On Gregoria de Jesus Alleged Tejeros Convention Election Rigging

by Tommy Matic IV

Compare Oryang's hearsay nonsense (or should I say Bonifacio's sour-grape nonsense) to Ricarte's straightforward narrative of the Tejeros Convention:

"The presence of Andres Bonifacio in Cavite until his death which occurred on the 10th of May, 1897, is described in the Memoirs of General Artemio "El Vibora" Ricarte. Andres Bonifacio, the "Supremo" (Supreme head) of the Katipunan arrived there about the latter half of December, 1896. He was called by the Magdiwang government which, with the Magdalo government, had just given battle to the Spanish forces in the province."

https://kahimyang.com/.../the-tejeros-convention...


Here are Oryang's assertions. Let's remember that she was 1) the wife of Bonifacio and therefore biased in his favor and is very likely simply repeating the story she heard from him because 2) she was NOT A FIRSTHAND WITNESS to the internal drama of the Tejeros election. 

From the PDI article: 
https://lifestyle-inquirer-net.cdn.ampproject.org/.../...

“The election was rigged to favor the Magdalos,” De Jesus writes. “Those who entered the hacienda were asked (by Aguinaldo’s men) who they would vote for. Even those who did not know how to write were given ballots already filled up apparently signed by the voters.”

‘Fraudulent machinations’

She adds that Apolonio Santos, who belonged to the rival faction Magdiwang, was “mistaken for Magdalo” and “forced to vote for Emilio.”

“All those fraudulent machinations were tolerated,” De Jesus declares.

Aguinaldo was voted president in absentia. When Bonifacio was voted interior minister, De Jesus writes, there were shouts of “Viva!”

But “the Minister of War,” writes De Jesus, apparently referring to Daniel Tirona, a Caviteño and supporter of Aguinaldo, opposed the election of Bonifacio and argued that the interior minister should be “an intellectual or lawyer.”

---------------------------------
Already one sees a lot of errors of fact and reason when compared to other accounts of the Tejeros election. 

The Magdalo were not out in force that day. To the contrary most were at the battlefront including Emilio and his brother Crispulo Aguinaldo. If the 'Magdalo men' were passing out pre-filled ballots with Emilio's name, why did the Magdiwang membership (which vastly outnumbered them both at the convention and in terms of land/troops/power throughout Cavite province) not put a stop to it? 

"All those fraudulent machinations were tolerated" De Jesus declares. BY WHOM, with all due respect Oryang, BY WHOM. By your HUSBAND who was PRESIDENT OF THE CONVENTION? By your IN-LAWS who were the majority represented at the Convention? 

I would invite ANY and ALL readers to compare these assertions with others, notably RICARTE's (who, unlike Oryang, WAS a firsthand eyewitness and intimately involved in the proceedings AND was a Bonifacio supporter so he cannot be said to be biased in favor of Aguinaldo).

https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1258/the-tejeros-convention-according-to-general-artemio-ricarte

Between Oryang and Ricarte, Ricartes account is more credible, he was the election officer at that time, the vice chair actually.....and he said "Lumabas na nakaraming halal sa pagkapangulo ng pamahalaan ng Republica ng Pilipinas, ay si G. Emilio Aguinaldo, laban kay G. Andres Bonifacio, at G. Mariano Trias. 

Ipinahayag ang nahalal sa pamamagitan ng mga palakpakan at sigawang mabuhay!"(The Viva Voce confirms the votes)....

Ricarte, the vice chair of the election, confirms in his account that Aguinaldo won the election.....in absentia!

TESTIMONY OF ANTONIO LUNA, Disowning the Katipunan

by Basilio Ibabawan


Some people are quick at prejudging Aguinaldo without first examining the facts, and yet the hero depicted in the movie "Heneral Luna" disowned the Katipunan and pointed to Rizal as the founder to save himself from the Spanish firing squad. Here's the testimony of Antonio Luna given to the Olive investigating committee that was included among the pieces of testimonial evidence against Dr. Jose Rizal:


"TESTIMONY OF ANTONIO LUNA

"Manila, Nov. 12, 1896


"***I knew nothing of the conspiracy until July, I am not a rebel, nor a Mason, nor a filibuster, on the contrary, I am an accuser of men [who are these things?] and I believe that I have fulfilled my duties a loyal son of Spain.


"On the 18th or 20th of July, I told the following to Dr. Panzano, my old chief in the municipal laboratory, so that he could report it to the Governor-General. "There are groups or secret societies formed of people of the pueblos who are disposed to rise, or what preparations they are making. It is not Masonic. These groups exist in the pueblos about Manila and the assaults made on the Chinese made at San Juan del Monte were carried out by them. There are also groups in the principal pueblos in Luzon. On August 2nd and 3rd, I was summoned by the Governor-General, and then told him what I have said above, insisting that the associations were popular ones, and that rich and well known persons either did not know anything of them, or else did not sympathize with them.


"On the 11th or 13th of August, I told the Governor-General that the men who belonged to the groups of rebels made an incision in the arm and signed the oath of adhesion with the blood therefrom.


"On the 27th of August, before the attack on Santa Mesa, on account of certain confidential investigations, I had made, I denounced the "Liga Filipina" and the "Katipunan" as suspicious associations to Dr. Panzano so that he might report the matter to the Governor-General. I knew of the existence of the "Liga" from Don Moises Salvador; of the vast "Katipunan anac nang bayan" from Dr. Bautista Lim, one or two days before his arrest.


"Some days ago I said to Dr. Panzano: The "Katipunan" is the "Liga Filipina." The word "Liga," association or league, has been translated by "Katipunan," gathering or association. THE FOUNDER IS DON JOSE RIZAL. I was a Mason in Spain from '87 to '91. In the Philippines, as the Filipino Masons can state, I have worked for no lodge, nor do I know any. I have nothing to do with Masonry in the Philippines. In Spain in 1890, I drew up a project for extending Spanish Masonry to the Philippines, but it was never carried out." (lifted from p. 237-238, JRM Taylor, PIR)


On page 240 is a note:

"Note – From signed statements in repudiation of Masonry and pseudo-Masonic societies by condemned revolutionists, published by Spanish authorities. Translated from "Archivo del Bibliofilo Filipino." Other statements of almost similar wording to those of Roxas and Luna are signed by Juan Luna, Ramon Padilla, Luis Villareal, Jose Dizon, Moises Salvador, Faustino Villareal, Antonio Salazar adn Jeronimo Medina. Of these none are living today. All but the Luna Brothers were shot that January, 1897, by the Spaniards..."

On ABS-CBN's report on the letter by Gregoria De Jesus indicating the alleged "umanoy pagtataksil:"

Collated by Angelo Jarin Aguinaldo

with contributions from Jojo Manarin, Sumaquel Hosalla, and Tommy Matic IV

ABS-CBN News recently reported on the letter written by Gregoria de Jesus, widow of  Andres Bonifacion narrating that Emilio Aguinaldo as “nandaya sa umano sa eleksiyon”and  “umanoy pagtataksil .“ The letter will be auctioned by Leon Gallery in June, 2018.

Paano makapandaraya ang  Magdalo kung:

1.) Teritoryo ng Magdiwang ang Tejero, San Francisco de Malabon kung saan ginanap ang Tejeros Convention;

2.) Mismong si Bonifacio, katulong si Ricarte ang nag-preside ng nasabing convention;

3.) Walo (o siyam lamang) ang nakadalong Magdalo, dahil 4 na araw bago ang convention lamang nasabihan si Baldomero Aguinaldo, at abala sa pakikipaglaban ang fuerza ni Emilio;

4.) Mismong si Ricarte ang nag-distribute ng balota sa mga delegado;

5.) Pito sa siyam na nahalal sa iba't katungkulan sa ginanap na halalan ay pawang mga Magdiwang;

6.) Si Aguinaldo ang nahalal na Pangulo bagama't hindi siya dumalo (in absentia), dahil abala siya sa pakikibaglaban sa Pasong Santol, Salitran, Dasmariñas.

The letter is sanitized since de Jesus solely pinpoints Aguinaldo and does not mention the participation of his uncles or relatives in the Magiwang in the said election.

De Jesus’ testimony is just one side of the story, ito naman ang istorya mula sa isa pa niyang tiyo na si Santiago Alvares sa mga nangyari....the phrase "nobody wished to board and be at his side" connotes that he lost the support of his men in Magdiwang-haringbayan.....

Another testimony from the Magdiwang-Batangan....mga Batangeno ang nagpatupad ng will of the majority, sila rin ang pwersa na nagpanumpa kay Aguinaldo at mga nanalo....

Some raise question on the authenticity of the letter.

Authenticity is not the problem. Critical, contextual interpretation is.

Why accept De Jesus’ testimony over Aguinaldo's or Makapagal's or Mascardo's? Why does Oryang carry more weight of truth when she A) was not present at the key events of Tejeros nor was privy to the issues she is making a judgement call / assertion about, and B) is very obviously BIASED AGAINST Aguinaldo in favor of her husband. 

The report made by ABS-CBN is totally misleading.

The public deception on the Battle of San Juan del Monte

by Restituto Ramos and Tommy Matic IV

Some people simply cannot accept the truth..if it does not please them, like that Robin Padillanized history in the movie "Bonifacio: Unang Pangulo" which he cast himself in the title role, which made it appear that Bonifacio won the Battle of San Juan del Monte, when it was actually a crushing defeat which practically almost suppressed the Revolution in the Manila area, and only the victories of the Cavite patriots managed to save the 1896 uprising from becoming another Diego Silang or Francisco Dagohoy revolt.

Photo (below) shows Guardia Civil Veteranas within Sr. Sancho Valenzuela's rope factory surrounded by the corpses of Katipunan commander Ramon Bernardo's force.

Jim Richardson puts the number as high as/higher than 2,500 Katipuneros under Bonifacio at San Juan del Monte, defeated by 100 native infantry garrisoning the Polvorin with 30 Mauser and cannon armed Spanish artillerymen. Another 1,000 Katipuneros under Bernardo at Santa Mesa were concurrently routed by 150 Guardia Civil Veteranas, Infantry and Cavalry under Segundo Cabo, General Bernard Echaluce y Jauregui.

On The Death of Luna by Emilio Aguinaldo

-from a Private Collection

This isn't just an important document about the death of Heneral Luna but a first hand view of the presidential household during the retreat north. How efficient and functional it was - a fully functioning revolutionary military government. It had protocols and offices. Janolino is mentioned as Oficial de Guardia.

This CONFIRMS that the Kawit Battalion was not seen as just a bunch of layabouts but was Aguinaldo's Household Guard and Aguinaldo himself confirms that. This means that the accusation of Luna that they were lazy/did not follow his instructions shows that Luna did not understand military protocol regarding personal guard of the sovereign.

The Kawit Battalion was specifically under the command of President Aguinaldo as his household guard. Luna could not just take command of them without Aguinaldo's authority. This also brings out the very real threat that Aguinaldo was warned of - that of Luna fomenting a Civil War.

Luna had betrayed the Revolution - rejected their own goddamn idol Bonifacio for pity's sake - and upon being made General by Aguinaldo, proceeded to hire the former Spanish Colonial Army officers which would have formed a 'personality cult' around him. Paco Roman, Bugallon, Sityar, etc. Who was to say that Luna could not also use these officers to stage a coup and replace the Autonomista government with one that HE picked. Aguinaldo acted as a prudent leader dealing with a potentially dangerous situation.

Th ending is telling as well. Bonifacio was dangerous because of his popularity and pre-revolutionary reputation but his failure as a military leader lost him his reputation and then his followers. Luna on the other hand had a cadre of Spanish and Ilustrado officers that were loyal to him. Yet he too failed as a military leader but because of his training and demeanor was able to scapegoat his failures off elsewhere - it was the Kawit troops fault, it was the Cavitenos fault, it was someone else's fault. And with a personality cult to back him up he very well might have started a coup - holding Aguinaldo prisoner while taking the reins of government. TM IV

WARFARE AND DEATH BY PULONG: THE NASCENT REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY AND THE EXECUTION OF BONIFACIO

by Tommy Matic IV

"I've read an article before saying that aguinaldo did send a pardon for the bonifacio brothers pero late na sya dumating sa headquarters ni General Noriel. Is this a fact?"

        Aguinaldo was willing to pardon Bonifacio - he wanted Bonifacio to be sent into exile till tempers "cooled down". The problem was Bonifacio had offended far too many people - Generals Mamerto Natividad and official Clemente Zulueta were calling for his blood and the worst betrayal was by Generals Pio del Pilar and Mariano Noriel, the same generals that Bonifacio had subborned at Naik. They demanded that Bonifacio be executed "or Aguinaldo's life would be in danger".

        By the way, do you like Game of Thrones? If you do, that's good because that's how you need to understand the Filipino revolutionary forces. The Filipinos were starting from ZERO. You CANNOT compare the Filipinos to the American or French or Russian Revolutions because those revolutions involved political and military structures that were 1) of the same racial character and open to participation at most levels 2) higher levels of evolutionary development of these structures. Example: American colonies each had Colonial governments in each state. States had representative assemblies. States had infrastructure of government. The Americans had a militia based on the English system. So in 1776 the Americans were not starting from complete NADA. They HAD previous military and governmental structures in place.

         Filipinos had none of those advantages. Most Filipinos had never fired a firearm in their lives (compare to the Americans who hunted and the militia which drilled on weekends) and Alvarez comments on their awe at handling their first Mauser Rifle (I know the feeling - as a reenactor I got to handle a Remington Rolling-Block at a Spanish-American War reenactment event and it was COOL!) Filipino 'colonels' and 'generals' got their rank because they were good RECRUITERS, not because they went to military school or were promoted up the chain. Strength in manpower+firepower = REAL POWER/INFLUENCE. Each of the generals in the Katipunan/Revolutionary Army was a warlord unto himself including Aguinaldo (with his Kawit troops) and Alvarez and yes, even Bonifacio. Bonifacio only had the loyalty and support of the Manila Katipunan - outside of Manila he was respected but had no way to make himself obeyed. Following the disasters at San Juan del Monte and San Mateo even the Manila Katipunan didn't want to follow Bonifacio.

         So when Noriel and del Pilar tell you (imagine you're Aguinaldo) "Your life is in danger" / "Mapanganib ang buhay mo" that can mean several things. That can mean Bonifacio will gather support again and threaten your life. That can mean Noriel and del Pilar will JOIN WITH BONIFACIO AGAIN and threaten your life. That can mean Noriel and del Pilar can ABANDON YOUR LEADERSHIP and form a separatist group and threaten your life. This is NOT the modern Philippine military with 100 years of tradition, hierarchy, discipline and military organization. These are self-proclaimed warlord "generals" making VERY REAL threats.

          This is also why the Katipunan style of leadership was the PULONG. This is attested to in multiple sources and narrated in memoirs like Alvarez. The Sanggunian (Council) itself indicates that their style of leadership in the Katipunan is to MEET, DISCUSS, DECIDE. Bonifacio, for all his exalted rank as Supremo CANNOT JUST ORDER THINGS TO HAPPEN. He and other leaders - including Aguinaldo - would need to PULONG with their subordinates and get their consent. This style of leadership is HIGHLY inefficient - democracy taken to a logical and ineffectual extreme. Even in Pirate Ships, the Captain's word was LAW in battle, even though he might be voted out or opposed successfully outside of battle. For Bonifacio, he could not do anything without getting agreement from his subordinate commanders and this led to his defeats at San Juan del Monte, San Mateo and pretty much everywhere else.

          Aguinaldo, an experienced provincial mayor, was able to exercise more direct leadership over his men. He gave orders and his men obeyed them out of personal loyalty to him - and then, after he began winning battles, because they trusted him to win the fight. This is also what both Magdalo and Magdiwang realized - that the PULONG system was inefficient and that they needed to form a stronger, more authoritative joint Revolutionary Government. Even then, Aguinaldo found that particularly in the matter of executing Bonifacio, the PULONG was still a valid political exercise.

         As the Filipino Revolutionary military evolved the pulong became less viable and was replaced by direct command. Nevertheless, the warlord mentality of the top commanders was still very much in evidence in 1898 as one can see from the Gregorio del Pilar vs Isidro Torres feud, the Antonio Luna vs Tomas Mascardo feud and the infamous Aguinaldo/Buencamino/Janolino/Luna feud which ended up with Luna dead.

         The fact of the matter is that the Filipino Revolutionary Army was a tribal/clan/warlord army that needed to evolve into a modern European Army to face the Americans. That would take time, experience, training and discipline and since the Filipinos had very little time before war broke out with America, they were forced to rely on the experience, training and discipline that they already had and it would not prove sufficient.

         Finally to answer the question: Bonifacio's execution was ordered by Aguinaldo for any number of reasons, all valid. Bonifacio could constitute a grave threat. The warlord generals were watching the young president and if he did not appear STRONG and DECISIVE they might leave or turn against him. Over and above Aguinaldo's desire to spare Bonifacio, Bonifacio's own actions had earned him the hatred of virtually all the Magdalo AND Magdiwang leaders. That is what REALLY killed Bonifacio.

PS:

     There were several others who shared the same position including Apolinario Mabini (referring to the decision of Aguinaldo to recall the commutation order) - "Ayon kay Ricarte, kasama sa mga nagudyok sa Pangulong Aguinaldo na ipatupad ang hatol ng Consejo de Guerra ay sina Feliciano Jocson, Antonio Montenegro, Teodoro Gonzales, Severino delas Alas, Baldomero Aguinaldo, Mariano Trias Closas at iba pang mga taga lalawigan ng Cavite. (Ricarte, 82)

     At ayon naman sa mananalaysay na si Teodoro Agoncillo sina Clemente Jose Zulueta at Mamerto Natividad ang mga mahigpit na nagbunsod kay Aguinaldo na bawiin ang indulto at ipatupad ang hatol-kamatayan ng Consejo de Guerra. (Agoncillo)

     Si Mabini ay ganoon din ang naging pagkilatis sa pangyayari. Noong Hunyo 11, 1898 nang mahirang siya ni Aguinaldo bilang kalihim, nagpasalamat si Mabini dahil natubos daw ni Aguinaldo ang kabiguan sa panghihimagsik ni Bonifacio, at pinintasan ni Mabini ang malamig na trato sa pagkukudeta ni Bonifacio. Ang sabi ni Mabini kung sa kanya daw nangyari ito ay juicio sumarisimo (patayin ng walang paglilitis) agad ang ipagagawa niya kay Bonifacio at mga kasamahan nito. (Ronquillo, 27) Di kaya kung nabaligtad ang sitwasyon at si Aguinaldo ang tumayo sa lugar ni Bonifacio, hindi kaya ni ha, ni ho, patay agad si Aguinaldo?"

Biak-na-Bato is not a sell-out!

Biak-na-bato, is not a shameful betrayal of people’s sacrifices. 

Aguinaldo made the best of bad bargain. He accepted the Pact but made a secret agreement to use the Spanish indemnity to purchase arms abroad and resume their unfinished revolution. He did purchase arms and return to the Philippines to continue the revolution in May 1898. That could not be a betrayal.

And seemingly following the American colonial policy of denigrating anything that Aguinaldo did resulting into the Filipinos loss of respect towards him, Constantino went on to add that “ because Aguinaldo declaration was not a real independence proclamation, and because it is associated with a man whose revolutionary integrity is in question, June 12 should not be the symbol of our effort to achieve independence…”

With a man whose revolutionary integrity is in question ?

Such accusation referred to the oft repeated issue on handling of the Spanish indemnity of Php 400,000.00. 43 Filipino revolutionary leaders in Hongkong already voluntarily signed an affidavit attesting to the honest handling of that amount on April 23, 1898 as noted by Taylor (1971). These leaders include Mariano Llanera, Miguel Malvar, Tomas Mascardo, Jose Alejandrino, Servillano Aquino, and Mamerto Natividad. American historian John R. M. Taylor who would have been biased to the American point of view, also had a good word for Aguinaldo’s handling of the fund. Jose Alejandrino also defended Aguinaldo’s integrity. Alejandrino emphasized that Aguinaldo “had the integrity and unselfishness to return to his country to expose again his life for an ideal which is the ideal of his people and his race.” Most ironically, Quezon in 1941 even mentioned that “Aguinaldo was as poor as he was when the war started” when he addressed the US House of Representative. Such integrity could not be in question. 

Here is how Elias M. Ataviado, who experienced the Revolution both against Spain and America and interviewed both participants, friend and foe, see “Pact of Biak-na-Bato.” :

“Although the pact had lost a regional insurrection, however it had won an unquestionable triumph of national proportions; it had won the people of the country and made it sympathetic toward the cause of the revolution. The pact, indeed, was the “thunderbolt that struck” in the night of our forefathers, the clap of which awakened the national conscience from its colonial lethargy. It was the voice of God, that in darkness of the time, guided the “scattered tendencies” towards the ideals of the greater struggle ahead.”

The Philippine Revolution in the Bicol Region
Volume One ( August 1896 to January 1899 )
From the Spanish original Lucha y Libertad
Translated into English by Juan T. Ataviado

READ MORE. 

Click:  https://archive.org/stream/filipinojuntainh00bell/filipinojuntainh00bell_djvu.txt