Tejeros Convention

On December 31, an assembly was convened in Imus to settle the leadership status.
The Magdalo insisted on the establishment of revolutionary government to replace
the Katipunan and continue the struggle. On the other hand, the Magdiwang favored retention of
theKatipunan, arguing that it was already a government in itself. The assembly dispersed without
a consensus.
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On #arch !!, 1$%&, another meeting was held in Te'eros. It called for the election of officers for
the revolutionary government. (onifacio chaired the election and called for the election results to
be respected. )hen the voting ended, (onifacio had lost and the leadership turned over to
*guinaldo, who was away fighting in +asong ,antol. Instead, he was elected to Director of the
Interior but his -ualifications were -uestioned by a #agdalo, Daniel Tirona. (onifacio felt insulted
and would have shot Tirona had not *rtemio .icarte intervened. Invo/ing his position
of Supremo of the Katipunan, (onifacio declared the election null and void and stomped out in
anger.
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*guinaldo too/ his oath of office as president the ne0t day in ,anta 1ru2 de #alabon
3present4day Tan2a5 in 1avite, as did the rest of the officers, e0cept for (onifacio.
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Execution of Bonifacio
In 7aic, (onifacio and his officers created the 7aic #ilitary *greement, establishing a rival
government to *guinaldo8s. It re'ected the election at Te'eros and asserted (onifacio as the leader
of the revolution. )hen *guinaldo learned of the document, he ordered the arrest of (onifacio
and his soldiers 3without (onifacio8s /nowledge5. 1olonel *gapito (en2on met with (onifacio in
9imbon and attac/ed him the ne0t day. (onifacio, and his brother +rocopio were wounded, while
their brother 1iriaco were /illed. They were ta/en to 7aic to stand trial.
The 1onse'o de :uerra 3)ar 1ouncil5 sentenced *ndr;s and +rocopio to death on #ay 1<, 1$%&
for committing sedition and treason.
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*guinaldo commuted the punishment to deportation, but
withdrew his decision following pressure from +io Del +ilar and other officers of the revolution.
On #ay 1<, #a'or 9a2aro #a/apagal, upon orders from :eneral #ariano 7oriel, e0ecuted the
(onifacio brothers at the foothills of #ount (untis,
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near #aragondon. *ndr;s and +rocopio
were buried in a shallow grave mar/ed only with twigs.
Biak-na-Bato
*ugmented by new recruits from ,pain, government troops recaptured several towns in 1avite.
*s argued by *polinario #abini and others, the succession of defeats for the rebels could also be
attributed to discontent that resulted from (onifacio8s death. #abini wrote=
This tragedy smothered the enthusiasm for the revolutionary cause, and hastened the failure of
the insurrection in 1avite, because many from #anila, 9aguna and (atangas, who were fighting
for the province 3of 1avite5, were demorali2ed and -uit...
In other areas, some of (onifacio8s associates li/e >milio ?acinto and #acario ,a/ay never
sub'ected their military commands to *guinaldo8s authority.
*guinaldo and his men retreated northward, from one town to the ne0t, until they finally settled in
(ia/4na4(ato, in the town of ,an #iguel de #ayumo in (ulacan. @ere they established what
became /nown as the .epublic of (ia/4na4(ato, with a constitution drafted by Isabelo *rtacho,
and Aeli0 Aerrer and based on the first 1uban 1onstitution.
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)ith the new ,panish :overnor4:eneral Aernando +rimo de .ivera declaring, CI can ta/e (ia/4
na4(ato. *ny army can capture it. (ut I cannot end the rebellion,C he proffered the olive branch of
peace to the revolutionaries. * lawyer named +edro +aterno volunteered as negotiator between
the two sides. Aor four months, he traveled between #anila and (ia/4na4(ato. @is hard wor/
finally bore fruit when, on December 16 to December 1, 1$%&, the +act of (ia/4na4(ato was
signed. #ade up of three documents, it called for the following agenda=
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The surrender of *guinaldo and the rest of the revolutionary corps.
*mnesty for those who participated in the revolution..
>0ile to @ong Dong for the revolutionary leadership.
+ayment by the ,panish government of E6<<,<<< 3#e0ican peso5 to the revolutionaries
in three installments= E!<<,<<< 3#e0ican peso5 upon leaving the country, E1<<,<<< 3#e0ican
peso5 upon the surrender of at least &<< firearms, and another E1<<,<<< 3#e0ican peso5
upon the declaration of general amnesty.
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In accordance with the first clause, *guinaldo and twenty five other top officials of the revolution
were banished to @ong Dong with E6<<,<<< 3#e0ican peso5 in their poc/ets. The rest of the men
got E!<<,<<< 3#e0ican peso5 and the third installment was never received. :eneral amnesty was
never declared because sporadic s/irmishes continued.
The revolution continues
7ot all the revolutionary generals complied with the treaty. One, :eneral Arancisco #a/abulos,
established a 1entral >0ecutive 1ommittee to serve as the interim government until a more
suitable one was created. *rmed conflicts resumed, this time coming from almost every province
in the +hilippines. The colonial authorities on the other hand, continued the arrest and torture of
those suspected of banditry.
The +act of (ia/4na4(ato did not signal an end to the revolution. *guinaldo and his men were
convinced that the ,paniards would never give the rest of the money as a condition of surrender.
Aurthermore, they believed that ,pain reneged on her promise of amnesty. The Ailipino patriots
renewed their commitment for complete independence. They purchased more arms and
ammunition to ready themselves for another siege.
Spanish-American War
The Aebruary, 1$%$ e0plosion and sin/ing of a F.,. 7avy warship in @avana harbor during an
ongoing revolution in 1uba led in *pril of that year to a declaration of war against ,pain by
the Fnited ,tates. On *pril !, 1ommodore :eorge Dewey sailed for #anila with a fleet of seven
F.,. ships. *rriving on #ay 1, he encountered a fleet of twelve ,panish ships commanded
by *dmiral +atricio #onto'o. The resulting(attle of #anila (ay lasted only a few hours, with all of
#onto'o8s fleet destroyed. Dewey called for armed reinforcements and, while waiting, contented
himself with merely acting as a bloc/ade for #anila (ay.
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Aguinaldo returns to the Philippines
On #ay &, 1$%$, the *merican dispatch4boat #c1ulloch arrived in @ong Dong from #anila,
bringing reports of Dewey8s #ay 1 victory in the battle of #anila (ay but with no orders regarding
transportation of *guinaldo. The McCulloch again arrived in @ong Dong on #ay 1, bearing
orders to transport *guinaldo to #anila. *guinaldo departed @ong Dong aboard the McCulloch on
#ay 1&, arriving in off 1avite in #anila (ay on #ay 1%.
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+ublic 'ubilance mar/ed *guinaldo8s return. ,everal revolutionaries, as well as Ailipino soldiers
employed by the ,panish army, crossed over to *guinaldo8s command. ,oon after, Imus
and (acoor in 1avite, +araGa-ue and 9as +iGas in #orong, #acabebe, and ,an Aernando in
+ampanga, as well as 9aguna, (atangas, (ulacan, 7ueva >ci'a, (ataan, Tayabas 3present4day
Hue2on5, and the 1amarines provinces, were liberated by the Ailipinos. They were also able to
secure the port of Dalahican in 1avite. The revolution was gaining ground.
enouement
The ,panish colonial government, now under :overnor4:eneral (asilio *ugustIn y DJvila, in
order to win over the Ailipinos from *guinaldo and the *mericans, established the Kolunteer #ilitia
and 1onsultative *ssembly. (oth groups were made up of Ailipino recruits. @owever, most of
them remained loyal to the revolution. The Kolunteer #ilitia literally 'oined its supposed enemy,
while the *ssembly, chaired by +aterno, never had the chance to accomplish their goals.
1. The member or his son who, while not having the means shall show application and great
capacity, shall be sustainedL !. The poor shall be supported in his right against any powerful
personL 3. The member who shall have suffered any loss shall be aidedL 6. 1apital shall be
loaned to the member who shall need it for an industry or agricultureL . The introduction of
machines and industries, new or necessary in the country, shall be favoredL and B. ,hops, stores,
and establishment shall be opened where the members may be accommodated more
economically than elsewhere.
Capture of !anila
The Fnited ,tates 7avy waited for *merican reinforcements and, refusing to allow the Ailipinos to
participate in ta/ing #anila from ,pain, captured the city on *ugust 13, 1$%$ in what may have
been a staged battle.
eclaration of "ndependence
Main article: Philippine Declaration of Independence
(y ?une 1$%$, the island of 9u2on, e0cept for #anila and the port of 1avite, was under
+hilippine control. The revolutionaries were laying siege to #anila and cutting off its food and
water supply. )ith most of the archipelago under his control, *guinaldo decided it was time to
establish a +hilippine government.
)hen *guinaldo arrived from @ong Dong, he brought with him a copy of a plan drawn
by #ariano +once, calling for the establishment of a revolutionary government. Fpon the
advice of *mbrosio .ian2ares (autista, however, an autocratic regime was established
instead on #ay !6, with *guinaldo as dictator.
It was under this dictatorship that independence was finally proclaimed on ?une 1!, 1$%$ in
*guinaldo8s house in Dawit, 1avite. The firstAilipino flag was unfurled and the national
anthem was played for the first time.
*polinario #abini, *guinaldo8s closest adviser, was opposed to *guinaldo8s decision towards
a dictatorial rule. @e instead urged for the reformation of a government that could prove its
stability and competency as prere-uisite. *guinaldo refused to do soL however, #abini was
able to convince him to turn his autocratic administration into a revolutionary one. *guinaldo
established a revolutionary government on ?uly !3.
Aftermath
Fpon the recommendations of the decree that established the revolutionary government, a
1ongreso .evolucionario was assembled at (arasoain 1hurch in #alolos, (ulacan. *ll of the
delegates to the congress were from the ilustrado class. #abini ob'ected to the call for a
constitutional assemblyL when he did not succeed, he drafted a constitution of his own, and
this too failed. * draft by an ilustrado lawyerAelipe 1alderMn y .oca was instead laid on the
table and this became the framewor/ upon which the assembly drafted the first constitution.
On 7ovember !%, the assembly, now popularly4called #alolos 1ongress, finished the draft.
@owever, *guinaldo, who always placed #abini in high esteem and heeded most of his
advice, refused to sign it when the latter ob'ected. On ?anuary !1, 1$%%, after a few
modifications were made to suit #abini8s arguments, the constitution was finally approved by
the congreso and signed by *guinaldo. Two days later, the +hilippine .epublic 3also called
the Airst .epublic and #alolos .epublic5 was inaugurated in #alolos with *guinaldo as
president.
On ?une !, 1$%%, the #alolos 1ongress of the Airst +hilippine .epublic enacted and ratified
a Declaration of )ar on the Fnited ,tates, which was publicly proclaimed on that same day
by +edro +aterno, +resident of the *ssembly, and the +hilippineN*merican )ar ensued.
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Philippine-American War
On 6 Aebruary 1$%%, general hostilities began between Ailipino and *merican forces began
when an *merican sentry patrolling near the border between the Ailipino and *merican lines
shot a Ailipino soldier, after which Ailipino forces returned fire, thus igniting a second battle for
the city. *guinaldo sent a ran/ing member of his staff to >llwell Otis, the F.,. military
commander, with the message that the firing had been against his orders. *ccording to
*guinaldo, Otis replied, CThe fighting, having begun, must go on to the grim end.C
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The
+hilippines declared war against the Fnited ,tates on ?une !, 1$%%, with +edro +aterno,
+resident of 1ongress, issuing a +roclamation of )ar.
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The +hilippineN*merican
)ar ensued between 1$%%, and 1%<!. The war officially ended in 1%<! with the +hilippine
leaders accepting, for the most part, that the *mericans had won, but not until over one
million Ailipinos had died in the *merican part of the conflict and occupation 3!<<,<<< men,
women and children during the war itself5, over !<O of the Ailipino population had been
/illed, and in many cases e0terminated.
*merican atrocities during the war and subse-uent occupation included an episode on the
island of +alawan in 1%11, the commanding colonel noticed that #uslims go to great lengths
to give a wide berth to avoid dogs N even small ones. This odd phenomenon, though he had
seen fre-uently, never struc/ the colonel to investigate before. This time though, he made
in-uiries, and was informed that #uslims are not allowed to touch dogs. 3The @adith, details
the reasons for this. +rophet #uhammad did not reali2e where the horrible stin/ing smell was
coming from, until three days later, he saw his dead puppy dog decomposing under his
bedstead. The +rophet decreed dogs were C7a'isC3unclean5, and from then on, #uslims are
not allowed to touch dogs, especially its saliva around the mouth5. The colonel then
immediately ordered for as many dogs as he could get. *s soon as 3& dogs were delivered,
he sent his men armed with dogs into the local #uslimsP houses 3bedrooms, /itchen, and all5
in a Qhouse to houseP search supposedly for #uslim resistance fighters. This type of Qhouse to
houseP searches terrified the local #uslims. The #uslim leaders immediately cooperated with
the *mericans by voluntarily and freely catching the resistance fighters 3dead or alive5 and
handing them over to the *mericans.
,oon after, an *merican :eneral, ?ohn 9. @ansen ?r. who was in charge of the larger
southern +hilippine Island of #indanao was amused to /now of the +alawan episode and
had seven captured #uslim prisoners dig their own graves. The eighth prisoner was
handcuffed and made to watch the *merican e0ecution process. The seven prisoners were
then tied to seven posts, but without blindfolds, so that they too could see the proceedings of
their own e0ecution. In #uslim belief if a pig contaminated their bodies, they would go direct
to the fires of hell permanently. The soldiers then slaughtered a live pig in front of them. The
prisonersP clothes and body were smeared with the pig8s blood and fat. The pig was cut into
seven portions and placed in each grave. *t sundown, the prisoners were shot and their
bodies were placed in each grave, together with the chun/ of por/. The eighth prisoner was
ordered to fill up the seven graves and subse-uently set free.
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