TRUE VERSION OF THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION
BY
DON EMILIO AGUINALDO Y FAMY
PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC.
_Tarlak (Philippine Islands), 23rd September, 1899_.
TO ALL CIVILIZED NATIONS AND ESPECIALLY TO THE GREAT NORTH AMERICAN
REPUBLIC.
I dedicate to you this modest work with a view to informing you
respecting the international events which have occurred during the
past three years and are still going on in the Philippines, in order
that you may be fully acquainted with the facts and be thereby placed
in a position to pronounce judgment upon the issue and be satisfied
and assured of the Justice which forms the basis and is in fact the
foundation of our Cause. I place the simple truth respectfully before
and dedicate it to you as an act of homage and as testimony of my
admiration for and recognition of the wide knowledge, the brilliant
achievements and the great power of other nations, whom I salute,
in the name the Philippine nation, with every effusion of my soul.
_The Author._
CHAPTER I
The Revolution of 1896
Spain maintained control of the Philippine Islands for more than three
centuries and a half, during which period the tyranny, misconduct
and abuses of the Friars and the Civil and Military Administration
exhausted the patience of the natives and caused them to make a
desperate effort to shake off the unbearable galling yoke on the
26th and 31st August, 1896, then commencing the revolution in the
provinces of Manila and Cavite.
On these memorable days the people of Balintawak, Santa Mesa, Kalookan,
Kawit, Noveleta and San Francisco de Malabon rose against the Spaniards
and proclaimed the Independence of the Philippines, and in the course
of the next five days these uprisings were followed by the inhabitants
of the other towns in Cavite province joining in the revolt against
the Spanish Government although there was no previous arrangement
looking to a general revolt. The latter were undoubtedly moved to
action by the noble example of the former.
With regard to the rising in the province of Cavite it should be stated
that although a call to arms bearing the signatures of Don Augustin
Rieta, Don Candido Firona and myself, who were Lieutenants of the
Revolutionary Forces, was circulated there was no certainty about the
orders being obeyed, or even received by the people, for it happened
that one copy of the orders fell into the hands of a Spaniard named
Don Fernando Parga, Military Governor of the province, who at that
time was exercising the functions of Civil Governor, who promptly
reported its contents to the Captain-General of the Philippines,
Don Ramon Blanco y Erenas. The latter at once issued orders for the
Spanish troops to attack the revolutionary forces.
It would appear beyond doubt that One whom eye of man hath not
seen in his wisdom and mercy ordained that the emancipation of the
oppressed people of the Philippines should be undertaken at this time,
for otherwise it is inexplicable how men armed only with sticks and
_gulok_ [1] wholly unorganized and undisciplined, could defeat the
Spanish Regulars in severe engagements at Bakoor, Imus and Noveleta
and, in addition to making many of them prisoners, captured a large
quantity of arms and ammunition. It was owing to this astonishing
success of the revolutionary troops that General Blanco quickly
concluded to endeavour, to maintain Spanish control by the adoption
of a conciliatory policy under the pretext that thereby he could quel
the rebellion, his first act being a declaration to the effect that
it was not the purpose of his Government to oppress the people and
he had no desire "to slaughter the Filipinos.".
The Government of Madrid disapproved of General Blanco's new policy
and speedily appointed Lieutenant-General Don Camilo Polavieja to
supersede him, and despatched forthwith a large number of Regulars
to the Philippines.
General Polavieja advanced against the revolutionary forces with
16,000 men armed with Mausers, and one field battery. He had scarcely
reconquered half of Cavite province when he resigned, owing to bad
health. That was in April, 1897.
Polavieja was succeeded by the veteran General Don Fernando Primo de
Rivera, who had seen much active service. As soon as Rivera had taken
over command of the Forces he personally led his army in the assault
upon and pursuit of the revolutionary forces, and so firmly, as well
as humanely, was the campaign conducted that he soon reconquered the
whole of Cavite province and drove the insurgents into the mountains.
Then I established my headquarters in the wild and unexplored mountain
fastness of Biak-na-bató, where I formed the Republican Government
of the Philippines at the end of May, 1897.