EMILIO AGUINALDO: A HERO, TRAITOR, MURDERER OR A POLITICIAN?

Back in the late 1800's in Philippine History, we recall how The Traitor, Emilio Aguinaldo, murdered
Gatpuno Andres Bonifacio and his brother. The events preceding the tragedy were very glaring. The
Katipunan was divided into 2 factions: The Magdiwang (meaning, "celebrate") and the Magdalo (the
masculinized "Magdala" from Mary of Magdala, the then patron saint of Kawit, Kabite).The former was
the Bonifacio wing, and the latter, the cohorts of The Traitor. This division transpired in Kabite where
The Traitor encased himself.

The infamous Tejeros Convention saw a rigged election. Bonifacio and his handful of loyal warriors were
massacred both figuratively and literally. It was the ambition of The Traitor to be recognized as the first
President of Asia who declared the Philippines as the first republic of the continent.

Aguinaldo doesn't deserve to be in the league of Bonifacio, Rizal. A. Luna, Ricarte, Jacinto, Mabini.
Aguinaldo isn't a hero he is a politician, a corrupt politician, blinded by greed, lust for power and money.
He signed the Pact of Biak na Bato, the non agression pact with the spanish, after his capture by the
americans he swore allegiance to the american government, the so called El Presidente, traitor to the
Filipino people and the revolution. The assasination of Bonifacio and Luna sparked the end of
generalisimo. Gen. Antonio Luna the greatest war tactician of the philippine revolution, was killed
because of one's greed and paranoia, that because of his popularity and capacity was in fact a threat to
Aguinaldo's Presidency. The death of Gen. Luna cost us the gaining of our independence before 1946.

Excerpts from Julio Nakpil's 'Apuntes Sobre La Revolucion Filipina' (Notes on the Philippine Revolution)

Page 30 'The Death of Bonifacio'

The Bonifacio brothers were accused of promoting a counter revolution to overthrow the power of
Aguinaldo.

Unfortunately this slanderous accusation of Aguinaldo and his partisans was very common in Cavite.
Andres Bonifacio challenged to a duel Emilio Aguinaldo to settle their differences, saying to him: "If you
are offended by my behavior, name your seconds, hour, and place!"

The only reply of Aguinaldo was to send a company under the command of Colonel Ingtong (Agapito
Monzon) which found the Bonifacio brothers breakfasting.

The Bonifacios asked them where they were going and invited them to join them at breakfast, to which
they replied that they had just finished the same, and that they were going reconnoitering.

Then the Bonifacio brothers, unaware of what was going to happen to them, continued eating, their
firearms being far from the reach of their hands. Aguinaldo's men thereupon began to seize the firearms
of the Bonifacio men and when theY became aware of what was happening they were already disarmed.

Nevertheless, there was, a struggle, but very unequal. According to the eyewitnesses, the one who
stabbed A. Bonifacio in the neck was Lazaro Makapagal.
The Bonifacios were also accused of drawing away soldiers from the Revolution in Cavite, the plan of
Bonifacio being to continue the Revolution by joining his forces to those of Emilio Jacinto and the
undersigned (i.e. Julio Nakpil) who were operating in the provinces of Manila, Laguna, and Morong.

It was an act of banditry: The jewels and money of the families of the murdered men were confiscated
like war booty.

Chapter VII, page 103 'The Death of General Luna'

(D)riven by his patriotic fervor, he (General Antonio Luna) did not conceal his desire to be the head of
the cabinet with the portfolio of war to prevent the autonomists or pacifists from controlling the
government of the republic.

They slandered him of wishing to wrest the presidency from Emilio Aguinaldo, and for that purpose they
invited him to enter the rattrap of Kabanatuan to enable the very ones whom he had disarmed for
cowardice in different war actions to deal him the deathblow. Do not lose sight of the fact that the one
who invited him (i.e. Emilio Aguinaldo) to a conference absented himself, which was a cowardly
stratagem.

When General A. Luna was dastardly assassinated on the stairs of the Convent of Kabanatuan and
already fallen on the ground, the mother of Emilio Aguinaldo looked out the window and asked: "Ano,
humihinga pa ba?" (Is he still breathing?)

The Spanish soldier-prisoners who witnessed this iniquitous assassination said: "We admired the valor
and intrepidity of General Luna who, tormented with shots and already fallen to the ground, could still
shout: "Cowardly Cavitenios !"

History condemns these barbaric acts, He (E, Aguinaldo) also gave orders to assassinate the undersigned
to Generals Severino Taino and Pio del Pilar who did not obey the said orders for considering them
infamous, unjust, and without any motive, whatever. It was nothing more than a mean and despicable
order.

General Pio del Pilar himself told me this in his barracks at San Pedro Makati, when Manila was under
blockade.

Pages 157 and 158 'The Capture of Aguinaldo'

Emilio Aguinaldo's surrender to the American's was a cowardly act. There was no doubt that he coveted
the presidency. He surrendered for fear that others more competent than he would occupy the post of
president of tne Republic.

Had he fought with his captors, regardless of whether he succumbed so that he might be considered a
hero, at least to vindicate his crimes, by this time we would be admiring a monument to the second hero
of the Philippines, unlike what he did delivering himself as prisoner and afterward taking an oath of
allegiance to the American flag.
The crimes he committed against Andres Bonifacio and Antonio Luna, and his attempt to assassinate the
undersigned (i.e. Julio Nakpil) should be condemned by history, and Universal Freemasonry ought to
expel him and declare him a spurious son. The coward finds many dangers where none exist!

March, 1897 - A persistent rumor circulated that Andres Bonifacio was paid by the friars to promote the
rebellion against Spain and also it was said he was sanguinary. Is this the work of his enemies to
discredit him?

Emilio Aguinaldo censured by those from Cavite. On account of the abuses and immoralities of his
soldiers, such as robberies and rape of married women as well as single, many complaints were brought
to E. Aguinaldo; but, instead of punishing the culprits, he would reply invariably: "Please be patient
because we do not pay our soldiers."

Among the despicable ones was a Major surnamed Ritual who boastfully recounted with the greatest
pleasure and effrontery the following: He and two of his soldiers went up a house in one of the towns of
Cavite finding there two sisters, single and pretty. As they would not accede to their satyric de sires, he
kicked one of them several times on the hips, and when the other protested and shouted for help, then
Ritual himself hit them with the butt of his gun until they fell on the floor; and once the two sisters had
fainted, they succeeded to satisfy their vile appetite.

Many of these barbarous acts occurred in Cavite principally, inasmuch as they were left unpunished.
Under Andres Bonifacio and Antonio Luna these cases were severely punished. Ritual related this in the
presence of Atilano Sta. Ana, two Spanish soldiers who were deserters, and the undersigned in the town
of Cainta. I was very indignant. Thanks that I was able to refrain from shooting him with my revolver for
fear of committing murder.

Finally, Emilio Aguinaldo ought to give an example of national solidarity. Considering those murders
committed by him on the precious lives of Bonifacio and Luna and others their indignant relatives as well
as their friends and the people in general did not rise against him for the sake of national unity.

His ambition to occupy the presidency is fully demonstrated when General L. Wood promised it to him
(deceiving him for his own purposes) when we would' be granted our independence'. It is a common
belief that this post would be occupied by one who held it during the Revolution, and for this reason he
persists in winning sympathy, using as an instrument the Veterans of the Revolution, endeavoring to
establish throughout the Archipelago Commandancias Departamentales (Departmental Commands.)

Another reproach against Aguinaldo was his acceptance of P12,OOO as annual life-pension so that he is
already paid for his services during the Revolution.

He himself destroyed his work due to his excessive ambition for grandeur and riches, and the like. Had
he renounced this great amount in favor of the invalid veterans of the Revolution. he would have
performed an act of patriotism and charity.

I swear before God and before History that everything related in these notes is the truth and I entreat
the historian not to publish this until after my death.
(Signed) JULIO NAKPIL - Year 1925

Supplement:

General Antonio Luna's Assassination

General Antonio Luna fortified the battle lines of Bagbag and Santo Tomas, Pampanga, established
arsenals and encouraged material and financial support from civilians.

On May 4, 1899, General Luna was wounded in an encounter with the Americans at the fortlines of
Santo Tomas, Pampanga. While recuperating from his wounds, he dispatched a patrol to Benguet
hoping to find a site for guerilla activities against the Americans. General Antonio Luna's tragic death
came unexpectedly on June 17, 1899.

On June 4, 1899, a telegram from Gen Emilio Aguinaldo, arrived ordering him to go to Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija for a Conference. He left at once with his aide, Col. Paco Roman.

When they arrived at Aguinaldo's headquarters in Cabanatuan they learned that he had left for
Pampanga. While going down the stairs of the headquarters, the assassins, guards who happened to be
the same men on whom he had imposed disciplinary punishments after the battle at Caloocan, pounced
on him, riddled his body with bullets while others stabbed him.

He fired blindly with his pistol while shouting "Cowards and assassins! Coward Cavitenios!" Col. Paco
Roman rushed to his aid but was shot dead a few meters away from him.

At the age of 31, General Antonio Luna was already dead. Juan Luna, elder brother of Gen Antonio and
renowned painter of 'La Spoliarium' died because of extreme disappointment and intense grief shortly
after learning that his youngest brother was assassinated.

Gen Antonio Luna's soldiers, by whose side he had stood loyally, greatly mourned the leader's death and
they would always remember him as the one who exhorted them to a profound love of country; the one
who had vowed to them: "I will defend my country until I exhaust the last recourse for the cause... thus
complying with my oath to the flag."

source

ABAKAN de los Reyes

Apuntes Sobre La Revolucion Filipina'

What happened to Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio?

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was born into the local elite of Cavite on the Island of
Luzon in the Philippines. His father had been mayor of Kawit (Cavite viejo) at the
time of his death in 1878, a post Aguinaldo himself would hold in 1895. That same
year Aguinaldo joined the secret, nationalist brotherhood Katipunan founded by
Andrés Bonifacio. After the Philippines erupted in revolt against the Spaniards in
1896, Aguinaldo won several victories in Cavite Province. When Bonifacio came
out of hiding in March 1897 and tried to reassert his leadership of Katipunan,
Aguinaldo ordered his arrest, imprisonment, and eventual execution on May 10,
1897.

Katipunan forces retreated into the mountains in the face of Spanish attacks.
Ultimately he entered into an accord with the Spaniards, agreeing to exile in Hong
Kong in exchange for 400,000 pesos. Soon after his arrival there, Aguinaldo
purchased the weapons his troops would require to continue the struggle.

Emilio Aguinaldo

Neil, p. 367.

After the U.S. declared war on Spain, Aguinaldo saw a possibility that the
Philippines might achieve its independence; the U.S. hoped instead that
Aguinaldo would lend his troops to its effort against Spain. He returned to Manila
on May 19, 1898 and declared Philippine independence on June 12.

When it became clear that the United States had no interest in the liberation of
the islands, Aguinaldo's forces remained apart from U.S. troops. On January 1,
1899 following the meetings of a constitutional convention, Aguinaldo was
proclaimed president of the Philippine Republic. Not surprisingly, the United
States refused to recognize Aguinaldo's authority and on February 4, 1899 he
declared war on the U.S. forces in the islands. After his capture on March 23,
1901, Aguinaldo agreed to swear allegiance to the United States, and then left
public life. His dream of Philippine independence came true on July 4, 1946. He
died in Manila in 1964.
The Untold Story of Andres Bonifacio’s Execution

One hundred twenty-two years ago, one of the most pivotal events in
Philippine history occurred: Two brothers, Andres and Procopio, were
killed in the mountains of Marogondon. The execution of the Bonifacio
brothers on Emilio Aguinaldo’s orders signified a new change in the
Philippine Revolution, one that would ultimately lead to the Pact of
Biak-na-Bato and Aguinaldo’s exile to Hong Kong.

Multiple anecdotes have been written about the incident, and the story
of Bonifacio’s trial and execution are well-known, but some details still
remain unclear even now. Here, a look back at the events leading to
that fateful day.

Why did Aguinaldo send Bonifacio to his death? The conflict ultimately
started after the events of the Tejeros Convention. Bonifacio, who felt
that the Magdalo faction maneuvered to rig the elections (tenuous at
best; most of the Cabinet was from Bonifacio’s Magdiwang), stormed
out and declared the results of the convention null and void, drawing
up the Acta de Tejeros with 44 other generals signing the document.
Meanwhile, Aguinaldo was surprised he was even elected President. He
was busy in Silang when word came that he won an election.

The moments after Tejeros were tense for both parties. Bonifacio made
his way to Naic with 40 other generals, including some of Aguinaldo’s
men, to further denounce the results of Tejeros, creating the Naic
Military Agreement. They declared that all military forces be
consolidated under Pio del Pilar or face treason.
When Aguinaldo heard of this, he made his way to Naic to see what
was going on himself. Though suffering from malaria at the time, he
managed to reach the town and confronted Bonifacio, who was
meeting with Aguinaldo’s generals Artemio Ricarte, Mariano Noriel,
and del Pilar. The two were surprisingly civil: Bonifacio invited him,
saying, “Magtuloy po kayo at makinig sa aming pulong.” Aguinaldo
replied, “Salamat po, at marahil kung ako’y inyong kailangan, disin
sana’y inanyayahan ninyo ako,” before leaving.

The Arrest at Indang

Aguinaldo took his time before deciding to act, taking care not to
alienate Bonifacio’s supporters. Noriel and del Pilar immediately went
back to Aguinaldo’s side, as did others. Bonifacio decided to camp near
Indang with around 1,000 men, corresponding with Emilio Jacinto and
Julio Nakpil up north and drawing up plans for an offensive in Laguna.
This would prove to be fatal, however, as Bonifacio’s courier, Antonino
Guevara, failed to deliver the messages and instead spent the time
around Indang. The Supremo was left waiting for replies that never
came.

Meanwhile, reports from Severino de las Alas and Jose Coronel reached
Aguinaldo. By this time, Aguinaldo had finished consolidating his power
base among the Cavite elite, giving him the confidence to act. Armed
with allegations of Bonifacio burning down a village and ordering the
burning of a church in Indang, he decided to exercise his prerogative as
President and arrest Bonifacio, dispatching Agapito Bonzon and Jose
Ignacio Paua to arrest the Supremo.

What happened next would live in infamy. Bonifacio received the party
cordially, but were met with attack. Bonifacio ordered his men to stand
down, refusing to fight his “fellow Tagalogs,” cries that were made in
vain. A few shots were fired, and Bonifacio was shot in the arm by
Bonzon and stabbed in the neck by Paua. Bonifacio's brother, Ciriaco,
was shot dead. His other brother, Procopio, was beaten. His wife,
Gregoria de Jesus, was raped by Bonzon. Bonifacio, starved and
wounded, was carried in a hammock to Naic, where Aguinaldo waited.

The trial was a sham. Tried by a jury of Aguinaldo’s peers and defended
by a lawyer who declared his guilt, Bonifacio was assured of an
unfavorable verdict. He was not allowed to confront the witness who
charged him with conspiracy, on account of the said witness having
died in battle. The witness was present during the trial.

In the end, Bonifacio was found guilty of treason. Aguinaldo, not

wanting to further anger any of Bonifacio’s supporters and not seeing
the threat of a living Bonifacio, commuted his sentence to exile. Noriel
and del Pilar, who were both signatories of the Acta de Naic, argued
otherwise and strongly urged for death sentence. The order was given
and signed by Aguinaldo’s hand.

Bonifacio would die.

The two brothers, Andres and Procopio, were taken to the mountains
of Marogondon, near Mount Nagpatong and Mount Buntis. Andres, still
reeling from his injuries and blood loss, was taken there in a hammock.
The execution party was led by Lazaro Makapagal (ancestor of
Diosdado Macapagal and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), who shared
multiple accounts of the execution with contemporaries.

Armed with a written letter from Aguinaldo, Makapagal read the

sentence out loud. This is where his accounts start to differ. In one
account, he turned away before having his men shoot Procopio and
Andres. In another account, Procopio was shot first, the Supremo tried
to run away, and Makapagal had to chase and gun him down.

Another version comes from other people in the execution party, as

told to Guillermo Masangkay: Procopio was shot first, and Andres,
unable to stand properly, was hacked down in order to save bullets. In
any case, the brothers were buried in shallow graves on the mountain.