Filipino-American War Heroes

General Antonio Luna

Soldier, chemist, musician, war strategist, journalist, pharmacist, and hot-head: General
Antonio Luna was a complex man. Unfortunately for Luna, the Philippines' first
president - the ruthless Emilio Aguinaldo - perceived him as a threat. As a result,
Antonio Luna died not on the battlefields of the Philippine/American War, but on the
streets of Cabanatuan.

Early Life:

Antonio Luna de San Pedro y Novicio-Ancheta was born on October 29, 1866 in the
Binondo district of Manila. He was the seventh child of Laureana Novicio-Ancheta, a
Spanish mestiza, and Joaquin Luna de San Pedro, a traveling salesman.
Antonio was a gifted student, who studied with a teacher called Maestro Intong from the
age of six. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1881,
and continued his studies in chemistry, music, and literature at the University of Santo
Tomas, also in Manila. In addition to his academic subjects, Antonio Luna studied
fencing, sharpshooting, and military tactics at the university.
In 1890, Antonio traveled to Spain to join his brother Juan, who was studying painting in
Madrid. There, Antonio earned a licentiate in pharmacy at the Universidad de
Barcelona, followed by a doctorate from the Universidad Central de Madrid. He went on
to study bacteriology and histology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, continuing on to
Belgium. While in Spain, Luna had published a well-received paper on malaria, so in
1894 the Spanish government appointed him to a post as a specialist in communicable
and tropical diseases.

Swept into the Revolution:

Later in 1894, Antonio Luna returned to the Philippines, where he became the chief
chemist of the Municipal Laboratory in Manila. He and his brother Juan established a
fencing society called the Sala de Armas in the capital. They were approached about
joining the Katipunan, a revolutionary organization founded by Andres Bonifacio in
response to the 1892 banishment of Jose Rizal, but both Luna brothers refused to

participate. At that stage, they believed in gradual reform of the system, rather than
violent revolution against Spanish colonial rule.
Although they were not members of Katipunan, Antonio, Juan, and their brother Jose
were all arrested and imprisoned in August 1896, when the Spanish learned that the
organization existed. His brothers were interrogated and released, but Antonio was
sentenced to exile, sent to Spain, and imprisoned in the Carcel Modelo de Madrid.
Juan, by this time a famed painter, used his connections with the Spanish royal family to
secure Antonio's release in 1897.
After his exile and imprisonment, understandably, Antonio Luna's attitude toward
Spanish colonial rule had shifted. Due to the arbitrary treatment of himself and his
brothers, and the execution of his friend Jose Rizal the previous December, Luna was
ready to take up arms against Spain. In his typically academic fashion, Luna decided to
study guerrilla warfare tactics, military organization, and field fortification under the
famous Belgian military educator, Gerard Leman. Next, Antonio Luna sailed to Hong
Kong, where he met with the revolutionary leader-in-exile, Emilio Aguinaldo. In July of
1898, Luna returned to the Philippines to take up the fight.

General Luna:

As the Spanish/American War came to a close, and the defeated Spanish prepared to
withdraw from the Philippines, Filipino revolutionary troops surrounded the capital city of
Manila. The newly-arrived officer Antonio Luna urged the other commanders to send
troops in to the city to ensure a joint occupation when the Americans arrived, but Emilio
Aguinaldo refused, believing US naval officers stationed in Manila Bay who assured him
that the Americans would hand over power to the Filipinos in due course. Luna
complained bitterly about this strategic blunder, as well as the disorderly conduct of
American troops once they landed in Manila in mid-August of 1898.
To placate Luna, Aguinaldo promoted him to the rank of Brigadier General on
September 26, 1898, and named him Chief of War Operations. General Luna continued
to campaign for better military discipline and organization, and for a more aggressive
approach to the Americans, who were now setting themselves up as the new colonial
rulers, rather than granting the Philippines its independence. Along with Apolinario
Mabini, Antonio Luna warned Aguinaldo that the Americans did not seem inclined to free
the Philippines. Aguinaldo still hoped that the US would honor its earlier pledges,
however.
General Luna felt the need for a military academy to properly train the Filipino troops,
who were eager and in many cases experienced in guerrilla warfare, but had little formal

military training. In October of 1898, Luna founded what is now the Philippine Military
Academy. The Academy operated for less than half a year, however, before the
Philippine/American War broke out in February of 1899, and classes were suspended
so that staff and students could join the war effort.

The Philippine/American War:

General Luna led three companies of soldiers to attack the Americans at La Loma, who
responded with ground forces and with naval artillery fire from the fleet in Manila Bay.
The Filipinos suffered heavy casualties. A Filipino counterattack on February 23 gained
some ground, but collapsed when troops from Cavite refused to take orders from
General Luna, stating that they would obey only Aguinaldo himself. Furious, Luna
disarmed the recalcitrant soldiers, but was forced to fall back.
After several additional bad experiences with the undisciplined and clannish Filipino
forces, and after Aguinaldo had rearmed the disobedient Cavite troops as his personal
Presidential Guard, a thoroughly frustrated General Luna submitted his resignation to
Aguinaldo. Aguinaldo reluctantly accepted. With the war going very badly for the
Philippines over the next three weeks, however, Aguinaldo persuaded Luna to return
and made him Commander-in-Chief.
Luna developed and implemented a plan to contain the Americans long enough to
construct a guerrilla base in the mountains. The plan consisted of a network of bamboo
trenches, complete with spiked man-traps and pits full of poisonous snakes, that
spanned the jungle from village to village. Filipino troops could fire on the Americans
from this Luna Defense Line, and then melt away into the jungle without exposing
themselves to American fire.
Late in May, Antonio Luna's brother Joaquin (a colonel in the revolutionary army)
warned him that a number of the other officers were conspiring to kill him. General
Luna had disciplined, arrested, or disarmed many of these officers, who bitterly
resented his rigid, authoritarian style. Antonio made light of his brother's warning, and
reassured him that President Aguinaldo would not allow anyone to assassinate the
army's Commander-in-Chief.
General Luna received two telegrams on June 2, 1899. One telegram asked him to join
a counterattack against the Americans at San Fernando, Pampanga. The second was
from Aguinaldo, ordering Luna to the new capital, Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, about 120
kilometers due north of Manila, where the Philippines' revolutionary government was
forming a new cabinet. Ever ambitious, and hopeful of being named Prime Minister,
Luna decided to go to Nueva Ecija with a cavalry escort of 25 men. However, due to

transportation difficulties, Luna arrived in Nueva Ecija accompanied only by two other
officers, Colonel Roman and Captain Rusca - the troops had been left behind.
On June 5, Luna went alone to the government headquarters to speak with President
Aguinaldo. He met one of his old enemies there, a man he had once disarmed for
cowardice, who informed him that the meeting was cancelled and Aguinaldo was out of
town. Furious, Luna had started to walk back down the stairs when a rifle shot went off
outside. Luna ran down the stairs, where he met one of the Cavite officers he had
dismissed for insubordination. The officer struck Luna on the head with his bolo; soon
Cavite troops swarmed the injured general, stabbing him. Luna drew his revolver and
fired, but missed his attackers. He fought his way out to the plaza, where Roman and
Rusca ran to help him, but Roman was shot to death and Rusca was severely injured.
Luna sank, bleeding, to the cobblestones of the plaza. His last words were, "Cowards!
Assassins!" He was 32 years old.
As Aguinaldo's guards assassinated his most able general, the president himself was
laying siege to the headquarters of General Venacio Concepcion, an ally of the
murdered general. Aguinaldo dismissed Luna's officers and men from the Filipino Army.
For the Americans, this internecine fighting was a gift. General James F. Bell noted that
Luna "was the only general the Filipino army had," and Aguinaldo's forces suffered
disastrous defeat after disastrous defeat in the wake of Antonio Luna's murder.
Aguinaldo spent most of the next 18 months in retreat, before being captured by the
Americans on March 23, 1901.

Captain Artemio Ricarte

Artemio Ricarte (b. October 20, 1866 - d. July 31, 1945) was a native of Batac, Ilocos
Norte. He was a teacher and a revolutionary general.
Artemio was the son of Faustino Ricarte and Bonifacia Garcia. His finished his early
education at his hometown. He later studied at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran
where he earned a degree on arts. He also studied at the University of Santo Tomas
and Normal School to prepare for a teaching profession. After earning a diploma, he
taught at San Francisco de Malabon now known as General Trias, Cavite.

Katipunero

On 31 August 1896, he joined the uprising and became a member of the Katipunan. He
later killed the Spanish leader who was stationed in San Francisco de Malabon. His
display of courage in the line of battle was rewarded; he was promoted to bregadier-

general in Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's army and became the captain general in the Tejeros
Convention. Known in the Katipunan as "Vibora" (Viper) by his fellow katipuneros, he
was in charge of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna and Batangas. Gen. Emilio Aguilnaldo
assigned him to remain in Biak-na-Bato, San Miguel, Bulacan where the peace pact
was held and verified whether the Spaniards complied with the provisions.

Philippine-American War

In 1899, when the war against the Americans broke out, he was designated as the chief
of operations of the Filipino forces in the second zone around Manila. A year later, he
was captured by the Americans after an attempt to infiltrate an American defense line in
Manila. He was deported to Guam along with Apolinario Mabini in 1901. Because of his
refusal to sign an oath of allegiance, the American government transferred him to Hong
Kong with other political exiles. Together, they planned another revolution against the
Americans and secretly returned to the Philippines.
He arrived at the country on December 1903. Soon the Americans discovered his return
and he was arrested and imprisoned in Bilibid. He was released on June 1910, in
condition that he would sign the oath of alligiance. He refused again and was deported
again to Hong Kong. From there he took his wife and went to Yokohama, Japan.
Ricarte died at age 78. His remains lie at the "Libingan ng mga Bayani."

General Gregorio Del Pilar

Born November 14, 1875 in Bulacan, Philippines. Gregorio del Pilar Sempio was one of
the youngest generals in the Philippine revolutionary Forces. He was a general in the
Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American war and was nick named boy General
due to his youthful age. Gregorio was the youngest general to die during the wars.
Gregorio was the son to H. del Pilar and Felipa Sempio of Bulacan and nephew to
Marcelo H. del Pilar a propagandist and Torbio H. del Pilar who exiled from Guam due
to 1872 Cavite Mutiny involvement. Gregorio was also known as Goyo and he joined
the insurgency when war broke out between the Philippine Revolution against the
Spanish rule under Andres Bonifacio.
He enrolled at the Ateneo de Manila and lived with his uncle, Deodato Arellano. At the
age of 20 years, he graduated from Ateneo de Manila University in 1896 where he
received his Bachelors degree but the Revolution broke out thus he stopped studying.
He and other young Bulakeos presented themselves for military service.

For his daring attacks in various encounters, he was steadily promoted in the military.
Aguinaldo took notice of the young man. Gregorio was one of the signers of the Pact of
Biak-na-Bato and he later joined Aguinaldo in exile in Hongkong. He became
Aguinaldos protg and confidential man.
On May 1898, upon resumption of hostilities against Spain, Aguinaldo designated him
Dictator of the province of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija. On June 1, 1898, he landed at Kay
Luntaw with rifles, established his headquarters at Matungao and started the seige of
Bulacan. The Spanish troops signed the terms of surrender for the Spaniards while
Gen. Gregorio del Pilar signed for the Filipino troops.
He continued his battles in Manila, Caloocan and Bulacan. He was sent to represent the
military and the President in the two peace missions offering a ceasefire to the
Americans after the fall of Malolos. He was made the Military Governor of Pangasinan
and the right hand man of Gen. Aguinaldo. On November 22 he was ordered to defend
and protect the Tirad Pass to cover the retreat of President Aguinaldo.
On the morning of December 2, 1899, Americans of the 33rd Infantry Volunteers under
Major Payton C. March stormed Tirad Pass. With the aide of a spy, Jose Galut, He
revealed a secret approach to the Americans. This caused the defeat of the troops of
Gregorio del Pilar.
He died in the Battle of Tirad Pass where he was fighting against Texas Regiment and
Infantry Regiment. An American officer, Lt. Dennis P. Quinlan ordered his men to give
honor to the fallen but valorous foe. Likewise, the National Historical Institute and his
town mates in Bulacan also gave him the highest recognitions.

General Miguel Malvar

Miguel Malvar was the last general to surrender to the Americans. He was also dubbed
as an Unofficial President of the First Philippine Republic. Malvar was born on
September 27, 1865 in Brgy. San Miguel in the town of Sto. Tomas.
July 21, in our interview with Ms. Nelly Galicia of the Miguel Malvar Historical Landmark,
we got a few more stories about the great general.

The Malvar Family

His parents Maximo Malvar and Tiburcia Carpio owned farmlands during those times.
They have properties in some parts of Mt. Makiling and the land where the University of
the Philippines Los Baos is situated now was donated by the Malvars.
Malvar was only able to finish second year high school. Before joining the Philippine
revolutionary forces, Malvar was a farmer, having lands to take care of. He married
Paula Maloles, also a native of Sto. Tomas. They had 13 children and one of them, Dr.
Isabela Malvar-Villegas is the only one living now. Shes turning 102 years old this
October.

The Great Batangueo General

It was in the mid-1890s at the height of the Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards
when Malvar started leading his own men. When the Americans asked for the help of
General Emilio Aguinaldo and his troops, Malvar was among those who contributed
much to the downfall of the Spaniards.
It was in Tayabas, Quezon where Malvar and his Batangas Brigade defeated the
Spaniards, emancipating the town from the oppressors. The Philippine revolutionaries
claimed victory in 1898.
A year after the downfall of the Spanish regime, the Filipino revolutionaries entered a
new battle, this time with the Americans. The Philippine-American war occurred from
1899-1902.
Gen. Aguinaldo was exiled to Hong Kong in March 23, 1901 and being the right hand of
President of the First Philippine Republic, Miguel Malvar took over the office from April
1, 1901 April 16, 1902. However, his leadership became controversial as it was not
strengthened by any document although he was next in command to Aguinaldo.
Malvar continued fighting against the Americans. But when the American General J.
Franklin Bell lead the operations in Batangas by implementing scorched earth tactics,
Malvar and the rest of his troops decided to surrender to avoid further damage to the
lives of his fellow Batangueos.
Malvar succumbed to liver ailment in Manila on October 13, 1911.