AGAW-ARMAS - ANG SIMULA NG PAGHIHIMAGSIK NI AGUINALDO SA CAVITE ni Virgilio Leynes

Ang “Sigaw ng Kabite,” na naganap kinabukasan, ika-31 ng Agosto (taong 1896) ay isang kagiliw-giliw na halimbawa ng pagkakaiba sa pagitan ng proletaryado ng Maynila at ng mga rebolusyonaryo ng Kabite. Ang pangunahing layunin ni Aguinaldo ay makakuha ng mga sandata upang ipaglaban ang bayan laban sa kaaway. Bilang kapitang bayan, may malinaw siyang kalamangan sa Supremo na si Bonifacio at sa mga Katipunero ng Maynila: gagamitin niya ang kanyang katungkulan upang maisakatuparan ang kanyang layunin. Siya’y gagamit ng estratehiya. Maging payak man ito, ay matalim: siya’y pupunta kay Koronel Fernando Fargas, ang gobernador político-militar, at hihingi ng mga baril at isang pangkat ng mga kawal-dagat upang palakasin ang kanyang mga cuadrillero, sa dahilang ang Kabite ay sinasabing nanganganib salakayin ng mga tulisan. Subalit ang kanyang tunay na layunin ay habatin at bihagin ang mga kawal-dagat upang makuha ang kanilang mga sandata. Bago tumungo sa daungan ng Kabite nang Lunes ng umaga, dumaan muna si Aguinaldo sa kura paroko ng bayang si Padre de Blas upang humingi ng sulat ng rekomendasyon. 

Ngunit sinabi ng pari na, bilang kapitang bayan, ay madali niyang makakamit ang kanyang kahilingan mula sa gobernador. Si Koronel Fargas ay may bisita sa kanyang tanggapan—ang brigadier heneral ng mga kawal-dagat—ngunit nang mabatid niyang ang opisyal ng Kabite ay nasa labas, ay ipinatawag niya ito sa loob. “Gobernador,” wika ni Aguinaldo na may bahid ng pagmamadali, “ang mga tulisan ay papalapit na sa aming bayan, at nabatid ko ring marami sa kanila ay nagtitipon sa mga labas-bayan ng Malibay, Pasay, at Palanyag. Dahil sa nagpipintong malubhang kalagayan, ako’y humihiling ng pangkat ng mga kawal-dagat upang tumulong sa aking mga cuadrillero.” Sa sandaling iyon, ang panauhing brigadier heneral ay nakapagsalita nang di-sinasadya, na siyang nagbunyag ng mahalagang impormasyong militar na lubos na umakma sa lihim na balak ni Aguinaldo. “Ang lahat ng kawal-dagat dito sa Kabite,” anang opisyal, “ay ipinadala na sa Maynila sa utos ni Gobernador-Heneral Blanco, na nagdeklara ng batas militar sa walong lalawigan. Isa na lamang ang natitirang kompanya dito sa arsenal.” Sapat na ang impormasyong iyon para kay Aguinaldo upang matiyak na sa pag-iral ng tamang sandali, siya at ang kanyang mga kasamang Katipunero sa Kawit ay masakop ang Casa Tribunal nang walang panganib ng agarang pagtulong mula sa kabisera ng Kabite. 

Bago umuwi sa Kawit, dumaan muna si Aguinaldo sa ilang kasamang Katipunero at inutusan silang maghanda sapagkat siya’y mag-aalsa na nang gabing iyon. Bandang ikalawa ng hapon siya’y nakarating sa Kawit. Dumiretso siya sa kumbento upang ipagbigay-alam sa kura ang kabiguang natamo sa kanyang misyong opisyal. Umuwi siya sandali at pagkatapos ay muling nagbalik sa tribunal kung saan nakita niya ang dalawa niyang konsehal: sina Candido Tirona at Santiago Dano. Ang balak ni Aguinaldo ay maghimagsik kinagabihan, datapuwa’t nang siya’y mabalitaan na ang mga Katipunero ng Magdiwang ay nagaklas na sa San Francisco de Malabon at sa Noveleta, minabuti niyang simulan agad, yamang tatlong guwardiyang sibil lamang ang nakatalaga sa Casa Tribunal. Sa panahong yaon ng kapana-panabik na kalagayan, ang makataong damdamin ni Aguinaldo ay lumitaw: “Huwag nating patayin ang mga guwardiya,” sabi niya. “Hingin lang natin ang kanilang mga baril ng mapayapa.”

 

….Ang balak ay pasukuin ang tatlong guwardiya sibil sa isang marangal na labanan. “Kaming dalawa ni kumpadre Candido ang bahala rito,” wika ng matapang na kapitang bayan. … “Makabubuting si Kuya Dano ay umuwi na sa Binakayan upang abisuhan ang ating mga tauhan roon at bantayan ang polbórin.” Si Aguinaldo, bagama’t katamtaman lamang ang taas, ay madaling natalo at nakuha ang mga sandata ng dalawang guwardiya sibil. Subalit si Candido Tirona ay nahirapan sa pakikipagbuno sa ikatlong guwardiya na mas malaki at isa pang sarhento. 

Ang mga cuadrillero, na sabik nang sumalakay, ay inutusan ni Aguinaldo na huwag makialam maliban na lamang kung kinakailangan. “Ibigay mo sa akin ang iyong baril,” mariing utos ni Aguinaldo sa matigas na sarhento, subalit hindi siya pinansin nito. Sa kanyang Alaala, ikinuwento ni Aguinaldo ang sumunod: “Kaya’t binigwasan ko siya sa sikmura at siya’y napaurong. Nabitiwan niya ang kanyang baril at sinunggaban siya ng aking mga cuadrillero na may mga punyal at itak. Ngunit pinigil ko sila at sumigaw: ‘Huwag ninyong patayin ang taong ito!’ Sa kasamaang-palad, isa sa mga cuadrillero ay hindi nakinig sa aking utos at tinaga siya sa tapat ng tainga.” Nagtamo ng malaking sugat ang guwardiya sibil, ngunit tiniyak sa kanya ni Aguinaldo na hindi siya mamamatay. “Kung hindi ko pinigil ang kamay ng cuadrillerong iyon, ay patay ka na sana ngayon din,” aniya. Agad na ipinatawag ng kapitang bayan ang isang manggagamot upang gamutin ang sugatang lalaki. (Translated from Saulo, 94)

"AGUINALDO"

Miong,The Musical. In celebration of Emilio F. Aguinaldo's 150th Birth Anniversary, March 22, 2019.

June 12 1898. The first time the national anthem was played, the national flag was unfurled, and the people stood united on a land they could finally call their own.

Be sure not to miss MIONG, a tale of achieving unity in the face of colonial oppression and political tension.

Grab a season pass today and get access to REP’s entire 2019 season. For ticket inquiries, call REP at 451-1474 or Ticketworld at 891-9999, or log on towww.ticketworld.com.ph.

#RepertoryPhilippines #REPMiong

Brief Bio of Gen. Emilio F. Aguinaldo*

Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo played the leading role in the Philippine struggle for independence first against the Spanish sovereignty and later the Americans from his election as President of the Revolutionary Government during the Tejeros Convention (March 22, 1897) to his capture in Palanan, Isabela (March 23, 1901).

He did not only served as Commander-in-chief of the armed forces but also served as President of the first Revolutionary Government (March 22 to November 1, 1897), President of the “Biyak-na-Bato”Republic (November 1-15, 1897), Dictator of the Philippines (May 24-June 23, 1898), President of the Philippine Republic (January 23, 1899 – March 23, 1901) which was inaugurated in Malolos, Bulacan.

Gen. Aguinaldo, the seventh of eight children of Don Carlos Aguinaldo and Doña Trinidad Famy, was born in Kawit, Cavite on March 22, 1869.

He was not a highly educated man, for according to his Memoirs he only reached the third year of the secondary course at San Juan de Letran College, Manila.

The untimely demise of his father Carlos forced him and his brothers to quit their studies and return to home to help their widowed mother in supporting the family.

He, accompanied by about eight companions, made trips to Capiz, Mindoro, Marinduque, Tablas Island and Masbate on board a Paraw christened San Bartolome. To those places, they trade salt, and bolos of Kawit. On their return trip, they had diliman, nige, cows and carabaos.

He continued this high profitable business until he was chosen capitan municipal of municipal mayor of Kawit on New Year’s Day in 1895. He previous served as cabeza de barangay of Barrio Binakayan for seven years.

The evening of the day he was installed as mayor of Kawit, Aguinaldo was initiated into Masonry, a society that has for its motto “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.” Later he was induced by his friend Santiago Alvarez to join the patriotic society called the Katipunan. The discovery of the Katipunan in August 1896 led to the outbreak of the Revolution against Spain. Aguinaldo was among the first Katipunan leaders to raise the standard of revolt in Cavite.

He was later elected president of the revolutionary government in absentia on March 22, 1897 at Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon. Gen. Aguinaldo and his men set up the independent Philippine state. He first re-established the government for the entire country with himself as dictator. Next, he proclaimed Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite, June 12, 1898. The new anthem and flag was adopted on the same day. It was followed by the calling of the Revolutionary Congress in Malolos which drafted the so-called “Malolos Constitution.” And finally, the Philippine Republic was inaugurated in Malolos on January 23, 1899 with Gen. Aguinaldo as President.

After the war was over, Gen Aguinaldo lived in retirement in his Kawit home and devoted himself to farming and to helping his fellow veterans of the revolution.

After seeing action for five long years of war, here are some of the important achievements of Gen. Aguinaldo as pointed out by Prof. Gabriel Fabella:

1. Aguinaldo was the first Filipino to make the world conscious of the existence of the Philippines by leading two revolutions against Spain and a war of defense of the Filipinos’ newly established Republic against the United States.

2. He helped weld the Filipinos into a nation through deeds rather than by pen or words.

3. He was the first to demonstrate that a Filipino is capable of running an orderly government of his own making.

4. He bequeathed permanent legacies:

                -a Philippine Independence Day

            -a Filipino Flag

            -a National Anthem”

As for his character, Gen. Alejandrino, in 1941, made reference to his fine character and incorruptibility. According to Gen. Alejandrino, a well-known Chinese merchant told him “that Aguinaldo no person, is angel; I speak to him of a business wherein he can make money; he alone put saliva, but he does not like. That man, him no person, that angel.”

The late President Manuel Quezon also spoke of Gen. Aguinaldo’s honesty and integrity in 1914:

“Aguinaldo is not a rich man today. He is a modest farmer. He has not accepted any position from the American Government. Although it is authoritatively stated that he was offered a good one…he wanted to show that world that he fought for his country, not because of any desire for personal profit or power, but out of patriotism.”

And Justice George A. Malcolm, in 1935, wrote of Gen. Aguinaldo:

“…there are those who make of Aguinaldo a mere figurehead, the usual method being to eulogize his compatriots in order to belittle his accomplishments. Certainly full credit should be given to the able men who advised Aguinaldo. Yet when impartial history is written, it must adjudge that Aguinaldo knew how to listen to his advisers, but always the decision was his, and he was the unquestioned executor of the decision thus reached; that he represented cohesion and unity…

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*Culled from Aguinaldo: Father of the Philippine Republic by Esteban A. de Ocampo, former chairman, National Historical Commission. Published in the MLQU Graduate Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2^nd Semester, 1971-72.