1. Bonifacio was named after a saint.

Catalina de Castro gave birth to a boy on November 30, 1863. Together with
husband Santiago Bonifacio, they decided to name the child "Andres" after St. Andrew
who was celebrating his feast day on the same date.

2. Bonifacio may not have been from Tondo.

Ambeth Ocampo reveals that, according to Dr. Dan Doeppers of the University of
Wisconsin, Bonifacio's name could not be found in Tondo's list of residents and taxpayers. If
this is true, Bonifacio either lived in a different city or is simply an unregistered resident of
Tondo. Ocampo gives readers some food for thought and asks, what did Bonifacio tear up
during the Cry of Pugadlawin if he did not possess a cedula required of city residents?

3. Bonifacio was an "educated" man.

Often depicted as the man in red pants who chose a bloodier path (unlike the
stereotyical ilustradowho fought the revolution with a pen) it is quite unknown to many that
Bonifacio was also well-read. His father earned enough from his day job as a tailor to hire a
private tutor for him. Teodoro Agoncillo claims that he "barely finished the equivalent of
today's grade four," but Bonifacio had developed a liking for reading, according to Ocampo.
In fact, he even immersed himself in European literature and became a member of the
Freemasons, which Bonifacio later used to inspire a number of rituals in the Katipunan.
4. Bonifacio was familiar with the life of Crisostomo Ibarra.
Among the books he read were Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
Bonifacio was also said to have written the first Tagalog translation of Rizal's "Mi Ultimo
Adios." Ocampo notes that that the late Isagani R. Medina claims otherwise, and that the
translation was made by a Caviteo named Mojica.
** Bonifacio in a martial-law era 5-peso bill. Presently, Bonifacio can only be found paired with Mabini in
the P10 coin.

5. Bonifacio could have missed out on a number of trips to the dentist.

A certain Doctor Cuanjunco discovered that the supremo had big and small teeth in an
investigation of the alleged remains of Bonifacio in 1918, shares Ocampo. He adds that
according toEspiridonia Bonifacio, Andres' sister, his upper teeth were wide, long and
flaring. It [his teeth] even had holes because he often placed "creosote" on them.

6. Bonifacio had a very odd habit.

In one of his columns for the Inquirer, Murphy narrates his encounter with a school principal
in Maragondon who shared that Bonifacio literally marked his spot by often taking a piss at
the foot of one acacia tree on his way in and out of the nearby cell convento.

7. Bonifacio was BFFs with Emilio Jacinto.

If the Katipunan gave awards for best bromance, Bonifacio and Jacinto would be a likely
candidates. Ramos writes that Bonifacio shared his knowledge and secrets with Jacinto,
then a young man with long hair and a weakness for the Tagalog language. They joined the
same fraternity, participated in the same discussions, and mulled over books on revolutions
such as the "History of the French Revolution." Bonifacio even used Jacinto's version of the
"Cartilla" because he found it better than his own. Throughout the revolution, Bonifacio
looked after Jacinto like a big brother, and cooked up plans with him like an equal.
This famous painting by Carlos "Botong" Francisco informed all of our preconceptions of how Bonifacio
dressed.

8. Bonifacio's not all red pants and kamisa de tsino.

The Supremo was once seen wearing a coat and tie in a unique studio portrait. Ocampo
discloses that the said photograph "became the basis of an engraving published by a
Spanish periodical in 1987, where the Titular President of the Tagalog Republic was given a
better coat and tie."

9. Bonifacio believed in "magic."

Let's allow Ambeth Ocampo's column to tell the tale: "During the Philippine Revolution,
Andres Bonifacio was said to have distributed pieces of black cloth that had allegedly been
cut from the cassocks worn by the martyred priests we remember as Gomburza
today: Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, who were executed by garrote in Bagumbayan in
1872. These pieces of cloth were believed to protect the bearer from harm and made illequipped and hastily trained Katipuneros fight a superior enemy with bravery and faith."

10. Bonifacio had an enduring sense of compassion in spite of his personal

struggles.
The mighty Katipunero had a soft spot too. Bonifacio had to work hard to raise his younger
siblings. Like most of us, he struggled to "find a place for himself in society" on top of his
familial duties, writes Murphy. Despite being a revolutionary, Bonifacio strongly believed in
the values of comradeship, brotherhood (and sisterhood), kindness and charity to one
another as well as the need to fight for one's rights.
** his birthplace in Tondo in Manila to the Katipuneros' hideout in Rizal province, to his
martyrdom in Cavite; the Katipuneros hideout in Pamitinan Cave in Rodriguez, Rizal ; the
place of Bonifacio's execution and martyrdom in Maragondon, Cavite.

WIKIPEDIA
Si Andrs Bonifacio (Nobyembre 30, 1863 - Mayo 10, 1897) ay siyang namuno sa
rebolusyon ng Pilipinas laban sa Espanya, ang unang rebolusyon sa Asya na lumaban sa
pananakop ng mga bansang imperyalista sa Europa.
Siya ay isinilang noong ika-30 ng Nobyembre, 1863 sa Tondo, Maynila. Ang kanyang
magulang ay sina Santiago Bonifacio at Catalina de Castro. Siya ay nagsimulang mag-aral
sa paaralan ni Don Guillermo Osmea sa Meisic sa Binondo, Maynila subalit siya'y maagang
nahinto sa pag-aaral. Bagamat siya'y nahinto sa pag-aaral, may angkin siyang talino at
marunong siyang bumasa at sumulat, at dalubhasa na rin sa pagsasalita sa wikang Kastila.
Naulila sa magulang nang maaaga sa edad na 14. Naging tindero siya ng ratan at
pamaypay na gawa sa papel de hapon. Nagtrabaho din siya bilangclerk, sales agent at
bodegista (warehouseman). Nahilig siyang basahin ang mga nobela ni Jose Rizal at nang
itinatag ang La Liga Filipina, sumapi siya kasama ni Apolinario Mabini.
Bagamat mahirap ay mahilig bumasa at sumulat ng mga bagay na may kabuluhan lalo na
kung ito ay tungkol sa bayan, karapatang-pantao at kasarinlan ng inang-bayan. Siya ay may
diwa ng paghihimagsik laban sa malupit na mananakop na Kastila. Siya rin ay nagnais na
magbangon ng pamahalaang malaya na naging daan upang kanyang maitatag
ang Katipunan na kakatawan sa himagsikan at upang maging wasto at panatag sa kanyang
adhikaing kalayaan ng bayan. Noong 1892, matapos dakpin at ipatapon si Dr. Jose
Rizal sa Dapitan, itinatag ni Bonifacio ang Katipunan o kilala rin bilang
"Kataastasan,Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan" (KKK), isang lihim na
kapisanang mapanghimagsik, na di naglaon ay naging sentro ng hukbong Pilipinong
mapanghimagsik. Kasama ni Bonifacio ay sina Valentin Diaz, Deodato Arellano (bayaw
ni Marcelo H. del Pilar), Teodoro Plata (bayaw ni Bonifacio), Ladislao Diwa, at ilang
manggagawa sa pagtatag ng Katipunan sa Calle Azcarraga (ngayon ay Avenida Claro M.
Recto) malapit sa Calle Candelaria (ngayon ay Kalye Elcano).
Sa pagtatag ng Katipunan, kinilala si Andres Bonifacio bilang "Ama ng Rebolusyon" sa
Pilipinas. Si Bonifacio at ang kanyang mga kasamahan sa Katipunan ay may iisang layunin
na marahil ay siyang naging dahilan upang ang kanilang pakikidigma ay maging
matagumpay.
Sa Katipunan, "Supremo" ang kanyang titulo at di naglaon nang itinatag niya ang
Pamahalang Mapaghimagsik ay tinawag siyang "Pangulo ng Haring Bayang Katagalugan".
Dito rin niya nakilala si Gregoria de Jesus na tinawag niyang Lakambini. Noong Agosto
23, 1896, sa maliit na baryo ng Pugad Lawin (ngayo'y Bahay Toro, Project 8, Lungsod
Quezon) sa Balintawak ay tinipon nya ang mga Katipunero at isa isa'y pinunit ang kanilang
mga sedula.
Sa gitna ng rebolusyon, isang halalan ang naganap sa Tejeros, Cavite, sa kahilingan ng mga
Katipunerong Magdalo na ang lumahok ay mula sa Cavite lamang. Nanalo sa pagka-pangulo
si Emilio Aguinaldo, Lider ng Katipunang Magdalo at ang Supremo ay naihalal sa mababang
posisyong Tagapangasiwa ng Panloob (Interior Director).

Dahil sa ang mga kasapi ng Magdalo ay mga may kayang tao sa hilagang-kanlurang bahagi
ng Kabite at kanilang mga taga-sunod, ayaw nila kay Andres Bonifacio sapagkat ito ay isang
laki sa hirap at ayaw nilang tanggapin na sila ay pinamumunuan ng isang mahirap na
kagaya ng Supremo kaya't minamaliit nila ang kakayahan nito. Nang sinubukan ng mga
kasapi ng lupon ng mga Magdalo na usisain ang kakayahan ni Andrs Bonifacio na gawin
ang tungkulin ng isang Tagapangasiwa ng Panloob, na ayon sa kanila ay gawain lamang ng
isang abogado, nainsulto si Bonifacio. Idineklara ng Supremo, bilang pangulo ng Katipunan,
na walang bisa ang naganap na eleksyon dahilan sa pandaraya sa botohan ng mga
Magdalo. Dahil dito, kinasuhan si Bonifacio ng sedisyon at pagtataksil ng mga Magdalo.
Habang hindi pa naka-aalis ng Cavite, siya ay ipinahuli at ipinapatay ni Aguinaldo sa
kanyang mga tauhan. Iniutos kayMariano Noriel na ibigay ang hatol sa isang selyadong
sobre kay Lazaro Makapagal. Iniutos ang pagbaril kay Bonifacio kasama ang kanyang
kapatid na lalaking si Procopio Bonifacio noong ika-10 ng Mayo, 1897 malapit sa Bundok
Nagpatong (o Bundok Buntis).
Noong 1918, sinikap ng pamahalaan ng Pilipinas na hanapin ang labi ni Andrs Bonifacio sa
Maragondon. Ayon sa isang grupo ng mga opisyal ng pamahalaan, mga dating rebelde at
isang lalaking nagpakilala bilang dating kasambahay ni Bonifacio, nahanap daw ang
kaniyang mga buto sa isang taniman ng kawayan noong 17 Marso 1918. Inilagay ang mga
labi sa huling pamamahala ng Pambansang Aklatan ng Pilipinas, at itinipon ito sa Lumang
Gusaling Batasan (ang kasalukuyang Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas) hanggang sa nawala
ang urna noong panahon ng Labanan sa Maynila ng 1945
Founding of Katipunan
On July 7, 1892, upon learning that Dr. Jose P. Rizal was to be deported and that his works
were to be banned in the country, a secret council was convened in No. 72 Azcarraga
Street. In attendance were Andres Bonifacio, Deodato Arellano, Valentin Diaz, Teodoro Plata,
Ladislao Diwa, Jose Dizon, and a few others, all members of La Liga Filipina, a progressive
organization founded by Rizal. The men assembled came to the agreement that a
revolutionary secret society must be founded, and thus the Kataastaasang KagalangKagalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan was born.
The objectives of the Katipunan, as the brotherhood was popularly known, were threefold:
political, moral, and civic. They advocated for freedom from the yoke of Spain, to be
achieved through armed struggle. They also saw it as their personal responsibility to help
the poor and the oppressed, and to teach them good manners, hygiene, and morality.
New recruits to the secret society underwent a rigorous initiation process, similar to
Masonic practices. A neophyte, dressed in black and accompanied by his sponsor, was
brought to a small room decorated with patriotic posters (1), in front of a cabinet draped in
black. He was then seated at a dimly-lit table, on which rested a bolo (2), a revolver (3), and
a set of questions which he must answer to the satisfaction of the members
assembled: What was the condition of the Philippines in the early times? What is the
condition today? What will be the condition in the future?
Contrary to popular belief, Andres Bonifaciothough undoubtedly one of the more
prominent founders of the Katipunanwas not its first Supremo or the President of the
Supreme Council. On July 15, 1892, the members of the Supreme Council were Deodato

Arellano (Supremo), Bonifacio (Comptroller), Ladislao Diwa (Fiscal), Teodoro Plata

(Secretary), and Valentin Diaz (Treasurer).
Unsatisfied with Arellanos performance as Supremo, Bonifacio later had him deposed, and
supported the election of Roman Basa as Supremo on February 1, 1893. The Supreme
Council was then composed of Basa, Jose Turiano Santiago (Secretary), Bonifacio (Fiscal),
and Vicente Molina (Treasurer).
Bonifacio would only become Supremo on January 5, 1894, with Santiago (Secretary), Emilio
Jacinto (Fiscal), and Molina (Treasurer). Further reorganization in 1896 led to Jacinto
becoming Secretary, and Pio Valenzuela becoming Fiscal.
The Supreme Council in August 1896, prior to the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, was
led by Bonifacio as the Supremo, with Jacinto as Secretary of State, Teodoro Plata as
Secretary of War, Briccio Pantas as Secretary of Justice, Aguedo del Rosario as Secretary of
Interior, and Enrique Pacheco as Secretary of Finance.
Much discussion surrounds who was actually in Balintawak at the outbreak of the Philippine
Revolution in August 1896. Perhaps the closest one can come to a definitive list is based on
an interview given by Guillermo Masangkay to the newspaper Bagong Buhay in 1952,
almost 60 years after.