Andres Bonifacio

Letter to Emilio Jacinto, April 24, 1897

Source: Facsimile of the original document in Adrian E. Cristobal, The Tragedy of the Revolution (Makati
City: Studio 5 Publishing Inc., 1997), 146–7.

Bonifacio’s communications with Jacinto and Nakpil in the north had become very
problematic, relying on his couriers being able to get across enemy lines or through enemy-
held territory. Writing here, Bonifacio does not know whether Jacinto has received his
previous letter, dated April 16, and so he repeats (adding more detail) the key points he had
relayed already: that much of the liberated territory in Cavite had now been retaken by the
Spaniards; that a number of Magdalo leaders had surrendered; and that the decisions of the
Tejeros convention had been nullified. Together with his letter, Bonifacio enclosed the
declaration written by Artemio Ricarte a month earlier – March 24 - recounting how, “with
great reluctance,” he had taken his oath of office as General-in-Chief of the revolutionary army,
the position to which he had been elected at Tejeros.

Bonifacio also tells Jacinto, as he had told Nakpil in his letter of the same date, that he is
currently camped outside the town of Indang with about 1,000 troops, and is only delaying his
departure from Cavite because he is waiting for his emissary Antonino Guevara to return from
the north and report back to him on what Jacinto and Nakpil thought about his plans for
mounting an offensive in Laguna. Bonifacio had dispatched Guevara northwards a week or so
earlier, bearing his letter to Emilio Jacinto dated April 16 and with instructions to meet both
Jacinto and Nakpil and sound out their views on the military situation. In his brief memoir,
which he dedicates to Emilio Aguinaldo, Guevara mentions neither this particular mission nor,
in fact, the names of Bonifacio, Jacinto and Nakpil at all, a silence which, as O.D. Corpuz sadly
notes, “reflects one of the tragedies of the Revolution.” On April 24, the day that Bonifacio
wrote to Nakpil from Indang saying he was anxiously awaiting the outcome of the critical
discussions Guevara was supposed to have in the north, Guevara was actually (according to the
chronology of his memoir) in or around Indang himself, and had been there for two days. 1
Even if he was not in the immediate vicinity of Bonifacio’s headquarters, he could surely have
sent a messenger to convey his crucial news, and Bonifacio, his troops and followers could then
have decided to move off either northward to the provinces of Manila and Morong or eastward
into Laguna. Instead, they waited a while longer, and for Bonifacio those additional days
waiting was to mean death.

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Tagalog text

ANDRES BONIFACIO
MAYPAGASA
P. ng K. Kapulungan

M. Emilio Jacinto Pinkian

Minamahal kong kapatid: tinangap ko ang inyong sulat, taglay ang kabilangang
araw na ika labingsiyam ng umiiral at nabatid ko ang lahat ng doo’y nasasabi.

Magbuhat ng mapasok ang bayan ng Silang ng kaaway at magpahanga ngayong

mga araw na ito ay wala kaming ibang inaatupag kundi ang pag tatangol sa guipit na
kalagayan ng bayan; ito ang kadahilanan ng di ko pagsulat dian; nguni’t bago ko tinangap
ang inyong sulat ay ako’y nagpadala sa inyo ng sulat sa pamaguitan ni M. Antonino
Guevara na taga S. Pedro Tunasan na ngayo’y inaakala kong sumapit na sa inyong kamay;
doo’y akin ibinabalita sa inyo ang mga nangyaring napagsapit nitong mga bayan sakop
nitong Tangway na nakuha ng Kastila ang Silang, Dasmarinas, Ymus, Bakood, Kawit,
Noveleta, Malabon, Salinas at Tanza; tatlo o apat ang mga bayang ito ay nakuha ng kaaway
ng walang laban at marahil ay makukuha pa ang nangatitirang bayan kung ang pag
sasarilinan at kakulangan ng pagkakaisa ay mananatili, ito’y siyang tanging kadahilanan
ng ikinapapahamak ng mga bayan dito tungkol sa pulong na guinawa dito ng ika 22 ng
buang nagdaan, yao’y ginawa sa kadahilanan may tinangap na sulat sa isang Jesuita at
isang Kastila na nagngangalang Pio Pi at Rafael Comenge na ipinadala kay Kapitan Emilio
Aguinaldo sa sulat na ito’y, nasasabi na tayo’y bibigyan ng laganap na kapatawaran
(Yndulto mas amplio) o kaya makipagusap sa kanila at sabihin kung ano ang ibig natin.
Yto’y kapwa ipinadala ng taga Ymus sa mga pinuno ng Magdiwang na may kalakip ng mga
condiciones na ibig hingin sa Kastila na pakikipagyari. Ang taga Magdiwang ng ito’y hindi
sangayunan sa kadahilanang ako’y wala sa Tangway at na sa sa Look (Batangan) ng mga
araw na yaon bukod pa sa niwawalan nilang kabuluhan ang mga katauhan ng Jesuita at ni
Comenge na di makapakikialam sa mga bagay na ito.

Sa matanto ng taga Ymus ang kasagutan ng taga Magdiwang si Capitan Emilio ay

lihim na sumulat sa mga Pangulong bayan sakop ng Magdiwang ng tungkol sa nasabing
pakikipagyaring gawin sa Kastila; ito’y ng mabatid ng Presidente ng Magdiwang ay
karakarakang nagpatawag ng Pulong at sampung ako’y ipinasundo sa Look at guinawa na
nga ang nasabing Pulong. Doo’y halos ang lahat sa akin pagpapaaninao ng kasamaan ng
pakikipagyari sa Kastila ay wala na hindi ang ibig ay laban.

Sa pagka’t ang karamihan sa Pulong na ito ay minagaling na itayo ang isang

Pamahalaan (Gobierno), bagama’t ipinaunawa ko na ito’y hindi mangyayari sapagka’t wala
doon ang pinakakatawan ng taga ibang hukuman at bukod pa sa rito’y ipinagsabi ko na
mayroon ng pinagkayarian sa Pulong na guinawa sa bayan ng Ymus; ang lahat ng ito’y
niwawalan kabuluhan ng karamihan at di umano’y sa kaguipitan tinatawid ng mga bayang
ito’y ay wala ng panahon ay makapag aantabay pa na dumating ang taga ibang bayan at
yaong Pulong na guinawa sa Ymus ay winala rin kabuluhan sapagka’t di rao magawa ang
acta. Gayon ma’y akin ipinagsabi sa lahat na kaharap sa Pulong na yaon na kung kalooban
ng mga taung bayan ang siyang masusunod na makapangyayari sa paghahalal ng mga
Pinuno ako’y sumasangayon.

Ng gawin ang paghahalal ay lumabas na Presidente de la Republica ay si M. Emilio

Aguinaldo, Vice presidente ay si M. Mariano Trias, General en Jefe si M. Artemio Rikarte,
Director de grra. M. Emiliano R. de Dios, ito’y isinigaw na lamang sapagka’t gabi na
gayondin naman isinigaw akong pinagkaisahan Director del Ynterior na ipinag viva pa na
gaya ng ibang nahalal; datapwa’t ng ito’y matapos na at sinisimulan ang pag hahalal ng
Director de Hacienda si M. Daniel Tirona ay nagsabing may sumisigaw na ihalal sa
2
katungkulan Director del Interior si M. José del Rosario; tuloy ipinagsabi na ang katunkulan
Director del Interior ay totoong mabigat at kinakailangan ang isang marunong ang
tungkulan nito, ito’y sinabi kapagkatapos na ipagturing na hindi sa pag hamak niya sa akin.
Ang kasagutan ko sa kanya ay sa lahat ng katungkulan yaon ay kinakailangan ang taung
marunong, datapwa’t sino ang wika ko sa nangag si labas ang kanyang maituturong
marunong? gayon ma’y sumigaw rin ng ganito: Isigaw ninyo anya ¡Director del Interior
José del Rosario, Abogado! Wala rin sumunod sa kanya hangan sa makaapat na ulitin kun
di mangilanngilan at sigaw rin ay ako. Sa kaguluhang ito ang Presidente ng Magdiwang ay
ipinahayag na yao’y hindi kapulungan ng mga taung mahal, kaya’y sinabi niya na walang
kabuluhan ang doo’y mga pinagusapan. Bukod dito’y bago sinimulan ang paghahalal ay
matuklasan ko ang mga panguupat ng ilan taga Ymus na di umano’y di nararapat na sila’y
pamunuan ng taga ibang bayan. Kaya’t ipinahahalal na maguing Presidente ay si Capitan
Emilio. Kapagkarakang ito’y mabatid ko ay akin sinabi rin na ang kapulungang yaon ay
totoong marumi sapagka’t gayon ang ipinamamarali ang isiahihibo [?] sa tawo at itanong
ko na kung ibig nilang isaisahin kong ituro ng daliri ang gumagawa ng gayon ang aking
ituturo ang karamiha’y sumagot ng huag na. Sinabi ko rin naman na kapag hindi nasunod
ang talagang kalooban nang bayan ay hindi ako makakikilala sa kanino pa mang Pinuno
lumabas at kapag di ako kumilala ay di rin naman kikilalanin ng mga taga rian sa atin. Ang
lumabas na general na si M. Artemio Rikarte ay isinigaw rin sa kapulungang yaon na ang
kanyang pagkahalal ay sa masamang paraan.

Ang mga taga Ymus ay ng kinabukasan sila sila ay nagkapulong sa Convento ng

Tanza at doo’y pinilit na isaisang pinapanunumpa ang nangahalal at siya ninyong
mapagkikita sa kalakip nitong isang kasulatan ni M. Artemio Rikarte.

Ang taga Magdiwang lalong lalo ang mga taga Malabon ay gumawa [?] ng isang
protesta sa ipinatawag si Kapitan Emilio at Daniel Tirona at sa isang pag haharap ay
pinabitiwan sa kanya ang kapangyarihang ibig niyang kamkamin; kaya’t sa gabi ring yaon
ay gumawa siya ng isang Circular na ipinahayag niya sa lahat ng bayan sakop ng Tangway
na ang kapulungan guinawa na pagkahalal sa kanya ay wala ng kabuluhan at malagay na
muli sa dating kalagayan ng Magdiwang at Magdalo.

Ako at sampu ng ating mga kawal na ma’y mga dalawang pung na baril na
Remington at mga dalawang pung baril na de piston na may katampatan kasangkapan ang
nagsi labas na nang bayan ng Indang sa nayong Halang na talagang gayak sa pag uwi
diyan. Kaakbay rin naman namin ang makapal na sandatahan na may mga isang libo,
kaya’t wala kaming ibang inaantay kun di ang inyong pagkakayarian ni M. Antonino
Guevarra ayon sa aming salitaan nito. Antay ko sa madaling panahon ang inyong
marapatin pagkasunduan diyan tungkol sa amin binabalak ng nasabing M. Guevarra.

Tungkol sa armas na ating inaantay ay tila hindi maaasahan sapagka’t sa sulat ni

Jokson ay humihingi ng dalawang pung libo; dito’y ang salaping na iipon ay halos naubos
na sa kagugugol ng mga Pinuno sa kailangan nila at Panghihimagsik.

Kalakip din nitong sulat na ito na inyong tangapin ang salin ng “Manifiesto
Revolucionario” namin sanang ilalathala ito’y nasusulat din sa wikang ingles datapwa’t sa
pagka’t tila totoong mahaba ay kayo na ang bahalang maghusay upang magamit natin
kapagkarakang tayo’y magkaayos-ayos; gayon din kalakip nito ang alfabeto de numero na
guinagamit sa pakikipagsulatan sa Hong Kong; ito’y kinakailangan ipaglihim sa kay
Vnvqrtc Llntñbqdnd [Mamerto Natibedad].

Ang Hukuman ng Batangan ay nagbangon ng isang Gobierno Provincial at ito’y

isinusukob sa akin kapangyarihan na pinatutunayan ng apat na sulat na sa aki’y ipinadala
at doo’y ipinadala kong saklolo ang dalawang pung baril at dalawang pu’t limang
sandatahang Balara; gayon din si Lucino na may kasamang ilan barilan upang sila’y
makatulong sa kasalukuyang paglusob doon ng mga taga roon sa walong bayan sabay-
sabay.

Tungkol sa balitang napatay si Procopio ito’y hindi totoo kahit nanganib ng malaki.

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 Kayo’y ibinalita rin naman dito ng buang katatapos na pinatay ng mga Carabineros
sa kadahilanang di umano’y kayo’y nagbigay ng isang masamang kautusan, ito’y sapagkat
balita ng taga Ymus ay hindi ko pinaniwalaan at itinuring kong isang kasukaban dating
gawa ng mga taung ito.

Tungkol sa pagiipon ng salapi ay inaakala kong hindi kailangan ang tayo’y

magpalimos kundi ang nararapat ang tayo’y magpumilit na pumasok ng mga bayan-bayan
at humingi o sumamsam sa kanino pa mang mayaman. Ang K. na si M. Nakpil ay sumulat
sa akin na itinatanong na kun ang salaping may mga apat na raan mahiguit na kanyang
naaipon ay kung nararapat na ibigay sa kay Vnvqrtc Llntñbqdnd [Mamerto Natibedad],
ito’y huag ninyong pahintulutan mangyari, sapagka’t iya’y hindi tapat ang pakikisama sa
atin at iya’y malaki ang hilig sa taga Magdalo.

Isang kasuklam suklam na balita ang akin maipapasabi sa inyo tungkol sa kasukaban
gawa ng mga pinuno ng S. Magdalo na nag si sukob sa indulto o umayon sa Kastila ito’y si
Daniel Tirona, Mtro. de Guerra, Jose del Rosario, Ministro del Interior, José Caelles, teniente
Gral., gayon din halos lahat ng mga taga Tanza sampu ng Cura doon; ang lahat ng ito’y
pawang kabig o partidos ni Capitan Emilio; kaya’t malabis ang hinala ng marami na kun
kaya’t malabis na nagpumilit na sila’y maguing Gobierno ay ng upang maisuko ang boong
Revolucion. Ng lingong nagdaan ay ipinagapos ko sa ating mga kawal ang isa rin sa mga
Ministro ni Capitan Emilio sa kadahilanang nahuling magtatanan, kaakbay ang dalawang
Kastila bihag at isang señora isa sa mga Kastilang ito ay nagsabi ng totoo na sila ay
magtatanan; ito’y pinaghatulan sa Sangunian Digma at ang kinalabasan ay ang dati rin
palakad dito ng pag tatakipan o favoritismo; datapwa’t ang espediente na tinalaan na ng
nasabing Ministro na si M. Cayetano Topacio ay naiwan sa akin ay gayon din ang sa
Kastila. Yto’y isa sa manga kadahilanan ng aming pagpupumilit na mapaalis dito sapagka’t
hindi lamang sa kaaway na Kastila nanganganib ang amin buhay kun di lalo’t higit pa sa
mga pinuno dito na ang karamiha’y may masasamang kilos.

Ang limbagan mga librong kailangan, mapang malaki at mga kasangkapan sa

paggagawaan ng kapsula ay aming dalang lahat.

Ang mga Cuchara na inyong ipinadadala sa kapatid ni Dimas ay hindi maibigay sa

kanila sapagka’t sila’y nagsialis na, na tumungo sa dakong Silangan (Laguna). Ang inyong
ina na na sa Marigondong ay aming ipinatawag at magpahangangayo’y siya naming
inaantabayanan.

Tangapin ang mahigpit na yakap na pahatid ko buhat dito.

Limbon 24 Abril 1897

Ang Plo. ng H. B.
And ... Bonifacio

Maypagasa

[SEAL – “HARING BAYANG KATAGALUGAN – KATAASTAASANG KAPULUNGAN”]

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English translation2

Don Emilio Jacinto Pinkian

My dear Brother:- I received your letter dated the nineteenth of the present month and
took note of everything you say in it.

From the time the enemy entered the town of Silang until the present day our endeavors
have been limited to ameliorating the desperate plight of the people, and this is one of the
reasons I haven’t written there. Before I received your letter, however, I sent you a letter
through Don Antonino Guevara, of San Pedro Tunasan3, and I presume the letter must already
be in your hands. Therein I related to you the fate that has befallen the towns here in the
district of Tanway taken by the Spaniards - Silang, Dasmarinas, Imus, Bacoor, Kawit, Noveleta,
Malabon, Salinas and Tanza. Three or four of these towns were taken by the enemy without any
struggle, and if selfishness and a lack of unity prevail the remaining towns might also be taken.
This is the sole cause of the reverses in the towns here. As to the convention held here on the
22nd of last month4, it was held because letters were received from a Jesuit and a Spaniard, Pio
Pi and Rafael Comenge by name, addressed to Capitan Emilio Aguinaldo 5 These letters state
that we will be granted a complete pardon (indulto mas amplio) or, alternatively, we can talk to
them and tell them what we are seeking. Both letters were brought by the Imus people to the
Magdiwang chiefs, together with a list of the conditions they want to seek from the Spaniards
in order to reach an agreement. The Magdiwang people did not agree, for the reason that I was
away from Tanway at that time, at Look (Batangas); besides, they attach no importance to the
personages of the Jesuit and Comenge, who should not meddle in these matters.

When the Imus people received the reply of the Magdiwang people, Capitan Emilio
wrote secretly to the chiefs of the towns under the jurisdiction of Magdiwang about making the
said agreement with the Spaniards. When the President of Magdiwang 6 learned this, he
immediately called a Meeting and sent someone to fetch me from Look, and the said Meeting
was then held. Nearly everybody there agreed with me that it would wrong to reach a
settlement with the Spaniards, and nobody wanted to abandon the fight.

The majority at this Meeting wanted to establish a Government (Gobierno), even though
I explained this was not possible on account of the lack of people there from other districts, and
aside from this I said that an agreement had already been reached at the Meeting held in the
town of Imus.7 The majority gave no importance to all this, saying that due to the critical
situation of the towns here there was no time to wait for people from other places to arrive, and
also that the Meeting held in Imus lacked validity, because no record of the proceedings had
been made, it was said. In any event, I told everybody present at that Meeting that if it was the
will of the people to go ahead and elect Leaders, then I would be in accord.

When the voting took place the outcome was that Don Emilio Aguinaldo was elected as
President of the Republic; Don Mariano Trias8 as Vice-President, Don Artemio Ricarte9 as
General in Chief; Don Emiliano R. de Dios10 as Director of War. This was all by acclamation, as
it was already night. I was elected Director of the Interior, also by acclamation, and was
cheered by all, in the same way as the others who had been elected, but when the cheering was
over and the election of a Director of Finance was about to begin, Don Daniel Tirona11 said
there were voices shouting for Don José del Rosario12 to be elected to the position of Director of
the Interior. He went on to say that the office of Director of the Interior was a most exacting
one, and that a learned man was needed to fill this office, and he said this after stating that it
was not his intention to offend me. My reply to him was that all the offices required learned
men, but who among those who had been elected, I asked, could he point out to me as being
learned? Still, he called out like this: Shout, he cried, Director of the Interior José del Rosario,
Lawyer ! Only a few followed him the four times that he shouted it, and again people shouted
for me. In view of this turmoil, the President of Magdiwang declared that this was not a
convention of honorable men and so everything done there lacked validity. This aside, before
the voting began, I discovered the intrigues of some of the Imus people, who had being saying
5
it was not right for them to be governed by men from other towns, and that Capitan Emilio
should therefore be elected as President. As soon as I heard of this, I also said that the meeting
was truly dirty, because this was a deceit they were pressing on the people, and I asked whether
they wished me to point out; one by one, those who were conducting themselves in this
manner. The majority said not to bother. I also said that if the manifest will of the people was
not followed, I would not recognize any of the Leaders elected, and that if I did not recognize
them, they would likewise not be recognized by the people there in our place. Don Artemio
Ricarte, who was chosen as General, also declared at that meeting that his election was due to
bad practices.

The Imus people met the next day at the convento in Tanza, and there they compelled
those who had been elected to take the oath, one by one, as you can see in the document by
Don Artemio Ricarte that is sent herewith.13

The Magdiwang people, especially those from Malabon, drew up a protest 14 which they
put to Capitan Emilio and Daniel Tirona, and at a meeting they made him resign the position of
authority he wanted to seize. That same night he accordingly issued a circular, which was
published in all the towns of Tanway, to the effect that the convention at which he was elected
had been invalid, and that the situation of the Magdiwang and Magdalo should revert to as it
had been before.

Together with our soldiers, totaling about 20 armed with Remington rifles and about 20
with muzzle-loaders, with the necessary implements, I have already left the town of Indang for
the barrio of Jalang, with the firm intention of returning there. We also have with us a
multitude of bolomen, numbering about 1,000. There is nothing for which we are waiting
other than whatever you and Don Antonino Guevarra will decide in relation to our news here.
I am waiting to know soon what you may see fit to agree there regarding what we have planned
with the said Don Guevarra.15

As to the arms for which we are waiting, it does not seem hopeful, because Jocson's16
letter asks for 20,000 pesos, and the money collected here has nearly all been spent by the
Chiefs for their necessities and the Revolution.

Together with this letter you will receive the translation of the “Revolutionary
Manifesto” we are going to publish. It has been written in English as well, but as it seems very
long I entrust you with its arrangement so that we can use it as soon as we are properly
organized. Also herewith is the numerical code to be used for letters to Hongkong; you must
keep this secret from Mamerto Natividad.17

The District of Batangas has organized a provincial government, which four letters sent
to me affirm is under my authority. I sent 20 riflemen and 25 Balara bolomen to help them;
Lucino also went there with several riflemen in order to aid in the assault the people there are
currently launching simultaneously on eight towns.

As to the report of Procopio's18 death, there is no truth to it, but he was in serious
danger.

News was also received here last month that you had been killed by the Carabineers
because, it was said, you had given a bad order; but as this news came from Imus, I did not
believe it and I treated it as one of the usual duplicities of these people.

As to the collection of money, I believe we need not beg, but should solicit or take it from
whoever is wealthy. Brother Don Nakpil wrote me, asking whether the money collected by
him, almost four hundred pesos or so, should be given to Mamerto Natividad. Do not allow
this to happen, because that man is not sincere in his friendship with us, and he is very close to
the Magdalo people.

A piece of sickening news I can tell you is the treachery committed by the chiefs of the
Magdalo Council who have applied for pardon or gone over to the Spaniards. These are Daniel
Tirona, Minister of War; José del Rosario, Minister of the Interior; José Cailles 19, Lieutenant-
6
General, and nearly all the Tanza people, even the parish priest there, the whole lot of them
henchmen or partisans of Capitan Emilio. For this reason, many people strongly suspect that
they strive so hard to get control of the Government in order to surrender the whole
Revolution. Last week I ordered our soldiers to tie up another of the Ministers of Capitan
Emilio because he was caught as he was about to escape with two Spanish prisoners and a lady.
One of these Spaniards told the truth, that they were going to escape. He [the Minister] was
tried by a Council of War, but the outcome, as usually happens here, was that everybody
covered up for each other, or favoritism. However, the record of the case against the minister
mentioned, Don Cayetano Topacio20, remains in my possession, as does that against the
Spaniards. This is one of the reasons why we desire to leave here, because our life is in danger
not only from the Spanish enemy, but still more so from the leaders here, most of whom have
wicked intentions.

We have taken away everything: the printing press, the necessary books, the big map,
and the tools for making cartridges.

The spoons you sent for the brother and sisters of Dimas 21 could not be given to them
because they have already left in the direction of Silangan (Laguna). We have sent for your
mother, who is now in Maragondon, and we are still waiting for her.

Receive the close embrace that I send you from here.

Limbon, April 24, 1897

The President of the Sovereign Nation

And ... Bonifacio

Maypagasa

1 Antonino Guevara y Mendoza, History of One of the Initiators of the Filipino Revolution, translated from the
Spanish by O.D. Corpuz (Manila: National Historical Institute, 1988), ii; 7–8.
2 This translation is my own, but in places it follows the English version published in Philippine Review in 1918.

Although that version was retranslated from Spanish rather than directly from the Tagalog, it generally retains the
meaning of the original quite well. Epifanio de los Santos, “Andrés Bonifacio” [English version], Philippine
Review (Revista Filipina), III:1–2 (January–February 1918), 44–6.
3 This previous letter to Jacinto is presumably that dated April 16, 1897, in which Bonifacio says the bearer,

Antonino Guevara, “has most important things to tell you.”

4 The Tejeros convention.
5 Emilio Aguinaldo was Captain General of the Magdalo forces at this time. In calling him “Capitan” in this letter,

Bonifacio is presumably referring not to his military rank but to the position he held prior to the revolution ,
capitan municipal of his home town of Kawit.
6 Mariano Alvarez.
7 This must refer to what is known as the Imus assembly, held around the end of December 1896, at which

Bonifacio was reportedly appointed to head a “legislative committee” or “congress” (“Lupung Tagapagbatas” or
“Kapulungan”) and authorized to appoint as its members “some people he considered to be worthy.” Artemio
Ricarte, Himagsikan nang manga Pilipino laban sa Kastila (Yokohama: “Karihan Café”, 1927), 37. See also
Santiago V. Alvarez, The Katipunan and the Revolution: the memoirs of a general, translated by Paula Carolina S.
Malay (Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1992), 306.
8 Mariano Trias had for a time served as the Magdiwang minister of welfare and justice, but is said by Santiago

Alvarez to have switched his allegiance to the Magdalo council in February 1897 following disputes with his
colleagues over military matters. Alvarez, The Katipunan and the Revolution, 304–5; 313.
9 Prior to the Tejeros convention Artemio Ricarte was deputy Captain General (to Santiago Alvarez) of the

Magdiwang council.
10 Emiliano Riego de Dios was for a time the minister of economic development in the Magdiwang council but

prior to the Tejeros convention became a partisan of the Magdalo camp.

11 Daniel Tirona was secretary of war of the Magdalo council.
12 José del Rosario was a colonel on the staff of the Magdiwang Captain General, Santiago Alvarez.
13 Artemio Ricarte’s statement is dated March 24, 1897.
14 This might refer to the so-called “Acta de Tejeros,” or at least to another protest in similar terms.
15 In the letter he wrote to Julio Nakpil on the same date, Bonifacio makes it plain that what he was planning was

an attack somewhere in the “southern district (Laguna)”.

16 Feliciano Jocson, who together with José Alejandrino had been attempting to procure arms in Hongkong.
17 Mamerto Natividad Jr., from Bacolor, Pampanga, had joined the Magdalo forces in Cavite after the outbreak of

the revolution; he stayed for a time in the house of the Magdalo president, Baldomero Aguinaldo, in the town of
7
Binakayan. Carlos Ronquillo, Ilang talata tungkol sa paghihimagsik nang 1896-1897 [1898], edited by Isagani
R. Medina (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1996), 769.
18 Procopio Bonifacio, one of the brothers of Andres.
19 Juan Cailles, previously a colonel in the Magdiwang council.
20 Cayetano Topacio, minister of finance in the Magdalo council.
21 “Dimas” here is presumably a shortened form of “Dimasalang,” which was one of the pen names of Jose Rizal.

His brother Paciano and one or more of his sisters, it appears, had been with the revolutionary forces in Cavite
until shortly before this letter was written.