Emilio Aguinaldo

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy

[1][2]

(March 22, 1869

[n 1]

February 6, 1964) was a Filipino general,politician, and independence leader. He played an

instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence[3] that resisted American occupation.

Aguinaldo became the Philippines' first President. He was also the youngest (at age 29) to have become the country's president, the longest-lived president (having survived to age 94) and the president to have outlived the most number of successors. Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (March 22, 1869 February 6, 1964) was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' victorious[4]revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War that resisted American occupation. Aguinaldo became the Philippines' first President. He was also the youngest (at age 29) to have become the country's president, and the longest-lived (having survived to age 94). His marriage was in 1896 with Hilaria Del Rosario (18771921). They had five children (Miguel, Carmen, Emilio Jr., Mara and Cristina) Hilaria Aguinaldo died because of leprosy. His second wife was Mara Agoncillo (18821963).

In 1894, Aguinaldo joined the Katipunan or the K.K.K., a secret organization led byAndrs Bonifacio, dedicated to the expulsion of the Spanish and independence of the Philippines through armed force.[11] Aguinaldo used the nom de guerre Magdalo, in honor of Mary Magdalene.[12] His local chapter of the Katipunan, headed by his cousin Baldomero Aguinaldo, was also called Magdalo.[13] The Katipunan revolt against the Spanish began in the last week of August 1896, inSan Juan del Monte (now part of Metro Manila).[14] 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.[13] 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.
[13]

On February 17, 1897, Aguinaldo and group of katipuneros defeated Spanish forces led by General Camilo de Polavieja at the Battle of Zapote Bridge in Cavite. General Edilberto Evangelista, civil engineer, revolutionary and trench builder, was killed in the battle. The province of Cavite gradually emerged as the Revolution's hotbed and the Aguinaldo-led katipuneros had a string of victories there. However, conflict between the Magdalo and another Cavite Katipunan faction, the Magdiwang, led to Bonifacio's intervention in the province.[15] The Cavite rebels then made overtures about establishing a revolutionary government in place of the Katipunan.[16] 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. Bonifacio lost the leadership to Aguinaldo, and was elected instead to the office of Secretary of the Interior.[17] Even this was questioned by Daniel Tirona, claiming Bonifacio had not the necessary schooling for the job. Insulted, Bonifacio (drew out his gun and would have killed Tirona on the spot had he not been stopped) declared the Convention null and void, and sought to return to his power base in Morong (present-day Rizal).[18]

Bonifacio refused to recognize the revolutionary government headed by Aguinaldo and attempted to reassert his authority, accusing the Aguinaldo faction of treason and by issuing orders contravening orders issued by the Aguinaldo faction.[19] At Aguinaldo's orders, Bonifacio and his brothers were arrested and, in a mock trial lasting one day, convicted of treason, and sentenced to death.[20] After some vacillation, Aguinaldo commuted the death sentence, but canceled his commutation order after being convinced by Generial Manuel Noriel, President of the Council of War the death sentence, and others prominent in his government that the sentence must stand. Andrs and Procopio were executed by firing squad on May 10, 1897 at Mount Hulog, about four kilometers west of Maragondon, Cavite.[21]

Biak-na-Bato
Main article: Pact of Biak-na-Bato

Spanish pressure intensified, eventually forcing Aguinaldo's forces to retreat to the mountains. Emilio Aguinaldo signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Under the pact, Aguinaldo effectively agreed to end hostilities and dissolve his government in exchange for amnesty and "$800,000 (Mexican)" (Aguinaldo's description of the amount) as an indemnity.
[22][23]

The documents were signed on December 14 and 15, 1887. On December 23, Aguinaldo

and other Katipunan officials departed for Hong Kong to enter voluntary exile. $400,000, representing the first installment of the indemnity, was deposited into Hong Kong banks. While in exile, Aguinaldo reorganized his revolutionary government into the "Supreme Council of the Nation".
[24]

One revolutionary general who remained in the Philippines, Francisco Makabulos, established a Central Executive Committee to serve as a provisional revolutionary government "until a general government of the Republic in these islands shall again be established." Meanwhile, Spanish officials continued to arrest and imprison Filipinos suspected of having been involved in the rebellion. The consequence of this disregard of the pact by both sides was the resurgence of the revolution.[25]

In April 1898, war broke out between Spain and the United States. In the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, the American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron, and blockaded Manila.[26] Dewey provided transport to return Aguinaldo to the Philippines. Aguinaldo promptly resumed command of revolutionary forces and besieged Manila. [27]