Pedro Alejandro Paterno y de Vera Ignacio
[García Castellón, Manuel. ] (February 27, 1857 – April 26, 1911
[, 993 pages]) was a Filipino politician infamous for being a
turncoat
A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party. In political and social history, this is distinct from being a traitor, as the ...
. He was also a
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
and a
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
.
His intervention on behalf of the Spanish led to the signing of the
Pact of Biak-na-Bato
The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 15, 1897, created a truce between Spanish colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow rev ...
on December 14, 1897, an account of which he published in 1910. Among his other works include the first novel written by a native Filipino, ''
Ninay'' (1885), and the first Filipino collection of poems in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
, ''
Sampaguitas y otras poesías varias'' ("Jasmines and Other Various Poems"), published in Madrid in 1880.
Early life
Paterno was born on February 17, 1857. He was a "child of privilege in a society of limited opportunities." He was one of 13 children born to Don Máximo Paterno and his second wife, Doña Carmen de Vera Ignacio. Máximo was exiled to
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
(then also part of the
Spanish East Indies
The Spanish East Indies ( es , Indias orientales españolas ; fil, Silangang Indiyas ng Espanya) were the overseas territories of the Spanish Empire in Asia-Pacific, Asia and Oceania from 1565 to 1898, governed for the Spanish Crown from Mexico C ...
) for ten years following the
1872 Cavite mutiny
The Cavite mutiny ( es, El Motín de Cavite) of 1872 was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort San Felipe, the Spanish arsenal in Cavite, Philippine Islands (then also known as part of the Spanish East Indies) on 20 January 1872. A ...
and died on 26 July 1900, leaving behind considerable wealth.
[
Paterno finished ''Bachiller en Artes'' at ]Ateneo de Manila
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_affi ...
and gained fame with his conclusion. At the age of 14, he was sent to study in Spain, where he spent the next 11 years at the University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca ( es, Universidad de Salamanca) is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the city of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is th ...
and then the Central University of Madrid (now the Complutense University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...
).[Foreman, J., 1906, The Philippine Islands, A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons] At Salamanca, he took courses in Philosophy and Theology, while at Madrid, he graduated with an expertise in law in 1880. In 1893, he was awarded the Order of Isabella the Catholic
The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...
.[
In 1876, he wrote his first opus entitled ''Influencia Social del Cristanismo'' wherein it shows how he consciously located himself in the metropolitan stream of Spanish Culture. It also unveiled the major themes of Paterno's works to come: law of social evolution, value of reason, human perfectability, and a synthesis of an essentialized "Orient" and "Occident" in Christianity.
]
Biak-na-Bato
At the trial of José Rizal
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national he ...
in 1896, it was suggested that Paterno, along with Rizal, had incited the Katipunan because they had both written about pre-Spanish Philippine history. As evidence for their complicity, the Spanish prosecution cited Paterno's earlier work ''Antigua Civilización'' as promoting ideas which had "consequences both erroneous and injurious to Spanish sovereignty". Nobody moved against Paterno, however, because he was close to a significant number of Spanish officials – both military and civilian – who could vouch for him. Thus, Paterno, like many others of the Manila elite, distanced himself from the events of the Katipunan revolution.
In 1897, the Philippine revolutionary forces led by General Emilio Aguinaldo had been driven out of Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
and retreated northwards from town to town until they finally settled in the village of Biak-na-Bato, in the town of San Miguel de Mayumo
San Miguel, officially the Municipality of San Miguel ( tgl, Bayan ng San Miguel), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 172,073 people.
It is the third larg ...
in Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metr ...
. Here, they established what became known as the Republic of Biak-na-Bato
Republic of Biak-na-Bato is a designation referring to the second revolutionary republican government led by Emilio Aguinaldo during the Philippine Revolution, That government referred to itself as Republic of the Philippines ( es, República d ...
.
In late July, 1897, Paterno presented himself to Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Fernando Primo de Rivera
Fernando Primo de Rivera y Sobremonte, 1st Marquess of Estella (24 July 1831 – 23 May 1921) was a Spanish politician and soldier.
Fernando Primo de Rivera was the son of Antonio Hermenegildo Primo de Rivera y Sobremonte and his wife Ana Ma ...
, whom he had known while living in Spain, and offered his services as a mediator. Because many highly placed Spaniards of the time thought Paterno held great sway over the natives, Primo de Rivera accepted Paterno's offer. He called for a truce, explaining his decision to the Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales (; en, Spanish Parliament, lit=General Courts) are the bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house), and the Senate (the upper house).
The Congress of Deputies meets ...
: "I can take Biak-na-Bato, any military man can take it, but I can not answer that I could crush the rebellion."
Paterno left Manila on August 4, 1897 and found Aguinaldo five days later. This began a three-month-long series of talks which saw Paterno constantly traveling between Manila, Biak-na-Bato, and some areas in Southern Luzon
Southern Tagalog ( fil, Timog Katagalugan, also known colloquially as ''Rehiyong Timog Tagalog''), designated as Region IV, was an administrative region in the Philippines that comprised the current regions of Calabarzon and Mimaropa, the provi ...
where a number of revolutionary chiefs held sway. During the negotiations, Paterno's wife Luisa died on November 27, 1897. In ceremonies from December 14 to 15 that year, Aguinaldo signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato
The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 15, 1897, created a truce between Spanish colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow rev ...
. He later proclaimed the official end of the Philippine Revolution on Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
and left for Hong Kong via the port of Dagupan
Dagupan, officially the City of Dagupan ( pag, Siyudad na Dagupan, ilo, Siudad ti Dagupan, fil, Lungsod ng Dagupan), is a 2nd class independent component city in the Ilocos Region, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
on December 27.
Paterno returned to Manila on January 11, 1898 amidst great celebration, but was spurned by Primo de Rivera and other authorities when he asked to be recompensed by being granted a dukedom, a seat in the Spanish Senate
The Senate ( es, Senado) is the upper house of the Cortes Generales, which along with the Congress of Deputies – the lower chamber – comprises the Parliament of the Kingdom of Spain. The Senate meets in the Palace of the Senate in Madrid.
Th ...
, and payment for his services in Mexican dollars.
Prime minister
Paterno was elected President of the Malolos Congress
The Malolos Congress (also known as the Revolutionary Congress), formally known as the National Assembly, was the legislative body of the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. Members were chosen in the elections held from June 23 to Septe ...
in September 1898.[ He served as ]prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
of the First Philippine Republic
The Philippine Republic ( es, República Filipina), now officially known as the First Philippine Republic, also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was established in Malolos, Bulacan during the Philippine Revolution against ...
in the middle of 1899, and served as head of the country's assembly
Assembly may refer to:
Organisations and meetings
* Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions
* General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...
, and the cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
. Paterno was captured by the Americans in April 1900 in Antomoc, Benguet
Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Benguet; ilo, Probinsia ti Benguet; ), is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the islan ...
.[
]
American colonial period
With the Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
after the signing of the Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France:
Treaties
1200s and 1300s
* Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade
* Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France
* Trea ...
in 1898, he was among the most prominent Filipinos who joined the American side and advocated the incorporation of the Philippines into the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. As the editor and proprietor of the newspaper ''La Patria'', he supported American dominion and gratitude towards Spain, from whence "the Filipinos derived their civilization."[ He died of ]cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
on April 26, 1911.
Legacy and notoriety
Despite Paterno's prominence in the many upheavals that defined the birth of the Philippine nation during his lifetime, Paterno's legacy is largely infamous among Philippine historians and nationalists.
Philippine historian Resil Mojares
Resil Buagas Mojares (born September 4, 1943) is a Filipino historian and critic of Philippine literature best known as for his books on Philippine history. He is acclaimed by various writers and critics as the ''Visayan Titan of Letters'', due t ...
notes that:
''History has not been kind to Pedro Paterno. A century ago, he was one of the country's premier intellectuals, blazing trails in Philippine letters. Today he is ignored in many of the fields in which he once held forth with much eminence, real and imagined. No full length biography or extended review of his corpus of writings has been written, and no one reads him today.
''
Mojares also indicated that his sarcastic and flamboyant attitude, wherein he seeks a high regard in the social hierarchy wherever he goes, invited the criticisms he received.
John Schumacher dismissed Paterno's works as "scholarly" in nature. He remarked that:
''Paterno's "eccentric and ingenious lucubrations" on Philippine civilization undermined the national cause. "Reconstructing a Filipino past, however glorious in appearance, on false pretenses can do nothing to build a sense of national identity, much less offer guidance for the present or the future."
Much of this is attributed to Paterno's penchant for turncoatism, as described by historian Ambeth Ocampo
Ambeth R. Ocampo (born 1961 in Manila) is a Filipino public historian, academic, cultural administrator, journalist, author, and independent curator. He is best known for his definitive writings about Philippines' national hero José Rizal and o ...
, who sums up his career thus:
''Remember, Paterno was one of the greatest "balimbing" (turncoat
A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party. In political and social history, this is distinct from being a traitor, as the ...
) in history (perhaps he was the original "balimbing" in Philippine political history). He was first on the Spanish side, then when the declaration of independence was made in 1898, he "wormed his way to power" and became president of the Malolos Congress in 1899, then sensing the change in political winds after the establishment of the American colonial government, he became a member of the First Philippine Assembly.
''
List of works
*''Influencia Social del Cristianismo'', 1876 pamphlet
*'' Sampaguitas y otras poesías varias'', 1880 anthology of poems
*'' Ninay'', 1885 novel
*''Magdapio'', 1903 four-part opera
*''Aurora social'', 1910–11 collection of novellas
*''Los ultimos romanticos: en la erupción del Volcán de Taal'', 1911
Media portrayals
*Portrayed by Yul Servo
John Marvin Cruz Nieto (born February 22, 1977), popularly known by his stage name Yul Servo Nieto or simply Yul Servo, is a Filipino actor and politician who is currently the vice mayor of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, since 20 ...
in the film, '' El Presidente'' (2012).
*Portrayed by Leo Martinez
Leo Martinez (born March 7, 1950) is a Filipino actor, comedian and director. Martinez was the Director General of the Film Academy of the Philippines before Vivian Velez' appointment.
Personal life
He is married to Gina Valenciano (sister of Ga ...
in the film, ''Heneral Luna
''Heneral Luna'' () is a 2015 Filipino historical biopic film depicting General Antonio Luna's leadership of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War. Directed by Jerrold Tarog and produced by Artikulo Uno Product ...
'' (2015), and its sequel, '' Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral'' (2018).
*Portrayed by JV Ibesate in the hit musical of Tanghalang Pilipino Tanghalang Pilipino (''Philippine Theater'') is the leading exponent of Philippine theater and the resident drama company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines since its organization in 1987. It has successfully presented hundreds of production ...
, ''Mabining Mandirigma''.
See also
*Dolores Paterno
Dolores Paterno e Ignacio (March 10, 1854 – July 3, 1881) was a Filipina composer known for the song "''La Flor de Manila''" (also known as "''Sampaguita''").
Biography
Dolores Paterno e Ignacio (anglicized as Dolores Paterno-Ignacio) was ...
Notes
References
*
External links
Pedro Paterno's Proclamation of War on June 2, 1899
Ninay
The first Filipino novel written by Pedro Paterno published b
Filipiniana.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paterno, Pedro
1857 births
1911 deaths
Aguinaldo administration cabinet members
Ateneo de Manila University alumni
Burials at San Agustin Church (Manila)
Complutense University of Madrid alumni
Filipino Resistance activists
Filipino writers
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Laguna (province)
Members of the Malolos Congress
Members of the Philippine Legislature
People from Santa Cruz, Manila
People of the Spanish–American War
People of the Philippine–American War
People of the Philippine Revolution
Prime Ministers of the Philippines
Spanish-language writers of the Philippines
University of Salamanca alumni