The context of the Pact of Biak na Bato

by Tommy Matic IV

"What is it that you want, Don Pedro? That there be peace and that you be the one to bring it? After they have killed my brother Jose, ejected my family, confiscated our lands? Ah, Don Pedro, dig a deep well and fill it in with all the knives and spears in the world. Then ask me to jump into it and this Paciano Rizal will obey gladly. But never ask me for peace and the end of the Revolution, because it is impossible, absurd!"

- General Paciano Rizal upon meeting Pedro Paterno in Biak-na-Bato and refusing the handshake proffered by Paterno (thanks to Raywollesen Terco Fortes for this initial post).

It’s also important to remember the context of the Pact of Biak na Bato.

At the beginning of 1897 the Filipino Revolutionaries had liberated Cavite and put the Spaniards on the defensive. The Aguinaldo brothers were leading expeditions to Taguig and Pateros and other Katipunan branches were gaining strength and consolidating their local gains.

Of course, Spain would not just let them get away with it. Upon the outbreak of Revolution, former Governor Blanco called for reinforcements which came in the form of 15 expeditionary rifle battalions - the Cazadores. By the beginning of 1897 the new Governor General Polavieja and his field commander Lachambre were ready to go on the offensive.

With the experience of 1896 behind them, the Magdalo realized that only a single unified chain of command that encompasses all revolutionary forces would stand a chance against the better armed, better trained and better led Spanish forces which had NO DIVIDED LEADERSHIP PROBLEMS. The Katipuneros leadership was centered on the local Sanggunian (Council) and not, as so many assume, in Bonifacio’s Manila Katipunan leadership. The Katipunan simply did not have the administrative infrastructure to form a united revolutionary government. It was rather a CONFEDERACY of small local governments that did what they pleased and were not obligated to cooperate with nor support the actions of other groups and certainly failed to do so in a practical sense much of the time.

Thus the Magdalo proposed the replacement of the Katipunan by a true unified revolutionary government. Bonifacio and the ‘

Magdiwang refused, treating it as a power grab. If it was a power grab, however, it would have been a power grab by the Cavite council which had more than proven itself as a highly effective combat unit, something which NEITHER Bonifacio nor the Magdiwang could claim.

Another reason given for forming a new revolutionary government, stated by General Edilberto Evangelista, was that there were far more non-Katipuneros in their ranks than initiated Katipuneros. The revolution had outstripped the Katipunan organizational structure.

Evangelista was, by the way, the presidential candidate of choice of the young up-and-coming Magdalo general and mayor of Kawit, Emilio Aguinaldo. Evangelista was an ilustrado, highly educated and the man who arguably had the most to do with defeating former Governor General Ramon Blanco's massive Cavite offensive by constructing trenches that Spanish officers remarked were as good as European-built ones. He was, in Aguinaldo's eyes, the best man to lead a united revolutionary government.

The Magdiwang and Bonifacio refused and the debating at the Imus Convention ultimately ended without result when General Paciano Rizal arrived from Manila to report that his brother, legendary Doctor Jose Rizal, had been executed at Bagumbayan.

Thus at the beginning of 1897 the revolution still had no clear leader and no unified command structure that could organize local forces into proper divisions and corps, direct operations on a strategic scale and defend the disparate rebel strongholds against the Spanish counter-offensive that was already on the march.

Zapote Bridge, entry point to Cavite and Southern Tagalog

Colorized 1920s photo of Carmen Aguinaldo, the daughter of President Emilio Aguinaldo

A classic 1920s photo of Carmen Aguinaldo the daughter of the 1st Philippine President Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Digitally colorized by Jonjon Diquiatco Valle.

Cavite Trenches and Fortifications

Part of a research article on how the revolution was fought that Angelo Jarin Aguinaldo did for a research journal is a section on the vital role trenches palyed during the first phase of the revolution.

Mariano Alvarez, town president of Noveleta, realizing the benefits of the trenches ordered the fortification of the town along the coast. This was in preparation for the expected retaliation of the Spanish forces under Ramon Blanco.

Kalaw (1997) also related the presence of these trenches in the victory of Binakayan:

“Noong Nobyembre 9, sinimulang sumalakay ang hanay ng mga tauhang pinamumunuan ni Heneral Rios patungong Binakayan at Noveleta…SI Koronel Marina ay sumugod sa Binakayan, mula sa Pulborista, ngunit naharangan siya ng matibay at parisukat na tambak na lupang ligid ng kanal, na may barandilya at bambang sa nasasanggahan ng mga moog sa sulukan ng dagat at ng daang patungo Imus.”

Known to have built such kind of trenches is Edilberto Evangelista, a Belgian-trained Filipino civil engineer who came to Aguinaldo’s headquarters in Zapote in November, 1896. Evangelista was later appointed general director of natural resources and assigned to take charge of the construction of trenches.

Here is what Kalaw says about the trenches that Evangelista designed:

“Ang kuta ng mga manghihimagsik sa Cavite, na itinayo sa Aromahan, Zapote at sa Cavite Viejo, ginawa sa ilalim ng pangangasiwang teknikal ni Edilberto Evangelista, na nagtapos na inihinyera sibil sa Unibersidad ng Ghent, at kararating lamang mula sa Europa. Napakahusay ng pagkakagawa ng kuta kaya’t sinabi ng isang manunulat na Espanyol na ito na raw ang kutang pandarating ng panahon na dahil sa tibay ay hindi mawawasak o malusob ng mga kawal Espanyol.”

A fortification made by Filipino forces in Noveleta (Cavite), a crucial one since the town is a few kilometers away from the Spanish arsenal.https://archive.org/details/campaadefilipi00montuoft

The Caviteños, according to Corpuz (1997), built good defense works with strong embankments and trenches. The defense works in the Dalahican (Calero)-Binakayan was a major factor in repulsing the Blanco offensive. They also built extensive trenches in Zapote (Las Piñas) since it was the jumping-off point for enemy forces coming from Manila that would attack Bacoor in northern Cavite. By January 1897, the Zapote trenches extended to eight kilometers. These trenches and fortificaiond also served as refuge to townspeople. An example of this kind was the one built by the townfolks of Cavite Viejo. The fortification as described by Aguinaldo measures 600 meters long, six meters wide, four meters high, and three meters thick.

A fortification made by Filipino forces in Noveleta (Cavite), a crucial one since the town is a few kilometers away from the Spanish arsenal.https://archive.org/details/campaadefilipi00montuoft

This northern Cavite trenches were later redesigned and improved by Edilberto Evangelista. Before Evangelista came to Aguinaldo’s headquarters, the construction of trenches in Zapote between Manila and Cavite were constructed under the direct supervision of Aguinaldo. In his memoirs, Aguinaldo cited the cooperation of Licerio Topacio, Mariano Noriel, Gil Ignacio and others.

The eastern boundaries of Cavite were likewise fortified. Aguinaldo, on November 13, 1896, ordered the construction of trenches and fortifications on Sungay mountain to the south, and along the road to Carmona on the east. The trenches were constructed in gorges and narrow passes. The fortifications were effective in delaying the advance of the Lachambre Division in February 1897 to the mentioned area (Achutegui and Bernad, 1972, p. 58).

The area near the church of Bacoor was also fortified by the Filipino revolutionary forces. Because of its proximity to Las Pinas, Bacoor was the first town to be confronted by Spanish forces coming from Manila. https://archive.org/details/campaadefilipi00montuoft

Historical accounts truly indicate that the Filipinos were indeed poorly armed. Insufficient arms and ammunition was a challenge in fighting the Spanish Army, who, with their long arms and other superior weapons, seemed invincible.

The Untold Chronicles of Gen. Aguinaldo in the Battle of Taguig-Pateros: Philippine Revolution 1897

by Jomar Encila

According  to  the  French  Consular  Dispatches  on  the  Philippine  Revolution  translated  by  Dr.  Luisa  T. Camagay, (1997) “  Since 01 January , there have been  daily encounters in the province of Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, Zambales with mixed results for the Spaniards.” 

This report includes the uprising in the neighbor-towns of Taguig and Pateros but was never elaborated into details. Unfortunately the  memories  of  valor  from  the  people  of  these  two  towns  are  neglected  in  the  course  of  the  history  of Philippine Revolution. Also, it is important to mention that General Emilio Aguinaldo, months before elected as president was also the key role player in the battle in Taguig-Pateros which took place on January 1-2, 1897, a battle in the province of Manila.

The geographical background of Taguig and Pateros is vital in understanding the whole context of the battle. Taguig and Pateros were both towns under the province of Manila when the revolution started. Taguig (Tagiik) is a coastal town located on the west of Laguna de Bay. It is surrounded by the towns of Paranaque and Makati to the west, and Muntinlupa to the south. Pasig river serves to be its boundary from Pasig and Pateros on its immediate north. Pateros is known for its balut-industry is located along the Pasig river and traversed by various rivers,which physical features make it suitable for domestication of ducks.    In short, the towns of Pateros and Taguig like Pasig are  gateway of traders in the  western  provinces (Manila)  and  east (Laguna).  It  also have  a relative distance between towns of Cavite like Bacoor, Imus and Dasmarinas connected by Muntinlupa or Las Piñas.

On  the  evening  of  December  30, 1896,  rebels  from  Pateros  and Taguig  traveled  to Imus,  Cavite  to seek General  Emilio Aguinaldo’s  assistance.  The  next  day,  December  31,  Gen. Aguinaldo  and  two  of  his  closest generals, Mariano Noriel and Pio del Pilar, made an overnight march to Taguig with his men. The occupation of the two towns would mean that the revolutionary forces would control the trade and communication between Manila and other lake shore towns.

  

The rebels were met with heavy fire in Taguig. In response, Gen. Aguinaldo ordered the encirclement of Spanish forces who sought refuge  inside the Santa Ana Church. While the Spaniards were  trapped inside the church and waiting for reinforcements, Gen. Aguinaldo assigned Gen. Noriel in Taguig and Gen. del Pilar in Napindan to monitor the enemies’ movements to bring military aid to the besieged Spaniards. Gen. Aguinaldo then went straight to Pateros and successfully repelled all enemy support from Pasig (across Pasig River) and a Spanish steamer from Manila. All of these initial victories were attributed to General Aguinaldo’s knowledge of turning the revolutionary forces’ position a great advantage.

Aguinaldo took Pateros’ convento as a temporary barracks for the night and had a meaningful conversation with the Parish Priest; Fray Tomas Espejo. An unexpected incident took place when Predicador General de San Agustin, Fray Anselmo Corcuera grabbed a rifle and point it to the general. However, Gen. Aguinaldo was saved from an imminent death after the curra parroco, immediately stopped Fray Corcuera and said:

 - Suelta el riple, hombre, yo respondo por tu vida en estos momemntos, nada nos pasara, Ten encuenta, que Emilio Aguinaldo, y su gente todos son caballeros”

(bitiwan  mo  ang  baril,  tao  ka,  sinasagutan  ko  ang  buhay  mo  sa  mga  sandaling  ito,  wala  tayong  dapat ipangamba, alamin mo na si Emilio Aguinaldo at ang mga tao niya ay pawang mararangal)

Flores, Pateros at ang Paghihimagsik nito: 1928 P 60

After the confrontation, Fray Espejo had the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation over a dinner with Gen. Aguinaldo. In his Historia o relacion circunstanciada del generalissimo de Cavite Emilio Aguinaldo por los Pueblos de Taguig y Pateros, Fray Espejo has some good words about the general which also mentioned Andres Bonifacio.

“He is of humble character, but energetic when he gives orders to his subordinates. He was a student of San Juan de Letran and speaks Spanish fairly well. He  is young and of good build, dressed in rayadillo like our troops  and  carries  no  inisgnia,  of  any  kind.  He  laid  great  emphasis  on  the  good  treatment  accorded  the prisoners in Cavite, referring no doubt to those in his hands, as those in the hands of Andres Bonifacio were no so treated”

     After having dinner, Aguinaldo went back to the lines with his men. Hostilities continued the next day (January 2)  in  the  barrios  of  Santa  Ana  in  Taguig  and  other  places  like Mamangkat,  Sta.  Ana  (Pateros)  Suwaboy, Libingang Ingles. Another reinforcement from Manila (two lanchas) was repelled by Aguinaldo’s forces from Malapad na Bato (Pateros).

    The revolutionaries’ success proved to be temporary. In the same day, afternoon, a strong Spanish relief group led by Gen. Francisco Galvis arrived in Napindan and successfully forced the Filipinos to withdraw.

     French Consular French Consular Dispatches on the Philippine Revolution states that:

         “After  a  long  and  hard  fight,  a  column  of  reinforcements  sent  by  Gen,          (Francisco)  Galvis  came  to  the assistant of the soldiers and chased off more than 4 000 insurgents.”

     The  main  objective  of  the  attack  is  not  only  to  free  Pateros-Taguig  but  to  take  Pasig  river  as  a  gateway  to Laguna  de  Bay.  Controlling  the  main  thoroughfare  between  Intramuros  and  Laguna  de  Bay  will  give  the Filipinos an edge over the two important elements: trade and communication. With Pasig, Taguig and Pateros under  Aguinaldo’s  forces  will  prevent  the  Cavite  blockade  that  Polavieja’s  planning.  Such  attack  will  also isolate Laguna from enemies military aid.

After  the  battle,  the  line  of  communication  between  the  Spanish  forces  through  Fray  Tomas  Espejo,  and  the revolutionary forces with General Emilio Aguinaldo was opened. Fray Espejo, encouraged Gen. Aguinaldo to surrender the revolution. But th general eagerly refused to accept it as written in one of his replies to the parish priest:

…My subjects and I are seeking the holiest of our rights, which is the liberty of our race from the slavery in which it has been oppressed for more that three centuries” Therefore we are resolved to sacrifice our lives until that  day  comes  when  we  can  hear  from  the  lips  of  our  compatriots  the  happy  phrase:  “Viva  Filipinas!”  A Philippines separated forever from Spain, and won by the heroism of its inhabitants.

.  (Achutegui,  S.J.,  Pedro  S.  de,  and  Miguel  A.  Bernad,  S.J.  Aguinaldo  and  the  Revolution  of  1896:  A Documentary History 1972.)

The battle of Taguig and Pateros proves that General Emilio Aguinaldo’s victories in Cavite allowed him to be known as a great revolutionary leader. Hope is what General Aguinaldo brought to the towns as they heard of victories that they never heard and people never had with Bonifacio. The act of people from the two respective towns  reflects  what  happened  in  the  election  in  Tejeros  when  majority  of  the  people  decided  that  a  great revolutionary leader with evident tactics and strategy should take the wheel to independence.

"AGUINALDO"

Pruweba nga ba ang Marso 22, 1948 sulat kamay ni Aguinaldo na siya ang nagpapatay kay Bonifacio?

ni Basilio Ibabawan

Maraming umaakusa kay Aguinaldo na ipinapatay niya si Bonifacio dahil sa kanyang sulat kamay niya na may petsang Marso 22, 1948. Itong sulat daw na ito ay pagamin ni Aguinaldo na inutos niyang ipapatay si Bonifacio. Halatang-halata na hindi nagsaliksik o talagang di alam ang dahilan kung bakit naglabas si Aguinaldo ng ganitong sulat. Kaya nararapat isalaysay ang pinagmulan ng sulat upang maliwanagan ang tunay na pangyayari.

Mapapansin na ang petsa ng sulat ay Marso 22, 1948, ilang dekada na ang nakalipas kung bibilangin mula sa araw ng pangyayayari. Bakit noon lang ito sinulat ni Aguinaldo? Ayon kay Aguinaldo mas minabuti niyang manahimik sa usapin tungkol sa nangyari sa magkapatid dahil ayaw niyang pagsimulan ito ng sigalot lalo na't tayo noon ay hindi pa malaya.

Ngunit noong Marso 22, 1947 nagkaroon ng pagdiriwang sa kanyang tahanan sa Kawit para sa ika-78 niyang kaarawan na dinaluhan ng maraming tapat na kabigan, tagasunod at tagasangguni. At dahil ika-50 ding kaarawan ng pulong sa Tejeros tinanong siya kung tutuo ang pahayag ni Heneral Pio del Pilar na di umano'y huli na nang natanggap ni Heneral Mariano Noriel ang patawad dahilan sa siya (si Aguinaldo) ay nasa isang ilang na lugar at nangangalap ng mga tauhan upang makatulong sa hukbong nagagapi na ng mga Kastila. Sa kaunaunahang pagkakataon nagsalita si Aguinaldo tungkol sa pangyayari sa magkapatid na Bonifacio at ang sagot niya ay "...iyan ay walang katotohanan." Dugtong pa niya na talagang tanto na nina Del Pilar at Noriel ang tungkol sa patawad bago pa man binaril ang magkapatid dahil noong ilabas niya ito ay agad-agad siyang nilapitan ng dalawa at nagsumamo na bawiin ang patawad at ipatupad ang hatol ng Korte Militar para sa kapakanan ng himagsikan at kapanatagan ng bayan.

Nang okasyon ding iyon, nagunita ni Aguinaldo ang pagbisita ng isang manunulat na may dalang kasulatan na pinalalagdaan sa kanya. Kinuha niya ang kopya ng nasabing sulat sa kanyang silid at ipinakita sa mga bisita. Itinuro niya ang dalawang talata na nagsasaad na di umano'y huli na ng matanggap ni Heneral Noriel ang indulto kaya natuloy ang pagbaril sa magkapatid na Bonifacio. Hindi niya nilagdaan ang kasulatan at sinabi niya sa manunulat na hindi tutuo ang sinasabi doon at siya'y magsisinungaling kung kanyang lalagdaang. At dugtong pa niya, dapat aniya katotohanan ang masulat sa kasaysayan.

Kaya naman pagsapit ng kanyang ika-79 kaarawan ng Marso 22, 1948, at bilang handog sa alaala ng himagsikan at pagtatama ng kasaysayang ng sambayanang Pilipino ay minarapat ni Aguinaldo na sulatin ang tunay na pangyayari. At ito na nga ang sulat kamay niyang may petsang Marso 22, 1948.

Kung babalikan ang pangyayaring noong May 10, 1897, hindi si Aguinaldo ang nagpataw ng parusang kamatayan kundi ang Korte Militar na lumitis sa magkapatid. Sapagkat ang hatol ay siyang buod ng makatuwirang parusang iginawad sa magkapatid at ito ay may matibay na tinitindigan - ang pagtataksil ni Bonifacio sa pamahalaan, lalo't na nagawa niya ito sa panahon pa naman ng giyera, bagay na nakatulong sa kalaban. Kung tawagin ito sa Ingles ay "treason", or kataksilan, at ang katapat na parusa na naging kaugalian ng militar saan man pook ng mundo ay kamatayan sa pamamagitan ng bitay o pagbabaril.

Ano nga ba ang mga kasalanan ni Bonifacio? Dapat pagusapan ito upang lumabas ang tunay na dahilan ng kanyang pagkamatay. Makikita sa pagsusuri na si Bonifacio mismo ang nagtulak sa kanyang sarili tungo sa kamatayan. Narito ang mga kasalanan ni Bonifacio: Una, hindi niya kinilala at nilabanan pa nga ang pamahalaan; Ikalawa, naglunsad siya ng kudeta; Ikatlo, nagtayo ng sariling hukbo; Ika-apat, inatake ang bayan ng Indang; Ika-lima, nakipagbarilan sa mga umaarestong kawal na naging sanhi na pagkamatay na isa niyang kapatid na si Ciriaco at dalawang kawal ng pamahalaan; at, Ika-anim, binalak niyang patayin si Aguinaldo na isasagawa sana niya kung hindi natutop ang kanyang sinimulang kudeta. Malaki ang pagkakasala ni Bonifacio, hindi biro-biro, lalo't naging sanhi ng pagkakahati-hati ng hanay ng mga rebolusyonaryo na maaring naging mitsa ng isang giyera sibil kung hindi naagadan.

Kaya nga nasabi ni Mabini na kung sa kanya nangyari ang ginawa ni Bonifacio, wala nang paglilitis, baril agad.

Ang batis: ang mga binanggit ko rito ay hango sa aklat ni Jose P. Santos, na pinamagatang "Andres Bonifacio" nalimbag noong 1948 at ang aklat ni Carlos Ronquillo, "Ilang Talata Tungkol sa Paghihimagsik Nang Taong 1896-1897", nalimbag noong 1996, pati na ang kay Onofre D. Corpuz, "Saga and Triumph" at ang alaala ni Santiago Alvarez.

#TuklasPilipinas
#NoHateHistory

Celebrate 150th Birth Anniversary of Emilio Aguinaldo March 2019 Events

In celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Emilio Aguinaldo on 22 March 2019, here is the line-up of activities for the month of March scheduled by the Municipality of Kawit – Kawit Tourism Office, Cavite Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office, TUKLAS Pilipinas, Inc., Cavitenos in Saudi Arabia Eastern Region, Cavite Historical Society, in collaboration with the NHCP-Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo.

Join us in celebrating Lolo Miong's 150th Birthday with this month-long activities. For inquiries, you may reach or call 09756453749 or emailtourismkawit@gmail.com.

#aguinaldo150

For more information on Aguinaldo@150 activities, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdC1MfE-ya3pojkxVEXcJ3kOZ6eiWzrD/view

Panimulang Pakikibaka nang 1897: AGUINALDO sa Taguig at Pateros

Insights on the role of Taguig-Pateros during the Philippine Revolution. Lecture by Jomar Gelvoleo Encila on March 30, 2019, NHCP-Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo, 1:30 PM.

In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of President Emilio Aguinaldo, March 22, 2019.

#aguinaldolecture #aguinaldo150 #pateros #taguig

For more information on Aguinaldo@150 activities, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdC1MfE-ya3pojkxVEXcJ3kOZ6eiWzrD/view

Celebrate President Emilio F. Aguinaldo's 150th Birth Anniversary, March 22, 2019

AGUINALDO@150 ACTIVITIES

Activities link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdC1MfE-ya3pojkxVEXcJ3kOZ6eiWzrD/view

Aguinaldo Look Alike Contest by Cavitenos of Saudi Arabia Eastern Region

Celebrate Aguinaldo@150! March events
#aguinaldo150

CELEBRATE AGUINALDO@150

In celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Emilio Aguinaldo on 22 March 2019, here is the line-up of activities for the month of March scheduled by the Municipality of Kawit – Kawit Tourism Office in collaboration with the NHCP-Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo.

Join us in celebrating Lolo Miong's 150th Birthday with this month-long activities. For inquiries, you may reach or call 09756453749 or email tourismkawit@gmail.com.

#aguinaldo150

DESPICABLE MIONG PRESENTS "HOW TO KILL YOUR RIVAL" - NOT

by Tommy Matic IV

A longstanding and perniciously prevalent misconception by many Filipinos is that Aguinaldo was so jealous of Bonifacio's leadership position and, being a powerful elite, conspired to eliminate his masa rival, Bonifacio.

This hypothesis is historically inaccurate on so many levels, a pop culture myth inspired by more than a century of miseducation.

And the reasons it is nothing more than a myth are as follows:

1) Aguinaldo wasn't the jealous or grasping type. If anything he was cautious and hesitant to stand in the spotlight.

Aguinaldo repeatedly demonstrated a reluctance to grasp or hold on to top leadership positions. When the Cavite Katipuneros were talking about unifying the Magdalo and Magdiwang councils by electing a unified government, Aguinaldo preferred the more highly educated Edilberto Evangelista, the more senior and experienced Licerio Topacio, or the more politically savvy Baldomero Aguinaldo to himself to stand as the Magdalo candidate. After being elected president in absentia, he still refused to participate in the government until his elder brother Crispulo took over his duties, leading the defense of Pasong Santol, and promised to hold the line at all costs.

Later on, after returning to the Philippines and gaining absolute power, Aguinaldo attempted to beg the Filipino people to let him step down and serve as an ordinary general. Mabini was so angry at Aguinaldo's request for a special "Pamaskong aguinaldo" that he burned the pamphlets which Aguinaldo had printed.

2) Bonifacio's claim to leadership was shaky to non-existent

Bonifacio commanded immense respect among the Katipuneros and rightly so. What he - and many of his modern day adherents fail to realize - is that respect does not equivalence leadership or loyalty. While Bonifacio was respected as the man who, like Ray Kroc of MacDonalds, transformed the Katipunan decisively, his performance on the battlefield and failure to carve out a Katipunan bailiwick in Manila (compared to the successes in Bulakan with Karakon de Sili, in the northern and central Luzon regions under Llanera and of course the liberation of the entire province of Cavite under Aguinaldo and Alvarez) led many Katipuneros to leave him for the more successful revolution in Cavite. Bonifacio was in fact, in hiding in Morong, when the Alvarez clan invited him to stand as their candidate for the forthcoming elections.

3) The myth that Aguinaldo was the elite, Bonifacio was the masa.

This claim, rooted in class struggle politics has very little, if any, truth in it. Aguinaldo, like many other local leaders, was a town mayor (Alvarez and Llanera were as well) and the only circle of elites he belonged to was that of local, provincial native leaders, middle range functionaries within the Spanish colonial system. The ridiculously mistaken theory that Aguinaldo was an "elite" seems more rooted in guilt by association - Aguinaldo's first republic government infamously included Pedro Paterno, Felipe Buencamino, Benito Legarda and other elites.

Conversely, the pop culture image of Bonifacio with the camisa de chino, red trousers and kerchief, bolo and other working class visual indicators, while powerful, is highly inaccurate. Bonifacio was a local elite, just like Aguinaldo albeit one whose family had struggled through immense personal (and by extension, financial) loss and pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. Bonifacio, the unyielding fighter that he was, refused to let his parents' death drag him and his many siblings into oblivion. He tirelessly worked, gave himself an education and bettered himself so he rose out of the pit of poverty into a middle class life. That he was middle class is demonstrated by his acceptance into Philippine Freemasonry and into La Liga Filipina, gentlemen's organizations that he could not have joined had be been a mere "plebeian". Also, Oryang's family would not have even allowed him to get near her had he been lower class.

4) And the myth that Aguinaldo conspired to eliminate Bonifacio, his political rival.

The response to this is three-fold.

a) The alipores of Aguinaldo did his dirty work for him at Tejeros and at Bonifacio's trial.

Actually, the alipores of Bonifacio and Oryang's relatives, the Alvarez clan, far outnumbered and were more powerful than the alipores of Aguinaldo. If Bonifacio and Alvarez wanted to impose their will they could do so by force. Exhibit A: The Tejeros election. Biglang nag tawag nga SNAP ELECTION si Bonifacio at Alvarez while the Magdalo were busy fighting the Spaniards on the road to Imus (Anabu II, Salitran, Pasong Santol) which meant that the Magdalo could not participate in the snap elections.

As for the trial, why would Aguinaldo go through all the trouble to have a military court martial, have his alleged alipores go through the sham for a guilty verdict and then attempt to overturn it? For those assuming that it's identical to Rizal's show trial, they may want to consider the simple basic fact that Aguinaldo was not Polavieja, Aguinaldo was not a Governor General in charge of a massive colonial apparatus but to the utter contrary, Aguinaldo and all the revolutionary leaders were TRAITORS TO THE SPANISH CROWN DESERVING DEATH (the same death meted out to Gabriella Silang, Lamadrid, GOMBURZA, Francisco Roxas, Numeriano Adriano, Sancho Valenzuela and of course, Rizal himself) and had better things to do (fighting the Spaniards to save their own skins) than arranging "mock trials".

Once again I ask the Bonifascist, WHY BOTHER? Why not just put Bonifacio up against a wall and shoot him? Bonifacio himself would have done that to Aguinaldo, as he was attempting to do to Daniel Tirona at Tejeros.

Also take note Lazaro Makapagal's testimony that after he returned from executing the Bonifacio's, the town was under siege by the Spaniards.

A sham trial or kangaroo court would have been a ridiculous waste of time and resources that the Filipino revolutionaries could NOT AFFORD WHEN LACHAMBRE WAS CRUSHING THEM.

b) Bonifacio was Aguinaldo's political rival so he had to be eliminated.

This ridiculous myth of political rivalry may seem plausible if one does not consider the simple fact that Bonifacio and Aguinaldo were only political rivals for as long as the lead up to the unifying elections and the elections themselves (Tejeros) were held. Prior to and after this, there was NOTHING that Bonifacio had, politically or otherwise, that Aguinaldo had to be jealous of.

While Bonifacio was titular Supremo of the Katipunan, his reputation had been heavily tarnished by his inabilty to win battles and capture territory for the Katipunan. By December 1896 he himself admitted in a letter to his in-laws, the Alvarez clan (leaders of Sanggunian Magdiwang) that he "had not taken a single town for assembly or defense" - by that same time Cavite was already liberated from Spain, thanks largely to Aguinaldo's dynamic leadership and tactical prowess.

Also consider that the Cavite revolutionaries were discussing the creation of a new revolutionary government to supersede the Katipunan since, as Evangelista pointed out, "there are more revolutionaries fighting than were initiated into the Katipunan". The Katipunan was a great launch platform for revolution. Once launched, however, its weak internal structure which created a large confederacy of poorly cooperating councils and a very weak top-down hierarchy that even Bonifacio could not benefit from, needed to be replaced with a dedicated revolutionary government specifically created to prosecute all out war.

And then after Tejeros, having won the director of interior seat, Bonifacio was NOT any longer a political rival of Aguinaldo. Aguinaldo would rather have incorporated the erstwhile Supremo's prodigious talent for organizing and inspiring the revolutionaries into the new Revolutionary government, than exterminate him.

The reality is that Bonifacio was only a political rival so long as Bonifacio acted like one. Aguinaldo was not at Tejeros, did not vote at Tejeros, did not go around Tejeros intimidating people to vote for him - halos walang PAKIALAM si Miong sa Tejeros. Aguinaldo's primary focus was fighting the Spaniards NOT POLITICS.

After the Tejeros election, Aguinaldo sent a delegation to invite Bonifacio to participate in the new revolutionary government. Bonifacio refused. How is that Aguinaldo's fault?

After the Naik KUDETA, Aguinaldo PARDONED Noriel and Pio AND DID NOT SEND TROOPS TO CAPTURE BONIFACIO AT THAT POINT. This indicates that Aguinaldo, who had the perfect reason to arrest and execute Bonifacio AT THAT POINT, was REFUSING TO DO SO. Aguinaldo would have pardoned Bonifacio had Bonifacio returned to the fold.

c) Finally, after Bonifacio was sentenced, Aguinaldo STILL ATTEMPTED TO COMMUTE THE SENTENCE. Please explain why this repeated action of Aguinaldo, forgiving Bonifacio's excesses, does not demonstrate character and mercy on Aguinaldo's part.

What Bonifascists utterly ignore is the simple fact that Bonifacio's divisive politicking and selfish ambition DESTROYED THE CAVITE REVOLUTION. Bonifacio's own actions, constantly attempting to nullify the badly needed unity of the Revolutionaries in favor of his own selfish entitlement undermined the resistance of the Filipinos. His betrayal of the defenders of Pasong Santol which led to the Spanish breaking into Filipino lines is nothing short of treachery of the highest order. Add to that the KUDETA at Naik.

Bonifacio made himself hated and despised by the Revolutionaries who refused to elect him at Tejeros, refused to commit to his counter-government at Naik, refused to protect him at Limbon, refused to intervene at his trial, refused to rescue him from prison and refused to allow Aguinaldo to spare his life.

The real reason for Bonifacio's death was Bonifacio himself.

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