The Revolution of 1896

Chapter 11

Introduction
By 1896, there were concrete and objective
conditions in the economy, society, and
governance that justified revolution at the
time of the Katipunan. The people, however,
were not totally united. The wealthy and
educated class was divided on the issue of
independence and the use of force to obtain
it. It was the masses , mostly the poor, less
educated, and illiterate, led by the Katipunan,
who were ready.

Conditions Before the Revolution

By the middle of 1896, as the Katipunan was
busy preparing for a revolution, hints about its
existence reached the Spaniards authorities.
On July 5, 1896, Manuel Sityar, the Spanish

lieutenant of the Civil Guards stationed at Pasig,

reported the questionable activities of some
Filipinos.
Rumors reached the friars through their spies, one
example was the secret gathering in Batangas
where rifles and other weapons were being
smuggled occasionally along the coast of the
Province.

Conditions Before the Revolution

There was general dissatisfaction among the Filipinos. Very
few Filipinos were gainfully employed, while there are no
starvation, the life of the people was far from prosperous
because they are suffering the following:
Heavy taxation
Abusive friars and civil authorities
Lack of economic opportunities

With this suffering the personal honor and dignity of the

Filipinos were taken for granted and they underwent these
abuses in silence. However, the seed of hatred had been
planted in their hearts, even when outwardly they were smiling
and saying Si Seor to every command of a Spaniard.

The Discovery of the Katipunan

August 19, 1896, the Katipunan had been discovered.

In early August 1896, two Katipuneros, namely Teodoro Patio and

Apolonio de la Cruz, who were working for the Diario de Manila printing
press had undergone misunderstanding regarding wages. Press
foreman de la Cruz and typesetter Patio fought over salary increase of
two pesos, and de la Cruz tried to blame Patio for the loss of the
printing supplies that were used for the Kalayaan. As an action against
de la Cruz, Patio revealed the secrets of the society to his sister,
Honoria Patio, an inmate nun at the Mandaluyong Orphanage. That
afternoon, on August 19, 1896, Honoria grew shocked and very upset
to the revelation. The mother portress of the Orphanage, Sor Teresa de
Jesus saw Honoria crying so she approached her. Honoria told
everything she heard from her brother. At around 6:15 pm that day, Sor
Teresa called Teodoro Patio and advised him to tell everything he
knew about the Katipunan through confession to Father Mariano Gl.

Cry of Pugadlawin
A Spaniard born in the Philippines, Francisco L. Roxas , who considered
this country as his own, was asked by Andres Bonifacio to help finance the
Katipunan. He rejected the offer and got angry and threatened to tell it to
the police.
On August 23 1896, Bonifacio, Jacinto and other Katipuneros met at
Bahay Toro, Pugadlawin, Balintawak, north of Manila and gathered at
the residence of Melchora Aquino, known as Tandang Sora Mother of
Katipunan.
In the mass meeting held in the yard of Juan A. Ramos, son of Tandang
Sora, the Katipuneros tore their cedulas personales (certificates) the
symbol of the Filipino vassalage to Spain at the same time shouting Long
live the Philippines! Long live the Katipunan!. This event is known as the
Cry of Pugadlawin. It symbolized the determination of Filipinos to fight
for independence even unto death.

The Fighting Begins

Bonifacio advised his men to retreat to another sitio called
Pasong Tamo because they had been informed that there
are civil guads who were following them.
On August 25, some women notified Bonifacio that civil
guards and infantrymen were coming. A burst of gunfire
followed. A short skirmish ensued in which one civil guard
and two Katipuneros were killed. In this moment, both party
believed that their enemy were strong and decided to retreat.
Bonifacios party retreated towards Balara. From here they
proceeded to Marikina and to Hagdang Bato.

The Fighting Begins

On August 29, 1896 set the attack on the City of Manila and
ended his manifesto by saying:
Anybody who obstructs this sacred ideal of the people will be
considered a traitor and enemy.
Bonifacio led his army to attack the arsenal in San Juan Del
Monte at the dawn of Sunday, August 30, 1896. The Spanish
soldiers defending the arsenal believed that it would be foolish to
fight numerically superior Filipinos head on, fought on delaying
battle while waiting for reinforcements. When they arrived, the
Spaniards drove back Bonifacio and his men, who suffered
heavy losses. This is known as the Battle of Pinaglabanan.

Martial Law
In the afternoon of August 30, Governor General
Ramon Blanco, in trying to quell the Philippine
Revolution, issued a decree declaring a state of war
on Manila and seven Luzon provinces Cavite,
Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija
and Tarlac and placed them in martial law. The
decree also provided that those who would surrender
within 48 hours after the publication of the decree
would be pardoned except the leaders of Katipunan.
This policy, known as Blancos policy of attraction,
was intended to win over the Filipinos to the side of
the government and thus, end rebellion.

Persecution Continues
Series of executions by the government
began after the proclamation of a state of
war. Blanco inaugurated a reign of terror in
the belief that this would stop the rebellion.
On September 4, four members of the
Katipunan were executed at Bagumbayan.
On September 12, thirteen were put to death
at Plaza de Armas, near the Fort of San
Felipe in Cavite and are now as Los Trece
Martires (The Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite)

Thirteen Martyrs of
Cavite
1. Maximo Inocencio
2. Luis Aguado

3. Victoriano Luciano
4. Hugo Perez
5. Jose Llana

6. Antonio San Agustin

7. Agapito Conchu

8. Feliciano Cabuco
9. Maximo Gregorio

10. Eugenio Cabezas

11. Severino Lapidario

12. Alfonso de Ocampo

13. Francisco Osorio

Rizals Execution
Rizal was arrested while on his way to Cuba to serve as doctor
for the Spanish army. On November 20, Dr. Jose Rizal appeared
before Colonel Francisco Garcia Olive to answer the charges
filed against him. Rizal defended himself with the help of Spanish
military lawyer, Luis Taviel de Andrade. By December 26, the
litigation of Rizal took place before a military court. Two days
after, Governor General Camilo Polavieja approved the verdict.
Convicted of sedition, rebellion, and illicit associations, Rizal was
executed by a firing squad at Bagumbayan Field on December
30, 1896 at 7:03 a.m. Eight Filipino soldiers with eight Spanish
soldiers behind them carried out the execution. His execution did
not dishearten the revolutionists: on the contrary, they resolved to
fight to the bitter end. Rizals execution, in fact, emboldened the
Filipinos to fight for their country and its independence.

Bonifacio goes to Cavite

Emilio Aguinaldo, the young mayor of the
town of Kawit, led the rebels against the
Spaniards. He won victory after victory and
the people, admiring his qualities as
military leader called him Heneral Miong.
His famous victory was in Imus when he
defeated General Ernesto de Aguirre on
September 5,1896.

Two Factions of Katipunan

Katipunan in Cavite was divided in two factions.
The rivalry between the two factions led to
several defeats of the revolutionists. Bonifacio
arrived in Cavite and he held an assembly in
Imus on December 31, 1896, to determine
whether the Katipunan should be transformed
into another body.
1. Magdiwang favored the retention of the
Katipunan
2. Magdalo favored a change in the
Katipunan structure.

Tejeros Convention

The Tejeros Convention was the meeting held between the Magdiwang and
Magdalo factions of the Katipunan at San Francisco de Malabon, Cavite on
March 22, 1897. Bonifacio secured the unanimous approval that the decision
would not be questioned. Daniel Tirona, a Caviteo objected Bonifacios post
should not be occupied by a person without a lawyer's diploma just like
Bonifacio. He suggested a Caviteo lawyer, Jose del Rosario, for the position.
Bonifacio, clearly insulted, demanded that Tirona retract the remark. When
Tirona made to leave instead, Bonifacio drew a pistol and was about to fire at
Tirona, but stopped when Ricarte tried to disarm him. Bonifacio then voided the
convention as Supremo of the Katipunan. This the result of the election:
Position

Name

President

Emilio Aguinaldo

Vice-President

Mariano Tras

Captain-General

Artemio Ricarte

Director of War

Emiliano Riego de Dios

Director
Interior

of

the Andrs Bonifacio

Another Meeting at
Tejeros
On March 23, Bonifacio and Ricarte and many others met
at the same place. They agreed to issue a document
which would put on record what happened in the election
that was held the previous day. The document was called
Acta de Tejeros (Minutes of Tejeros) . However the report
on the proceedings of the convention contained a
resolution. Hence, it should be rightly called the Tejeros
Resolution. In this document, they gave their reasons for
rejecting the results of the previous days election and
establishment of government. This document was signed
by Bonifacio and 44 other plotters. The main reason they
cited was the fraud committed by the Magdalo people.
After signing the resolution, the men followed to Naik.

Naik Military Agreement

Bonifacio's anger over what he considered an irregular
election and the insult heaped on him by Daniel Tirona, a
Magdalo, rankled for long. At Naik, they drew up another
document in which they resolved to establish a
government independent of, and separate from, that
established at Tejeros. An army was to be organized "by
persuasion or force" and a military commander of their
own choice was to take command of it.
Among the forty-one men who signed it were Bonifacio,
Artemio Ricarte, Pio del Pilar and Severino de las Alas.
The document posed a potential danger to the cause of
the Revolution, for it meant a definite split in the ranks of
the revolutionists and an almost certain defeat in the face
of a united and well-armed enemy.

Execution of Andres
Bonifacio
Bonifacio, his wife, his two brothers and some followers,
left for the town of Indang and settled in the barrio of
Limbon. Meanwhile, Aguinaldo sent an emissary with
some soldiers to persuade Bonifacio to recognize the
Tejeros election results. Colonel Agapito Bonzon, who
headed the party to contact Bonifacio, used forced on
Bonifacio and his brothers . As a result, Bonifacio and
his brothers fought back. His brother, Ciriaco, was killed
in the skirmish and Bonifacio himself was wounded on
the neck and on the left arm. He was captured and
brought to the municipal building of Indang. Later he was
transferred to Maragondon, where he was tried for
treason.

Execution of Andres
Bonifacio
The military court that tried Bonifacio was
composed of men who were hostile to him.
Without strong evidence, the military court
pronounced Bonifacio and his brother
Procopio, guilty of treason. They were
sentenced to be shot to death. On May 10,
1897, Major Lazaro Macapagal took the
prisoners from their prison cells and brought
them to Mount Tala, where the Bonifacio
brothers were executed.

Government of Central
Luzon
Governor General Camilo de Polavieja who
succeded Governor General Ramon Blanco in
December 1896., grew tired of fighting the
Filipinos who grew tired of fighting the Filipinos
who refused to surrender. His health failed him
so he asked to be relieved. His successor was
Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera,
who had served previously as Governor-General
of the country. He took the personal charge of
he military campaign against the rebels.

Government of Central
Luzon
Aguinaldo trying to escape captivity, he
headed for the hilly parts of Morong (Rizal
Province). With 500 armed faithful men,
Aguinaldo walked the distance to San
Juan del Monte and Montalban and on to
Mount Puray. From here, he and his men
walked all the way to Biak-na-Bato, in San
Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan, where he
established his headquarters.

Government of Central Luzon

When the rebels, people of Central Luzon, met at

Mount Puray they established the Departmental
Government of Central Luzon, This comprised the
provinces of Manila, Morong, Bulacan, Laguna,
Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Pangasinan.
Those present in the meeting elected the following
officials: Position
Name
President

Father Pedro Dandan

Vice President

Anastacio Francisco

Secretary of the Treasury Paciano Rizal

Secretary of War

Cipriano Pacheco

Secretary of the Interior

Teodoro Gonzales

Secretary of Welfare

Feliciano Jocson

Biak-na-Bato Republic
Before July or early in July, Aguinaldo
established a republican government at Biakna-Bato called the Biak-na-Bato Republic.
He ordered Felix Ferrer and Isabelo Artacho
to prepare a constitution for this republic.
They copied, word for word the Cuban
Constitution of Jimaguayu, except for one
article. The Constitution, in its Preamble,
declared the aim of the Revolution as the
separation of the Philippines from Spain.

Biak-na-Bato Republic
Not found in Jimaguayu Constitution, Article
VIII provided that Tagalog shall be the official
language of the Republic. The Constitution
was approved on November 1. The following
day, these officers were elected:
Position

Name

President

Emilio Aguinaldo

Vice President

Mariano Trias

Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Antonio Montenegro

Secretary of the Interior

Isabelo Artacho

Secretary of War

Emiliano Riego de Dios

Secretary of the Treasury

Baldomero Aguinaldo

The Truce of Biak-naBato

The struggle between the Spanish government
and the Biak-na-Bato Republic had reached a
deadlock. Governor-General sent Pedro Paterno,
a Filipino of Chinese Ancestry, to Biak-na-Bato for
peaceful negotiations with the revolutionaries. On
November 18, 1897, the first document was
signed by Paterno, on behalf of the Filipino rebels
and by Primo de Rivera on behalf of the colonial
government. Other matters were clarified and
second document was signed by Paterno and
Primo de Rivera on December 14.

The Truce of Biak-naBato

On December 15, a third document was signed.

These three documents together constitute what

may be called the Truce of Biak-na-Bato. Among
other things, the agreement provided the
following:
1.
2.

3.

That Aguinaldo and his men would go into voluntary exile

That Prim de Rivera would pay Aguinaldo the sum of 800,000
pesos in three installments: (a) 400,000 pesos upon his
departure from the Philippines (b) 200,000 pesos when the
arms surrendered to the Spanish authorities exceeded 700
pieces and (c)The remaining 200,000 pesos when general
amnesty had been proclaimed and that Te Deum had been
sung.
That Primo de Rivera would pay an additional 900,000 pesos
to the families of non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during
the revolution.

Failure of the Truce

On December 27, Aguinaldo together with
some men of his choice, boarded a ship
(steamer Uranus) to Hongkong. He had with
him a check of 400,000 pesos. General
Artemio Ricarte stayed behind at Biak-naBato to supervise the surrender of arms by
the revolutionaries.
The Spanish government announced the end
of hostilities and Te Duem was sung at the
Manila Cathedral on January 23, 1898.

Failure of the Truce

Some Filipinos were suspicious of Spanish
motives and held on to their weapons, like
wise, the Spanish authorities did not trust
the Filipinos. Both of them neither side
fully complied with terms of agreement.
This mutual suspicion resulted to armed
clashes that started in February.

Failure of the Truce

In Central Luzon, General Francisco Makabulos
of Tarlac established a provincial revolutionary
government with a constitution written by him.
The Makabulos Constitution adopted on April 17,
1898, set up this provisional government in
Cenral Luzon to continue in force until a general
government for the Republic was established. In
the months that followed, armed clashes
between Filipinos and Spaniards occurred. Bad
faith on both sides ultimately caused the truce to
fail.

End of Chapter 11
Thank You for
listening!

Presented by:
Jamal Banto II-BSA