From Hekasi Books to Biopic Films: Aguinaldo’s insubstantiality in the Philippine Revolution
--
In History Series
Hekasi books from our elementary school have been honoring different bayanis that we know ever since we started taking up the subject. Up until our Highschool years, we usually had a look back on who these bayanis were that Philippine History taught us. But films have exposed who we really should consider as real heroes because someone we look up to might just actually be a shameful puppet and a spineless traitor.
From Hekasi Books: A hero and the first president
Several books from the subject Hekasi (Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika) have introduced different Philippine heroes or bayani that we call way back during our elementary school days. We have almost memorized them all, who they are, how they have lived their lives as heroes, and their roles during the Philippine Revolution against the colonizers. One of which is Emilio Aguinaldo.
“Ang Bayan kong Pilipinas 2: Balayang Aklat’’ from Diwa Textbooks stated that General Emilio Aguinaldo was a good leader. He led the fight for the freedom of the Philippines during the Spanish and American Colonial Period. During his leadership, Philippine Independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898 and the First Philippine Republic was established. He then became the first President of the Philippine Republic.
Hekasi books like this mentioned him countless times in Philippine History while others only ever mentioned seemingly vague and incomplete details about his supposed contributions during the Philippine Revolutionary Government. Evidently barely scratching the surface, do these books really provide a complete historical narrative in the lives of our supposed national heroes? Maybe? Maybe not.
In Biopic Films: A traitor and a puppet
Biopic Films, at least those who feature other national heroes, expose Aguinaldo’s true role within the revolutionary pact; His intentions as the supreme figure inside the movement should be such that credits are all up to him. As the first president, his intentions were to be the supreme figure inside the movement. Aguinaldo’s thirst for power must prevail such that, in the minds of the Filipino people, all credits are with him as the hero who rescued the country from powerful colonizers.
Enzo William’s Andres Bonifacio: Ang unang pangulo amazed several Filipinos as it won several awards at the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival in 2014. But it has also exposed the truth behind Bonifacio’s death: that he did not die fighting the Spaniards during a war. He was ordered to be exiled with his brother by no other than Emilio Aguinaldo. It was depicted during the last scenes of the film after the Tejeros Convention, an assembly of two different factions: Magdalo, led by Aguinaldo, and Magdiwang, led by Bonifacio. Its purpose was to discuss strategies and defenses of Cavite against the Spaniards, however, the Magdiwang faction insisted on an election, to abolish the Katipunan and form a Revolutionary Government to reconcile the differences of the two factions.
Aguinaldo was elected President though he was not present during the meeting. And Bonifacio as the Director of Interior, initially accepted the position as a formality from the election but was constantly insulted by Daniel Tirona during his objections. Due to this, Bonifacio declared the Convention and the election as null and void. Bonifacio then established a new government, refusing to recognize the newly established government. Aguinaldo and the Magdalo pact saw this as an act of treason as Bonifacio tried to rein him in. Bonifacio was charged with treason and sedition. Aguinaldo ordered Andres Bonifacio and his brother, Procopio Bonifacio to be arrested and sentenced to death. They were brutally murdered by Aguinaldo’s men as seen at the ending of the movie.
Another Biopic film that exposes the power-hungry Aguinaldo entitled, Heneral Luna by Jerrold Tarog. The 2015 film depicted General Antonio Luna’s leadership of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Filipino-American War. The film gruesomely exposes how General Luna was killed, like Andres Bonifacio, not on any battlefield but by his fellow Filipinos upon the orders of Emilio Aguinaldo
Tensions between Aguinaldo and Luna were seen throughout the movie. These tensions were particularly evident when Luna bumped heads with Aguinaldo during a particular Cabinet meeting shown in the movie. It exposes how incompetent and disinterested Aguinaldo was towards fighting the Americans. Aguinaldo also mentioned a promise sworn by the Americans with him in Hong Kong when he was being asked about entrusting the country to the Americans during the meeting for the Treaty of Paris. The details were not elaborated in the film since this utterly exposes how treacherous Aguinaldo is towards his countrymen. Now, why are these chains of events missing?
Hong Kong Junta: Aguinaldo’s treacherous act
Many believe that during the Colonization period, Aguinaldo was doing the best he can to achieve independence as one of the leaders of the revolution and a member of the Katipunan. But what happened in Hong Kong exposed that Aguinaldo had good relationships with both the Spanish and American Colonizers and his true allegiance was not for the freedom of the Filipino people but to remain the upper-class elite man in power inside the revolution.
During the heat of the Revolution between the Spanish and the Americans, Aguinaldo signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 15, 1897. A truce between Spanish colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolutionary war against Spain. The Hong Kong Junta was formed as an organization composed of Filipino revolutionaries who signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato that accompanied Aguinaldo into exile in Hong Kong from the Philippines.
Provisions inside the Pact of Biak-na-Bato include: (1) Aguinaldo and his companion shall go to voluntary exile abroad. (2) Spanish Government granting Aguinaldo and his fellow men amnesty and monetary indemnity installment for $MXN800,000 which in today’s money is more than $12,000,000. (3) The whole money was paid to Aguinaldo, personally. And (4) De Rivera shall pay an additional sum of $MXN900,000 to the families of the non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during the armed conflict. After returning to the archipelago, Aguinaldo intended to use the money to buy guns and ammunition in advance.
Aguinaldo’s feigned role in the revolution
Hekasi books missed out important events that shall be known by elementary students that marks who and how these bayanis contributed to our country:
First, on how Aguinaldo was fraudulently elected as President by his companions and not the whole Filipino people in the country. Democracy has been emphasized in the scene of the film during the Tejeros Convention, but democracy with a few numbers of people heard shall be void. Filipinos had no idea that an election for their President happened. Biases are also seen since the election was a sudden suggestion and not part of the agenda, and it is done in his hometown province. Aguinaldo’s men also insulted Bonifacio emphasizing that he had no right to any position even if he established the Katipunan since he was not from the upper-classmen and he was illiterate.
However, Historians emphasized how Bonifacio was fitted for the presidency, his guts and bravery to organize the Katipunan, his consistent dedication towards the revolution led him to the front of the attacks of the Spanish in Manila. National Artist Virgilio Almario and De La Salle University History Professor Michael Xiao Chua discussed during a talk on Bonifacio’s heroism hosted by histo-cultural organization MAYPAGASA last October 11, 2013, that Bonifacio is a better writer than Dr. Jose Rizal since it is easier to understand by the masses, and that Bonifacio had a government before the first republic and that is the Katipunan since it functioned as a government. It is seen in his poem, “Pag-Ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa” a poem about love for the nation, the true meaning of the revolution. While Rosario S. Sagmit stated in her authored textbook, “The Filipino Moving Onward”, that Bonifacio is fluent in English and Spanish, he even became a clerk-messenger in a British firm.
Second, the execution of Andres Bonifacio, Procopio Bonifacio, and General Antonio Luna. Claims and facts about the deaths of the three revolutionary men are exposed when the films are made, people never knew about this until the films were released. During his time Aguinaldo vehemently refused his connection to their deaths.
Aguinaldo’s hate, vengeance, and jealousy made him order the deaths of the three men who are eager to fight and risk their lives for the Filipino people. Aguinaldo seems to be intimidated by their passion and dedication on how to fight the colonizers. This made him feel threatened since he has a good relationship with the Americans and Spanish.
An Artifact that was in the collection of Jose P. Santos and is later kept by Lisa Guerrero Nakpil of Leon Gallery for auction, proves Aguinaldo’s responsibility for the death of Andres Bonifacio and Procopio Bonifacio. It was Aguinaldo’s letter for his retirement in politics and him admitting that he was the one who ordered the execution of the Bonifacio brothers. While last 2018, the telegram that was sent to General Luna, Aguinaldo ordered him to go to Cabanatuan for the selection of the new cabinet members, was also in the hands of Lisa Guerrero Nakpil. The telegram does not directly state that Aguinaldo killed General Luna, but it is a piece of concrete evidence that Aguinaldo ordered General Luna to go to the location where General Luna died.
And lastly, the Hong Kong Junta was the most treacherous act Aguinaldo has done for his fellow countrymen, proving that he never had the motive to win the revolution against the colonizers but to sell the country, being aware of what will happen in the Treaty of Paris and intentionally not sending any Philippine representative during the treaty.
These factual events and causes on why the Philippine Revolution failed must be taught at an early age so that awareness that the fall of revolution is caused never by the colonizers but because of fellow Filipino power-hungry men like Emilio Aguinaldo. That is why Aguinaldo is looked up to by kids as a “hero” and never the main cause of the failed revolution. Aguinaldo, as the first president, manifests and starts up as a puppet and a traitor against his country.
It started with Aguinaldo on how the Presidents let imperialism take over the country. The Philippine Revolution History clearly shows that Filipino, can defeat any colonizers and their fascist acts towards the country, but men like Aguinaldo prevents this as he has his own interests for his personal gains and never for the country. And even killed his companions that can contribute to the success of the revolution. Primary Education in the Philippines must be reformed specifically in history, as it is the right of every child to know the complete facts and never the revisioned ones.
At an early stage, it is significant for the children to realize that whenever people are recognized in our history books, had a great influence on the masses, and became a part of our history, that does not always mean that they should be called as heroes and be an inspiration. This should be a reminder that every time a leader like Aguinaldo- who only thinks about their selfish desires, their personal advantages in the government service, and focuses more on fighting their own opponents, rather than representing the Filipino people, that’s when people should remember that leaders swore an oath to uphold and serve the country and not the other way around. Hence, leaders like Emilio Aguinaldo should never be recognized as national hero. ✹
References:
1. Katipunan and the Acto de Tejeros, March 23, 1897, Documents of the Katipunan, Katipunan: Documents and studies
2. Agoncillo, Teodoro C. (1990) [1960]. History of the Filipino People (8th ed.). Quezon City: Garotech Publishing.
3. Alvarez, Santiago V. (1992). Recalling the revolution: memoirs of a Filipino general. University of Wisconsin, Center for Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978–1–881261–05–6.
4. Constantino, Renato (1975). The Philippines: A Past Revisited. Quezon City: Tala Publishing Services.
5. Guerrero, Milagros; Schumacher, S.J., John (1998). Reform and Revolution. Kasaysayan: The History of the Filipino People. 5. Asia Publishing Company Limited.
6. Official Gazette, Araw ng Republikang Filipino, 1899, Proclamation №533, s. 2013.
7. Official Gazette, Selection and Proclamation Of National Heroes And Laws Honoring Filipino Historical Figures, National Commission for the Culture and the Arts
8. Spencer Tucker (2009). The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. pp. 58–59.
9. Mabini, A., 1969, The Philippine Revolution, Republic of the Philippines dept. of Education, National Historical Commission
10. Zaide, Sonia M. (1999), The Philippines: a unique nation
11. Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (23 September 1899), “Chapter II. The Treaty of Biak-na-bató”, True Version of the Philippine Revolution
12. Harper’s Pictorial History of the War with Spain, 1899, Vol. 2, New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers
13. The Filipino Moving Onward 5' 2007 Ed., Rex Bookstore, Inc., from the original on June 29, 2016, retrieved November 28, 2015
14. Aguinaldo’s ‘confession’ on Bonifacio kill order up for auction, Totel V. De Jesus, Posted at Feb 23 2019 12:36 PM, ABS-CBN News
15. Natagpuang telegrama, nagpapatunay na pinapunta ni dating Pres. Aguinaldo si Hen. Luna sa Cabanatuan, RaffY Tima, Nov 22, 2018, GMA News
16. Ang Bayan kong Pilipinas 2: Balayang Aklat, Diwa Textbooks, Amelia S. Tulco, Emmanuel S. Gonzalez, Clelito G. Reyao
17. “His Excellency, Andres Bonifacio?” Jee Y. Geronimo, Poster at October 12, 2013 7:23 AM, Rappler
18. The Filipino Moving Onward 5' 2007 Ed., Rex Bookstore, Inc., p. 49.
