The James Logan Courier

Note: Today The Courier begins publishing a serialized history of the struggle for independence in the Philippines, written by Filipino Poet, Author and Activist Oscar Peñaranda, who also teaches Filipino studies at James Logan High School. Look for the next installment next Monday.

By Oscar Peñaranda, Courier Special Correspondent

When the United States Armed Forces arrived in the Philippines on May of 1898, the Filipinos had officially already been fighting a War of Independence against Spain for two years. Their revolution against Spain started in 1896 and by June of 1898, a Declaration of Independence, a revolutionary government, and a constitution for a republic had been established by the people. The elected President of that republic was also the leader of the revolution. He was a fighting president because he also had to wage war as a general (commander-in-chief) of the Philippine armed forces against the Spanish. His name was Emilio Aguinaldo. He could be compared to the United States' George Washington. One difference would be that Aguinaldo had to serve in office and fight the Spanish for independence at the same time!

The person most responsible for the writing of the Philippine Constitution was Apolinario Mabini. He wrote many letters and arguments to the Spanish and U.S. governments defending the Filipino people's right to keep their sovereignty. He also mediated, (or tried to,) many quarrels that the Filipino generals and their followers had among themselves.

How then did the U.S.Americans get into the picture of the Philippine Revolution against Spain? Let us go back two years.

In late August of 1896, Andres Bonifacio, founder of the secret revolutionary society called the Katipunan, stood in front of a large crowd in the hills surrounding Manila (called Pugad-Lawin, Hawk's Nest). He then tore up his I.D. card, called cedula. Others did the same, and the Revolution against Spain was officially under way.

On December 30th,1896, Jose Rizal, an educated Filipino doctor and writer from the illustrado (Filipino Elite) class, was executed by the Spaniards because of his "subversive" and "incendiary" writings of reform. The Filipino Revolution then caught fire among all classes of people–rich, middle class, and poor. Jose Rizal, in his essay "The Philippines, A Century Hence", had warned the United States that the Filipinos would defend their freedom if they (the U.S.) might have intentions of taking it over. Though not corrobarated by evidence, some say he was married in his prison cell on the eve of his execution. That was also when he wrote his last poem, "Mi Ultimo Adios", "My Last Farewell".

Meanwhile in Cavite, 30 miles south of Manila, Emilio Aguinaldo, a young mayor, also took up arms and led a group of rebels.

In May of 1897, because of an ugly rivalry that developed between the followers of Bonifacio and Aguinaldo, Bonifacio was executed by Aguinaldo's men. Meanwhile the revolution against Spain raged and Aguinaldo emerged as its sole chief and leader.

After months of fighting, neither side could claim a victory. A stalemate developed in the war. On December 25, a truce was struck between the two forces. This truce or treaty was called the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Aguinaldo with some leaders allowed themselves to be exiled to Hongkong in exchange for some promised reforms and money.

It was during this exile in Hongkong that Aguinaldo and other Filipino leaders met with some U.S. officials to negotiate a combined effort to oust the Spanish from the Philippines. It was also during this time (1897-1898) that the United States started preparing for war against Spain. (Cuba also took up arms against Spain at this time.) It was also during this period that influential people like Teddy Roosevelt, the newspaper magnates Pulitzer and Hearst, started fanning the flames for war on the United States' homefront. War sells more papers than peace.

If there was one event that sparked the oncoming war, it was most likely the explosion and sinking of the U.S. battleship The Maine on its way to Havana Harbor, Cuba. This happened on February 15, 1898. Until today, no one knows for sure the cause of the explosion that killed two U.S. officers and 264 men. But that event was used by U.S. warhawks to convince the American government to declare war on Spain. The day after the sinking of The Maine, February 16 (February 17 in Southeast Asia), U.S. Commander George Dewey arrived in Hongkong. He had left San Francisco December 7th, 1897, about a month and a half before the sinking of The Maine.

Now we have in Hongkong the principal characters that would later decide the fate of three countries–Spain, the Philippines, and the United States.

Next week: U.S. Warships arrive in Manila

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