The Malolos Republic

THE MALOLOS REPUBLIC
PHILIPPINES BECAME INDEPENDENT FROM SPAIN

Aguinaldo returned home to the Philippines from
Hong Kong with a plan to form a Filipino
government, wherein he established the Dictatorial
Government in May and the Revolutionary
Government in a month later in order to show the
capacity of the Filipinos for self-government.
Diplomatic agents were sent abroad to work for the
recognition of Philippine independence, but the
United States had decided to take over control of
the Philippines, and by December 1898, the treaty
of Paris between the Spain and the United States
was concluded.
THE DICTATORIAL GOVERNMENT
In the wake of his military victories, Aguinaldo

decided that it was time to establish a Filipino
government.
He had with him the draft of the plan prepared by
Mariano Ponce for the establishment of the
Revolutionary Government the time when he
arrived from Hong Kong, but Consul Wildman
advised him to establish a dictatorial government
first, which could be the nucleus of a republican
government similar to that of the United States.
Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, his adviser advised him

to form a dictatorial form of government probably
because the critical times demanded to have a
strong executive in the government.
Then in the morning of May 24, 1898, he announced
his intention of establishing the dictatorial
government and assuming the command of all
troops in the struggle for the attainment of lofty
aspirations, inaugurating a dictatorial form of
government to be administered by the decrees
promulgated under his sole responsibility.
The decree nullified the orders issued under the

authority of the Biyak-na-Bato republic and asserted
that this government would be temporary in nature
so that when peace shall have been reestablished
and the legitimate aspiration for unrestricted liberty
attained.
TREATMENT OF THE ENEMY
In general, the Filipinos treated the Spanish prisoners

with justice, but at times due to their hatred of their
former masters, they exceeded their enthusiasm
and maltreated some of them.
Aguinaldo issued the first circular dated May 29,
1898 urging people to stop the disgraceful
treatment of the Spanish prisoners.
To maintain peace and order and to suppress
crimes, he issued another decree on June 1
providing that all classes of crimes were to be tried
by competent military tribunals.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
While the government in operation, Aguinaldo

thought that it was necessary to declare the
independence of the Philippines in order to inspire
the people to fight more eagerly against the
Spaniards and at the same time lead the foreign
countries to recognize the independence of the
country.
However, this plan was objected by his unofficial
adviser that time Apolinario Mabini for he wanted
that Aguinaldo would reorganize the government in
order to convince the foreign countries.
On June 5, Aguinaldo issued a decree setting aside June

12 as the day of the proclamation of Philippine
independence.
He commissioned Julian Felipe, a composer from Cavite
to prepare a composition which would be played during
the independence ceremonies.
On the 11th of June, Felipe showed to Aguinaldo the
draft of his composition, which entitled Marcha Filipina
Magdalo, and upon hearing it, Aguinaldo and other
revolutionary leaders adopted it as the official march of
the Philippines.
The said music was taught to the band members of San
Francisco de Malabon so it could be played the next
day.
On June 12, between four to five in the afternoon,

Aguinaldo in the presence of the huge crowd,
proclaimed the independence of the Philippines at
Cavite el Viejo (Kawit).
For the first time, the Philippine national flag , made
in Hong Kong by Mrs. Marcela Agoncillo assisted by
Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herboza, was
officially hoisted and the Philippine National March
was played in public.
Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista prepared the Act of
the Declaration of the Philippine Independence,
who also read it.
A passage in the declaration reminds one of

another passage in the American Declaration of
Independence and then, it was signed by 98
persons including an American army officer who
witnessed the said event.
The proclamation was however promulgated on
August 1 when many towns had already been
organized under the rules laid down by the
Dictatorial Government.
APOLINARIO MABINI
APOLINARIO MABINI
Apolinario Maranan Mabini became the adviser of

Emilio Aguinaldo before the proclamation of
independence.
Born of very poor parents, Inocencio Mabini and
Dionisia Maranan in Talaga, Tanawan, Batangas 23
July 1864.
He studied in a school in Tanawan under Simplicio
Avelino and then transferred to a school
conducted by the famous pedagogue Father
Valerio Malabanan.
APOLINARIO MABINI
He continued his studies at San Juan de Letran and

the University of Santo Tomas, where he received a
law degree in 1894.
Early in 1896, he contracted an illness, probably
infantile paralysis, that led to the paralysis of his
lower limbs.
He was suspected that he was somehow involved
in the disturbance and arrested him, but the fact
that he could not move his lower limbs showed the
Spaniards that they had made a msitake.
So, he was released and then he was transferred to
San Juan de Dios Hospital.
APOLINARIO MABINI
Mabini was noted for his involvement in nationalistic

associations like La Liga Filipina and worked secretly
for the introduction of reforms in the administration
of the government.
Despite his condition, he became the trusted
adviser of Aguinaldo, even though he doubted him
at first.
He was called the Dark Chamber of the President
by his bashers, while his admirers called him The
Brains of the Revolution.
REORGANIZATION OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
Because Mabini believed in order, he prepared a
decree for Aguinaldos signature, and also because
he believed in democratic principles, he inserted in
the decree a statement to the effect that it was
the first duty of the government to interpret
faithfully the popular will.
He wanted Aguinaldo to be surrounded by
representatives close to the people and who know
their needs so that the head of the State could take
measures to meet those needs.
GOVERNMENT
Consequently, the Decree of June 18, 1898
provided for the reorganization of the local
government in those provinces already freed from
Spanish control, and they made electors from
inhabitants who were prominent for their high
character and social position.
They were to elect the town chief, the headman for
each barrio, and three delegates; one for police
and internal order, then for justice and civil registry,
and finally for taxes and property that were
constituted the Popular Assembly.
GOVERNMENT
The chiefs of the towns, in consultation with their
respective popular assemblies, elected the provincial
chief and three councils who were constituted the
Provincial council to propose measures for the general
welfare of the inhabitants of the province.
The decree also provided for the election of delegates
form each province who would constitute the
Revolutionary Congress, which their main function
according to the decree, to proposemeasures
concerning the preservation of internal order and
external security of these islands
GOVERNMENT
In order to secure maximum efficiency in the
implementation of the rules regarding the holding
of elections, the decree providing for the
appointment of a commissioner of the Central
Government for each provinces.
The military commanders who liberated any town
from the Spaniards became automatically
commissioners by virtue of their office.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
The administration of justice was outlined in a

supplementary decree of June 20, 1898, becuase4
of the complex problems connected with the
establishment of courts.
The decree provide that the Spanish Penal code,
when not contrary to the decree of the
government, was to remain in force for the time
being.
The town chief was automatically the judge of the
town.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
In criminal cases, the judge was enjoined after the

investigation of the case to send the accused and
the pertinent papers to the Provincial Council, and
the council ordered the accused to appear in
public for the trial.
The decision of the council may be appealed to
the Commission of Justice of the Revolutionary
Congress.
The civil cases were decided by the members of
the Popular Assembly which could be appealed to
the Provincial Council, which the decision was
temporary.
THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
The dictatorial government lasted only for a month, and

at instance Mabini delivered on June 23 a reason for
changing the form of government to a revolutionary
one.
It was also on the same day that Aguinaldo issued a
decree setting up a Revolutionary government wherein
the title was changed from dictator to president and
defined the objective of the government as the
struggle for the independence of the Philippines until all
nations, including the Spanish should recognize it, and to
prepare the country so that the true republic may be
established.
THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
Four departments were created namely:

Department of Foreign Affairs, Navy and Commerce-
assigned first to Cayetano Arellano but he declined due to
illness and his sympathy was to the Americans, then the
position was assumed by Mabini
Department of War and Public Works- Baldomero
Aguinaldo
Department of Police and Order, Justice, Education, and
Health- Leandro Ibarra
Department of Finance- Mariano Trias
The number of departments was increased to six by
Emilio Aguinaldo on September 28, namely foreign
affairs, war, interior, welfare, justice, and treasury.
THE MALOLOS CONGRESS
In accordance with the decree of June 18 and 23,

Aguinaldo convoked the Revolutionary Congress at
Barasoain, Malolos.
Peace and order conditions in some provinces
were such that Aguinaldo was compelled to
appoint their delegates to the Congress.
Condequently, on September 4, he appointed fifty
delegates to the Congress, in which the number
was increased by 10 on September 10 but this
number fluctuated from time to time.
In the morning of September 15, the basilica of

Barasoain was filled with delegates and spectators
with the Banda Pasig played the national anthem.
When Aguinaldo and his officers arrived the cream
of the Filipino intelligentsia spread out to give way
to the President.
Every time the secretary reads the names of the
delegates as introduced by Aguinaldo, a loud cry
of Viva! was reverberated.
He read a message written by Felipe Buencamino
first in Tagalog and then in Spanish with a loud
cheer and applause from the audience.
In the afternoon, the Congress proceeded to elect

its officers namely:
Pedro Paterno- Benito Legarda- Pablo Ocampo Gregorio Araneta

President Vice President First Secretary Second Secretary
The delegates created the Permanent Commission

of Justice in a Congress meeting of September 17
which in the afternoon, eight committees of
congress were constituted:
Felicitation . Budget
Message . Festivities
Internal regulations . Style
Reception . Drafting and Construction
The first significant act of the Congress was the
ratification on September 29, on the independence
proclaimed at Kawit.
THE MALOLOS CONSTITUTION
Mabini envisioned the congress to be an advisory

board of the President and believed that in such
period as the country was passing through it was
necessary to have a strong Executive.
But the said idea was contradicted by the Congress
when it proposed to draft the constitution and it
came to the point that a modern constitution
answering to the needs of the of times was
imperative in order to secure the recognition of
Philippine independence by foreign powers.
Mabini argued that such a delicate task (framing the

constitution) should be done in a peaceful and quite
mood in order to give the framers sufficient time to
deliberate on the proposed provisions.
He added that the congress was convoked not to frame
a constitution but to advise the president to give him
popular support.
But those things were not materialized for Mabini was a
minority and he was defeated by the majority under
Paterno, and nevertheless he submitted his
CONSTITUTIONAL PLAN OF THE PHILIPPINES, but still he
was overruled by the Congress.
A committee to draft the constitution was created,

with Felipe G. Calderon as its most prominent
member.
With the advise of Cayetano Arellano, a brillant but
unreconstructed mestizo, Calderon drew up his
plans for a constitution, deriving inspiration from the
constitutions of Mexico, Belgium, Guatemala, Costa
Rica, Brazil, and France.
The most tumultuous discussion occurred when the
provision making Catholicism the religion of the
state came up for consideration.
After much heated debates on the subject, the

Congress voted on it and the result was a tie.
Then the second voting conducted which resulted
to the victory of the separation of the Church and
State won by only one votethat of Pablo Tecson.
Article 5. The state recognizes the freedom and
equality of all regions, as well as the separation of
the Church and State.
The protracted discussions that characterized the
Congress on the subject of whether or not Church
and State should be united showed, first, that the
CALDERON TECSON
Filipinos as a people, though up in arms against

Catholic Spain, were not anti-Catholic but merely
anti-clerical, and second, that many of the
delegates learned from the bitter lesson of
Philippine history in voting against the union of
Church and State which, under Spain, was the
fundamental basis of Spanish colonial system.
That decision became the cornerstone of Philippine
democracy and showed not only the nationalism
and democratic orientation of those who voted for
the separation of Church and State, but also their
keen sense of history.
THE CONSTITUTION
The Malolos Constitution is the first important Filipino

document ever produced by the peoples
representatives which was anchored in the
democratic traditions that ultimately had their roots
on American soil.
It created a Filipino State whose government was
popular, representative and responsible with
three distinct branchesthe executive (the
Cabinet), the legislative (Assembly of
Representatives), and the Judiciary (The Supreme
Court).
THE CONSTITUTION
The constitution specifically provided for safeguards

against abuses and enumerated the national and
individual rights not only of the Filipinos, but also of
the aliens.
The constitution is unique for three reasons:
Because of the provisions making the Assembly or the
legislative branch superior to either the executive or the
judicial branch;
Because it provided for a Permanent Commission to sit as a
legislative body when the Assembly was not in session;
Because it established a unicameral legislature.
THE CONSTITUTION
Calderons argument for the omnipotence of the

legislature was that he feared the predominance of
ignorant military elements which was solidly behind
Aguinaldo.
To counteract their ignorance, he purposely
provided for a strong legislative arm, so strong that
the executive would not be able to create an
oligarchy composed the ignoramuses.
In order to check the executive, he created the
Permanent Commission, which composed of the
Assembly delegates, which would sit as a legislative
body when the Assembly was not in session.
THE CONSTITUTION
As to the unicameral legislature, Calderon pointed

out that there was no conflict of interest among the
people to justify the creation of a bicameral
legislature.
Moreover, in a country like the Philippines which
was then emerging from the formative stage, a
bicameral legislature might only lead to the delay
of administrative efficiency, and there were not
enough competent Filipinos to fill the seats of a
bicameral legislature.
THE CONSTITUTION
The constitution as a whole is a movement to the

capacity of the Filipinos to chart their own course
along democratic lines.
In a period of storm and stress, it symbolized the
ideas of a people who has emerged from the Dark
Ages into the light of Reason.
THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC
Owing to the objections of Mabini to some

provisions of the constitution, Aguinaldo did not
immediately promulgate it.
The Congress leaders compromised with Mabini by
agreeing to insert amendments to satisfy the
Presidents closest adviser.
On January 21, 1899, Aguinaldo finally promulgated
the Constitution.
Earlier, on January2, he formed his cabinet as
follows:
APOLINARIO MABINIPresident of the Cabinet and

Secretary of Foreign Affairs
TEODORO SANDICOSecretary of Interior
BALDOMERO AGUINALDOSecretary of War
MARIANO TRIASSecretary of Finance
GRACIO GONZAGASecretary of Welfare,
including Public Instruction, Public
Works, Communications, Agriculture,
Industry, and Commerce
The council of Government (Cabinet), according to
Mabini, belongs to no party, nor does it desire to form
one; it stands for nothing save the interests of the
Fatherland.
On January 23, 1899, the Philippine Republic was

inaugurated at Malolos in colorful ceremonies, in
which Aguinaldo took his oath as the President of
the Republic.
The Malolos Constitution was read article by article,
and the army took oath of loyalty before the
President.
Aguinaldo issued a decree granting pardon to all
Spanish prisoners of war of who were no members
of the Spanish regular army and, at the same time,
granting to Spaniards and other aliens the right to
engage in business within the limits of the Republic.
REVOLUTIONARY PERIODICALS
As a struggling nation, the Philippines had to make its

ideals and aspirations known to all the world so that the
foreign powers would respect and recognize its
independence.
There was a need for propaganda media to broadcast
the ideals and aspirations.
The Revolutionary Government founded its first official
organ El Heraldo de la Revolucion which was changed
to Heraldo Filipino, to Indice Oficial, and finally to
Graceta de Filipinas.
These newspapers published the official texts of the
decrees of the government and, of course, some news
items and Tagalog poems, all nationalistic in content.
The revolutionary propaganda was not limited to

the official publications of the government,
however.
Privately-owned newspapers took up the cause of
the Filipinos and urged the people to unite and to
exert more efforts in the struggle for national
emancipation.
The most famous of these periodicals was La
Independencia, edited and partially owned by
General Antonio Luna.
Other nationalistic newspapers were:

La Republica Filipinas (Mandaluyong by Pedro Paterno)
La Libertad (Clemente Jose Zulueta as editor)
Ang Kaibigan nang Bayan (Malolos)
Columnas Volantes (Lipa, Batangas)
La Federacion(Kabatuan, Iloilo)
La Revolucion (Jaro, Iloilo)
La Oportunidad (Tagbilaran, Bohol)
These newspapers most of which were short-lived, were
unanimous in their policy of fighting for independence of the
country.
They may have been ephemeral, but their effects on the
people were impressive, for they kept alive the sparks of
revolutionary character which gave the Philippines its most
significant and colorful epoch.
EDUCATION
The educational problem merited the attention of the

Filipino leaders.
Owing to the destruction of many schools and to the
peace and order conditions, all schools were closed for
the time being that leads to the Revolutionary
Government to take steps in opening classes as
circumstances permitted.
When regards to this, the Secretary of the Interior
ordered the provincial governors to reestablish the
schools that had been abandoned before, and to
continue giving instruction, Aguinaldo included in the
budget for 1899 an item for public instruction amounting
to P35,000.
EDUCATION
On October 24, a decree was issued outlining the

curriculum of the Burgos Institute that offers
curriculum in Latin grammar, universal geography
and history, Spanish literature, mathematics, French,
English, physics, chemistry, philosophy, and natural
laws.
The Literary University of the Philippines was created
by Emilio Aguinaldo through a decree of October
19, 1898, wherein they appointed professors in civil
and criminal law, medicine and surgery, pharmacy,
and notariat.
DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITIES
In order to persuade the foreign Powers to

recognize Philippine independence, Aguinaldo
created diplomatic positions abroad.
The first step taken was to promulgate decrees
creating committees abroad for the purpose of
carrying on propaganda activities for the
Revolutionary Government.
He issued two decrees on June 24 and August 10
that provided for the establishment of the Hong
Kong Junta whose members were to represent the
Philippines in different countries.
Felipe AgoncilloUSA
Mariano Ponce and Faustino LichaucoJapan
Antonio RegidorEngland
Juan Luna and Pedro RoxasFrance
Eriberto ZarcalAustralia
The Paris Committee (France)and the Madrid
Committee (Spain) were founded with aims to work for
the recognition of Philippine independence by the
foreign Powers.
Agoncillo, accompanied by his secretary Sixto Lopez,
went to the United States to work for American
recognition of the Philippine independence, but his
attempts to secure an official audience with President
McKinley failed.
He sailed to Europe to appeal to the American

Peace Commissioners to give the Filipinos a chance
to be hard of a question that deeply affected their
future, but in this, too, he failed.
He returned to Washington to fight the ratification of
the Treaty of Paris by the Senate, but the Filipino-
American hostilities forced him to flee for his life.
He returned to Paris and there continued his
patriotic, if futile, activities.
TREATY OF PARIS
In accordance with the Protocol of Peace signed on

August 12, 1898, give American and five Spanish
commissioners were appointed to meet in Paris to
discuss the final peace terms between Spain and United
States.
The Peace Commission met in Paris from October to
December 1898 and discussed discussions on legal
points took place in which both sides refused to give in.
Finally, the American commissioners served and
ultimatum on the Spanish commissioners who believed
that the Americans should be gracious and gallant in
their hour of victory.
TREATY OF PARIS
The American commissioners, having been

instructed to demand the cession of the entire
Philippines to the United States, were not in the
mood to humor their Spanish counterparts and
insisted on their main demand, and in a hopeless
manner, the Spanish commissioners finally agreed.
On December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was
signed wherein it provided that Spain would cede
the Philippines to the United States in return for
which she would receive $20,000,000 from the
United States as payments for the improvements
made in the colony.
TREATY OF PARIS
The United States gave Spain a period of ten years

to ship commodities to the Philippines.
The treaty did not go into effect until after the
American senate had ratified it, for some of them
believed that tit was unfair to the Filipinos.
But, due to the Filipino-American hostilities on
February 4, 1899 led many opponents of the
ratification to vote affirmatively, and the vote was
taken effect on the 6th of February and ratified by
2/3 of the majority.
TREATY OF PARIS
The American propaganda made it appear that

the Filipinos fired the first shots, and consequently,
the American senators who were at first against the
treaty now voted for it in the belief that the Filipinos
caused the rupture of Filipino-American relations.
The American propaganda, directed mainly by the
instruments of imperialists, won and thereafter the
Philippines became a territory of the UNITED STATES.
THE FILIPINO-
AMERICAN HOSTILITIES
THE START OF AMERICAN COLONIZATION
The American insistence on the evacuation by
Aguinaldos army of the strategic points along
Manila Bay area, the refusal of the American
military authorities to allow the Filipinos to enter the
city after its surrender, and the American limitation
of the areas to be occupied by the Filipino troops
after the mock battle of Manila, led progressively to
the deterioration of the Filipino-American relations.
This misunderstandings that followed to these
incidents climaxed in the signing of the Treaty of
Paris without consultation to the Filipinos.
Finally, on February 4, 1899, an American sentry shot
a Filipino soldier, resulting in the outbreak of the
Filipino-American hostilities.
The Filipinos fought at a disadvantage, for they had
no sufficient arms with which to fight the enemy.
But it took the Americans almost three years to
conquer the Filipinos.
AMERICAN APOSTASY
It was the Americans who first approach Aguinaldo

in Hong Kong to persuade him to cooperate with
Commodore George Dewey in wrestling the power
against the Spaniards, while it may not be true that
Dewey promised Aguinaldo American recognition
of Philippine independence.
Nevertheless, there was an informal alliance
between Dewey and Aguinaldo to fight against the
common enemy, the Spaniards, which there was a
moral as well as a legal basis for the American
authorities to treat Aguinaldo as an ally.
AMERICAN APOSTASY
But then, the number of Americans in the Philippines

increased in number and in agreeing secretly to the
surrender of Manila that treated Aguinaldo as if he
were an escaped convict.
There was no reason for the Americans not to allow
the Filipino allies to share that hour of glory in the
surrender of Manila, and also ordering Aguinaldo
and his men to withdraw from the suburbs of
Manila after the surrender of the city.
They used Aguinaldo as a tool for their own selfish
purpose, and they came to the Philippines as
enemies masking as friends.
AMERICAN APOSTASY
It was, therefore not strange that Aguinaldo and his

men looked upon the Americans with suspicions,
and in such an atmosphere all that could be
expected was friction.
When, in December 1898, the Treaty of Paris was
signed without even consulting the Filipino people
and their representatives, the Filipino-American
alliance that was forged under the pressure of
necessity gave way to mutual hostility.
MCKINLEYS BENEVOLENT
ASSIMILATON PROCLAMATION
President McKinley pretended at first pretended not
to know what to do with the Philippines, but actually
there were Americans vested interests who
pressured him into taking the Philippines from Spain:
economic interests, naval and marine interests, and
religious interest.
McKinley could not ignore these vested interests
and so he finally instructed the American peace
commissioners in Paris to demand the cession of the
Philippines to the United States.
It is evident that from the outset the American never
really intended to help the Filipinos win their
independence from Spain, for had been otherwise
they would not have sent successive reinforcements
to the Philippines.
McKinley issued the Benevolent Assimilation on
the 21st of December, 1898 which was the first
official indication of American policy regarding the
Philippines.
This indicated the intention of the United states to
stay in the Philippines by exercising the right of
sovereignty over the Filipinos.
General Elwell Otis, who received the proclamation,
set on it for a time in order to antagonize the
Filipinos further, for he knew that they were in a bad
mood.
In order to comply with the presidents order and at
the same time not to antagonize unduly the
Filipinos, Otis published McKinleys proclamation on
January 4, 1899 with some amendments inserted in
such a way as not to convey the meanings of the
original sovereignty, protection, and right of
cession.
FILIPINO REACTION
Unfortunately for the Americans, however, General

Miller, then in Iloilo, published the original text of the
proclamation, which a copy fell into the hands of
the officials of the Revolutionary Government.
The proclamation was immediately subjected to
severe attacks headed by Antonio Luna, editor of
La Independencia, and pointed out that it was
merely a subterfuge to quiet the people
temporarily until measures could be inaugurated
and applied to put in practice all the odious
features of government which Spain had
employed in the Philippines.
FILIPINO REACTION
Aguinaldo issued a counter-proclamation on January 5,

and in a revised proclamation issued the same day,
Aguinaldo protested most solemnly against his intrusion
of the United States Government on the sovereignty of
these islands.
Otis regarded the two Aguinaldo proclamations as
tantamount to war,
He quietly strengthened the American observation posts
and alerted his troops, which the tense atmosphere was
reflected by the evacuation of the Filipinos in and
around Manila to safer places.
On the other hand, Aguinaldos proclamation drew the
masses together with a vigorous determination to fight
the ally turned enemy.
ATTEMPT TO RELAX AND TENSION
Aguinaldo tried his best to relax the Filipino-

American tension for he knew that an armed
conflict with the Americans would necessitate more
and bitter sacrifices on the part of the people and
that not having sufficient arms and ammunition the
Filipino troops would be a terrible disadvantage.
He wrote Otis that there would be a meeting which
the purpose was to work out a plan for the
adjustment of the conflicting political interests of
both parties.
The conference began on January 9 and ended on

January 29.
All through the series of conferences, the American
panel tried to fool the Filipino panel into believing that
they (Americans) were ready to hear and to consider
Filipino aspirations, but in reality, however, they wanted
the conference to continue indefinitely pending the
arrival of American reinforcements form the United
States.
Since the Americans were not enough to fight the
Filipinos, it was necessary for them to prolong the
conference in order to give them time before hostilities
could start.
The conference did not yield any tangible result nor

did it succeed in relaxing the Filipino-American
tension.
On the contrary, the Filipino military officers suspected
that the Americans were merely fighting for time.
Another meeting was scheduled for January 31, but
owing to the increasing restlessness and hostility of the
Filipinos it was not held.
Even though there were efforts exerted to stop the
Malolos Government to stop the hostile demonstration
against the United States, the tension increased with
no hope of relaxation.
Florentino Torres
General Robert
Patterson Hughes
General James Smith

Ambrosio Flores
Manuel Arguelles General Enoch Herbert

Crowder
THE SAN JUAN BRIDGE INCIDENT
Incident followed incident which inevitably led to

the outbreak of hostilities, wherein on February 1, a
group of American engineers was arrested by the
Filipino troops.
The following day, Otis filed a protest with
Aguinaldo and then replied that the five Americans
were not arrested but merely detained.
Aguinaldo pointed out that the Americans were
found well within the Filipino lines and that they
were detained in accordance with the decree of
October 20, 1898 prohibiting foreigners from
approaching the Filipino defensive works.
On the same day, February 2, General Arthur MacArthur

protested the presence of Colonel Luciano San Miguels soldiers
within his territory,
San Miguel ordered his men to withdraw from the

American side wanting to avoid conflicts with the
Americans
The tension seemed to have been relaxed a little
when on the night of February 4, an incident
occurred which led to the outbreak of Filipino-
American hostilities.
At about eight in the evening of February 4, Private Willie

Grayson, with two other gentlemen of his patrol,
advanced ahead of the village in San Juan to ascertain
whether there were Filipino soldiers in the vicinity.
Suddenly four armed men appeared before Grayson,
and said:
I yelled Halt!the man moved. I challenged with another
Halt! then he immediately shouted Halto! to me. Well I
thought the best thing to do was to shoot him, he dropped.
We retreated to where our six other fellows were and I said,
Line up fellows; the enemy are in here all through these
yards. We then retreated to the pipeline and got behind the
water work main and stayed there all night. It was some
minutes after our second shots before Filipinos began firing.
The following day, MacArthur, without attempting

to find out the cause of the firing, issued his order to
advance against the Filipino troops.
The Filipino-American armed class was on.
INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT
The same night, Captain Fernando Grey wired

Malolos saying the Americans had started the
hostilities.
Aguinaldo could not do anything at the moment,
but the next day he sent an emissary to Otis to
convey to the American commander that firing on
our side the night before had been against my
order.
Furthermore, he expressed his wish to stop further
hostilities, and Otis, who was sure of the American
victory, answered that the fighting, having begun,
must go on to the grim end.
Aguinaldo sent a telegram to al local chiefs

informing the start of the hostilities and preparing
the people fro any emergency, and ordered Felipe
Buencamino, Sr. to start an investigation.
On February 7, Buencamino asked Secretary of War
Baldomero Aguinaldo for information regarding the
incident, and then investigations conducted in
which the witnesses were called to testify on what
they knew about the event.
It was found out the senior officers were not at their
posts on that moment, but in Malolos with
Aguinaldo.
It was found out the on February 2 and 3, the Filipino

employees in American ships were dismissed from
service for no reason, and on the morning of February 4
some 200-300 American soldiers boarded two cascos in
Manila and were towed in Cavite.
The American attack on the Filipino troops was sudden
showed that the Americans had planned the incident to
force the issue against the Filipinos.
On the other hand, the American military authorities
made no attempt to investigate the incident, but
instead they ordered an all-out attack against their
former allies.
AMERICAN VICTORIES
With swift strokes, the American army knifed through

Pasig and other towns south of Manila.
In the north, General Mac Arthur pushed ahead
with his columns, bombarding the Filipino positions
with accuracy.
In the battle of La Loma, near the Chinese
Cemetery, Major Jose Torres Bugallon, one of the
bravest officers, fell mortally wounded, and when
La Loma was secures, MacArthur proceeded
towards Kalookan, where Antonio Luna was waiting
for him.
AMERICAN VICTORIES
In the fierce battle that followed, American

superiority in arms once more proved victorious.
Undaunted by his defeat, Luna prepared a plan for
the recapture of Manila, and on February 22, he
marched against the city, burning homes in the
suburbs to create confusion in the ranks of the
enemy.
Two days later, Lunas forces reached Azcarraga
but the Americans fought back and repulsed him
with heavy loses, then Luna retreated to Polo where
he established his headquarters.
THE DRIVE TO THE NORTH
In late February and early March, American

reinforcements arrived from the United States,
general Otis then began his intensive drive to the
north and ordered General Henry W. Lawton to
take the offensive in the south.
Polo (present-day Valenzuela City)was taken,
followed by the town along the Manila-Dagupan
Railway, until March 30 the American army was
knocking at the gates of Malolos.
Aguinaldo government had evacuated Malolos
and established its headquarters in San Isidro,
Nueva Ecija.
MacArthur wanted to pursue Aguinaldo, but Otis

ordered him to take a rest in Malolos.
Meanwhile General Lawton moved swiftly to the
south and captured the Cavite towns of Zapote,
Bacoor, and Dasmarias, then General Wheaton
successfully captured Las Pias and Paraaque, in
Morong, and then Santa Cruz, Paete, and other
towns of Laguna.
But not most of the time that the Americans were
victorious, when Colonel Egbert was killed at Polo.
Another defeat of the Americans took place in

Quingua (Plaridel, Bulacan) on April 23, 1899where
the American cavalry under Major Bell suffered
defeat in the hands of General Gregorio del Pilar.
General Lawton was killed in the Battle of San
Mateo on the 18th December, 1899.
But the Filipino victories were not sufficient to turn
the tide against the Americans for the Filipino troops
were poorly trained, poorly armed, poorly fed, and
had no discipline.
THE FALL OF MABINI
Mabini, as the president of the Cabinet, was the most

powerful man behind Aguinaldo.
When the Americans, through Schurmann Commission
announced the policy of the American government of
extending its sovereignty over the Philippines, Mabini
urged the Filipinos to continue the bitter struggle for
independence.
On May 5, Secretary of State John Hay cabled the
Schurmann Commission authorizing it to offer autonomy
to the Filipinos, which Paterno and Buencamino
wavered and accepted the offer of autonomy, but
Mabini stood for independence under the Protection of
the United States
THE FALL OF MABINI
Believing more in autonomy than in influence under

the circumstance, the influential members of the
Assembly passed a resolution to Aguinaldo to
repudiate Mabinis independence stand and
relieve him as the president of the Cabinet.
Under this pressure, on 7th May, 1899, Aguinaldo
wrote Mabini notifying him of the formation of a
new Cabinet under Paterno, and on the next day
Mabini congratulated Aguinaldo on his wise
political measure.
THE FALL OF MABINI
With the resignation of Mabini, there was a

reorganization of the executive arm wherein, seven
departments were created:
Foreign affairs
Treasury
Interior
War and Navy
Communications and Public Works
Public Instruction
Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce
Pedro A. Paterno President
Felipe Buencamino Foreign Affiars
Severino de las Alas Interior
Mariano Trias War and Navy
Hugo Ilagan Treasury
Aguedo Velarde Public Instruction

Maximo Molo Communication and Public Works
Leon Ma. Guerrero Industry, Agriculture, and Commerce

THE ASSASSINATION OF ANTONIO
LUNA
Of all the Filipino soldiers of the period, Antonio Luna
was the best prepared to fight the American
enemy for he was educated in Europe and studied
a little of military science and tactics.
But Nature endowed him with an unruly temper that
made men fear and hate him.
When the Filipino-American armed clash broke out,
he saw the necessity of instilling discipline into the
minds of the men, most of whom were peasants or
no training at all.
LUNA
His plans of recapture of Manila was brilliantly
conceived, but lack of cooperation from the Kawit
Company, who insisted that they took only orders from
Aguinaldo, led to disastrous results.
He recommended to Aguinaldo that the Kawit
Company be disarmed for military insubordination, But
Aguinaldo did not follow his advice.
In several instances during the hostilities, Luna showed his
terrible temper, such as burning of the houses occupied
by the Americans, shooting the civilians who violated
military rules, and even the arrest of Cabinet members
who disagreed with him in political matters.
LUNA
Hew slapped Felipe Buencamino, Sr. and accused
his son, Joaquin of cowardice, and even Mabini,
peaceful man that he was, complained against
Luna and even suggested to Aguinaldo that the
tempestuous general be replaced.
Early in June 1899 when Luna was at Bayambang,
Pangasinan, preparing the defense for the
expected battle with the enemy, he received a
telegram asking him to see Aguinaldo at his
headquarters in Kabanatuan together with his aide,
Colonel Francisco Roman and some of his soldiers.
LUNA
Upon arrival, he saw one of the guards who was a
member of Kawit Company whom Luna had earlier
recommended for punsihment, then he slapped
him and went immediately upstairs.
Then, he found Buencamino, whom he hated so
much and heated words were exchanged
between the two until it came to the point that he
insulted Buencamino and Aguinaldo as well.
A rifle report was heard and Luna was rushed
donwstairs to upbraid the soldier who fired the shot.
LUNA
Near the stairs, a group of men belonging to the
Kawit Company ganged up on him, stabbed him
with daggers and fired him.
Luna retreated to the street, whipped his pistol and
and fired, but missed his target.
Colonel Roman came to rescue, but, he too was
moved down.
Luna fell on the convent yard, muttering:
COWARDS! ASSASSINS!
He received no less than 40 wounds.
AMERICAN CONQUEST OF THE
VISAYAS
Meanwhile, Otis instructed General Miller to attack
Iloilo, while the latter demanded the surrender of
the city, but the Filipino patriots, headed by General
Martin Delgado refused and instead decided to
fight.
Fighting against heavy odds, Delgado ordered the
burning of the city to prevent the enemy from using
it as a base of operations.
On February 20, Jaro fell into the hands of the
Americans, Sta. Barbara on the 14th, Oton on the
19th, and Mandurriao on the 20th.
AMERICAN CONQUEST OF THE
VISAYAS
Having subdued Iloilo, Miller sent an American
warship to Cebu to demand its surrender and it fell
in the hands of the Americans on February 22 as
they designated Lt. Col. Thomas H. Hamer as the
military governor of the province.
The occupation of Cebu was not as peaceful as it
seemed for the dissatisfied guerillas murdered
Filipinos who surrendered Cebu without a fight and
harassed the American soldiers by guerilla tactics.
Arcadio Maxilom and Leandro Fullon threatened
with death all those who collaborated and would
collaborate with the enemy.
THE NEGROS CONSTITUTION
Americans easily occupied Negros because the

Negrenses sympathized with the Americans and
consequently raised the American flag the time when
Iloilo was taken.
A committee composed of prominent Negrenses arrived
in Manila on February 21 to ask Otis to allow them to arm
a battalion for the maintenance of peace and order in
the island.
Otis took advantage of that unusual act and granted
them their request provided that the island would be
placed under an American military governor, and on
March 1, Otis issued an order providing for the creation
of a military district composed of Panay, Cebu, and
Negros which was known as the Visayas Military District.
THE NEGROS CONSTITUTION
The Negrenses were allowed to meet in convention

to frame their own constitution known as the
Negros Constitution which was submitted to
President McKinley on July 20.
However, he did not take it seriously, nevertheless
the constitution became the basis to administer its
civil matters under which the people may enjoy
the largest measure of civil liberty compatible with
prevailing conditions and which shall conform to
their desire
THE BATES TREATY
The Americans were very diplomatic and cheerful in

dealing with the Muslims, and in an attempt to win
them over, the Americans appointed General John
C. Bates to negotiate a treaty with the Sultan by
which the Muslims and the Americans could co-
exist peacefully.
There was, therefore, no attempt on the part of the
Americans to conquer the Muslims, for they know
that they would have a big fight on their hands of
they made such an attempt.
THE BATES TREATY
With the consummate skill, General Bates patiently

negotiated with the Sultan of Jolo, who was known
for his traditional rights and powers, claimed that
the Americans should not be allowed to occupy
any point in Jolo except the town of Jolo and that
the Sultan should continue to collect duties at
points not occupied by the Americans.
After the protracted negotiation, a treaty known as
the Bates Treaty was signed on August 20 which
provided the sovereignty of the United States over
the whole archipelago of Jolo and its
dependencies is declared and acknowledged
THE BATES TREATY
that the rights and dignities of His Highness the Sultan

and his datus shall be fully respected, that the Muslims
shall not be interpreted with on account of their
religion, and that no one shall be persecuted on
account of his religious beliefs.
The domestic products of the archipelago of Jolo, when
carried on by the sultan and his people within any part
of the Philippine Islands, and when conducted under the
American flag, shall be free, unlimited, and undutiable,
and the sultan and his men must be paid monthly in
Mexican Dollars.
With the conclusion of this treaty, the Americans
succeeded in neutralizing the Muslims in their drive to
pacify the Christian Filipinos.
AGUINALDO FLEES TO THE
MOUNTAINS
With the assassination of Luna, the bulk of the Filipino
troops became demoralized, for Luna had some
followers in the revolutionary camp.
Not long after the bloody incident, many army officers
surrendered to the enemy, thus making it difficult for
Aguinaldo to maintain his army intact, and because of
that Otis, taking advantage of the confusion in the
Filipino ranks, decided to trap Aguinaldo in Angeles,
Pampanga.
He sent battle-seasoned troops to Lingayen Gulf to cut
off Aguinaldos retreat and at the same time, he
ordered MacArthur to force Aguinaldo to move north
into the waiting arms of the American forces.
MOUNTAINS
The American offensive began on October 12, and
Aguinaldo, finding himself in a precarious situation,
moved his capital to Tarlac.
When the enemy advanced he moved his capital
to Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, then transferred to
Bayambang, Pangasinan leaving the Americans
clueless of his whereabouts, until they decided to
spread on all directions to trap him.
Aguinaldo and his colleagues bounded towards
north boarded on a train to Calasiao, Pangasinan,
making sure that he would not be captured by the
Americans.
MOUNTAINS
Aguinaldo and colleagues marched through
valleys, fields, rivers, and hillsides day and night,
stopping only here and there for brief moments of
rests.
Realizing the disadvantage of having women,
Aguinaldo decided to surrender them, and on
Christmas Day, 1899, women together with army
officer escorts, they surrendered to the American
army.
Aguinaldo continued his march to Tierra Virgen,
Cagayan, and on September 6, 1900, reached
Palanan, Isabela.
THE BATTLE OF PASONG TIRAD
In Aguinaldos flight to the north, his rear guard

commander, General Gregorio del Pilar, noted the
advantageous terrain of Pasong Tirad.
He suggested that in order to halt the Americans
temporarily he would stay behind and make a last
stand at the Pass, and thought that such a battle
would necessarily delay the Americans and give
distance between him and the pursuing enemy.
Aguinaldo approved the suggestion of del Pilar with
much regret, for the young del Pilar, the boy
general of the armed forces, had been loyal to
him.
Pasong Tirad was 4,500 feet high and commanded

a good view for miles around, which the trail was so
narrow that only one man could clamber up the hill.
Del Pilar ordered his sixty men to build trenches on
both shoulders of the pass where they could see the
movement of the enemy below.
At 10 oclock in the evening of December 1, 1899,
Aguinaldo received Del Pilars report that the
Americans had arrived at the town of Concepcion,
due to the fact that the only way to end the Filipino
resistance to them was the capture of Aguinaldo.
In the morning of December 2, 1899, Major March

proceeded with his men, about 300 strong against
Pasong Tirad.
From atop the Pass, the Filipino defenders fired at the
advancing enemy, who had not so far pinpointed the
exact position of the Filipinos.
Through a Christian Igorot, Janaurio Galut, the
Americans found a secret trail to the top and using it to
advantage surprised Del Pilar and his men.
It was about 11:30 in the morning and the sun mercilessly
beating down upon the bodies of the dead and the
wounded, and in a matter of minutes, the Filipino
defenders were overcome by the enemy.
Del Pilar, wounded in the shoulder, ordered his remaining

men to escape, and storve to escape by a narrow trail,
but as he mounted his white horse a Krag rifle rang out
through the neck and the Americans rushed headlong
and captured the soldier holding the reins of Del Pilars
horse.
They looted the dead body for souvenir, and left by the
roadside for two days until its odor forced Igorots to
cover it with dirt.
The afternoon of the battle, Aguinaldo received the
fatal news, and as one of the soldiers said in his diary,
shed bitter tears and all wanted to fight the
Americans.
THE CAPTURE OF AGUINALDO
With the Philippine army bereft of its leader and symbol,

many Filipino soldiers and officers found it convenient to
surrender to the enemy.
At the same time, the Americans conducted an
intensive campaign of propaganda to win over the
Filipino to their side and used the members of the
Filipinos in the middle and upper class to campaign for
peaceful existence under the Americans.
Dutifully, the Filipino collaborators, tired of carnage and
disturbance and wanting to continue their exalted
position under the American regime, appealed to the
guerillas to give up their arms and live peacefully under
the blessings of the America.
Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera founded the

newspaper La Democracia whose policy was
based on what he termed the fraternal feelings
which the President of the United States and the
American people have toward the Filipinos.
Colonel Ferdinand Funston, station in Nueve Ecija,
was planning the capture of Aguinaldo.
His men had earlier accepted the surrender of
Cecilio Seguismundo, Aguinaldos messenger had
decoded some letters of Aguinaldo to his field
generals.
Funston employed some Macaebes and two former

officers Lazaro Segovia and Hilario Tal Placido in the
Filipino army to help put his plan into execution, and with
reluctant blessing of General MacArthur, Funston and his
co-conspirators sailed to Palanan on the American
warship Vicksburg.
He ordered of forging the signature of General Urbano
Lacuna, to whom Aguinaldo wrote an order to send
reinforcements to Palanan, and made it appear that
Lacuna was sending the needed reinforcements to
Aguinaldo, and after days of hardships, Funston and his
American companions, pretending to be captives of the
Macabebes, arrived in Palanan on March 23, 1901.
Aguinaldo and his men met the Filipinos joyfully and

even gave them food and shelter, but without any
warning the Macabebes turned against their
countrymen, and Tal Placido grabbed Aguinaldo
from behind, but he was fell on his stomach due to
firing.
Segovia began firing like a mad man, and Colonel
Simeon Villa shielded Aguinaldo from the bullets,
and as Aguinaldo was about to whip his pistol to
fight back, Dr. Santiago Barcelona held him by arms
saying: My General, you owe it to our people to
live and continue fighting for freedom.
Funston and his American companions entered the

room and arrested Aguinaldo in the name of the
United States Government, and brought him to
Manila.
He took an oath of allegiance to the United States
of America on April 1, and on April 19, in a
proclamation issued, he appealed to all Filipinos to
accept the sovereignty of the United States.
BARBAROUS ACTS
War has always been uncivilized, and although its

weapons have vastly improved with the advance
of science, its techniques have not changed
radically from those of less civilized ages.
In almost all cases, brutality as an instrument to
weaken an enemys resistance is practiced on both
sides of the fence, and the Filipino-American war
not an exception, particularly because the
combatants belonged to two different races and
civilizations.
BARBAROUS ACTS
In judging Filipino brutality, however, one must

remember that the Filipinos, having been the
victims of American apostasy and imperialist
designs disguised as benevolent and altruistic,
have little to answer for their behavior towards the
Americans, for they considered the latter not only
as traitors to their cause, but also as interlopers and
obstacle to their legitimate desire for freedom and
independence.
BARBAROUS ACTS
The sources for a knowledge of these brutalities

came from Filipino participants and eye-witnesses
and from the Americans themselves who, in a
moment of moral agony, divulged the details and
particulars of American brutalities in letters to their
parents and friends and in testimonies before
American investigating bodies.
When the American military found to their
discomfiture that the Filipinos were a stubborn
people, they resorted to extreme measures to
soften the Filipinos will to fight.
BARBAROUS ACTS
In their desperation, the American soldiers turned

arsonists burning whole towns in order to force the
guerillas to the open.
One such infamous case of extreme barbarity
occurred in the town of Balangiga, Samar in 1901-
1902.
Balangiga was a peaceful little port on the southern
tip of Samar, but it was garrisoned by the Americans
who could no pinpoint the nerve-center of guerilla
activities of the town.
BARBAROUS ACTS
One morning when the Americans were busy taking their

breakfast when suddenly they were attacked by Filipinos
in their employ, and the time when the church bell rang,
soon about 180 Filipinos fell upon the Americans many of
whom were killed instantly.
Some Americans were tried to escaped but they were
boloed to death and some were hacked from nose to
throat, until such point that this incident gave rise to
painful cries throughout the United States.
President Theodore Roosevelt gave orders to pacify
Samar, and assigned General Jake Smith to do the
task of pacification.
BARBAROUS ACTS
General Smith wanted no prisoners instead he

ordered his men to turn Samar into a howling
wilderness for he ordered the burning of the houses
and killing of the citizens, and he would be pleased
if his men kill and burn more.
Everybody was killed including boys ten years of
age for they were capable of carrying rifles and
bolos, but this incident made the Americans
touched their conscience.
General Smith was court-martialed and retired from
his service.
BARBAROUS ACTS
Brutality, however was not an American monopoly

for the Filipinos, too, fighting with their back to the
wall to preserve what was legitimately their own,
equaled and, in some cases, exceeded the
American sergeants penchant for blood.
Thus the brutality of the conqueror or, as an old
veteran of the revolution called, the interloper, was
matched by Filipino brutality.
END OF THE RESISTANCE
Though thousands of Filipino soldiers surrendered as

a result of the American peace propaganda and
their brutal treatment of the captured guerillas,
some military commanders refused to lay down
their arms.
General Miguel Malvar took over the leadership of
the Filipino government or what remained of it and
harassed the Americans by his guerillas tactics.
In Samar, General Vicente Lukban resorted to
ambushing American soldiers and withdrawing after
killing and wounding them.
Angered at this tactic, General Jacob Smith ordered the

massacre of all men and children, but the relentless
campaign of the Americans led to the capture of
Lukban on February 27, 1902.
Two months later, General Malvar of Batangas
surrendered to the enemy, and the resistance
movement now completely collapsed.
It was true that some patriotic Filipinos, led by Macario
Sakay, continued the resistance and even establishing a
Tagalog Republic with headquarters in the Sierra
Madre near Manila, but his resistance was not serious
enough to endanger the American rule.
The capture of Aguinaldo ended an era and, at the

same time opened another.
Behind him, he left the ashes of a past that became
embedded in the memory as the fanatical struggle
of an enslaved people to win freedom and
independence through blood and tears.
THE END OF FINAL TERM IN SOCIAL
SCIENCE 102
POINTERS FOR THE FINAL EXAM
INSTITUTIONAL IMPACTS OF THE SPANISH COLONIAL RULE
FROM INDIO TO FILIPINO
REFORM AND REVOLUTION
THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION: FIRST PHASE
THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION: SECOND PHASE
MALOLOS REPUBLIC
THE FILIPINO-AMERICAN HOSTILITIES
IMPORTANT DATES:
FINAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULE: MARCH 22, 2016 AT 2:00-3:00
PM
DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION OF PROJECTS: MARCH 22, 2016 AT
2:00-3:00 PM

The Malolos Republic

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Malolos Republic

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Malolos Republic

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE MALOLOS REPUBLIC

PHILIPPINES BECAME INDEPENDENT FROM SPAIN

In the wake of his military victories, Aguinaldo

Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, his adviser advised him

The decree nullified the orders issued under the

In general, the Filipinos treated the Spanish prisoners

While the government in operation, Aguinaldo

On June 5, Aguinaldo issued a decree setting aside June

On June 12, between four to five in the afternoon,

A passage in the declaration reminds one of

Apolinario Maranan Mabini became the adviser of

He continued his studies at San Juan de Letran and

Mabini was noted for his involvement in nationalistic

The administration of justice was outlined in a

In criminal cases, the judge was enjoined after the

The dictatorial government lasted only for a month, and

Four departments were created namely:

In accordance with the decree of June 18 and 23,

In the morning of September 15, the basilica of

In the afternoon, the Congress proceeded to elect

Pedro Paterno- Benito Legarda- Pablo Ocampo Gregorio Araneta

The delegates created the Permanent Commission

Mabini envisioned the congress to be an advisory

Mabini argued that such a delicate task (framing the

A committee to draft the constitution was created,

After much heated debates on the subject, the

Filipinos as a people, though up in arms against

The Malolos Constitution is the first important Filipino

The constitution specifically provided for safeguards

Calderons argument for the omnipotence of the

As to the unicameral legislature, Calderon pointed

The constitution as a whole is a movement to the

Owing to the objections of Mabini to some

APOLINARIO MABINIPresident of the Cabinet and

On January 23, 1899, the Philippine Republic was

As a struggling nation, the Philippines had to make its

The revolutionary propaganda was not limited to

Other nationalistic newspapers were:

The educational problem merited the attention of the

On October 24, a decree was issued outlining the

In order to persuade the foreign Powers to

He sailed to Europe to appeal to the American

In accordance with the Protocol of Peace signed on

The American commissioners, having been

The United States gave Spain a period of ten years

The American propaganda made it appear that

It was the Americans who first approach Aguinaldo

But then, the number of Americans in the Philippines

It was, therefore not strange that Aguinaldo and his

Unfortunately for the Americans, however, General

Aguinaldo issued a counter-proclamation on January 5,

Aguinaldo tried his best to relax the Filipino-

The conference began on January 9 and ended on

The conference did not yield any tangible result nor

General James Smith

Manuel Arguelles General Enoch Herbert

Incident followed incident which inevitably led to

On the same day, February 2, General Arthur MacArthur

San Miguel ordered his men to withdraw from the