Philippine–American War

Main article: Philippine–American War

On February 4, 1899, hostilities between Filipino and American

forces began when an American sentry patrolling between Filipino and
American lines shot a Filipino soldier.

The Filipino forces returned fire, thus igniting a second battle for
Manila. Aguinaldo sent a ranking member of his staff to Ellwell Otis, the
U.S. military commander, with the message that the firing had been against
his orders.

According to Aguinaldo, Otis replied, "The fighting, having begun,

must go on to the grim end. The Philippines declared war against the
United States on June 2, 1899, with Pedro Paterno, President of the
Congress of the First Philippine Republic, issuing a Proclamation of War.

As the First Philippine Republic was never recognized as a sovereign

state, and the United States never formally declared war, the conflict was
not concluded by a treaty.

On July 2, 1902, the United States Secretary of War telegraphed that

since the insurrection against the United States had ended and provincial
civil governments had been established throughout most of the Philippine
archipelago, the office of military governor was terminated.

On July 4, Theodore Roosevelt, who had succeeded to the U.S.

presidency after the assassination of William McKinley, proclaimed
an amnesty to those who had participated in the conflict. 
 On April 9, 2002, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo proclaimed that the Philippine–American War had ended on April
16, 1902 with the surrender of General Miguel Malvar, and declared the
centennial anniversary of that date as a national working holiday and as a
special non-working holiday in the Province of Batangas and in the cities
of Batangas, Lipa and Tanauan.

Spanish–American War ends

Main article: Treaty of Paris (1898)

Felipe Agoncillo was the Filipino representative to the negotiations

in Paris that led to the Treaty of Paris (1898), ending the Spanish–
American War. He has been referred to as the "outstanding first Filipino
diplomat."

1898 US President William McKinley is shown holding the

Philippines, depicted as a native child, as the world looks on. The implied
options for McKinley are to keep the Philippines, or give it back to Spain,
which the cartoon compares to throwing a child off a cliff.

While the initial instructions of the American commission

undertaking peace negotiators with Spain was to seek
only Luzon and Guam, which could serve as harbours and communication
links, President McKinley later wired instructions to demand the entire
archipelago. 

The resultant Treaty of Paris, signed in December 1898, formally

ended the Spanish–American War. Its provisions included the cession of
the archipelago to the United States, for which $20 million would be paid
as compensation. 

This agreement was clarified through the 1900 Treaty of Washington,

which stated that Spanish territories in the archipelago which lay outside
the geographical boundaries noted in the Treaty of Paris were also ceded to
the U.S.

On December 21, 1898, President McKinley proclaimed a policy

of benevolent assimilation with regards to the Philippines. This was
announced in the Philippines on January 4, 1899. Under this policy, the
Philippines was to come under the sovereignty of the United States, with
American forces instructed to declare themselves as friends rather than
invaders.

The Revolutionary Government of the Philippines 

 (Spanish: Gobierno Revolucionario de Filipinas) was a revolutionary

government established in the Spanish East Indies on June 23, 1898,
during the Spanish–American War, by Emilio Aguinaldo, its initial and
only president.

The government succeeded a dictatorial government which had been

established by Aguinaldo on June 18,  and which was dissolved and
replaced by this government upon its establishment.

 This government endured until January 23, 1899, when the

proclamation of the Malolos Constitution established an
insurgent Philippine Republic government which replaced it.

Four governmental departments were initially created, each having

several bureaus: foreign relations, marine and commerce; war and public
works; police, justice, instruction and hygiene; finance, agriculture, and
industry.  

A Revolutionary Congress was established with power "to watch over

the general interest of the Philippine people, and carrying out of the
revolutionary laws; to discuss and vote upon said laws; to discuss and
approve, prior to their ratification, treaties and loans; to examine and
approve the accounts presented annually by the secretary of finance, as well
as extraordinary and other taxes which may hereafter be imposed."

On August 14, 1898, two days after the Battle of Manila of

the Spanish–American War and about two months after Aguinaldo's
proclamation of this revolutionary government, the United States
established a military government in the Philippines, with
General Merritt acting as military governor.[9]

Government
Cabinet
Aguinaldo appointed his first cabinet on June 15, consisting
of Baldomero Aguinaldo as secretary of war and public works, Leanardo
Ibarra as secretary of the interior and Mariano Trías as secretary of finance;
the secretaryship of foreign relations, marine, and commerce was
provisionally left in the charge of the presidency. On September 23, the
cabinet was reorganized to six departments.

On January 2, 1899, when it became certain that Cayetano Arellano

would not accept the role of secretary of foreign relations, the role fell
to Apolinario Mabini. Mabini had to that time been Aguinaldo's principal
advisor and he was also named the president of the cabinet.
Cabinet of the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines [10]

Department Secretary Term

President of the Cabinet Apolinario Mabini January 2, 1899 – May 7, 1899

Secretary of War and Public Baldomero

June 15, 1898 – May 7, 1899
Works Aguinaldo

Secretary of the Interior Leonardo Ibarra June 15, 1898 – January 2, 1899

September 23, 1898 – January 2,

Cayetano Arellano
1899
Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Apolinario Mabini January 2, 1899 – May 7, 1899

Secretary of Treasury/Finance Mariano Trías June 15, 1898 – May 7, 1899

September 23, 1898 – May 7,

Secretary of Justice Gregorio Araneta
1899

September 23, 1898 – January 2,

Fernando Canon
1899
Secretary of Welfare[a]

Gracio Gonzaga January 2, 1899 – May 7, 1899

DR. AB. ADENA

Professor