay taxes, and Miong would have to pay the
arrears from his pocket only to meet the quota (Aguinaldo 1967: 12-22).
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On January 1, 1895, he was elected gobernadorcillo of Kawit, a job made difficult for
him since Kawit was factionalized by a rival political clan the Tironas. But, he said, he was
able to mend their family differences and became close friends with the Tirona brothers
Candido and Daniel at the displeasure of Aguinaldo’s brother Crispulo (Aguinaldo 1967:20-
22). Both Crispulo and Candido died during the revolution while it would be clear why
Daniel worked hard for Miong’s election to the presidency during the Tejeros convention
since they became close family friends. Gen. Miong adopted the nom-de-guerre Magdalo, the
same code name of his hometown Cavite Viejo or Kawit. Magdalo was derived from Santa
Magdalena, patron saint of the town. A staunch Magdalo officer, he served as Flag Lieutenant
General or Jefe Abanderado during the first election of the Magdalo council of the Katipunan
at the outbreak of the revolution. Miong became president at different times during the
Tejeros convention of March 1897, during the establishment of the Biak-na-bato republic of
November 1897 and during the First Philippine Republic of January 1899 in Malolos while
the revolutionists were still at war.
Dr.Trinidad Pardo de Tavera during their first meeting in Bakood had this to say of
his personality:
He struck me as being modest and convinced that he had a providential mission. His
presence was agreeable, for, on account of his humble manner, he spoke always in a
very low voice; he spoke Spanish haltingly, for he did not speak it well, but he spoke
Tagalog in a very pleasing manner, using words which were always flattering to the
person with whom he was talking. He affected to speak Tagalog very well. When he
was spoken to about victories he was pleased, but when he was spoke to about a
foreign policy or political affairs he seemed to be entirely at a loss. These, when I
said to him that he seemed very much occupied, and that I would speak to Mabini, he
said, “Yes, yes talk over to Mabini,” (Agoncillo 1956: 179).
Miong admitted that he kept notes of the events during the revolution. He was 87
years old in 1956 when Teodoro Agoncillo published his book Revolt of the Masses and with
whom Agoncillo consulted with in terms of the events that transpired during that time. From
then, he said, many of his associates tried to convince him to write his own memoir, to
resolve some issues brought in the open by Agoncillo’s Revolt of the Masses and accusations
hurled on him surrounding the death of Andres Bonifacio, thus the book Mga Gunita ng
Himagsikan which he wrote and was published in 1964 when he was already 95 years old. He
died a year later. The book was translated in English by Luz Colendrino-Bucu and published
in 1967 with the title My Memoirs.
Gen. Artemio Ricarte was not a Caviteño by birth but an Ilocano born in Batac on
October 20, 1866 to Estaban Ricarte and Bonifacia Garcia. He earned his primary education
in his hometown, went to Manila to enroll at Colegio de San Juan de Letran where he
received his Bacillerato. Rather than pursing higher studies at the University of Santo Tomas,
he chose to become a teacher and earned his certificate of Maestro de Primaria at Escuela
Normal in Ermita. He did not anymore return to his hometown to pursue his teaching career,
he instead settled in Cavite to teach basic education among children. Ricarte, however, was
caught in both exciting and tumultuous times, when the spell of revolution was fuming in the
air. By 1896, he was already serving as treasurer of Sanguniang Balangay nang Bayan
Mapagtiis under the Magdiwang faction. When the revolution broke out in the middle of
August 1896, Ricarte was one of those who led the attack on the headquarters of Guardia
Civil in San Francisco de Malabon, killing a Spanish guard and inducing others to side with
the rebels. This time, he assumed his nom-de-guerre Vibora or viper. He was then acclaimed
with the rank of general. He stayed on with the cause of fighting the Spaniards and defending
Cavite against the onslaught of Spanish assaults until the first quarter of 1897 even with the
conflict surrounding the Magdalo and Magdiwang factions and the death of Bonifacio
brothers.
152
========================================
Reading 9.1
My Memoirs1
By Gen. Emilio F. Aguinaldo
Author’s Preface
The facts and incidents in these Memoirs were based on the actual events that I could
remember, on the diary that I kept, and on the documents that I wrote and preserved carefully.
The circumstances surrounding my birth and childhood were gathered from the stories of my
elders. All other details were taken from different papers that I collected and compiled for
more than half a century. They were treasured memories of my joys and triumphs – events
that my faltering fingers wrote painstakingly, events that had persisted through the years
amidst the disappointments and frustrations of a dejected soul. I tried to put them all tighter to
produce this humble tribute to my beloved native land.
The events had occurred in such a rapid pace that I could not very well see the
integrated whole. Except for those that were written, other details had been forgotten. Many
details showed inconsistencies because not all sources were documented for lack of reliable
references. For instance, the right date of the First Cry of Balintawak could not be
ascertained. Some say this took place on August 23, 1896, and the old Bonifacio monument
in Balintawak, others claim it happened on August 24, 1896. The result, we now have too
many markers for a single event.
I had foreseen such difficulties, so I tried my best to write the important events that
were to be incorporated in this historical account of our country.
It will be noticed that there existed differences in policies and points of

misunderstanding among the various factions during the Revolution. Such seemingly
discordant notes could not be avoided since these seem to accompany progress. But let any
remark or invective be hurled against the Mother Country, and these disunited forces would
rise immediately as one in defense of the Motherland. As soon as the Civil Government was
established in our country, many political groups sprang up, each one with its own political
leanings and issues, but during the Japanese regime, all such differences were forgotten and
the Filipino nation was united almost automatically.
It is true that we have different ideologies and convictions. Fortunately, this seems to
be the essence of a democracy: divergence of opinions. However, this fact did not hamper us
in our bid for freedom.
I had these aims in writing this book, the only one I had written so far: first, to help
historians in their effort to synthesize details; secondly, to refresh in the minds of the present
generation the difficulties and sacrifices of their elders in the struggle for independence; and,
thirdly to arouse a genuine love and desire to defend the country against all invaders.
23
1
Lifted from his book by Emilio Aguinaldo, My Memoirs, translated by Luz Colendrino-Bucu, Manila:
Christina Aguinaldo Suntay, 1967., pp. 77-80, 101-156, 161-163. (Source notes and footnotes were
intentionally deleted from this reading.)
153
My First Triumph in War

Very early on the morning of September 3, 1896, almost out of breath, Jose Tagle,
head of the Haligue sector of the Katipunan, came running and requested us to return to Imus.
He was afraid that the enemy who had already left for Bacoor would reach Imus ahead of us
if we did not hurry. As usual I led the group of 1,000 men who left for Imus. It was indeed a
very pleasing sight to see everybody enthusiastic, happy and lighthearted. Doubt,
apprehension, and grief did not bother anyone of them. As we passed by the town, even men
armed with daggers only joined us. Some even jumped out of the windows in their haste to
join us. It was like a procession that grew longer as we went along.
When we reached our destination, I assigned each group to its place. I ordered my
men to lie prone on the ground and not to show up or shout until they had heard my signal.
We had barely finished our preparations when the enemy swarmed in. The enemy was still far
from the hacienda when it began firing right and left at us. Not a soul from our group
answered the fire even if some of my men were already hurt. But as the enemy neared the end
of the bridge, it saw the bridge was cut. This made it impossible for the enemy to cross to the
other side. Then I gave the signal to attack, and a volley of shots rang through the air. It was a
most pitiable sight to behold! Heap upon heap of the enemy lay on the bridge. The enemy
became rattled. Some of the men ran, while others jumped into the river.
In this battle, I made a very grievous error which made me shudder whenever I had
time to ponder on what actually happened. We could have captured easily the enemy as it
retreated to the other side of the river. But as it was high tide, we could not cross the river and
the first group I sent in pursuit of the retreating enemy was carried away by the tide. So, to be
able to cross safely, I ordered my men to hold each other at arm’s length.
We engaged the enemy in a hand-to-hand fight, using bolos only as our weapons. We
cornered the cavalry and artillery units that were bound for the hacienda at San Nicolas,
Bacoor. The rice fields were littered with the dead of both troops and enemy in confusion, and
perhaps in his haste, General Aguirre fell from his horse, leaving behind his sword of
command which he evidently had not time to pick up. Our men pursued the fleeing enemy
and stopped only to come to my rescue because I felt dizzy and fell on the rice paddies. They
thought I was fatally shot in the encounter.
When everything was clear, we surveyed our booty. We had two cartloads of tattered
dead bodies, 70 Remington guns and other equipment. When I examined General Aguirre’s
sword, I found these words inscribed: “Made in Toledo, Spain, 1869.” This was the year
when I was born. The coincidence made me happy. From that time on I brought this sword in
all my battles.
29
Bonifacio Invited to Cavite

After Supremo Andres Bonifacio and his men met defeat at the hands of the
Spaniards, we in Cavite had lost track of their whereabouts. As we were worried about
Bonifacio, we sent men to look for him in the forests of Caloocan and Malabon, and
instructed them to invite the Supremo to Cavite which had already been liberated from
Spanish rule.
154
By then Cavite had been independent from Spanish rule for three months and was
peacefully being governed by the Revolutionary Government. But the Supremo and his wife,
Gregoria de Jesus, his two brothers, Procopio and Ciriaco, General Lucino and 20 soldiers did
not reach Cavite until the first day of December 1896. One can easily imagine the dangers,
hardships, and privations they went through before finally arriving in Cavite.
When the news of their arrival reached me, I was fighting at Zapote, Arumahan, Las
Piñas, and Pintong Bato, Bacoor. So I sent Generals Mariano Noriel and Pio del Pilar and
their men to welcome the Supremo and render him honors.
The Supremo and I were very happy to see each other after much longing to be
together again, although our separation was only a short time.
Everybody was glad to see the Supremo. There was much rejoicing, brotherly
embrace, and cordial greetings. Then he and his men related the dangers they encountered in
their journey through Balara and Marikina, at times taking the longest routes just to avoid
meeting the enemy, until they reached the free land of Cavite. That was the reason it took
them long to reach Pintong Bato in Bacoor, the portals of freedom in Cavite.
After the cordial greetings, the Supremo asked about the firing that he had heard
along the way. Since I had joined them by then, I told him that such firing was a daily
occurrence in Cavite whenever the enemy and our men met. At the battle of Zapote that
morning, I told him we had two dead and 11 wounded. Later I suggested that we moved to
Imus where it was safer. I also told him that our brothers in the Katipunan were eager to see
him.
We rode in caretelas to Imus. The Supremo and I were in one caretela and as we
passed by the towns, he noted the presence of many people. I related to him how willingly
thousands and thousands of people responded to this great crusade for freedom. I mentioned
how the women provided food and took care of the wounded. I told him of the ardent desire
of the men, women, and children to offer what little they could for the success of this Little
Republic of Cavite. I told him that the whole town of Malibay under the leadership of
Municipal Captain Santiago Garcia moved to Cavite. Garcia was in charge of making
falconets out of cast iron. The people of Muntinlupa also came to share in the freedom we
were enjoying and to help win our cause.
“You will pity these people when they arrived here,” I informed Bonifacio. “The men
carried whatever belongings they had, such as implements, rice, and other materials; the
women had their children astride their waists, while their bags of clothes were mounted on
their heads.”
It was really heart-rending to see them! The men voluntarily joined the battles. The
women did their share by bringing food to the soldiers and caring for the sick and the
wounded. To prevent any rise in the price of rice, the Magdalo government ordered the price
not to exceed three pesos a cavan, and that of palay at one peso a cavan, I also told him of the
charitable and generous gestures of General Tirona’s wife and my mother.
In turn, Bonifacio said that the same thing was true in Manila where many men,
women, and even children rallied to the cause and joined the Revolution. He cited Tandang
Sora of Pasong Tamo, Balintawak, who opened her bodega of palay to the revolutionary
soldiers. “There,” he narrated, “the palay was ground and even if the grains were merely half-
ground, the people started cooking them.”
155
But at the beginning because of urgent need for food, I ordered the 20 Chinese stores
in Caloocan forced open.”
Bonifacio likewise disclosed that many people, Katipuneros or not, from Manila
followed him to Caloocan since the friars and the civil guards had been persecuting them after
the discovery of the Katipunan by Friar Mariano Gil of Tondo.
“We were also forced to seek refuge but unfortunately while we were having our
meeting at Balintawak, we were surprised by the civil guards so we were scattered and I took
refuge in the forest of Caloocan. Our plan to invade Manila was foiled.”
Without our knowing it, we reached Imus, the seat of the Revolutionary Government
of the Magdalo Council. Although there was no music or pealing of bells, yet the Supremo
was warmly welcomed by the people led by the members of the Magdalo Council. Generals
Baldomero Aguinaldo, Edilberto Evangelista, Vito Belarmino, Crispulo Aguinaldo, and
Daniel Tirona, and Messrs. Felix Cuneca, Glicero Topacio, Cayetano Topacio, Jose Tagle,
Sixto Espinosa, and others were on hand to receive him.
After the ceremonies, we moved to the house of Mr and Mrs. Juan Castañeda. The
Supremo and his family rested here while the others proceeded to the barracks. After supper,
the Supremo recounted his trials and tribulations. He even revealed that the Katipunan was no
longer unified as it used to be, and that some units even went to the extent of disobeying his
orders, particularly in attacking the enemy in Balintawak, Masambong, Baesa, Santa Mesa,
San Juan etc.
“This is the reason,” he added, “I could not keep my appointment with you in Manila.
You suggested that our forces meet in the eastern part of Manila and conquer the enemy in
our path… It was good that you had been successful here in Cavite. Otherwise, more lives
could have been claimed by the friars.”
We talked of other things until it was almost midnight when I had to leave him so he
could rest, with the promise to be back in the morning. Meanwhile, I returned to our
battlefield in Zapote.
The next morning, the officials of the Magdiwang Council came to see the Supremo.
They were Vice-King Mariano Alvarez; Minister of war Ariston Villanueva; Minister of
Justice, General Mariano C. Trias; Minister of Natural Resources, General Emiliano Riego de
Dios; Minister of Finance Diego Mojica; Minister of Interior, General Pascual Alvarez;
Minister of Exterior Jacinto Lumbreras; Captain General Santiago Alvarez; and Lieutenant
General Artemio Ricarte. One can imagine the pompous reception jointly given to the grand
visitor by the Magdiwang and Magdalo Councils.
Such rejoicing was, however, short-lived. For when the news came that there was
heavy fighting again at Zapote, I rushed to the battlefront. Perhaps the enemy had learned of
the Supremo’s visit so it started bombarding anew.
Soon Andres Bonifacio left with Magdiwang Council for their headquarters. A most
impressive and cordial welcome was accorded him in all the towns they passed. In the almost
nine-kilometer route from Noveleta to San Francisco de Malabon, all the houses sported
bamboo arches decorated with all kinds of banners. One kilometer from the town proper of
San Francisco de Malabon, the Supremo was met by a brass band and at the door of the
church he was met by the priest under a canopy. All the chandeliers were lighted and the bells
rang wildly in welcome. With the choir chanting Te Deum, the guest walked under this
156
canopy accompanied by Father Manuel Trias, the Tagalog parish priest. After the ceremonies,
the council proceeded to the house of Miss Estefania Potente.
The next morning, the cabinet of the Magdiwang government handed over the mantle
of responsibility to the Supremo. He was given the title King. Formerly, the highest post in
the council was called Vice-King which was assumed by General Mariano Alvarez. With the
arrival of their highest official, the council was finally completed. The officials wore very
impressive costumes during their meetings. From the king to the captain general, they wore
big red ribbons decorated with gold across their shoulders. Sometimes they wore those badges
of distinction in their rounds, so the people would recognize their positions in the council
perhaps.
They were always happy for the towns under their control were peaceful, being
located behind the towns under fire.
The Magdiwang Council started to visit each of the 12 towns under its jurisdiction in
preparation for their plan to unite the Magdalo and the Magdiwang Councils. Everywhere
they went, they were given the customary welcome of bamboo arches, bands, pealing of bells,
and canopied entry amidst the singing of Te Deum. Everywhere they were met with the
shouts of “Long live the Tagalogs!” They preached the value of freedom and the necessity of
unity, particularly between the two councils – the Magdiwang and the Magdalo.
On the other hand, the Magdalo group had been harassed almost daily by the enemy
at Zapote, Almanza, San Nicolas, Arumahan, Pintong Bato, and Molino in Bacoor. Sad to
say, at one time, our lines at the other side of the Zapote river were even penetrated by the
enemy because our soldiers fatigued from fighting, did not notice their coming. The
penetration could have gone further were it not for the brave bolomen under Generals
Mariano Noriel and Pio del Pilar who pounced upon the enemy without mercy. Once more
the waters of the Zapote river turned red with human blood. This was almost ordinary
occurrence in our columns.
33
A Meeting of the Councils

Great fear gripped the people of Cavite when the Diario de Manila published the
frightening news that Don Camilo Farcia de Polavieja, new captain general and governor
general of the Philippines, planned to attack Cavite with the 40,000 newly arrived Spanish
troops under the command of General Lachambre on February 15, 1897. The rumor also
spread that the troops had prepared a huge iron cage where General Emilio Aguinaldo would
be placed when captured. He would be exhibited to the people on the Luneta should he be
caught alive.
When the horrible news reached me, I went immediately to San Francisco de
Malabon and conferred with Supremo Bonifacio. I suggested that the Magdiwang faction help
us fight the enemy since all revolutionists had the same aim: freedom of the Motherland from
the clutches of the Spaniards.
“I am sorry, Capitain Emilio,” Bonifacio replied coldly, “that I cannot grant your
request because we are also in danger here from the enemy that may attack us any time.”
157
“Within the four months that we had been defending Cavite from the enemy,” I told
the Supremo, “it had never landed its troops on this side of the province. But if that is your
decision, I bid you goodbye.”
After I left the Supremo, I decided to rely on my own forces at whatever cost. I
entrusted the responsibility of strengthening our defenses to General Edilberto Evangelista,
while I conferred with President Baldomero Aguinaldo and his council on the final decision
of Bonifacio.
President Baldomero Aguinaldo then summoned all his secretaries to a general

meeting, and in that short but significant moment, it was decided to invite the head and the
high officials of the Magdiwang faction to a joint meeting with the Magdalo Council on
December 28, 18972, for the purpose of presenting the grave and serious problems
confronting them, namely, the pressing need of uniting the two factions under one
Revolutionary Government instead of working separately; the necessity of placing all soldiers
under one command for better discipline and control; and the importance of electing a single
set of officers of the united group.
The Magdiwang faction accepted the invitation but its officers came on the afternoon
of December 28, not in the morning as requested.
The coming of the Supremo gladdened the hearts of the Katipuneros and the house on
the hacienda where the meeting was held was filled to capacity. At the head of the table sat
the Supremo and his right were all his ministers. At the left sat the officers of the Magdalo
Council. Although it was the Magdalo Council which initiated the meeting, nevertheless, the
Supremo called the meeting to order and presided over it.
After stating the purpose of the meeting, General Baldomero Aguinaldo said:
“Respected King, Vice-King, and Ministers of the Magdiwang faction: I would like to inform
you that the consensus in the Magdalo Council is in favor of the fusion of our two factions
which is considered absolutely necessary for the defense of our province against the rumored
attack of the Spaniards in February. The Diario de Manila headlined the news that the
soldiers who had come directly from Spain would be used in the attack on Cavite and would
be under the joint command of Captain General Polavieja and General Lachambre. In the face
of this threat against the temporary freedom we are now enjoying in Cavite, we reiterate the
request that we join forces and elect officers who will head the untied revolutionary forces.”
At this juncture, Minister of War Ariston Villanueva of the Magdiwang faction stood
up and declared that all his men were in favor of electing the officers of the Revolutionary
Government but that the highest position be reserved for the Supremo since he was the head
of the Katipunan. He also reminded the body that were it not for Supremo Bonifacio, the
Revolution would not have probably begun.
After being recognized, General Edilberto Evangelista voiced his opinion. “I do not
agree with the statement that the Revolution was the accomplishment of the Katipunan
alone,” General Evangelista began. “Let us not ignore the fact that our revolutionary forces
are not composed of Katipunan members only. A great number of the townspeople joined the
cause and helped us a great deal in one way or another. Take my case, for instance. When I
was still an engineering student in Dantes, Italy, I already had the seed of rebellion sown in
my heart as I could not swallow the abuses of the Spaniards. I tried my best to return to the
Philippines, and upon my arrival in Manila, I was met by the carabiñeros of the ship who
imprisoned me for six days without cause. Three days after I was set free, I took the road to
2
Aguinaldo may have mistaken this for 1896 [Authors].
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Cavite. In Zapote, I was mistaken for a spy, so I was sent to General Aguinaldo in Cavite el
Viejo. However, the General was convinced of my sincerity to serve our cause. In Cavite el
Viejo, I witnessed every night hundreds and hundreds of people who came to offer their help.
What other patriotic act could we expect from the townspeople? We cannot ignore the role
our countrymen had been playing in the past few days. Hence, it is not right nor fair to
presume that the Revolution is an affair of the Katipunan only. The union of our forces will
be useless if we do not recognize the role of our countrymen in this bid for freedom. I,
therefore, pledge my support to the suggestion of General Baldomero Aguinaldo that we unite
forces and elect the officers to head the Revolutionary Government.”
After this explanation, General Baldomero Aguinaldo stood up again and spoke: “My
brothers, when we started the Revolution here in Cavite, we had only 300 Katipunan
members. But the next morning, a thousand men rallied to our cause. Let us face the fact that
were it not for the wholehearted cooperation and assistance of the townspeople, we could not
have won our cause. They helped us in all ways. Let us not forget that even if our association
led the Revolution, we could not have attained our freedom without the help of our patriotic
countrymen. A philosopher once said, “The voice of the people is the voice of God,’ I
therefore conclude these remarks with this question: Wouldn’t it be best for the revolutionary
forces to elect their highest official instead of we ourselves electing him?”
Then the Minister of Interior of the Magdiwang Council stood up and said: “We are
in favor of electing the ministers but not the head of the Revolutionary Government.”
The Supremo then suggested that considering the gravity and the seriousness of the
subject at hand, and it being very late in the night, action on the matter should be deferred for
deliberate study and further consideration. At this juncture, Don Paciano Rizal arrived with
the sad news of Dr. Jose Rizal’s execution on December 30. After the two factions had their
supper, they parted without having accomplished anything.
38
My Election to the Presidency

While I was busy supervising the building of our defenses at Pasong Santol in
Dasmariñas, a group of cavalry soldiers headed by Colonel Vicente Riego de Dios of the
Magdiwang Council arrived to tell me that I had been elected the head of the government as a
result of the union of the Magdiwang and the Magdalo factions.
The following is their narration of the results of the national meeting presided over by
Supremo Andres Bonifacio. In the election for the President of the Revolutionary
Government, Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo were nominated. Emilio Aguinaldo
won. For the Vice-President, Andres Bonifacio was again nominated, but his own Minister of
Justice, Gen. Mariano Trias, defeated him.
For the position of Captain General, Captain General Santiago Alvarez and General
Artemio Ricarte were nominated. General Ricarte won, but he objected on the ground that he
thought he was not capable. However, his objection was overruled and he was proclaimed
shortly after. For Secretary of War, Andres Bonifactio was nominated for the third time, but
General Emiliano Riego de Dios beat him.
For Secretary of Interior, Bonifacio was again nominated. His opponents were
Ministers Diego Mojica and Severino de las Alas. This time he won and everybody began
congratulating him. But General Daniel Tirona objected to his election on the ground that
159
Bonifacio was not a lawyer and proposed that the position be given instead to Jose del
Rosario, a lawyer from Tanza. Although the motion was not seconded and therefore was
invalid, Andres Bonifacio stood up and said, “Did we not agree from the beginning that
whoever among us was elected in this meeting will be recognized and respected by
everybody?”
“Yes, sir,” the assembly agreed.
“Then,” he continued, “why is it that when I won, there was an objection?”
“Nobody seconded the motion,” reminded the group.
The Supremo was visibly angry; he pulled out his revolver and aimed at General
Tirona. Had it not been for the timely intervention of Secretary Jacinto Lumbreras and
General Ricarte, General Tirona could have been saved. Tirona disappeared in the throng.
Although after this incident, order had been restored in the meeting, nevertheless, in
the bitter disappointment and anger, the Supremo stood up and declared, “By virtue of my
being head for this national meeting, I declare this election null and void.” Then he started to
leave.
Confusion reigned for a while, thereupon, Colonel Santiago Rillo, delegate from
Batangas, stood up and shouted that the Supremo need not go for he had been proclaimed
Secretary of Interior. Moreover, the motion of General Tirona was not valid since it was not
seconded. The Supremo left and proceeded to Malabon.
Delegate Rillo turned to the assembly and asked them if they wanted to continue the
meeting. He would act as the presiding officer. The crowd consented, so the meeting was
resumed. The delegates then reiterated their respect for the elected officials and appointed a
commission headed by Colonel Vicente Riego de Dios to apprise General Emilio Aguinaldo
of his election as President of the new Revolutionary Government and to fetch him
immediately so he could take his oath of office.
The meeting was temporarily adjourned while they awaited anxiously the appearance
of General Emilio Aguinaldo.
After this story of Colonel Vicente Riego de Dios, I said:
I am very happy that at last the two factions are united. This was the
suggestion of General Baldomero Aguinaldo on December 28, 1896, but since the
Magdiwang faction did not want to elect the head of the Revolutionary Government,
but rather appoint Supremo Andres Bonifacio to this position, nothing was
accomplished. I am indeed grateful that the Supremo had changed his mind, hence
this election. I thank you for having elected me to this position, and I hope that with
God’s help and your help we shall succeed.
However, I believe this union is rather late because our enemy has already
defeated us and right now the towns of Silang and Dasmariñas are in the hands of the
enemy.
I am sorry, however, that I cannot grant your request to take me with you.
How can I leave now when we are actually facing the enemy? The thousand armed
160
men are coming towards us. I am sorry, but my personal interests can never go above
those of the Mother Country.
As the commission was greatly disappointed, it left without a single word.
Then at two o’clock in the afternoon, more cavalry men headed by General Crispulo
Aguinaldo, my eldest brother arrived. As head of the delegation, he addressed me thus:
My dear President and brother: I know that you are in a dilemma regarding these two
great problems of our country. You have to choose between remaining here to defend this
section of the country and that of taking your oath of office as head of the Revolutionary
Government. But if you will heed my advice, I shall ask you to respond to the call of the
Revolutionary Government by taking the oath of office. The people await you anxiously and
your acceptance will strengthen greatly our bid for freedom.
I was requested to fetch you and I promised the assembly that I will do my best to
persuade you to go and entrust your job here to me. I will do my best to thwart the attempt of
the enemy to penetrate our defenses. It can do this only over my dead body. So, my dear
brother, please go with these men and leave your troops under my care. I must remind you
that you were elected on March 22, your birthday, which seems to point that it is God’s will
that you lead this struggle for freedom of our Motherland.
I was persuaded, so I left the troops under my brother’s care and proceeded to the
assembly at the house on the hacienda in Tejeros. When we arrived, we found the house
closed because the Supremo did not want us to use it. We were advised to move the assembly
either to the convent of Tanza or Santa Cruz, Malabon, upon the invitation of Father Cenon
Fernandez.
We went to Tanza where we were warmly received. I was greeted by Colonel Rillo
on behalf of the assembly, followed by the Vice-President, General Mariano Trias, and the
Secretary of War, General Emiliano Riego de Dios. The only one absent was General
Artemio Ricarte who, according to the news we received, was afraid of the Supremo.
At about seven o’clock in the evening before a crucifix, General Mariano Trias,
General Emiliano Riego de Dios, and I took our oaths of office, one after the other. Colonel
Santiago Rillo, head of the national meeting, presided over the ceremonies.
At about 10 o’clock that night, General Ricarte arrived. But he refused to take his
oath of office until Secretary Riego de Dios somehow persuaded him. So amidst the joy and
shouting of all those present, General Ricarte was sworn in.
After the oath-taking rites that same evening, I called my companions – Generals
Mariano Trias and Riego de Dios – and General Ricarte to a meeting. I told them of the need
for the lieutenant-in-command in every town not actually in battle to come to Tanza and help
“General Cirispulo Aguinaldo in Pasong Santol.
I had barely made this suggestion when General Artemio Ricarte stood up and said he
was feeling dizzy. So he went out without bidding us goodbye. I was amazed at such a
behavior form a general of our army! However, I did not mind it. The two other generals gave
me all the support I needed and followed my suggestion. That night dispatches were sent to
all the troops of the Magdiwang group.
161
At 10 o’clock of the next morning, March 23, I was very happy to see a battalion
under the command of Major Andres Villanueva from Naic respond to our request. So I sent
Lieutenant Villanueva and his men immediately to General Crispulo Aguinaldo.
It was noon of March 24 when I received news at Tanza that the Supremo and his
ministers, including General Artemio Ricarte, met in council on the morning of March 23 and
passed a resolution declaring null and void the general meeting held on March 22 in Tejeros .
Malabon.
Instead of going after Bonifacio and his cohorts since I had the power to do so, I
chose to ignore them. I patiently accepted this difficult situation so that petty jealousies and
recriminations of brother against brother be stopped.
After all, one by one, troops from Ternate, Maragondon, Magallanes and other towns
arrived. I sent them all to Pasong Santol to join the forces of General Crispulo Aguinaldo.
But what a bitter disappointment and sorrow we had when we learned that our troops
bound for Pasong Santol were all intercepted by General Ricarte, upon orders of the Supremo.
They were gathered where the Supremo ordered them to wait for the enemy. They were also
instructed to kidnap me on my way to Imus. When I learned about this plot, I heaved a sigh
and said, “Our Revolution is bound to fail because of the selfishness and vindictiveness of
one person.” General Trias suggested that I order the arrest of the traitors.
On the night of March 25, like a thunderbolt, the news came that Pasong Santol had
been taken by the enemy and the Spanish flag raised in victory, but only after General
Crispulo Aguinaldo, my brother, died fighting as he had vowed.
To my mind, such a disaster could have been averted had not Andres Bonifacio asked
General Artemio Ricarte to intercept our reinforcements to Pasong Santol. This is a black spot
in the history of our struggle for independence which I can never forget.
41
The Plot Against Aguinaldo

On the afternoon of April 19, 1897, Major Lazaro Macapagal, who had just returned
from a reconnaissance, came rushing to me with some startling news. When Macapagal and
his troops passed by the headquarters of Supremo Andres Bonifacio, a certain Colonel
Escolastico, alias Tiko, accosted and invited them to partake of the delicious food specially
prepared for the revolutionary troops. What could be more welcome to the hungry troops than
these words!
So Major Macapagal accepted the invitation. But once they were inside the yard, his
men were divided into two groups. One group was led up the house by Colonel Escolastico.
When the colonel came back, he was accompanied by a group of soldiers under the command
of Colonel Ciriaco Bonifacio, brother of the Supremo, who was ordered to keep watch over
Macapagal.
Not long afterwards, Major Macapagal excused himself for personal necessity, and he
was allowed to go to the stables. When he saw Colonel Bonifacio turn his back, Major
Macapagal jumped over the wall and ran as fast as he could. But before he had escaped, he
overheard the two colonels taking in low tones about the troops of General Emilio Aguinaldo
that had already been gathered at the headquarters.
162
I was amazed at the news. I could not explain how they were able to gather all my
men without my knowledge. Was it possible that not one of my faithful soldiers informed me
about this matter? How did they do it? Did they apply such mean trick as that used on Major
Macapagal’s men?
I summoned Generals Baldomero Aguinaldo and Tomas Mascardo at once and told
them what had happened. Then I asked them to go to the headquarters to verify the news and
to find out the kind of meeting that the Supremo was presiding over.
Immediately after they had left, I asked my host to contact major Jocson who would
deliver my message to Colonel Blas Bustamante. I ordered the colonel to get his men ready to
surround the hacienda, to bring contrivances to be used in getting inside the walled
headquarters, and to inform me as soon as they were ready.
At about seven o’clock in the evening, Major Jocson came to report that they had
surrounded the hacienda and everything was ready. I sent him back with the precise
instruction to wait for my shots before they began clambering over the wall for the attack.
Although I was still weak – for I barely recovered from fever – I took my gun and
dagger. I felt I was strong again and the weakness of my knees vanished. With Benito Ylapit,
who used to carry my favorite Winchester, I went straight to the first big door of the
headquarters. To my surprise, I saw my two generals still there after an hour of waiting, for
they were not permitted to get in, following the orders of the Supremo that no one should be
allowed to get in without his permission.
“So that’s it! I remarked. “Give me way and I’ll try to get in.” When the officer of the
guards saw me, he stopped me very politely and told me about the instructions of the
Supremo. “Is that so?” I asked. “Why, what are they doing upstairs that they have to be so
secretive? Why should they exclude their comrades who are patriots like themselves? Those
instructions are for enemies and strangers, but do you know me?” I asked the officer.
“Yes, sir! I know you,” I replied.
After pushing the officer gently aside, I asked my two generals and some bolomen to
get in. Once in, I told them to stay downstairs and wait for my signal shots. “We shall go with
you upstairs,” admonished my two generals.
“No,” I told them. “Stay here and come up only when you hear me in trouble.”
When I had reached the inner door, I was again accosted politely by an officer, and
by using the same argument I was able to reach the meeting place upstairs. I noticed that the
lights were low and silence reigned. I approached the closed door very quietly and looked for
a small crack through which I could peep. Among the many people in the meeting were the
Supremo who presided over it, his ministers, and other followers of the Magdiwang faction.
But how shocked I was upon seeing my two favorite and best loved generals – Pio del Pilar
and Mariano Noriel – in the meeting. At one end near General Artemio Ricarte, I saw
Santiago Alvarez, Pascual Alvarez, and many others. I saw them reading something and heard
them discussing the anonymous letter supposed to have been received by the Supremo, stating
that General Emilio Aguinaldo would surrender all the arms of the revolutionists in Cavite to
the Spanish government as requested in the letters of Jesuit Father Pio Pi and Fiscal General
Comenge to Aguinaldo. The surrender would be finalized in a letter which would be sent to
General Lachambre through Domingo Martinez, a Spanish captive.
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“This is the end of the anonymous letter,” the Supremo continued. “This is the real
reason why until now General Emilio Aguinaldo has been malingering. Isn’t this our good
luck that this letter reached me?” concluded Bonifacio.
I saw from the facial expressions of my two generals that they were being carried
away by the anonymous letter. I noticed they were scrutinizing the letter very closely. I had
the goose pimples when I heard the Supremo address one of my generals in the following
manner: “I trust that our new captain general, Pio del Pilar, will endeavor to prevent the
disintegration of our army into factions so that we can have only one army in our
government.”
I was so engrossed eavesdropping that I did not notice the coming of Procopio
Bonifacio who surprised me with these words: “so you are here!”
Before I could answer him, he pushed the door lightly and shouted, “Respected ruler,
here is General Emilio Aguinaldo eavesdropping!”
I noted how amazed the people were, but Supremo said, “Let him in.”
I got in, advanced four steps from the door, and then greeted them with a “Good
evening to you all.”
“Come in and join our meeting,” the Supremo answered.
“Thank you! If you really needed me in this meeting, you should have invited me.
Then, I could have joined you without hesitation. So, goodbye,” And I left immediately.
I looked for my soldiers who were locked up in the rooms. After I had opened the
door of the first room, I lighted a match and there found the men of Major Macapagal who
were surprised at my unexpected appearance. They stood up and greeted me, “Good evening,
sir!”
“Why are you here?” I asked them.
“We do not know why we were locked up here,” they answered.
I ordered them to go out and arrange themselves at the balcony. I instructed them also
not to do anything without my orders.
Just then, Colonel Ciriaco Bonifacio arrived with the message that I was being invited
by the Supremo to the meeting. “Yes,” I told him and, after assigning my troops to their
respective places, I followed him. Although I felt that something might happen to me, I
walked into the assembly hall and greeted the people with “Good evening again to all of
you!”
“Come in and join us,” invited the Supremo.
“Thank you, but it is unnecessary. Since you did not intend to have me here in your
meeting I don’t think I should intrude; so thank you and goodbye again,” I answered.
I continued looking for the remaining soldiers whom I found later in the other rooms
of the bodega. I was getting them out of their wretched condition when a soldier came
164
running to me with the news that the Supremo, together with the rest of his men, had rushed
to the front stairs in their hurry to get out of the headquarters.
It was providential that this incident happened, otherwise there could have been
brother-between-brother fight among our forces just because one individual was sabotaging
our setup.
That night, my troops who had been locked up had a feast on the food prepared by the
Bonifacio group for themselves. Witness to this wonderful event were the beautiful night and
the moon and the stars which vied with one another in splendor. Even the elements seemed to
have kept watch over our struggle for freedom.
While the soldiers were feasting in celebration of their good fortune, I sent for my
two generals – Pio del Pilar and Mariano Noriel. They came at once, but I noticed their
embarrassment, so that they could not look at me straight in the eye. So I began, “Don’t be
ashamed that I found out that you have sworn your allegiance to the Supremo. I do not blame
you if you believed all that you heard at the meeting. I bear no grudges against you. I
understand perfectly well that your love of country made you believe readily the contents of
the anonymous letter and this same feeling for your country prompted you to accept the
positions offered to you by the Supremo. Anyone in your place could have done the same.
Probably I would have accepted the honor myself. I am thankful, however, that everything
was a hoax, some invention of those who have dirty designs against the beautiful unity
binding our revolutionary forces.”
“Mother of Christ!” the two men almost simultaneously answered. “Everything that
you said is true. We were fooled by the clever trick. Thank God, you were able to eavesdrop.
It was also a good thing you had the necessary calmness and self-control that you contented
yourself with merely eavesdropping. It was a blessing you did not mow us down with your
gun. As a matter of fact, we were very angry with you because we really thought you were to
surrender our forces to the Spaniards.”
After patching up the misunderstanding, we retired, as we had to construct trenches

yet.
Meanwhile, I was puzzled by my discovery. What could be the real motive of

Bonifacio? Was it to destroy ne, the Revolution, or the solid unity of our people? How could I
put an end to his evil design? This problem kept bothering me the whole night.
At midnight after the mysterious meeting held at the headquarters in Naic on April
19, Andres Bonifacio and his troops suddenly left, giving the flimsy excuse that they would
go home to Balara, Montalban. This information was relayed to me very early on the morning
of April 20 by the officer on duty. General Ricarte and his troops left on the alleged mission
of helping General Malvar in Tanauan, Batangas.
In the face of such successive unexplainable actuations of the prominent leaders of

the Katipunan, I could foresee the logical possibility of an impending civil war which I had to
evade by all means because it could spell defeat and death to our people. I could not
understand why, of all people, they had to hate me when I had always been at the frontlines.
My men had been harassed by the enemy many times. What reason had they to move out their
troops from Cavite and transfer them to Batangas, when Cavite was the target of battles and
all the Spanish army was concentrated there?
165
I could not just take my responsibility as head of the Revolutionary Government

lightly. Neither did I want to call my generals to a meeting because they were all boiling mad
at what had happened.
Thanks to the Almighty that I was able to control my impulse to do something

drastic, otherwise the noble objective of the Revolution – to obtain the independence of the
country – could have been jeopardized.
Sometimes, during my pensive moments, I was overwhelmed by the thought that the
recognized leader of the Katipunan could resort to such despicable acts. I asked myself
repeatedly, “Why?” I even indulged in rigid self-examination, recalling instances in which I
might have offended the Supremo and past deeds to find out if, by thought or act, I had done
anything that might have displeased him. I recalled the various occasions when as
Katipuneros, we might have failed to recognize him as the leader and head of the Katipunan,
or to give him the honor due him. When we learned that he had gone in hiding in the
mountains of Montalban after the discovery of the Katipunan, we sent search parties to look
for him and his men and invited them to the free land of Cavite. What other loyalty did he
expect from me? In recognition of his authority as head of the Katipunan, I went to hm for
help three times.
After long and mature deliberations on the matter, I came to the following
conclusions:
1. That the results of the elections at the meeting of the Magdiwang and the
Magdalo factions in Tejeros on March 22, in which the Revolutionary Assembly
elected the officers of the Revolutionary Government, were a terrible blow to his
personal ambitions.
2. That he did not expect that the bitter outcome of the elections for the Assembly
was initiated by the Magdiwang faction through the leadership of General
Ricarte. He probably could not get over the blow that someone else, not he, was
elected head of the Revolutionary Government when nearly all the people who
attended the meeting belonged to the Magdiwang faction.
3. He was extremely disappointed to find that his opponents for the positions of
vice-president and secretary general were of his own party, not of the Magdalo
group.
The actions of the Supremo and General Artemio Ricarte were indeed puzzling. Their
leaving Cavite in the midst of overwhelming odds against the enemy was rather mysterious.
On April 24, 1897, I received a letter from the President of Indang, asking for help for
the troops of the Supremo ransacked the town. According to the reports, the soldiers raided
houses for rice and other prime necessities. When Don Severino de las Alas, Bonifacio’s
former minister, learned about this vandalism he sent word to me immediately.
The townspeople of Indang placed a cannon on the plaza and armed all the men with
bolos as they got ready to meet the Supremo’s soldiers. When the Supremo learned of the
preparation of the people, he and his men left for the mountains of Limbon where they
established themselves and built trenches all around.
As this act of the Supremo and his men was resented by the people, they took up the
suggestion of General Emilio Riego de Dios, secretary of war, that Generals Baldomero
Aguinaldo and Tomas Mascardo, and Colonels Agapito Bonson, Ignacio Pawa, and Felipe
Topacio go after the Supremo and his group and bring them back to Naic.
166
Before these officers left with half a battalion for their mission, I instructed them not
to hit any soldier in case they resisted because these soldiers were merely carrying out the
orders of their chiefs. I sacrificed this number of my soldiers although I was expecting an
attack by the enemy momentarily.
The next day, when they reached the mountain hideout of the Supremo, they found
the place already surrounded with trenches which they had built within so short a time.
When our men arrived, only Colonel Agapito (Intong) Bonson was allowed to enter
the hideout for a brief conference. Told that they were sent by President Emilio Aguinaldo of
the Revolutionary Government with instructions to bring back Bonifacio and his men to Naic
by all means, the Supremo declared, “Ah! tell Captain Emilio that he has to excuse me… I do
not want to go back to a town which did not give us food.”
“Well,” answered Colonel Bonson, “how can you get hungry when you have taken
sufficient and unlimited provisions from the town of Naic? Proof of this fact was the great
feast which you left in Naic.”
“Yes, that is true,” agreed the Supremo. “However, no provisions were given the
families of the soldiers who died in defending Malabon. So, whatever you say, I will not go
back to Naic, much less to Indang!”
After this exchange of rather harsh words, Colonel Bonson bade farewell to the
Supremo. But before he left the place, he studied carefully the defenses of the Supremo’s
hideout, remembering the location of the trenches and discovering places from where his men
could penetrate this entrenchment. Colonel Bonson and his troops then proceeded to Amadeo.
After Colonels Pawa, Topacio and Bonson had studied ways and means by which
they could capture the Supremo and his men alive, Colonel Bonson and his men returned to
Limbon. When their presence was noticed by the brave Colonel Ciriaco Bonifacio, brother of
the Supremo, he shot at them with his Mauser, killing a sergeant from Imus and a corporal
from Amadeo, and wounding three other soldiers.
In returning the fire, the men of Colonel Bonson killed Colonel Bonifacio and
wounded some soldiers and the Supremo whose wound necessitated his immediate transfer to
Naic on a hammock.
On the morning of April 29, 1897, the troops led by Colonels Bonson, Pawa and
Topacio returned to Naic with their captives headed by Andres Bonifacio and Procopio
Bonifacio. They were taken to the tribunal first before medical treatment was given to them in
the convent.
I summoned Generals Emiliano Riego de Dios, Baldomero Aguinaldo, and Tomas

Mascardo and we chose the officials to compose the tribunal or military court to try the
Bonifacio brothers.
The capture of the Supremo by Colonels Bonson, Topacio, and Pawa and the
immediate surrender of his troops averted unnecessary bloodshed and killing on both sides. It
was a good thing, too, that General Ricarte and his troops were not there then.
42
The Military Court
167
The generals whom I consulted regarding the creation of a military court were all
against this plan. They thought that such court was unnecessary for two reasons; first, because
we were in a state of war, and, secondly, because we were harassed by the enemy at many
points almost every day.
At the meeting, the generals drew up five serious charges against the Bonifacio
brothers. These charges and their attempt to subvert the interests of the Revolutionary
Government, if proved, were sufficient to warrant the death penalty for them. The charges
were: (1) the anonymous letter accusing me of an alleged plot to surrender to General
Lachambre, (2) their plan to establish another government, (3) their plan to liquidate me, (4)
the escape of the brothers and General Ricarte to evade responsibility for their acts, and (5)
dereliction of duty for refusing to fight for their country.
My generals wanted Andres and Procopio Bonifacio shot to death without the benefit
of trial. As this matter involved the lives of two men, I listened carefully and weighed their
arguments. I noticed that they were very sad about the whole thing. After a few minutes, I
said: “I am very sorry to differ with your opinion on the matter. I believe that even if we are
in a state of war, it is absolutely necessary that we act like prudent and civilized human
beings. The life of a person, no matter who he is, needs to be respected. I don’t think it is right
to have anyone, especially our brothers, shot just like animals. Whatever their crimes are, they
should be entitled to a fair trial. While it is true that ordinary laws are suspended during war
time, it is equally true that we follow laws during war. We have military courts to render
justice,.”
After explanation, everyone was silent. So I directed General Mariano Noriel to

create the court at once. I appointed Colonel Jose Lipana as presiding judge; Colonel Jose
Elises, fiscal; Colonels Placido Martinez and Teodoro Gonzales (one secretary of the
Supremo), defense counsels for the Bonifacio brothers.
I instructed the Court to be silent with the soldiers because they were merely
following their superior’s orders. The court started the trial at Naic, but later moved to
Maragondon.
44
Death for the Bonifacio Brothers

After a detailed careful trial by the military court composed of seven members headed
by General Mariano Noriel, the two Bonifacio brothers were found guilty of disloyalty to and
treachery against the Revolutionary Government as well as of sedition and rebellion. Having
established their guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the court unanimously imposed the death
sentence on them.
The decision was referred to me as head of the Revolutionary Government and

military commander. When I learned of the decision, pity for the two former comrades seized
my heart. In this connection, I have to mention here that ever since my early childhood, and
even in school, I never had any enemy. I never thought that in this struggle against Spain, I
would have an enemy and a Filipino at that!
By virtue of my power as head of the revolutionary movement, I ordered Colonel

Pedro Lipana, the presiding judge to ask the military court to relax the penalty on the two
brothers. My reasons were pity, my desire to preserve the unity of the Filipinos, and, above
168
all, because I did not want to shed the blood of other revolutionists. I therefore suggested that
the brothers be banished to Pico de Loro, a mountain quite far but still within Cavite.
Upon learning of my wish, Generals Pio del Pilar and Mariano Noriel rushed back to
me.
“Our dear general,” General Pio del Pilar began, “the crimes committed by the two
brothers, Andres and Procopio, are of common knowledge. If you want to live a little longer
and continue the task that you have so nobly begun, and if you want peace and order in our
Revolutionary Government, do not show them any mercy. Recall your order because what
these two brothers had committed was treachery to our country. By means of the anonymous
letter, we were led astray so that we agreed to put your government down and establish a new
one. It was a good thing you came upon us in that secret meeting at the hacienda, otherwise,
you or I would not be alive today. They named me commanding general of the revolutionary
forces and left everything in my hands to bind the two armies by whatever means. We further
agreed that should anyone be found guilty of treason, he should be given capital punishment.
This we swore to follow till death.”
“I took the same oath,” interrupted General Mariano Noriel. “If you want the goal of
the Revolution to be fulfilled, and if you wish to live some more years, don’t show mercy on
the brothers, because their main aim is to liquidate you by all means. I think the military court
was right in giving them capital punishment.”
And they added, “General, if you will allow Andres Bonifacio to live, the cause of the
Revolution will be in danger. We cannot afford to be divided, especially in these critical
moments.”
Besides these two generals, many people, most of them former followers of Andres
Bonifacio, came to me to dissuade me from my decision of relaxing the sentence on them.
Because of their explanations and requests, plus the strong evidence to prove their criminal
acts, I rescinded my order. Thereupon, General Mariano Noriel ordered Major Lazaro
Macapagal to bring with him a squad of soldiers to fetch the prisoners and carry out the
punishment originally imposed by the military court.
Very early on the morning of May 10, 1897, Major Macapagal and his men took the
prisoners to Mount Tala where they were shot.
As I was busy leading the fight against the enemy in Maragondon, I did not learn of
the execution of the Bonfacio brothers until days later.
*******
Reading 9.2
Memoirs of General Artemio Ricarte3

3
Lifted from his book by Artemio G. Ricarte, Memoirs of General Artemio Ricarte, Manila: National
Heroes Commission, 1963, pp. 23-27, 36-52. (Source notes and footnotes were intentionally deleted
from this reading.)
169
By Gen. Artemio Ricarte
Chapter V
Bonifacio Goes to Cavite

ARRIVAL OF ANDRES BONIFACIO IN CAVITE PROVINCE – As soon as the
province of Cavite had been cleared of the enemy, and when the two provincial councils had
been organized, the Magdiwang government sent a representative to the mountains of
Montalban and Marikina to look for the Supremo President of the Katipunan, taking with him
an envelope in which the Magdiwang government made a report to Andres Bonifacio on all
the events already described, and at the same time inviting him to come to Cavite province so
that he might witness and examine the very difficult but satisfactory situation in which the
Cavite Katipuneros found themselves. Bonifacio replied, congratulating the Katipunan chiefs
of Cavite for their glorious success and giving them instructions. He did not accept the
invitation, however, because in his opinion – and rightly so, with the success of the rebellion
against the legal government – it was not proper that all the leading Katipunan chiefs should
be in the same district of province, intoxicated with the joys of triumph and the pleasures of
the moment with their families. When the place where the Supreme Chief had established
himself was made known to the Magdiwang government, the latter frequently communicated
with him, each time insisting more and more on its invitation which it extended three times;
and he who writes these historical notes drew up the communications and invitations. On the
third invitation, Bonifacio acceded to the petition of the Magdiwang government and came to
Cavite province in December 1896, before the Christmas season. When he reached Imus he
stayed at the house of Juan Castañeda. On the following day he was visited and welcomed by
Emilio Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, and others, including the Katipunero Vicente Fernandez, a
native of Sinoloan, Laguna. Vicente Fernandez, at the assembly, as stated on page 5,
voluntarily promised, in the presence of Andres Bonifacio, to assist, in the district of Morong
and in Laguna, the attack planned on San Juan del Monte. For this proffer, the Supreme
President of the Katipunan appointed Fernandez Lieutenant General in command of Morong
and Laguna. San Juan del Monte was attacked…, but Fernandez did nothing in his territory to
carry out his promise. For this he was charged with the entire responsibility for the horrible
failure at San Juan del Monte. As is natural, his conscience pricked him and he sought refuge
at the side of Emilio Aguinaldo. When Andres Bonifacio saw Fernandez, believing
undoubtedly that as Supreme President of the Katipunan he could exercise his authority
wherever Katipuneros were concerned, Bonifacio ordered his immediate arrest in order that
the charges against him might be carefully investigated. The members of the Magdalo
government, the Supreme President discovered he had little or no importance in the opinion
of the provincial council of Cavite Viejo.
In the meanwhile, Esteban San Juan, Major of Magdiwang, was commissioned by it

to welcome Bonifacio and invite him in the name of its subjects to visit the territory.
Accepting the invitation, Bonifacio, accompanied by Emilio Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, and
the Magdiwang commissioner, set out for Noveleta, going straight without stop to Cavite
Viejo, arriving without Aguinaldo at 1 p.m. on the same day, and being received by several
leading men at a house previously prepared. At 3 p.m. the same day, Bonifacio and Emilio
Jacinto set out for San Francisco de Malabon. They traveled in a vehicle, escorted by Daniel
Tirona on the right, mounted on a horse, with his sword unsheathed and crying at the top of
his voice wherever there was a group of people: “Long live the Supreme President of the
Katipunan!”; and by Esteban San Juan on the left, and followed by vehicles filled with
members of the Magdiwang government and two detachments of soldiers in their red
uniforms, one in front and the other behind. Thus they marched to San Francisco de Malabon
170
where Bonifacio was received with a band of music and the Te Deum was sung in the church.
Some of the people in the crowd gathered in the plaza greeted him with the shout: “Long live
the King of the Philippines!” which was listened to with great indifference by Bonifacio who
replied: “Long live the liberty of the Philippines!” At first Bonifacio lived in the house of
Santos Nocon, then a major of the insurgent army, and later in the house of Estefania Potente
until San Francisco de Malabon was captured by the Spaniards in the beginning of April
1897.
LETTERS WRITTEN AGAINST ANDRES BONIFACIO BY DANIEL TIRONA –

Some weeks after the arrival of the Supremo in Cavite, many leaflets circulated in all parts,
especially in San Francisco de Malabon where Bonifacio was residing, and where he enjoyed
much respect and attention. The author of these leaflets urged the Caviteños to show no
respect whatever toward Bonifacio nor to squander attention on him because, according to
Daniel Tirona, he was a confirmed freemason; that he did not believe in God; that he violated
everything holy; that he trod upon the crucifix; that he was a man of little education, and
finally that he was a mere agent of a German business house. Some of those who received the
leaflets showed them to Bonifacio, and one afternoon when Tirona was conferring with
Bonifacio in the house of Santos Nocon, the Supremo demanded satisfaction for the letters.
As Tirona presented an arrogant front and refused, Bonifacio became angry and drew his
revolver. Tirona would have fared ill had it not been for the women in the house who
immediately intervened.
CONFERENCE BETWEEN LIEUTENANT-GENERAL EDILBERTO

EVANGELISTA OF MAGDALO AND ANDRES BONIFACIO – at 1 p.m. on one of the
last days of December 1896, in the house of Santos Nocon, now a colonel, a conference
between Bonifacio and Evangelita was held, the latter reading to the former a kind of
proposed constitution based almost entirely upon the Royal Order of the Spanish government
prepared by Maura, the minister for Ultramar, creating municipal tribunals in the Philippines.
Edilberto Evangelista, a civil engineer who had studied in Belgium where he had taken his
degree, immediately upon his return to the Philippines joined the insurgents under the
command of Emilio Aguinaldo who thereupon made him a Lieutenant General of the
Magdalo insurgent army, not because of meritorious services in the field but because of his
superior education and ardent patriotism. It was Evangelista who directed the construction of
trenches in Bacoor, Binakayan, and Cavite Viejo. He died in bloody combat in the vicinity of
Zapote bridge, Bacoor, on February 16, 1897.
A BIG ASSEMBLY IN IMUS – For the purpose of discussing the proposed

constitution, and also to consider the advisability of unifying the two provincial councils, the
Magdalo government convoked a big assembly (Asamblea Magna) of the insurgent leaders,
not only of the province but also of the principal men of other Tagalog provinces who had
taken refuge in Cavite. Many questions of importance arose in opposition to this proposed
constitution and unification, among the most notable being the following:
That the K.K.K.N.M.A.N.B. had a constitution duly discussed and enforced

throughout Philippine territory.
That by virtue of such constitution and regulations promulgated by the supreme

council of the Katipunan, a form of government had been established in the provinces and
towns surrounding the capital of the islands.
That the determined mission of the Katipunan was to attain the liberty of the country,
wherefore the constitution of the Katipunan and its regulations should be enforced until the
desired liberty was attained.
Those who upheld the purpose of the gathering argued against the points above
enumerated, among their principal arguments being the following:
171
That the K.K.K.N.M.A.N.B. was a secret society, and hence its government,
constitution and regulations should be abolished for the outbreak of the revolution.
That Cavite is one of the smallest provinces in the archipelago and therefore should
not be divided into two governments.
Nothing definite was decided in the discussion of the matter by the assembly but it
was finally agreed that Andres Bonifacio, as head of the Katipunan, should be president of the
legislative body which he should form with persons he believed worthy of forming it. Before
declaring the session closed, Bonifacio asked the presiding officer to put in writing what had
occurred. This was agreed upon but not carried out because of the arrival of Paciano Rizal,
accompanied by Josephine, the widow of Dr. Jose Rizal, and other members of the family.
Bonifacio repeatedly asked the Magdalo government, not only on leaving the Imus estate
house where the assembly was held but also during the days following the holding of the
assembly, for this important document so that he might act, as he said, in accordance with the
resolutions taken; but the men of Magdalo always gave laconic reply that it would be sent to
him just as soon as those who had attended the assembly had signed it.
The widow of Dr. Rizal, born in Hongkong, gave a genuine proof of her support of
the cause of the country for which her husband gladly gave a life full of vigor and hope, by
rendering much service to the insurrection and suffering much want and misfortune. At her
request there was installed in the estate house in Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon, a field
hospital. And day and night, she attended and dressed the wounded with every care. She also
gave hope to all the soldiers who went to visit their companions lying in the hospital. When
the Spaniards captured San Francisco de Malabon, she escaped to Naik and from there to the
Maragondon mountains, whence, accompanied by other women and Paciano, the brother-in-
law, she left for Laguna, crossing the mountains and plains, oftentimes barefooted, and
although the soles of her feet were blood-soaked, she did not stop. At other times she rode a
carabao which Paciano led by a rope. Thus she reached the town of Bay where she was
received by the Katipunan chief, Venancio Cueto, who put her aboard a boat for Manila,
whence she left for Hongkong where she died in 1902.
Chapter VII
The Tejeros Convention

EVENTS IN MARCH, 1897 – While the skirmishes in Bacoor, Salitran and Noveleta
were becoming more bloody, during the first days of this month, the Magdiwang government,
seeing that Magdalo was suffering many defeats in its jurisdiction, and that only the important
towns of Cavite Viejo, Bacoor and Imus in the north remained in the hands, called together all
the leaders within its jurisdiction to an assembly for the purpose of discussing the necessary
fortification of Magdiwang territory. The estate house of Tejeros (San Francisco de Malabon)
was chosen as the gathering place. On the day and at the hour set for the gathering, as written
down in the summons signed by Jacinto Lumbreras, a large number of the chiefs of the
Magdiwang government met, but on account of an incident in the encounters in Salitran,
Molina and Presa (Imus), the meeting of the assembly was postponed until the following day,
in the same place and building.
Early on the morning of the day set for the assembly, men filled the Tejeros estate
house, among them not only the chiefs of Magdiwang but also many of Magdalo. Among the
chiefs of Magdiwang, apart from the Supreme Chief of the Katipunan, were the following:
Mariano Pascual and Santiago Alvarez; Luciano San Miguel, Mariano Trias Closas; Severino
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de las Alas and Santos Nocon. Among those of Magdalo were Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel
Tirona, Cayetano Topacio and Antonio Montenegro.
The session opened under the presidency of Jacinto Lumbreras who, in a few words,
explained the purpose of the meeting. Severino de las Alas rose to address those present and
said that before discussing the defense of a small piece of territory in Cavite, it would be well
to consider first the kind of government then existing in the country, as upon that government
would depend whatever defense might be needed. The chairman replied that from the time the
Katipunan was established the country had been ruled by the supreme council, the provincial
and popular councils. He repeated that the purpose for which the assembly had been called
was one of great importance in those critical times. Andres Bonifacio, with permission of the
chair, spoke in support of Lumbreras and his stand in regard to the government, and went on
to explain the significance of the letter K in the center of the sun on the flag, which stands for
liberty, as has already been said in the description of the insurgent flag. Severino de las Alas
again addressed the meeting and said that neither the letter K on the flag, nor the flag itself,
has anything to do with the character of the government then existing; that is to say, whether
it was a monarchy or a republic. Bonifacio replied that the Katipuneros, from the president of
the supreme council to the most insignificant member, recognized the principles of Union,
Fraternity and Equality, on which account it was very clear that the government of the
Katipunan was rigorously republican in form.
Antonio Montenegro rose and spoke in support of the De las Alas suggestion and in a
louder voice than usual said that unless some definite understanding was arrived at regarding
the matter, the insurgents were mere groups of tulisanes or much worse, brutes.
These last words of Antonio Montenegro wounded the pride of Santiago Alvarez,
who rose with glaring eyes and, addressing Montenegro, said: “We insurgents of Cavite and
especially of the Magdiwang government recognize and obey the government established by
the Katipunan; if you wish to establish any other kind of government more suited to your
fancy, retire to your province and conquer territory from the Spanish government as we have
done here, and establish there whatever government you like, and no one will interfere with
you. We Caviteños do not need anyone of your caliber as an instructor.”
This started a tumult among those present because Santiago Alvarez’ bodyguards,
who were lined up by the side of the stairway, assumed a threatening attitude, and were about
to use their guns against those in the center of the hall. The session broke up in disorder, but
one hour later, when the passions of the adherents of Santiago Alvarez and Antonio
Montenegro had been pacified, it convened again under the presidency of Andres Bonifacio
because Jacinto Lumbreras said that inasmuch as they were discussing a subject which was
not provided for in the call for the meeting, but which concerned the establishment of a
general government for the insurrection, he ought not to preside at the continuation of the
meeting. Then Andres Bonifacio, as president of the Supreme Council of the Katipunan, who
had caused the people to rise in revolt, was chosen by acclamation to preside at the meeting.
He thereupon did, with Vibora acting as secretary.
Order being restored, Bonifacio opened the session saying: “As you wish to establish
a supreme government to direct the insurrection, abolishing that already organized by the
Katipunan and agreed upon in the Imus assembly I, as supreme president of the supreme
council of the Katipunan, agree to your just petition; but I must first invite you all to join us in
recognizing a principle upon which we must base all our decisions in this or in any other
session; this principle is that we respect and obey in everything the vote or decision of the
majority.” Those present signified their unanimous conformity and the Philippine Republic
was agreed upon and proclaimed amid repeated and enthusiastic applause. They then
proceeded to the election of the following officers of the Republic: President, Vice-President,
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Captain General, and Directors of War, Interior, State, Finance, Commerce and Justice.
Before taking a vote, Andres Bonifacio called the attention of the electors to the fact that
whoever should be elected by a majority vote should be respected and obeyed whatever his
social status and whatever his degree of culture might be; that is to say even though he should
be a cacillero4 or a stoker. To this, all those present vociferously and unanimously agreed.
Ballots were then distributed and one hour later the votes were counted. As a result of this
vote, Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President of the Republic defeating Andres Bonifacio and
Mariano Trias. The result was proclaimed amid applause.
They then proceeded to the election of a Vice-President. Severino de las Alas

remarked that inasmuch as Andres Bonifacio had secured the second largest number of votes
in the election for President, he should be proclaimed Vice-President. No one expressed a
wish to speak in favor of or against the suggestion of De las Alas, wherefore the chairman
ordered that the election be proceeded with, and this being done it resulted in a majority of
votes being cast for Mariano Trias Closas against Andres Bonifacio, Severino de las Alas and
Mariano Alvarez.
They then immediately proceeded to the election of a Captain General. The secretary
of the session, Artemio Ricarte was elected by a large majority over Santiago Alvarez. Ricarte
rose and protested against his own election, saying: “Nobody better than I know my ability
and my aptitude. The honor the meeting has done me in conferring on me this position is out
of proportion to my ability as it is one very difficult to fill, but is a prospect which is very
pleasing to me: wherefore I beg the session not to feel aggrieved that I register my humble
protest against its acceptance.” Those present disapproved the protest viva voce, and the
chairman called the meeting to order saying that as night was falling it was advisable to
continue the election for the other positions. It was unanimously proposed and approved that,
to cut short the voting, those who favored any person for a position should stand on one side,
and those who favored other persons should stand on the other side in groups, and in that way
they voted for a Director of War, Emiliano Riego de Dios being elected over Ariston
Villanueva, Daniel Tirona and Santiago Alvarez.
Emiliano Riego de Dios, who was the Minister of Commerce of Magdiwang, having
been acclaimed amid applause, the election of a Minister of the Interior was proceeded with
in the same way, with the result that Andres Bonifacio was elected as against Mariano
Alavarez and Pascual Alvarez. Daniel Tirona demanded the floor and said: “Fellow
countrymen: The position of Minister of the Interior is a very important one and should not be
occupied by a person who is not a lawyer. We have in our province a lawyer Jose del Rosario;
hence we must protest against the election of the person elected and acclaimed.” Then,
shouting at the top of his voice, he cried: “Let us vote for Jose del Rosario the lawyer!”
Bonifacio’s pride being wounded, he rose and spoke thus: “Have we not agreed that
we shall obey the will of the majority, whatever might be the social position of the person
elected?” Having said this, he asked Daniel Tirona to repeat what he had said, or to apologize
to the assembly for the insult offered to the person elected, because up to that time none of
those elected was fitted by reason of his culture for the position to which he had been
designated. As Tirona tried to hide himself among the crowd, without paying attention to
what Bonifacio demanded of him, the latter drew his revolver and was about to fire at Tirona,
but the secretary of the session seized his hand and the incident passed without more ado. As
those present were about to leave the room, Bonifacio said in a loud voice: “I, as president of
the session, and also as president of the supreme council of the Katipunan as you all know,
declare this assembly closed, and annul everything that has been done therein.” He then left,
followed by his adherents.
4
From the word casillas or toilet, one who cleans toilets, a degrading employment back then [authors].
174
Baldomero Aguinaldo, president of the provincial council of Magdalo, before leaving

the estate house of Tejeros that same night, suggested to Vibora that the assembly be
reconvened the following day. On the understanding between the two and on the promise that
the Magdalo representatives would again attend the session, Baldomero Aguinaldo left with
his followers, and Vibora with others.
On the following day, in the same building there gathered Andres Bonifacio, Mariano
Alvarez, Diego Mojica, Ariston Villanueva, Jacinto Lumbreras, Pascual Alvarez, Manuel P.
Trias, parish priest of San Francisco de Malabon, Luciano San Miguel Santiago Alvarez,
Nicolas Portilla, Santos Nocon and many others, invited by Vibora for the purpose of
reconciling them, and also to reconvene and continue the session that ended up in a
disturbance the day before. They waited at the Tejeros estate house for the members and
adherents of the Magdalo Government until 5 o’clock in the afternoon but up to that time
none of these expected appeared and therefore the gathering of those invited by Vibora broke
up.
At 6 o’clock in the evening of the same day, Vibora was invited by the members and
adherents of Magdalo gathered in the convent of Santa Cruz de Malabon to attend the session.
He responded to the invitation and on arrival at the convent, hid himself, mixing with the
crowd which invaded all parts of the building, more especially in the reception room, in the
middle of which was a crucifix surrounded by a candelabra with lighted candles; and in front
of the crucifix, three beautiful cushions. From what he saw and heard, Vibora learned the
purpose for which he had been invited and therefore tried all the more to hide in the crowd.
Tired of waiting so long for Vibora, Emilio Aguinaldo and Mariano Trias Closas, escorted by
Daniel Tirona, Severino de las Alas, the parish priest, and many others, emerged from one of
the rooms and went to the reception hall. Aguinaldo and Trias knelt upon two of the cushions,
leaving the third vacant. They then took the oath and assumed the positions to which they had
been elected the day before. Vibora, half an hour later, tried to leave the room unnoticed, but
when he was on the stairway he was met by several who knew him, among them Jacinto
Pulido, at that time president of the popular council of Santa Cruz de Malabon. Grasping
Vibora by the arm, Pulido took him to the room where Aguinaldo, Trias and their companions
were. Vibora’s entry into the room was a sign for cheers and applause, and on reaching
Aguinaldo’s side, the latter, after much argument, induced Vibora to take the oath and assume
the office to which he had been legally elected the day before. Vibora refused absolutely,
saying that an act so premature would cause great dispute among the insurgents as he had
been an eyewitness to what had occurred in the assembly at Tejeros. In the heat of the
discussion between Vibora and Aguinaldo and his adherents, Daniel Tirona said: “Let us have
nothing to do with Vibora; it is clear that he is pledged to someone,” whereupon
Vibora replied hotly: “I am compromised to reconquer the liberty of the Philippines, but I am
not under any obligation, as you and many around you are, to serve any one person, or the
people of any one province in particular.” Vibora insisted in his protest up to midnight, when,
in order to be able to get away, he finally accepted on condition that his resignation should be
accepted immediately on taking the oath; and thus he took the oath before the crucifix already
described, surrounded by all. Vibora immediately went out from the convent, leaving the
others in a period of sessions that continued up to March 25 when the assembly was dissolved
on the capture of Imus by the Spaniards and on the death of Lieutenant-General Crispulo
Aguinaldo, the elder brother of Emilio, as has been mentioned above. An incident worthy of
mention occurred while Aguinaldo and his adherents were discussing with Vibora the
importance and advisability of his acts in connection therewith and the action that was to be
taken later. This incident was the arrival of Colonel Esteban San Juan of Magdiwang and
Major Julian Montalan. These two, in a very hostile manner, entered the convent and walked
upstairs, despite the strict orders given to the guards at the door and on the stairway not to
allow any official of Magdiwang, especially if they were army people and carried arms, to
175
enter. These two had gone to the convent, prepared to assist Vibora in case of need, as the
rumor had spread outside that Vibora was locked up in prison.
When this assembly which, with reason, could be called “The Aguinaldo-Caviteña
Assembly in Santa Cruz de Malabon” was dissolved, it was agreed by its members to
announce that everything done and resolved by it should be declared null and void, as they
believed that in this manner they would naturally pacify the bitter feeling against them.
Emilio Aguinaldo, Luciano San Miguel and Vibora – About 6 p.m. on the 25th, the
day Imus was taken by the Spaniards, the three above-mentioned persons met in the vicinity
of Imus to attack the Spaniards in their advance toward San Francisco de Malabon and Cavite
Viejo, San Miguel and Vibora failed to find places suitable for the attack and therefore retired
with all their troops to Noveleta. Aguinaldo, with all his troops and those of General Noriel of
Bacoor, fell back on Naik where, for two weeks Aguinaldo lay seriously ill.
During the last days of March, while the Spaniards were leaving Imus and crossing
the rice fields south of Cavite Viejo into those of San Francisco de Malabon, they reached as
far as the barrio of Bacao (S.F. de Malabon) where at 4 in the afternoon they encountered the
troops of Bonifacio and those of Magdiwang. The insurgents tried by every possible means to
force the Spaniards to retire toward Imus, but all in vain. The Spaniards therefore stayed in
the barrio that night.
On the following day, in close formation, surrounded by a large number of male and
female carabo and horse they had seized in the fields, they started for the estate house of
Tejeros, but were fiercely attacked by the insurgents under General San Miguel, Colonel
Antonio Virata, Colonel Esteban San Juan and Major Montalan with the forces of Bonifacio.
When the Spaniards retreated in this encounter, they captured Noveleta whose fortifications
were evacuated by the garrison under the command of General San Miguel. Among the dead
was one Gregorio Dampol.
Chapter VIII
Spaniards Win New Battles

PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN APRIL 1897 – At the beginning of the month, Bonifacio
and Vibora attacked the Spaniards holding Noveleta, but in spite of the enthusiasm of the
rebels, the attack, which lasted all day, was unsuccessful. Among the dead was one Juan
Munti, whose body was abandoned almost at the very door of the Spanish headquarters.
The taking of San Francisco de Malabon – On the morning of the 7th or 9th, the
Spaniards leaving Noveleta, led by Francisco Valencia attacked San Francisco de Malabon,
waging against the insurgents one of the most tenacious and bloody battles. Many rebels were
killed as were many of the enemy. Bonifacio lost almost half of his men, fulfilling what had
been said before the attack: Here we shall lady down our lives,” for in this town of San
Francisco de Malabon, they realized and enjoyed the appreciation the people voluntarily
lavished upon them. Among the large number of deaths were of Major Pio Bayot, Lucio and
Valeriano Poblete, father and son, Nicomedes and Cornelio Esguerra, also father and son,
Juan Broas, a son of the deceased Captain Mariano S. Gabriel, one Vicent Pulot, Santiago
Sanganar and the Captain adjutant and secretary of Vibrora, Francisco Arnaldo. Worthy also
of mention is the fact that General Pio del Pilar, with a large body of men supported by a
small body of men from Imus under the command of a major went to the defense of San
176
Francisco de Malabon, but before the struggle began, they departed without warning those
who were at Tarique. As a result the Spaniards seized the town and burned several houses
therein from the extreme east to the west in front of the church. The day following the taking
of San Francisco de Malabon by the Spaniards, Vibora, Brigadier-General Nicolas Portilla
and others coming from Katibayan (Buenavista, S.F. de Malabon) went to the new Katipunan
town of Kamputput (Aliang, Sta. Cruz de Malabon) and from there toward Indang where they
met Mariano Trias Closas in a sugar mill, standing by the side of his sweetheart, Maria Ferrer,
who was with her parents and her brother Luis. With eyes full of glistening tears, they were
bidding farewell to the principal leader of the insurrection, who gave them consent to avail
themselves of the amnesty offered by the Spanish government in commemoration of the fall
of Noveleta into the hands of the Spaniards under General Lachambre.
Many copies of this amnesty proclamation were sent prior to the attack on San
Francisco de Malabon to the towns still in the hands of the insurgents by means of inhabitants
of Santa Cruz de Malabon who, it will be remembered, had shown themselves from the
beginning opposed and indifferent to the insurgents and had accentuated their antipathy
toward the Katipunan when Imus was captured by the Spaniards. The inhabitants of the town
of San Francisco de Malabon demonstrated real hatred toward the insurgents; and hardly any
of the families who left the battle area of whose towns had fallen into Spanish hands, were
received as guests in their houses or on their lands, on which account all those who sought
refuge anywhere went to Naik or Indang were they were well received by the people and
found good accommodation. Francisco Valencia, while with the Spaniards in Noveleta, also
sent messengers to San Francisco de Malabon calling upon its people to hang out white fans
over their respective houses; this they did on the day prior to the attack on the town, which
was taken without resistance. When the Spaniards marched in, Daniel Tirona, Minister of
War of Magdalo, and Brigadier-General Juan Cailles, also of Magdalo, immediately
surrendered. When Francisco Valencia organized his volunteers, Cailles joined them, together
with Jose del Rosario, the lawyer favored by Daniel Tirona at the Tejeros Assembly. Vibora
and his party reached Indang and did not find the Magdiwang government there, so they left
for Naik where they found the Magdalo and Magdiwang government established. Andres
Bonifacio was there also.
Before Holy Week of 1897, the two governments of Magdiwang and Magdalo held
sway in Naik and the forces of both were situated along the Timalan river. The chief of
Magdiwang attempted to attack the Spaniards in Santa Cruz de Malabon but the attack was
not carried out because of the many foul discords which had been created among the members
of the two governments installed in that small town.
Andres Bonifacio, having received word that Magdalo set free the Spanish prisoners
it held, gave orders to his forces to capture such prisoners and the guards who were taking
them to Santa Cruz de Malabon, and to bring them to him without fail. This was done and
they were taken to the estate house at Naik where the headquarters of the chief of the
Katipunan and of Magdiwang were installed, together with General Mascardo and the
Minister of Finance of Magdalo, Cayetano Topacio. News of the arrest soon spread and when
it reached Aguinaldo he went to Bonifacio who gave him the following explanation: that
every Katipunero, with or without forces, was duty bound to prevent the surrender to the
enemy of any Filipino whatever, and more especially of well known leaders; that the
Katipunan had been created to sustain the revolt until its purpose, which was the liberty of the
country, had been accomplished; that as two principal leaders of Magdalo had already
surrendered, he wished that others would not imitate an act so dishonorable to the
insurrection. Aguinaldo also explained his side of the incident to Bonifacio and the members
of Magdiwang. As a result of these mutual explanations, all present were satisfied and
embraced one another.
177
Attack on Santo Tomas and Tanauan, Batangas – the forces of the Departmental
government of Batangas under General Miguel Malvar, reinforced by those of Generals
Luciano and Portilla, under the command of Vibora, attacked the towns above-mentioned and
the Spanish position in the barrio of Bilogbilog. A fierce struggle was waged against the
Spanish garrisons in those towns but the insurgents were repulsed with a large number of
wounded and some dead.
After Easter Day, 1897 – Emilio Aguinmaldo, having won the goodwill of the greater
number of the insurgent leaders, enforced the acts of the Tejeros assembly and those of the
assembly held at the convent of Santa Cruz de Malabon, and convoked the members of the
Magdiwang government to a new assembly. At this assembly, the government of the republic
was definitely established as follows:
President Emilio Aguinaldo

Vice-President Mariano Trias Closas
Captain General Vibora (Ricarte)
Minister of War Mariano Riego de Dios
Minister of Interior Pascual Alvarez
Minister of State Jacinto Lumbreras
Minister of Finance Baldomero Aguinaldo
Minister of Commerce Mariano Alvarez
Minister of Justice Severino de las Alas
When the above-mentioned persons assumed the positions to which they had been
chosen, they decided to reform the insignia used by the officers of the army.
Chapter IX
Arrest and Execution of Bonifacio

PRINCIPAL EVENTS FROM MAY UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF AGUINALDO IN
BIYAK-NA-BATO (SAN MIGUEL DE MAYUMO, BULACAN) In the beginning of May,
Andres Bonifacio gathered his adherents and forces in the barrio of Limbon (Indang)
preparatory to leaving Cavite province and going to the mountains of San Mateo (Manila
province) and Bulacan. While he was awaiting all the Katipuneros and his soldiers who had
followed him into Cavite territory, and pending the return of the scouts who had gone ahead
to explore the road by which he intended to travel, many of the principal men of Indang,
among them Severino de las Alas and Colonel Jose Coronel, presented to Emilio Aguinaldo
several complaints against Bonifacio. Among these charges, were the following :
That Andres Bonifacio had been paid by the friars to organize the Katipunan and to
send forth unarmed Filipinos into a struggle against the Spanish government which possessed
everything necessary for a harsh campaign.
That Andres Bonmifacio had ordered his men to burn the church and convent of
Indang should the Spaniards capture the town.
That Andres Bonifacio’s men stole carabaos and other work animals by force and
killed them for food.
That Andres Bonifacio had misspent all the funds of the Katipunan.
178
That Andres Bonifacio intended to surrender with all his men to the Spaniards.
When the President of the Philippine Republic received these charges, he

immediately sent Colonels Agapito Bonson and Jose Ignacio Paua with all their forces to
Limbon. On arrival there, they found Andres Bonifacio and asked him where he was going.
He replied that he was leaving for Silang on a reconnaissance, and thus they parted and each
continued his way, Bonson and Paua being followed by Lieutenant-Colonel Julian Montalan
who, on arrival at Banaybanay (Amadeo), returned post haste to Indang. On the following
morning, Bonson and Paua returned and began to fire into the troops of the Supremo who
were on guard at the end of the Limbon pass. They killed Ciriaco Bonifacio the eldest brother
of Andres, and threw themselves on Bonifacio’s forces immediately disarming them.
Andres Bonifacio, hearing the shots and followed by his younger brother Procopio,
Alejandro Santiago, Francisco Carreon, Apolinario Samson, Antonio Guevarra and others,
ran toward his soldiers. As they approached the place, the forces of Bonson and Paua sprang
upon them. Bonson fired his revolver at Bonifacio, wounding him in the left arm, and Paua,
with an unsheathed dagger in his hand, also sprang at him, striking him in the left side of the
neck. Paua was about to stab Bonifacio again but Alejandro Santiago threw himself upon
Paua and grappling with him shouted: “Kill me, not him!” They then placed Andres Bonifacio
in hammock and set out for Indang, taking all the men prisoners including Procopio, well
bound, Francisco Carreon, Arsenio Mauricio and a certain young student named Leon, who
afterwards became Vibora’s adjutant, and others whose names I do not remember. All the
prisoners, except Procopio and Andres Bonifacio, were enclosed in a dark cell and only fed
twice during the three days they were held prisoners. The council appointed to investigate the
above charges against Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio rendered a decision
imposing death upon them…
Execution of the brothers Andres and Procopio Bonifacio – While the government of
the Philippine Republic was established in Buntis, one of the most wooded and rocky
mountains between Maragondon and Looc, Emilio Aguinaldo, probably to get rid of his
already fallen rival, who was covered with wounds which were almost in a state of
putrefaction for lack of medicine and attention, ordered the execution, first of Procopio
Bonifacio and then of Andres who, because of his wounds, was carried in a hammock to the
place where his brother Procopio, two hours before, had been executed by Colonels Bonson
and Paua. These two, it will be remembered, were those who had captured the Bonifacios in
Limbon, Indang. Thus ended the life of the man who, scorning dangers, had established the
K.K.K. nang mga A. nang B.; the man who had taught the Filipino people the true way to
shake off the Spanish yoke; the man from whose mouth, and whenever he spoke with the
officials of the forces, always came the following expressions:
“Commit no acts that will cast a stain upon your name.”
“Fear history, for in it none of your acts can be hidden!”
Worthy of mention here also are the names of those who inspired Emilio Aguinaldo
to make up his mind to thus execute the two Bonifacios; they were the following; Feliciano
Jocson, Antonio Montenegro, Teodoro Gonzales, Clemente Jose Zulueta, Severino de las
Alas, Baldomero Aguinaldo, Mariano Trias Closas and many others of the province of Cavite.
These men had endeavored to win favor with Emilio Aguinaldo who, by means of his spies,
had discovered the alliance between Andres Bonifacio and Brigadier-General Santos Nocon
of Magdiwang, to combat the plot of those of Magdalo against the Supreme President of the
Katipunan, expressed very clearly in the Tejeros Assembly and in the Convent of Santa Cruz
de Malabon, as a result of which when the Philippine Republic was established in Naik,
Emilio Aguinaldo declined to recognize the military rank of Santos Nocon in spite of the
179
brilliant service he had already rendered, nor did he give Nocon any other position despite his
ardent patriotism; as happened also to Santiago Alvarez, Diego Mojica, Ariston Villanueva,
Antonio Virata, Arcadio Arayata, Nicolas Portilla and many others, all of whom, true to the
cause, remained in the forests and mountains, suffering misfortunes of all kinds during the
insurrection.
========================================
Postcript
It was a big possibility that the execution of Bonifacio was kept secret among the
ranks most especially to the men of Magdiwang who was loyal to him. Ricarte may have
reconstructed what had happened to the Supremo according to the stories relayed to him years
after the revolution had ended. Secrecy was the order of the game since it would further crack
the ranks and endanger the men of Aguinaldo, even himself, had they known what they did to
the Supremo. In a letter of Gregoria de Jesus who was captured together with her husband and
brother-in-law and was present during the military trial of the two brothers, Gregoria admitted
to Emilio Jacinto that she came looking for her husband who was picked up from their
detention cell by Lazaro Makapagal and his men. That day, May 10, 1897, the Spanish
offensives had entered Maragondon and Aguinaldo’s men had to flee, thus Gregoria was
released and left on her own. Part of her letter to Jacinto had this to say:
“…kinabukasan ng tanghali [May10,1897] nila inalis and dalawang

magkapatid, at ng bandang hapon na ay nagkaroon ng laban sa labas ng
bayan na di malayo sa aking kinalalagyan. Saka lamang ako pinakawalan.
Nang ako’y makawala at ako’y tumawid ng ibayo at aking hinahanap ay
nasalubong ko ang nanaghatid [Makapagal and his men] na dala ang
papalimusan kong damit na siya kong ibinibihis pati kumot gamit sa katawan
ng aking bayaw [Procopio]. Ng ako’y itanong kung saan naroon ang
kanilang dala ang sagot sa akin ay naroon sa Bondok sa isang bahay tuti
[puti?], itinanong ko kung bakit nila dala ang damit. Ang sagot ay ako na
raw ang siyang biling magdala.”(Ocampo 2001:38)
Thus it would be deduced that the Supremo’s death was kept secret for it was even
kept hidden to his wife. The revolutionists may have been caught up with the exigencies of
defending the remaining towns of Cavite against the bombardment and assault of the
Spaniards until they were being cornered at Maragondon that they had to flee Cavite.
Investigating what happened to the Supremo may have been lost to their priorities against the
more pressing necessity of survival. For the other revolutionists who did not know what
happened, the Supremo may not have escaped from Cavite when it fell entirely in the hands
of the Spaniards and died fighting or he may have been captured by the enemy. But when the
Spaniards declared the end of the revolution with the pact of Biak-na-bato in December 1897,
the Supremo never surfaced; where he was may have just vanished in the air or simply put: he
was missing in action.
It was only in 1918 when a commission was formed to investigate the discovery of
the bones believed that of Andres, by Fr. Lupo Dumandan, parish priest of Maragondon.
Heading the investigation was Bonifacio’s trusted buddy and fellow revolutionary at the
founding of the Katipunan, Gen. Guillermo Masangkay. The bones was authenticated bearing
a cranial crack consistent with the hacking of a bladed object but Makapagal who survived the
revolution disputed where it was located since he was the one who executed the Supremo.
Despite the authentication, doubts remained as to whom really did the bones belong to since
the medico-legal findings stated only of bone structures but without conclusive proof if they
really belonged to Andres since no dental or medical record of the Supremo existed to refer
the bones from. The cranial crack could have been caused by any other outside trauma just
180
like any other accident (Ocampo 2001:42-51). Sad to say, whether the bones were really that
of Andres or Procopio or someone else, the dug up remains were lost based on conflicting
claims that they were cremated or that they were lost in a fire that gutted the National
Museum during the Second World War. Nonetheless, only one thing was certain, the revered
Supremo’s bones may still lie somewhere in Maragondon or they were really the ones lost in
fire or were cremated, yet, until today, the Supremo never had the reverence he deserved and
that is a decent and honorable burial worthy of a noble hero.
========================================
Reinforcement Activity
Appreciating the heroics of the Filipinos during the Revolution of 1896 against Spain
a) How were the heroics of the Filipino revolutionists and the people of Cavite
shown during the Revolution? You can answer this question by identifying
and relating the heroic acts of the revolutionists or combatants and civilians
or non-combatants in order to complete the matrix below
Heroics Account of Aguinaldo Account of Ricarte
Revolutionists or combatants
of Cavite
Civilians or non-combatants/
People of Cavite
b) During the initial stages of the revolution how did the people of Cavite
respond to the call to arms or the exigencies and need of the revolutionists?
c) But as the revolution dragged on and the fighting intensified with the
offensives of the Spaniards, how did the people of Cavite respond?
Evaluating the politics that ended the life of Bonifacio brothers during the Revolution
of 1896
a) How would you account for the growing animosity of the Caviteño men of
rank against Andres Bonifacio? Answer this by filling in the matrix.
181
Events Account of Aguinaldo Account of Ricarte
The first meeting at Imus
The meeting at Tejeros
After the Tejeros Assembly
The capture of Bonifacio

brothers
b) Why, do you think, the officials of Cavite had such animosity against the
Supremo?
c) Politics is struggle for power. How did politics catch up on the fate of the
Supremo?
d) Figure 7.2 shows the handwriting of Aguinaldo in 1948 explaining the
execution of Bonifacio. It was his signature in it. If history will judge them,
then you be the judge who really was really responsible?
Figure 9.2 Handwriting of Aguinaldo in 1948, explaining the death of Bonifacio
182
(Image: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/351562314641042639/?lp=true)
Relevance of the Documents

The memoirs of Aguinaldo and Ricarte are fascinating on the exploits of the men of
revolution. These accounts are relevant on the following points:
The memoirs paint the war exploits and heroic acts of the assumed men in
uniform who learned the rudiments of war and found success in their attacks
while also suffering losses in some battles, though they did not rise from the
ranks neither did they have any military training.
The memoirs also picture the heroic responses of the people during those pressing
times of war amid hardships in order to repel the enemy.
On the other hand, the memoirs depict the darker side of Filipinos, that even in
the midst of war and though they were fighting a common enemy, rivalry,
animosity, factionalism and struggle for power surfaced, even at the expense of
their founder and leader.
Challenge
A heroic act is an extra-ordinary feat done during extra-ordinary times that inspired
others. What qualities should we develop as a Filipino in order to get rid of animosities and
rivalries descriptive of the bad side of politics amid our desire to inspire others as a quality of
a heroic act?
References
Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1956) The Revolt of the Masses. Quezon City: University of the
Philippines Press
Aguinaldo, Emilio F. (1967) My Memoirs, Vol. 1, Manila: Cynthia Aguinaldo Suntay.
Ocampo, Ambeth R. (2001) Bones of Contention, Mandaluyong: Anvil Publishing.
Ricarte, Artemio G. (1963) Memoirs of General Artemio Ricarte, Manila: National Heroes
Commission.
183

The Generals' War Exploits: Preliminary Activity

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The Generals' War Exploits: Preliminary Activity

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Gabriel & Espiritu Salaysay at Saysay Manuscript (Unedited)

Table 9.1 Spanish Names and their Corresponding Codes

Figure 9.1 Map of Cavite during the Revolution of 1896

Under what command was this pueblo?

Historical Context of the Document

About the Author

When I was three years old, I contracted smallpox… On the evening of

It will be noticed that there existed differences in policies and points of

My First Triumph in War

Bonifacio Invited to Cavite

A Meeting of the Councils

President Baldomero Aguinaldo then summoned all his secretaries to a general

My Election to the Presidency

“Yes, sir,” the assembly agreed.

“Then,” he continued, “why is it that when I won, there was an objection?”

“Nobody seconded the motion,” reminded the group.

After this story of Colonel Vicente Riego de Dios, I said:

As the commission was greatly disappointed, it left without a single word.

The Plot Against Aguinaldo

“Yes, sir! I know you,” I replied.

“Come in and join our meeting,” the Supremo answered.

“Why are you here?” I asked them.

“We do not know why we were locked up here,” they answered.

“Come in and join us,” invited the Supremo.

After patching up the misunderstanding, we retired, as we had to construct trenches

Meanwhile, I was puzzled by my discovery. What could be the real motive of

In the face of such successive unexplainable actuations of the prominent leaders of

I could not just take my responsibility as head of the Revolutionary Government

Thanks to the Almighty that I was able to control my impulse to do something

I summoned Generals Emiliano Riego de Dios, Baldomero Aguinaldo, and Tomas

The Military Court

After explanation, everyone was silent. So I directed General Mariano Noriel to

Death for the Bonifacio Brothers

The decision was referred to me as head of the Revolutionary Government and

By virtue of my power as head of the revolutionary movement, I ordered Colonel

Memoirs of General Artemio Ricarte3

By Gen. Artemio Ricarte

Bonifacio Goes to Cavite

In the meanwhile, Esteban San Juan, Major of Magdiwang, was commissioned by it

LETTERS WRITTEN AGAINST ANDRES BONIFACIO BY DANIEL TIRONA –

CONFERENCE BETWEEN LIEUTENANT-GENERAL EDILBERTO

A BIG ASSEMBLY IN IMUS – For the purpose of discussing the proposed

That the K.K.K.N.M.A.N.B. had a constitution duly discussed and enforced

That by virtue of such constitution and regulations promulgated by the supreme

The Tejeros Convention

They then proceeded to the election of a Vice-President. Severino de las Alas

Baldomero Aguinaldo, president of the provincial council of Magdalo, before leaving

Spaniards Win New Battles

President Emilio Aguinaldo

Arrest and Execution of Bonifacio

When the President of the Philippine Republic received these charges, he

“Commit no acts that will cast a stain upon your name.”

“Fear history, for in it none of your acts can be hidden!”

“…kinabukasan ng tanghali [May10,1897] nila inalis and dalawang

Heroics Account of Aguinaldo Account of Ricarte

Events Account of Aguinaldo Account of Ricarte

The first meeting at Imus

The meeting at Tejeros

After the Tejeros Assembly

The capture of Bonifacio

Figure 9.2 Handwriting of Aguinaldo in 1948, explaining the death of Bonifacio

Relevance of the Documents