The Treaty of Biak-na-bató
Don Pedro Alejandro Paterno (who was appointed by the Spanish
Governor-General sole mediator in the discussion of the terms of
peace) visited Biak-na-bató several times to negotiate terms of
the Treaty, which, after negotiations extending over five months,
and careful consideration had been given to each clause, was finally
completed and signed on the 14th December, 1897, the following being
the principal conditions:--
(1) That I would, and any of my associates who desired to go with me,
be free to live in any foreign country. Having fixed upon Hongkong as
my place of residence, it was agreed that payment of the indemnity
of $800,000 (Mexican) should be made in three installments, namely,
$400,000 when all the arms in Biak-na-bató were delivered to the
Spanish authorities; $200,000 when the arms surrendered amounted to
eight hundred stand; the final payment to be made when one thousand
stand of arms shall have been handed over to the authorities and the
_Te Deum_ sung in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the
restoration of peace. The latter part of February was fixed as the
limit of time wherein the surrender of arms should be completed.
(2) The whole of the money was to be paid to me personally, leaving
the disposal of the money to my discretion and knowledge of the
understanding with my associates and other insurgents.
(3) Prior to evacuating Biak-na-bató the remainder of the insurgent
forces under Captain-General Primo de Rivera should send to
Biak-na-bató two General of the Spanish Army to be held as hostages by
my associates who remained there until I and a few of my compatriots
arrived in Hongkong and the first installment of the money payment
(namely, four hundred thousand dollars) was paid to me.
(4) It was also agreed that the religious corporations in the
Philippines be expelled and an autonomous system of government,
political and administrative, be established, though by special
request of General Primo de Rivera these conditions were not insisted
on in the drawing up of the Treaty, the General contending that such
concessions would subject the Spanish Government to severe criticism
and even ridicule.
General Primo de Rivera paid the first installment of $400,000 while
the two Generals were hold as hostages in Biak-na-bató.
We, the revolutionaries, discharged our obligation to surrender our
arms, which were over 1,000 stand, as everybody knows, it having
been published in the Manila newspapers. But the Captain General
Primo de Rivera failed to fulfill the agreement as faithfully as
we did. The other installments were never paid; the Friars were
neither restricted in their acts of tyranny and oppression nor were
any steps taken to expel them or secularize the religious Orders;
the reforms demanded were not inaugurated, though the _Te Deum_
was sung. This failure of the Spanish authorities to abide by the
terms of the Treaty caused me and my companions much unhappiness,
which quickly changed to exasperation when I received a letter from
Lieutenant-Colonel Don Miguel Primo de Rivera (nephew and private
Secretary of the above-named General) informing me that I and my
companions could never return to Manila.
Was the procedure of this special representative of Spain just?