Emilio Aguinaldo

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (March 22, 1869 – February 6,

1964) was a Filipino general, politician, and
independence leader of Chinese and Spanish descent. He
played an instrumental role in Philippine independence
during the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the
Philippine-American War that resisted American
occupation. He eventually pledged his allegiance to the
US government.

In the Philippines, Aguinaldo is considered to be the

country's first and the youngest Philippine President.

Early life and career

The seventh of eight children of Carlos Aguinaldo y Jamir

and Trinidad Famy y Valero, he was born into a Filipino
family on March 22, 1869 in Cavite El Viejo (now Kawit),
Cavite province. His father was gobernadorcillo (town
head), and, as members of the Chinese Tagalog mestizo
minority, they enjoyed relative wealth and power.

As a young boy he received education from his great-aunt and later attended the town's elementary
school. In 1880, he took up his secondary course education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which
he quit on his third year to return home instead to help his widowed mother manage their farm.

At the age of 28, Miong, as he was popularly called, was elected cabeza de barangay of Binakayan, the
most progressive barrio of Cavite El Viejo. He held this position serving for his town-mates for eight
years. He also engaged in inter-island shipping, travelling as far south as the Sulu Archipelago.

In 1893, the Maura Law was passed to reorganize town governments with the aim of making them more
effective and autonomous, changing the designation of town head from gobernadorcillo to capitan
municipal effective 1895. On January 1, 1895, Aguinaldo was elected town head, becoming the first
person to hold the title of capitan municipal of Cavite El Viejo.

Family

His first marriage was in 1896 with Hilaria Del Rosario (1877-1921). They had five children (Miguel,
Carmen, Emilio Jr., María and Cristina). His second wife was (María Agoncillo (1882-1963).

Several of Aguinaldo's descendants became prominent political figures in their own right. A
grandnephew, Cesar Virata, served as Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981 to 1986. Aguinaldo's
granddaughter, Ameurfina Herrera, served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1979 until
1992

Philippine Revolution

In 1895, Aguinaldo joined the Katipunan, a secret organization led by Andrés Bonifacio, dedicated to the
expulsion of the Spanish and independence of the Philippines through armed force. Aguinaldo used the
nom de guerre Magdalo, in honor of Mary Magdalene. His local chapter of the Katipunan, headed by his
cousin Baldomero Aguinaldo, was also called Magdalo.

The Katipunan revolted against the Spanish colonizers in the last week of August 1896, starting in Manila.
However, Aguinaldo and other Cavite rebels initially refused to join in the offensive due to lack of arms.
Their absence contributed to Bonifacio's defeat in San Juan del Monte. While Bonifacio and other rebels
were forced to resort to guerrilla warfare, Aguinaldo and the Cavite rebels won major victories in set-
piece battles, temporarily driving the Spanish out of their area.

Conflict between the Magdalo and another Cavite Katipunan faction, the Magdiwang, led to Bonifacio's
intervention in the province. The Cavite rebels then made overtures about establishing a revolutionary
government in place of the Katipunan. Though Bonifacio already considered the Katipunan to be a
government, he acquiesced and presided over elections held during the Tejeros Convention in Tejeros,
Cavite on March 22, 1897. Away from his power base, Bonifacio lost the leadership to Aguinaldo, and
was elected instead to the office of Secretary of the Interior. Even this was questioned by an Aguinaldo
supporter, claiming Bonifacio had not the necessary schooling for the job. Insulted, Bonifacio declared
the Convention null and void, and sought to return to his power base in Morong (present-day Rizal). He
and his party were intercepted by Aguinaldo's men and violence resulted which left Bonifacio seriously
wounded. Bonifacio was charged, tried and found guilty of treason by a Cavite military tribunal, and
sentenced to death. After some vacillation, Aguinaldo confirmed the death sentence, and Bonifacio was
executed on May 10, 1897 in the mountains of Maragondon in Cavite, even as Aguinaldo and his forces
were retreating in the face of Spanish assault.

Biak-na-Bato

Spanish pressure intensified, eventually forcing Aguinaldo's forces to retreat to the mountains. Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo signed the treaty of Biak-na-Bato, which specified that the Spanish would give self-rule
to the Philippines within 3 years if Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was exiled. On December 14, 1897, Aguinaldo
was shipped to Hong Kong. Under the pact, Aguinaldo agreed to end hostilities as well in exchange for
amnesty and "$800,000 (Mexican)" (Aguinaldo's description of the amount) as an indemnity. Aguinaldo
took the money offered. Emilio Aguinaldo was President and Mariano Trias (Vice President). Other
officials included Antonio Montenegro for Foreign Affairs, Isabelo Artacho for the Interior, Baldomero
Aguinaldo for the Treasury, and Emiliano Riego de Dios for War.

However, thousands of other Katipuneros continued to fight the Revolution against Spain for a sovereign
nation. Unlike Aguinaldo who came from a privileged background, the bulk of these fighters were
peasants and workers who were not willing to settle for 'indemnities.'
In early 1898, war broke out between Spain and the United States. Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines
in May 1898. He immediately resumed revolutionary activities against the Spaniards, now receiving
verbal encouragement from emissaries of the U. S.

Presidency

The insurgent First Philippine Republic was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos
Constitution on January 21, 1899 in Malolos, Bulacan and endured until the capture and surrender of
Emilio Aguinaldo to the American forces on March 23, 1901 in Palanan, Isabela, which effectively
dissolved the First Republic.

Aguinaldo appointed two premiers in his tenure. These were Apolinario Mabini and Pedro Paterno.

Administration and Cabinet

President Aguinaldo had two cabinets in the year 1899. Thereafter, the war situation resulted in his
ruling by decree.

Domestic Programs

The Malolos Congress continued its sessions and accomplised certain positive tasks. The Spanish fiscal
system was provisionally retained. The same was done with the existing taxes, save those upon
cockfighting and other amusements. War taxes were levied and voluntary contributions were solicited.
Customs duties were established. A national loan was launched. President Aguinaldo ordered schools
open. Elementary education was made compulsory and free. The Filipino educator, Erique Mendiola,
founded the "Instituto de Burgos" and were appointed by the Director of Public Instruction. It offered
courses in agriculture, surveying, and commerce, as well as a complete A.B course.

On October 1898 a government decree fixed the opening date of the "Universidad Literia".Couses
offered were Medicine, Surgery, Pharmacy, and Notary Public. The President of the Philippines
appointed the professors thereof. They, in turn, chose the University rector. The first to occupy this
position was Joaquin Gonzales. Later, he was succeeded by Dr. leo Ma. Guerrero.

Philippine American War

On the night of February 4, 1899, a Filipino was shot by an American sentry. This incident is considered
the beginning of the Philippine-American War, and open fighting soon broke out between American
troops and pro-independence Filipinos. Superior American firepower drove Filipino troops away from
the city, and the Malolos government had to move from one place to another.

Aguinaldo led resistance to the Americans, then retreated to northern Luzon with the Americans on his
trail. On June 2, 1899, a telegram from Aguinaldo was received by Gen. Antonio Luna, a disciplinarian
and brilliant general and looming rival in the military hierarchy, ordering him to proceed to Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija for a meeting at the Cabanatuan Church Convent. However, treachery was afoot, as
Aguinaldo felt the need to rid himself of this new threat to power. Three days later (June 5), when Luna
arrived, he learned Aguinaldo was not at the appointed place. As Gen. Luna was about to depart, he was
shot, then stabbed to death by Aguinaldo's men. Luna was later buried in the churchyard, and Aguinaldo
made no attempt to punish or even discipline Luna's murderers.

Less than two years later, after the famous Battle of Tirad Pass with the death of Gregorio del Pilar, one
of his most trusted generals, Aguinaldo was captured in Palanan, Isabela on March 23, 1901 by US
General Frederick Funston, with the help of Macabebe trackers (who saw Aguinaldo as a bigger problem
than the Americans). The American task force gained access to Aguinaldo's camp by pretending to be
captured prisoners.

Funston later noted Aguinaldo's "dignified bearing", "excellent qualities," and "humane instincts." Of
course, Funston was writing this after Aguinaldo had volunteered to swear fealty to the United States, if
only his life was spared. Aguinaldo pledged allegiance to America on April 1, 1901, formally ending the
First Republic and recognizing the sovereignty of the United States over the Philippines. Nevertheless,
many others (like Miguel Malvar and Macario Sakay) continued to resist the American occupation.

Post-Presidency

U.S. Territorial Period

During the United States occupation, Aguinaldo organized the Asociación de los Veteranos de la
Revolución (Association of Veterans of the Revolution), which worked to secure pensions for its members
and made arrangements for them to buy land on installment from the government.

When the American government finally allowed the Philippine flag to be displayed in 1919, Aguinaldo
transformed his home in Kawit into a monument to the flag, the revolution and the declaration of
Independence. His home still stands, and is known as the Aguinaldo Shrine.

Aguinaldo retired from public life for many years. In 1935, when the Commonwealth of the Philippines
was established in preparation for Philippine independence, he ran for president but lost by a landslide
to fiery Spanish mestizo Manuel L. Quezon. The two men formally reconciled in 1941, when President
Quezon moved Flag Day to June 12, to commemorate the proclamation of Philippine independence.

Aguinaldo again retired to private life, until the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in World War II. He
cooperated with the Japanese, making speeches, issuing articles and infamous radio addresses in
support of the Japanese — including a radio appeal to Gen. Douglas MacArthur on Corregidor to
surrender in order to spare the innocence of the Filipino youth.

After the Americans retook the Philippines, Aguinaldo was arrested along with several others accused of
collaboration with the Japanese. He was held in Bilibid prison for months until released by presidential
amnesty. In his trial, it was eventually deemed that his collaboration with the Japanese was made under
great duress, and he was released.

Aguinaldo lived to see the recognition of independence to the Philippines July 4, 1946, when the United
States Government fully recognized Philippine independence in accordance with the Tydings-McDuffie
Act of 1934. He was 93 when President Diosdado Macapagal officially changed the date of independence
from July 4 to June 12, 1898, the date Aguinaldo believed to be the true Independence Day. During the
independence parade at the Luneta, the 93-year old former president carried the flag he raised in Kawit.

Post-American Era

In 1950, President Elpidio Quirino appointed Aguinaldo as a member of the Council of State, where he
served a full term. He returned to retirement soon after, dedicating his time and attention to veteran
soldiers' interests and welfare.

He was given Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa by the University of the Philippines in 1953.

In 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal changed the celebration of Independence Day from July 4 to
June 12. Aguinaldo rose from his sickbed to attend the celebration of independence 64 years after he
declared it.

Death

Aguinaldo died on February 6, 1964 of coronary thrombosis at the (Veterans Memorial Hospital in
Quezon City. He was 94 years old. His remains are buried at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite. When
he died, he was the last surviving non-royal head of state (self-proclaimed) to have served in the 19th
century

In 1985, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas made a new 5-peso bill depicted with a portrait of Aguinaldo on the
front of the bill. The back of the bill features the declaration of the Philippine independence on June 12,
1898 with Aguinaldo on the balcony of his house surrounded by crowds of rejoicing Filipinos holding the
Philippine flag and proclaiming independence from Spain.