Andres Bonifacio simmered with rage and humiliation.docx

8/19/2019 Andres Bonifacio simmered with rage and humiliation.docx

1/15

Andres Bonifacio simmered with rage and humiliation. The movement that he had

created to oppose Spanish colonial rule inthe Philippines had just voted (likely in a

rigged election) to make his rivalEmilio Aguinaldo president in his stead. Bonifacio was

given the lowly consolation prize of an appointment as Secretary of the Interior in the

revolutionary government.When this appointment was announced, however, delegate Daniel Tirona objected on

the grounds that Bonifacio did not have a law degree (or any university diploma, for that

matter). Incensed, the fiery rebel leader demanded an apology from Tirona. Instead,

Daniel Tirona turned to leave the hall; Bonifacio pulled out a gun and tried to shoot him

down, but General Artemio Ricarte y Garcia tackled the former president and saved

Tirona's life.

Who was this scrappy and hot-headed rebel leader, Andres Bonifacio? Why is his story

still remembered today in the Republic of the Philippines?

Bonifacio's Birth and Early Life:

Andres Bonifacio was born on November 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila. His father Santiago

was a tailor, a local politician and a boatman who operated a river-ferry; his mother,

Catalina de Castro, was employed in a cigarette-rolling factory. The couple worked

extremely hard to support Andres and his five younger siblings, but in 1881 Catalina

caughttuberculosis("consumption") and died. The following year, Santiago also became

ill and passed away.

At the age of 19, Andres Bonifacio was forced to give up plans for higher education and

begin working full-time to support his orphaned younger siblings.

CONTINUE READING BELOW OUR VIDEO

Profile Of Jose RizalThis is a modal window.

This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser

Error Code: MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED

OKHe worked for the British trading company J.M. Fleming & Co. as a broker

orcorredor for local raw materials such as tar and rattan. He later moved to the German

firm Fressell & Co., where he worked as abodeguero or grocer.

Family Life:

http://asianhistory.about.com/od/philippines/p/philippinesprof.htmhttp://asianhistory.about.com/od/philippines/p/Biography-of-Emilio-Aguinaldo.htmhttp://infectiousdiseases.about.com/od/diseasesbyname/a/Tuberculosis.htmhttp://asianhistory.about.com/od/philippines/p/Biography-of-Emilio-Aguinaldo.htmhttp://infectiousdiseases.about.com/od/diseasesbyname/a/Tuberculosis.htmhttp://asianhistory.about.com/od/philippines/p/philippinesprof.htm


2/15

Andres Bonifacio's tragic family history during his youth seems to have followed him in

to his adulthood. He married twice, but had no surviving children at the time of his

death.

His first wife, Monica, came from the Palomar neighborhood of Bacoor. She died youngofleprosy (Hansen's disease).

Bonifacio's second wife, Gregoria de Jesus, came from the Calookan area of metro

Manila. They married when he was 29 and she was just 18; their only child, a son, died

as an infant.

Establishment of Katipunan:

In 1892, Bonifacio joinedJose Rizal's new organizationLa Liga Filipina, which called for

reform of the Spanish colonial regime in the Philippines. The group met only once,

however, since Spanish officials arrested Rizal immediately after the first meeting and

deported him to the southern island ofMindanao.

After Rizal's arrest and deportation, Andres Bonifacio and others revived La Liga to

continue pressure on the Spanish government to free the Philippines. Along with his

friends Ladislao Diwa and Teodoro Plata, however, he also founded a group

calledKatipunan.

Katipunan, or Kataastaasang Kagalannalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan to

give its full name (literally "Highest and Most Respected Society of the Children of the

Country"), was dedicated to armed resistance against the colonial government. Made up

mostly of people from the middle and lower classes, the Katipunan organization soon

established regional branches in a number of provinces across the Philippines. (It also

went by the rather unfortunate acronymKKK.)

In 1895, Andres Bonifacio became the top leader orPresidente Supremo of the

Katipunan. Along with his friends Emilio Jacinto and Pio Valenzuela, Bonifacio also put

out a newspaper called theKalayaan, or "Freedom." Over the course of 1896, under

Bonifacio's leadership, Katipunan grew from about 300 members at the beginning of the

year to more than 30,000 in July. With a militant mood sweeping the nation, and a multi-

island network in place, Bonifacio's Katipunan was prepared to start fighting for freedom

from Spain.

Philippines Uprising Begins:

Over the summer of 1896, the Spanish colonial government began to realize that the

Philippines was on the verge of revolt. On August 19, the authorities tried to preempt the

http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/infectiousdisease/a/071203.htmhttp://asianhistory.about.com/od/profilesofasianleaders/p/joserizalbio.htmhttp://terrorism.about.com/od/groupsleader1/p/AbuSayyaf.htmhttp://terrorism.about.com/od/groupsleader1/p/Ku_Klux_Klan.htmhttp://rarediseases.about.com/cs/infectiousdisease/a/071203.htmhttp://asianhistory.about.com/od/profilesofasianleaders/p/joserizalbio.htmhttp://terrorism.about.com/od/groupsleader1/p/AbuSayyaf.htmhttp://terrorism.about.com/od/groupsleader1/p/Ku_Klux_Klan.htm


3/15

uprising by arresting hundreds of people and jailing them under charges of treason -

some of those swept up were genuinely involved in the movement, but many were not.

Among those arrested was Jose Rizal, who was on a ship in Manila Bay waiting to ship

out for service as a military doctor in Cuba (this was part of his plea bargain with theSpanish government, in exchange for his release from prison in Mindanao). Bonifacio

and two friends dressed up like sailors and made their way onto the ship and tried to

convince Rizal to escape with them, but he refused; he was later put on trial in a

Spanish kangaroo court and executed.

Bonifacio kicked off the revolt by leading thousands of his followers to tear up their

community tax certificates orcedulas. This signaled their refusal to pay any more taxes

to the Spanish colonial regime. Bonifacio named himself President and commander-in-

chief of the Philippines revolutionary government, declaring the nation's independence

from Spain on August 23. He issued amanifesto, dated August 28, 1896, calling for "all

towns to rise simultaneously and attack Manila," and sent generals to lead the rebel

forces in this offensive.

Attack on San Juan del Monte:

Andres Bonifacio himself led an attack on the town of San Juan del Monte, intent on

capturing Manila's metro water station and the powder magazine from the Spanish

garrison. Although they were vastly outnumbered, the Spanish troops inside managed to

hold off Bonifacio's forces until reinforcements arrived.

Bonifacio was forced to withdraw to Marikina, Montalban, and San Mateo; his group

suffered heavy casualties. Elsewhere, other Katipunan groups attacked Spanish troops

all around Manila. By early September, the revolution was spreading across the country.

Fighting Intensifies:

As Spain pulled all its resources back to defend the capital at Manila, rebel groups in

other areas began to sweep up the token Spanish resistance left behind. The group inCavite (a peninsula south of the capital, jutting intoManila Bay), had the greatest

success in driving the Spanish out. Cavite's rebels were led by an upper-class politician

called Emilio Aguinaldo. By October of 1896, Aguinaldo's forces held most of the

peninsula.

Bonifacio led a separate faction from Morong, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) to the east

of Manila. A third group under Mariano Llanera was based in Bulacan, north of the

http://bonifaciopapers.blogspot.com/2005/09/bonifacio-andres_112718539592696858.htmlhttp://militaryhistory.about.com/od/navalbattles1800s/p/manilabay.htmhttp://bonifaciopapers.blogspot.com/2005/09/bonifacio-andres_112718539592696858.htmlhttp://militaryhistory.about.com/od/navalbattles1800s/p/manilabay.htm


4/15

capital. Bonifacio appointed generals to establish bases in the mountains all over Luzon

island.

Despite his earlier military reverses, Bonifacio personally led an attack on Marikina,

Montalban, and San Mateo. Although he initially succeeded in driving the Spanish out ofthose towns, they soon recaptured the cities, nearly killing Bonifacio when a bullet went

through his collar.

Rivalry with Aguinaldo:

Aguinaldo's faction in Cavite was in competition with a second rebel group headed by an

uncle of Gregoria de Jesus, Bonifacio's wife. As a more successful military leader and a

member of a much wealthier, more influential family, Emilio Aguinaldo felt justified in

formed his own rebel government in opposition to Bonifacio's. On March 22, 1897,

Aguinaldo rigged an election at the rebels' Tejeros Convention to show that he was the

proper president of the revolutionary government.

To Bonifacio's shame, he not only lost the presidency to Aguinaldo, but was appointed

to the lowly post of Secretary of the Interior. When Daniel Tirona questioned his fitness

even for that job, based on Bonifacio's lack of a university education, the humiliated

former president pulled a gun and would have killed Tirona if a bystander had not

stopped him.

Sham Trial and Execution:

After Emilio Aguinaldo "won" the rigged election at Tejeros, Andres Bonifacio refused to

recognize the new rebel government. Aguinaldo sent a group to arrest Bonifacio; the

opposition leader did not realize that they were there with ill intent, and allowed them

into his camp. They shot down his brother Ciriaco, seriously beat his brother Procopio,

and some reports say that they also raped his young wife Gregoria.

Aguinaldo had Bonifacio and Procopio tried for treason and sedition. After a one-day

sham trial, in which the defense lawyer averred their guilt rather than defending them,both Bonifacios were convicted and sentenced to death.

Aguinaldo commuted the death sentence on May 8, but then reinstated it. On May 10,

1897, both Procopio and Andres Bonifacio likely were shot dead by a firing squad on

Nagpatong Mountain. Some accounts say that Andres was too weak to stand, due to


5/15

untreated battle wounds, and was actually hacked to death in his stretcher instead.

Andres was just 34 years old.

Andres Bonifacio's Legacy:

As the first self-declared President of the independent Philippines, as well as the first

leader of the Philippine Revolution, Andres Bonifacio is a crucial figure in that nation's

history. However, his exact legacy is the subject of dispute among Filipino scholars and

citizens.

Jose Rizal is the most widely recognized "national hero of the Philippines," although he

advocated a more pacifist approach of reforming Spanish colonial rule rather than

overthrowing it by force. Aguinaldo is generally cited as the first president of the

Philippines, even though Bonifacio took on that title before Aguinaldo did. Some

historians feel that Bonifacio has gotten short shrift, and should be set beside Rizal on

the national pedestal.

Andres Bonifacio has been honored with a national holiday on his birthday, however, just

like Rizal. November 30 is Bonifacio Day in the Philippines.

Sources:

Bonifacio, Andres.The Writings and Trial of Andres Bonifacio, Manila: University of the

Philippines, 1963.Constantino, Letizia.The Philippines: A Past Revisited, Manila: Tala Publishing

Services, 1975.

Ileta, Reynaldo Clemena.Filipinos and their Revolution: Event, Discourse, and

Historiography, Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1998.

MANILA, Philippines –Whether you think he should be the country’s official

national hero or not, knowing more about Andres Bonifacio won’t hurt. Consider it

your gift to the Supremo of Katipunan – it’s his 150th birthday, after all.

Rappler compiled 10 facts about Bonifacio: myths we should clarify, trivia we can

refresh our memory with, and of course, his execution – one of the most

controversial deaths in Philippine history.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/44897-solons-bonifacio-national-herohttp://www.rappler.com/nation/44897-solons-bonifacio-national-herohttp://www.rappler.com/nation/44897-solons-bonifacio-national-herohttp://www.rappler.com/nation/44897-solons-bonifacio-national-hero


6/15

1. Bonifacio was a versatile, young worker

The young Bonifacio, out of necessity, started beefing up his resumé at an early

age after his parents died of tuberculosis. As the new head of the family, he

made walking canes and paper fans with his brothers and sisters at night, selling

them at premium prices in Manila’s busy streets in the morning.

He also took on other jobs to sustain them:

• bodegero (warehouse keeper) in a mosaic tile factory

• clerk-messenger for the English firm J.M. Fleming and Company

• maker of attractive posters for companies such as clothes dealers (he had

a good penmanship)

• bodegero and supply clerk, then promoted as a sales agent at the German

firm Carlos Fressel & Company

• Moro-moro performer


7/15

2. Is the hero of the masses really poor?

Before Erap, there was Bonifacio – a true leader of the masses. But the title does

not mean he was dirt-poor, when his patrons were the rich who bought his canes

and fans.

Bonifacio and his siblings rose to lower middle class status after their parents’

death, and the hero even married his second wife Gregoria de Jesus, who

belonged to a lower middle class family.

In the two firms he was employed in, Bonifacio was also promoted. According to

historian Michael “Xiao” Chua, the hero’s monthly salary then is equivalent to

P18,000 today.

3. Who dared calling him the 'Bobong Supremo'?

Because he was orphaned and had to support his siblings at a young age, he

was often called uneducated. But according to scholars, he studied in Guillermo

Osmeña’s school in Cebu, and reached what is now second year high school.


8/15

His employer, Doña Elvira Prysler, even remembered Bonifacio holding a book

every lunch time. What does a national hero read? See for yourself:

• books by Alexander Dumas, a French writer known for his adventurous

historical novels

• Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)

• The Wandering Jew (Eugene Sue)

• The Ruins of Palmyra: Meditations on the Revolution of the Empire

• The Holy Bible

• Religion Within the Reach of All

• Lives of the Presidents of the United States

• Noli Me Tangere andEl Filibusterismo (Jose Rizal)

• History of the French Revolution

• law (international law, civil code, penal code) and medical books

“Shutting a book, he would announce to Nonay (Espiridiona) that he had just

completed a course in law or in medicine,” Sylvia Mendez Ventura wrote.


9/15

4. Undress Bonifacio: Why the camisa de chino?

You know what they say: Picture or it didn’t happen.

The same may be said of what the national hero really looks like. Most

monuments and history books like dressing him up in acamisa de chino, with ared handkerchief around the neck and a bolo in one hand. But in his only

surviving photograph, Bonifacio is wearing what looks like a coat and tie.

Historian Isagani Medina also wrote about how Bonifacio dressed neatly and well

in spite of his meager resources, and of his penchant for carrying an umbrella

regardless of the weather.


10/15

5. romising start: Bonifacio!s "ati#unan name

It was a secret society after all. The final test to be a Katipunero was a blood

compact (sandugo) reminiscent of the first one Filipinos shared with the

Spaniards early in history. It was the Katipunan’s way of capturing the narrative

from the “traitors” and making brotherhood their own.

But the twist to the Katipunan’ssandugo was that they wrote their oath in their

own blood. After this, they chose a symbolic name for themselves. Quite

interesting was the Supremo’s choice of name, and quite telling too, for a leader

of a hopeful nation: MAYPAG-ASA.


11/15

$. Bonifacio #icked u# a #en too

National Artist and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino chair Virgilio Almario argued that

Bonifacio is a better writer than Rizal because his works – dubbed “akdang

Katipunero” – were more easy to grasp for the masses than the writings of the

ilustrados. (READ:His Excellency, President Andres Bonifacio?)

Perhaps the best example of this is Bonifacio's “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Bayan

(Love of Fatherland),” a compelling poem about one's love for the nation – an

ideology at the very heart of the revolution.

“Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya / Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila / Gaya ng

pag-ibig sa Tinubuang lupa? / Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga, wala.”

He also wrote other pieces like “Ang Dapat Mabatid ng Mga Tagalog (What the

Filipinos Should Know)” and “Tapunan ng Lingap (Care a Little)."

http://www.rappler.com/nation/41150-president-andres-bonifaciohttp://www.rappler.com/nation/41150-president-andres-bonifacio


12/15

%. &s 'i(al Bonifacio!s hero?

There’s no doubt Bonifacio read Rizal’s work, considering how widely-read the

books were at the time. But to say Bonifacio was merely inspired by Rizal to

revolt is only half the truth, Chua said.

“If you look at it, when Bonifacio created the Katipunan, it was so different from

what the Ilustrados are thinking...Bonifacio had a clear concept of who we are as

a people, and I'm sorry to say, even more than Rizal.”

In Bonifacio’s Katipunan...

• They revived the indigenous practices of the Filipinos (blood compact

orsandugo, a sign of brotherhood)

• Love is the key to his concept of nationhood

• Freedom is not a mere declaration of independence but a result of

complete rest coming from goodness within


13/15

• They existed not only to fight Spaniards, but also to uphold righteousness

and the unity of Filipinos

8. The tragedies and struggles of 1896

The year 1896 was so tough for Bonifacio that "A Series of Unfortunate Events"

may actually pale in comparison:

Holy Week: The nipa-roofed house of Bonifacio and his wife Gregoria de Jesus

(Katipunan name: Lakangbini or Lakambini) in Sta. Cruz was burned down during

the Holy Week of 1896

Shortly after the loss of their home: Their baby boy Andres died of smallpox

August 19: Katipunan was discovered after Teodoro Patiño, an unhappy member

of the Katipunan, told Fr Mariano Gil about the secret society. Many Filipinos

were arrested, jailed, and shot as a result. Andres and Gregoria went into hiding.

August 23: Bonifacio, with other Katipunan leaders, met in Pugadlawin, tore up

their cedulas (residence tax papers) and vowed to fight the Spaniards down to

the last man.

August 30: The first battle of the Philippine Revolution commenced, led by

Andres Bonifacio and his best friend Emilio Jacinto. Out of their 800-man army,

more than 150 Katipuneros died and another 200 were captured.

9. Not your hot-tempered kind of hero

There has been a longstanding debate on who our national hero really should be,with supporters of Rizal arguing that Bonifacio revolted through violent means

when their hero was a peace-loving man. It doesn’t help Bonifacio’s image either

that he pointed a gun at Daniel Tirona during the Tejeros Convention.


14/15

But context is always important, Chua said. At that time, Bonifacio drew his gun

to challenge Tirona to a duel – what Chua called "defending [one's] honor with

blood" – after Tirona called him an uneducated man.

And if his war strategy during the 1896 Battle of Manila is any indication, it

supports accounts that he doesn’t attack aimlessly. E. R. Azicate wrote in

Filipino: “Bonifacio had great capacity as a military leader if the basis is planning,

preparing, coordinating, and executing the game plan. In short, he is good at

strategy and tactics.”

1). What were the last scenes leading to Bonifacio!s death? *hoose your own

ending.

On April 26, 1897, Bonifacio was arrested. Tried by a military court in

Maragondon, Cavite, for only 12 days, he was charged with treason for trying to

overthrow Emilio Aguinaldo and his government.


15/15

As if his trial was not controversial enough, Ambeth Ocampo even mentioned in

his book, “Bones of Contention,” what he called an “ugly bit of history” in the

narrative: the supposed rape of Gregoria de Jesus:

“Bonifacio in his testimony told the court that Col. Yntong was forcing his wife into

an empty house ‘sa talagang kilos na ilugso ang kapurihan’ but this was averted

when the other officers objected. Later in Indang, Col. Yntong attempted to rape

Aling Oryang again but this time, Bonifacio pleaded with Tomas Mascardo who

mercifully intervened...It was possible that one of the motives for raping Aling

Oryang was that it would further humiliate Bonifacio.”

Yntong is Col. Agapito Bonzon, head of the officers sent by the new government

to arrest Bonifacio.

Bonifacio and his brother Procopio were sentenced to death on May 8, 1897,

supposedly on Aguinaldo's orders. Two days after, they were brought to Mt

Nagpatong, where Gen Lazaro Makapagal carried out the sentence and shot the

brothers. This is the widely-accepted ending to the life of the Father of the

Philippine Revolution.

That is, until the 1950s and 1960s, when Ocampo said another narrative from

Guillermo Masangkay, one of the first members of the Katipunan, claimed

Bonifacio was hacked to death with bolos.

“As they did not want to waste precious ammunition they decided to use bladed

weapons.” – with research by Buena Bernal and Nigel Tan/Rappler.com

Sources: interviews with Michael “Xiao” Chua and Virgilio Almario; writings of

Digna B. Apilado, E. R. Azicate, Glenn May, Isagani R. Medina, AmbethOcampo, Zeus Salazar, and Sylvia Mendez Ventura.

Documents

Andres Bonifacio simmered with rage and humiliation.docx