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Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippine
Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
", and considered a national hero of the Philippines.. He was a co-founder and later ''Kataastaasang Pangulo'' ( Spanish: ''Presidente Supremo'', “Supreme President”, often shortened by contemporaries and historians to ''Supremo'') of the '' Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan'' more commonly known as the "
Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...
", a movement that sought the independence of the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
from Spanish colonial rule and started the Revolution. Bonifacio reorganized the ''Katipunan'' into a revolutionary government, with himself as ''Pangulo'' (President) of a
nation-state A nation state, or nation-state, is a political entity in which the state (a centralized political organization ruling over a population within a territory) and the nation (a community based on a common identity) are (broadly or ideally) con ...
called ''Haring Bayang Katagalugan'' (“Sovereign Nation of the Tagalog People” or “Sovereign Tagalog Nation”), also ''Republika ng Katagaluguan'' (Spanish: ''República Tagala'', “
Tagalog Republic Tagalog Republic (; ) is a term used to refer to two revolutionary governments involved in the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire and the Philippine–American War. Both were connected to the '' Katipunan'' revolutionary movement. ...
”), wherein "Tagalog" referred to all those born in the Philippine Islands and not merely in Tagalog-speaking regions Hence, some historians have argued that he should be considered the First President of the Tagalogs instead of the Philippines; that is why he is not included in the official list of Presidents. Bonifacio was executed in 1897 by Major Lázaro Macapagal under orders of the ''Consejo de la Guerra'' (Council of War) led by General Mariano Noriel, on the basis of committing
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...
and
treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...
against the government... In retrospective decades, Bonifacio is now considered one of the greatest, most influential and prominent historical figures in the Philippines for his revolution.


Early life and education

Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro was born on November 30, 1863, in Tondo, Manila, and was the first of six children of Catalina de Castro, a '' tornatrás'' from
Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales (; ; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is Iba, Zambales, Iba, which is located in t ...
, and Santiago Bonifacio, a native of
Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
. His parents named him after Saint Andrew the Apostle, the
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of Manila on whose
feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...
he was born. He was baptized on December 3, 1863 by Fr. Saturnino Buntan,
parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
of Tondo Church. He learned the
alphabet An alphabet is a standard set of letter (alphabet), letters written to represent particular sounds in a spoken language. Specifically, letters largely correspond to phonemes as the smallest sound segments that can distinguish one word from a ...
from his aunt. He was enrolled in Guillermo Osmeña's private elementary school and also in ''Escuela Municipal de Niños'' on Calle Ilaya in Tondo. He reached third year in a private secondary school in Manila. Some sources assert that he was orphaned at an early age, but the existence of an 1881 record that has Bonifacio's parents listed as living in Tondo leaves this disputed.. To support his family financially, Bonifacio made walking canes and paper fans which he and his young siblings sold (after they were orphaned, according to the traditional view). He also made posters for business firms, and this became their thriving family business that continued when Andrés and his brothers Ciriaco, Procopio, and Troadio, were employed with private and government companies, which provided them with decent living conditions. In his late teens, he first worked either as an agent or ''mandatario'' (messenger) for the British trading firm Fleming and Company, where he rose to become a ''corredor'' (broker) of tar,
rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the clos ...
and other goods. He later transferred to the German trading firm Fressell and Company, where he worked as a ''bodeguero'' (storehouse keeper) responsible for warehouse inventory. He was also a theater actor and often played the role of Bernardo Carpio, a fictional hero in Tagalog folklore. Not finishing his formal education, Bonifacio turned to self-education by reading books. He read books about the French Revolution, biographies of the
presidents of the United States The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the officeholder leads the executive bra ...
, books about contemporary Philippine penal and civil codes, and novels such as
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
's ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
'',
Eugène Sue Marie-Joseph "Eugène" Sue (; 26 January 18043 August 1857) was a French novelist. He was one of several authors who popularized the genre of the serial novel in France with his very popular and widely imitated '' The Mysteries of Paris'', whi ...
's '' Le Juif errant'' and
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 popularly considered a na ...
's '' Noli Me Tángere'' and '' El filibusterismo''. Aside from Tagalog and Spanish, he spoke some English due to his work in a British firm.


Marriages

Bonifacio's first wife, Mónica (surname unknown), was his neighbor in Palomar, Tondo. She died of
leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...
and they had no recorded children. In 1892, Bonifacio, a 29-year-old widower, met the 18-year-old Gregoria de Jesús through his friend Teodoro Plata, who was her cousin. Gregoria, nicknamed “Oriang”, was the daughter of a prominent citizen and landowner from
Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines. Caloo ...
. Her parents initially disapproved of their relationship for Bonifacio was a
Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
, and the movement was at odds with the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. They eventually acquiesced, and Andrés and Gregoria were married in a Catholic ceremony at Binondo Church in March 1893 or 1894. The couple were married later that day in separate Katipunan rites at a friend's house in
Santa Cruz, Manila Santa Cruz is a district in the northern part of the Manila, City of Manila, Philippines, located on the right bank of the Pasig River near its mouth. It is bordered by the districts of Tondo, Manila, Tondo, Binondo, Manila, Binondo, Quiapo, Ma ...
. They had one son, Andrés, in early 1896 who died of
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
in his infancy.


Early political activism

In 1892, Bonifacio became one of the founding members 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 popularly considered a na ...
's La Liga Filipina, an organization that called for political reforms in Spain's colonial government of the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. However, La Liga disbanded after only one meeting, for Rizal was arrested and deported to Dapitan in the Western Mindanao region. Bonifacio,
Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini y Maranán (; July 23, 1864 – May 13, 1903) was a Filipino revolutionary, revolutionary leader, educator, lawyer, and Politician, statesman who served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the Philippine Revolution# ...
and others revived La Liga in Rizal's absence and Bonifacio was active at organizing local chapters in Manila. He would become the chief propagandist of the revived Liga. La Liga Filipina contributed moral and financial support to the Propaganda Movement of Filipino
reformist Reformism is a political tendency advocating the reform of an existing system or institution – often a political or religious establishment – as opposed to its abolition and replacement via revolution. Within the socialist movement, ref ...
s in Spain.


Katipunan

On the night of July 7, 1892, the day after Rizal's deportation was announced, Bonifacio and others officially "founded" the ''
Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...
'', or in full, ''Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan'' ("Highest and Most Respected Society of the Country's Children"; ''Bayan'' can also denote community, people, and nation).. The
secret society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...
sought independence from Spain through armed revolt. It was influenced by
Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
through its rituals and organization, and several members including Bonifacio were also Freemasons.. Within the society Bonifacio used the pseudonym '' May pag-asa'' (). Newly found documents though suggest that Katipunan has already been existing as early as January 1892. For a time, Bonifacio worked with both the ''Katipunan'' and '' La Liga Filipina''. ''La Liga'' eventually split because some members like Bonifacio lost hope for peaceful reform and stopped their monetary aid. The more conservative members, mostly wealthy members, who still believed in peaceful reforms set up the ''Cuerpo de Compromisarios'', which pledged continued support to the reformists in Spain. The radicals were subsumed into the ''Katipunan''. From
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, the ''Katipunan'' expanded to several provinces, including
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
, La Laguna (present-day Laguna),
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
,
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
,
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
, and
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
. Most of its members, called '' Katipuneros'', came from the lower and middle classes, and many of its local leaders were prominent figures in their municipalities.. At first exclusively male, membership was later extended to females, with Bonifacio's wife Gregoria de Jesús as a leading member. From the beginning, Bonifacio was one of the chief ''Katipunan'' officers, although he did not become its ''Presidente Supremo'' (Supreme President). until 1895. He was the third head of the ''Katipunan'' after Deodato Arellano and Román Basa. Prior to this, he served as the society's
comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...
and then as its "fiscal" (advocate/procurator).. The society had its own laws, bureaucratic structure and elective leadership. For each
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
involved, the ''Katipunan'' Supreme Council coordinated with provincial councils in charge of public administration and military affairs, and with local councils in charge of affairs on the district or
barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...
level... Within the society, Bonifacio developed a strong friendship with
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
, who served as his adviser and confidant, as well as a member of the Supreme Council. Bonifacio adopted Jacinto's '' Kartilya'' primer as the official teachings of the society in place of his own ''
Decalogue The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten C ...
'', which he judged as inferior. Bonifacio, Jacinto and Pío Valenzuela collaborated on the society's organ, '' Kalayaan'' (Freedom), which had only one printed issue. Bonifacio wrote several pieces for the paper, including the poem '' Pag-ibig sa Tinubúang Lupà'' (approx. "Love for One's Homeland") under the pseudonym ''Agapito Bagumbayan''. The publication of ''Kalayaan'' in March 1896 led to a great increase in the society's membership. The ''Katipunan'' movement spread throughout
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
, to
Panay Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and a total population of 4,542,926, as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City of Il ...
in the
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...
and even as far as
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
.. From less than 300 members in January 1896, it had 30,000 to 40,000 by August 1896. The rapid increase in ''Katipunan'' activity drew the suspicion of the Spanish authorities. By early 1896, Spanish intelligence was aware of the existence of a seditious secret society, and suspects were kept under surveillance and arrests were made. On May 3, Bonifacio held a general assembly of ''Katipunan'' leaders in
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
, where they debated when to start the revolution. While some officers, especially Bonifacio, believed a revolution was inevitable, some members, especially Santiago Alvarez and
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
both of
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
, expressed reservations and disagreement regarding the planned revolt due to lack of firearms. The consensus was to consult
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 popularly considered a na ...
in Dapitan before launching armed action, so Bonifacio sent Pío Valenzuela to Rizal. Rizal turned out to be against the revolution, believing it to be premature. He recommended more preparation, but suggested that, in the event the revolution did break out, they should seek the leadership of
Antonio Luna Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta (; October 29, 1866 – June 5, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino army general and a pharmacist who fought in the Philippine–American War before his assassination on June 5, 1899, at the age ...
, who was widely regarded as a brilliant military leader..


Philippine Revolution


Start of the uprising

The Spanish authorities confirmed the existence of the ''Katipunan'' on August 19, 1896. Hundreds of Filipino suspects, both innocent and guilty, were arrested and imprisoned for treason.. José Rizal (José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Realonda) was then on his way to
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
to serve as a doctor in the Spanish colonial army in exchange for his release from Dapitan.. When the news broke, Bonifacio first tried to convince Rizal, quarantined aboard a ship in
Manila Bay Manila Bay (; ) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and ...
, to escape and join the imminent revolt. Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and disguised themselves as sailors and went to the pier where Rizal's ship was anchored. Jacinto personally met with Rizal, who rejected their rescue offer. Rizal himself was later arrested, tried and executed. Eluding an intensive manhunt, Bonifacio called thousands of ''Katipunan'' members to a mass gathering in Caloocan, where they decided to start their uprising. The event, marked by the tearing of ''cedulas'' (personal identity documents) was later called the " Cry of Balintawak" or "
Cry of Pugad Lawin The Cry of Pugad Lawin (, ) was the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire. In late August 1896, members of the Katipunan led by Andrés Bonifacio revolted somewhere around Caloocan, which included parts of the pre ...
"; the exact location and date of the Cry are disputed. The Supreme Council of the ''Katipunan'' declared a nationwide armed revolution against Spain and called for a simultaneous coordinated attack on the capital
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
on August 29. Bonifacio appointed generals to lead rebel forces to Manila. Other ''Katipunan'' councils were also informed of their plans. Before hostilities erupted, Bonifacio reorganized the ''Katipunan'' into an open ''de facto'' revolutionary government with him as Supremo of the rebel army and the Supreme Council as his cabinet.. On August 28, Bonifacio issued the following general proclamation:
This manifesto is for all of you. It is absolutely necessary for us to stop at the earliest possible time the nameless oppositions being perpetrated on the sons of the country who are now suffering the brutal punishment and tortures in jails, and because of this, please, let all the brethren know that on Saturday, the 29th of the current month, the revolution shall commence according to our agreement. For this purpose, it is necessary for all towns to rise simultaneously and attack Manila at the same time. Anybody who obstructs this sacred ideal of the people will be considered a traitor and an enemy, except if he is ill; or is not physically fit, in which case he shall be tried according to the regulations we have put in force. Mount of Liberty, 28 August 1896 – ANDRÉS BONIFACIO
On August 30, 1896, Bonifacio personally led an attack on San Juan del Monte (now San Juan) to capture the town's powder magazine and water station (which supplied Manila). The defending Spaniards, outnumbered, fought a delaying battle until reinforcements arrived. Once reinforced, the Spaniards drove Bonifacio's forces back with heavy casualties. Bonifacio and his troops regrouped near Mariquina (now Marikina), San Mateo and Montalban (now Rodriguez). Elsewhere, fighting between rebels and Spanish forces occurred in San Felipe Neri (now Mandaluyong), Sampaloc, Santa Ana, Pandacan, Pateros, Mariquina,
Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines. Caloo ...
,. San Pedro Macati (now Makati) and
Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
. The conventional view among Filipino historians is that the planned general ''Katipunan'' offensive on Manila was aborted in favor of Bonifacio's attack on San Juan del Monte,. which sparked a general state of rebellion in the area. However, more recent studies have advanced the view that the planned offensive did push through and the rebel attacks were integrated; according to this view, Bonifacio's San Juan del Monte battle was only a part of a bigger whole – an unrecognized "Battle for Manila".. Despite his reverses, Bonifacio was not completely defeated and was still considered a threat. Further, the revolt had spread to the surrounding provinces by the end of August.


Haring Bayang Katagalugan

Influenced by
Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
, the ''
Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...
'' had been organized with "its own laws, bureaucratic structure and elective leadership". For each province it involved, the Supreme Council coordinated provincial councils which were in charge of "public administration and military affairs on the supra-municipal or quasi-provincial level" and local councils, in charge of affairs "on the district or
barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...
level". In the last days of August, the ''Katipunan'' members met in Caloocan and decided to start their revolt (the event was later called the " Cry of Balintawak" or "
Cry of Pugad Lawin The Cry of Pugad Lawin (, ) was the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire. In late August 1896, members of the Katipunan led by Andrés Bonifacio revolted somewhere around Caloocan, which included parts of the pre ...
"; the exact location and date are disputed). A day after the Cry, the Supreme Council was reorganized by Bonifacio with the following: The above was divulged to the Spanish by the ''Katipunan'' member Pío Valenzuela while in captivity.
Teodoro Agoncillo Teodoro Andal Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was a Filipino historian from the 20th century. He and his contemporary, Renato Constantino, were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a Filipino nationalis ...
thus wrote: Milagros C. Guerrero and others have described Bonifacio as "effectively" the commander-in-chief of the revolutionaries. They assert: One name for Bonifacio's concept of the Philippine nation-state appears in surviving ''Katipunan'' documents: '' Haring Bayang Katagalugan'' ("Sovereign Nation of Katagalugan", or "Sovereign Tagalog Nation") – sometimes shortened into ''Haring Bayan'' ("Sovereign Nation"). ''Bayan'' may be rendered as "nation" or "people". Bonifacio is named as the president of the "Tagalog Republic" in an issue of the Spanish periodical ''
La Ilustración Española y Americana ''La Ilustración Española y Americana'' was a weekly Spanish magazine that was published from 1869 to 1921 on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 30th of every month. It was also published biweekly. History The magazine was a continuation of ''El Museo U ...
'' published in February 1897 (''"Andrés Bonifacio – Titulado "Presidente" de la República Tagala"''). Another name for Bonifacio's government was '' Repúblika ng Katagalugan'' (another form of "Tagalog Republic") as evidenced by a picture of a rebel seal published in the same periodical the next month. Official letters and one appointment paper of Bonifacio addressed to Emilio Jacinto reveal Bonifacio's various titles and designations, as follows: *President of the Supreme Council *Supreme President *President of the Sovereign Nation of Katagalugan / Sovereign Tagalog Nation *President of the Sovereign Nation, Founder of the Katipunan, Initiator of the Revolution *Office of the Supreme President, Government of the Revolution Later, in November 1896, while encamped at Balara, Bonifacio commissioned Julio Nakpil to compose a national anthem. Nakpil produced a hymn called ''
Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan The ''Marangál na Dalit ng̃ Katagalugan'' ( English title: ''Honorable Hymn of the Tagalog Nation/People'') is a song of the Philippine Revolution composed in November 1896 by Julio Nakpil at the request of Andres Bonifacio as the anthem of t ...
'' ("Honorable Hymn of the Tagalog Nation/People").. Eventually, an 1897 power struggle in
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
led to command of the revolution shifting to
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
at the
Tejeros Convention The Tejeros Convention (Spanish: ''Convención de Tejeros''; Tagalog: ''Kapulungan sa Tejeros''), also referred to as the Tejeros Assembly or Tejeros Congress, was a meeting held on March 22, 1897, in San Francisco de Malabon (now General Tria ...
, where a new government was formed. Bonifacio was executed after he refused to recognize the new government. The Aguinaldo-headed Philippine Republic (), usually considered the "
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
", was formally established in 1899, after a succession of revolutionary and dictatorial governments (e.g. the Tejeros government, the Biak-na-Bato Republic) also headed by Aguinaldo.


Campaigns around Manila

By December 1896, the Spanish government recognized three major centers of rebellion:
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
(under Mariano Alvarez,
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
and others),
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
(under Mariano Llanera) and Morong (under Bonifacio). The revolt was most successful in
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
, which mostly fell under rebel control by September–October 1896.. While Cavite is traditionally regarded as the "Heartland of the Philippine Revolution", Manila and its surrounding municipalities bore the brunt of the Spanish military campaign, becoming a no man's land. Rebels in the area were generally engaged in hit-and-run
guerrilla warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...
against Spanish positions in Manila, Morong,
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
and
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
. From Morong, Bonifacio served as tactician for rebel guerrillas and issued commands to areas other than his personal sector, though his reputation suffered when he lost battles he personally led. From September to October 1896, Bonifacio supervised the establishment of ''Katipunan'' mountain and hill bases like Balara in Mariquina, Pantayanin in
Antipolo Antipolo, officially the City of Antipolo (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Rizal (province), Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
, Ugong in
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
and Tungko in
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
. Bonifacio appointing generals for these areas, or approving selections the troops themselves made. On November 7, 1896, Bonifacio led an assault on San Mateo, Mariquina and Montalban. The Spanish were forced to retreat, leaving these areas to the rebels, except for the municipal hall of San Mateo where some Spanish troops had barricaded. While Bonifacio's troops laid siege to the hall, other ''Katipunan'' forces set up defensive lines along the nearby Langka (or Nangka) river against Spanish reinforcements coming from the direction of Mariquina. After three days, Spanish counterattacks broke through the Nangka river lines. The Spanish troops thus recaptured the rebel positions and surprised Bonifacio in San Mateo, who ordered a general retreat to Balara. They were pursued, and Bonifacio was nearly killed shielding Emilio Jacinto from a Spanish bullet which grazed his collar.


Bonifacio in Cavite

In late 1896, Bonifacio, as the recognized overall leader of the revolution, was invited to
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
province by rebel leaders to mediate between them and unify their efforts. There were two ''
Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...
'' provincial chapters in Cavite that became rival factions: the '' Magdalo'', headed by
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
's cousin Baldomero Aguinaldo, and the '' Magdiwang'', headed by
Mariano Álvarez Mariano Malia Álvarez (: March 15, 1818 – August 25, 1924) was a Philippines, Filipino revolutionary and statesman. He was the first Municipal President of Noveleta. Pre-war life Álvarez was born in Noveleta, Tierra Alta, Cavite to Se ...
, uncle of Bonifacio's wife. Leaders of both factions came from the upper class, in contrast to Bonifacio, who came from the lower middle class. After initial successes, Emilio Aguinaldo issued a manifesto in the name of the '' Magdalo'' ruling council which proclaimed a provisional and revolutionary government – despite the existence of the ''Katipunan'' government. Emilio Aguinaldo in particular had won fame for victories in the province. The '' Magdalo'' and '' Magdiwang'' clashed over authority and jurisdiction and did not help each other in battle. After multiple letters were sent to Bonifacio urging him to come, in December 1896 he traveled to Cavite accompanied by his wife, his brothers Procopio and Ciriaco, and some troops, including
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
, Bonifacio's secretary and right-hand man. Jacinto was said to be against Bonifacio's expedition to Cavite. The Bonifacio brothers stayed in San Francisco de Malabon (present-day General Trias) during this time. Upon his arrival at Cavite, friction grew between Bonifacio and the ''Magdalo'' leaders.
Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini y Maranán (; July 23, 1864 – May 13, 1903) was a Filipino revolutionary, revolutionary leader, educator, lawyer, and Politician, statesman who served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the Philippine Revolution# ...
, who later served as Emilio Aguinaldo's adviser, writes that at this point the ''Magdalo'' leaders "already paid little heed to his authority and orders.". Bonifacio was partial to the '' Magdiwang'', perhaps due to his kinship ties with
Mariano Álvarez Mariano Malia Álvarez (: March 15, 1818 – August 25, 1924) was a Philippines, Filipino revolutionary and statesman. He was the first Municipal President of Noveleta. Pre-war life Álvarez was born in Noveleta, Tierra Alta, Cavite to Se ...
,. or more importantly, due to their stronger recognition of his authority. When Aguinaldo and Edilberto Evangelista went to receive Bonifacio at Zapote, they were irritated with what they regarded as his attitude of superiority. In his memoirs, Aguinaldo wrote that Bonifacio acted "as if he were a king". Another time, Bonifacio ordered the arrest of one ''Katipunan'' general from La Laguna named Vicente Fernandez, who was accompanying the ''Magdalo'' leaders in paying their respects to Bonifacio, for failing to support his attack in Manila, but the other ''Magdalo'' leaders refused to surrender him. Townspeople in Noveleta (a ''Magdiwang'' town) acclaimed Bonifacio as the ruler of the Philippines, to the chagrin of the ''Magdalo'' leaders, (Bonifacio replied: "Long live Philippine liberty!"). Aguinaldo disputed with Bonifacio over strategic troop placements and blamed him for the capture of the town of Silang.. The Spanish, through
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
Superior Pio Pi, wrote to Aguinaldo about the possibility of peace negotiations. When Bonifacio found out, he and the '' Magdiwang'' council rejected the proposed peace talks. Bonifacio was also angered that the Spanish considered Aguinaldo the "chief of the rebellion" instead of him. However, Aguinaldo continued to arrange negotiations which never took place.. Bonifacio believed Aguinaldo was willing to surrender the revolution. Bonifacio was also subject to rumors that he had stolen ''Katipunan'' funds, his sister was the mistress of a
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
, and he was an ''
agent provocateur An is a person who actively entices another person to commit a crime that would not otherwise have been committed and then reports the person to the authorities. They may target individuals or groups. In jurisdictions in which conspiracy is a ...
'' paid by friars to foment unrest. Also circulated were anonymous letters which told the people of Cavite not to idolize Bonifacio because he was a Mason, a mere Manila employee, allegedly an atheist, and uneducated. According to these letters, Bonifacio did not deserve the title of ''Supremo'' since only God was supreme. This last allegation was made despite the fact that ''Supremo'' was meant to be used in conjunction with ''Presidente'', i.e. ''Presidente Supremo'' (Supreme President, Kataas-taasang Pangulo) to distinguish the president of the ''Katipunan'' Supreme Council from council presidents of subordinate ''Katipunan'' chapters like the '' Magdalo'' and '' Magdiwang''; in other words, while Mariano Álvarez was the ''Magdiwang'' president, and Baldomero Aguinaldo was the ''Magdalo'' president, Bonifacio was the Supreme President. Bonifacio suspected the rumor-mongering to be the work of the '' Magdalo'' leader
Daniel Tirona Daniel Tirona y Tria (July 22, 1864 — September 2, 1939) was a Filipino people, Filipino politician. He became infamous for causing divisions within the Revolutionary government in the Philippines#Historical revolutionary governments, Philippi ...
. He confronted Tirona, whose airy reply provoked Bonifacio to such anger that he drew a gun and would have shot Tirona if others had not intervened.. On December 31, Bonifacio and the '' Magdalo'' and '' Magdiwang'' leaders held a meeting in
Imus Imus (), officially the City of Imus (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
, ostensibly to determine the leadership of Cavite in order to end the rivalry between the two factions. The issue of whether the Katipunan should be replaced by a revolutionary government was brought up by the ''Magdalo'', and this eclipsed the rivalry issue. The ''Magdalo'' argued that the ''Katipunan'', as a secret society, should have ceased to exist once the Revolution was underway. They also held that Cavite should not be divided. Bonifacio and the '' Magdiwang'' contended that the ''Katipunan'' served as their revolutionary government since it had its own constitution, laws, and provincial and municipal governments. Edilberto Evangelista presented a draft constitution for the proposed government to Bonifacio but he rejected it as it was too similar to the Spanish Maura Law. Upon the event of restructuring, Bonifacio was given '' carte blanche'' to appoint a committee tasked with setting up a new government; he would also be in charge of this committee. He tasked
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
to record the minutes of the meeting and requested for it to establish this authority, but these were never done and never provided..


The Tejeros Convention

On March 22, 1897, the revolutionary leaders held an important meeting in a friar estate residence at Tejeros to resume their discussions regarding the escalating tension between the '' Magdalo'' and '' Magdiwang'' forces and also to settle once-and-for-all the issue of governance within the
Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...
through an election. Amidst implications on whether the government of the Katipunan should be established as a monarchy or as a republic, Bonifacio maintained that it should be established as a republic. According to him, they were all in opposition to the King of Spain, and all of the government's members of any given rank should serve under the principle of liberty, equality, and fraternity, upon which
republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self ...
was founded. Despite Bonifacio's concern on the lack of officials and representatives from other provinces, he was obliged to proceed with the election. Before the election began, he asked that the results be respected by everyone, and all agreed. The ''Magdalo'' faction voted their own
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
as President ''in absentia'', as he was involved in the battle of Perez Dasmariñas, which was then ongoing... The resulting revolutionary government established at Tejeros, calling itself the ''Republica de Filipinas'' (Republic of the Philippines) around a month later, was later superseded by a number of reorganized revolutionary governments also headed by Aguinaldo. These included the ''Republica de Filipinas'' of November 1897, commonly known today as the " Republic of Biak-na-Bato", the Hong Kong Junta government-in-exile, the dictatorial government under which
Philippine independence The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
was proclaimed on June 12, 1898, and the revolutionary government now commonly known as the
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
or "Malolos Republic", inaugurated on January 23, 1899 as the ''Republica Filipina'' (Philippine Republic). The 1899 government is now officially considered to be the true "first"
Republic of the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands, with a total area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers, which ar ...
, with the present-day government of the Philippines thus being the "fifth" Republic. Bonifacio received the second-highest number of votes for President. Though it was suggested that he be automatically be awarded the Vice Presidency, no one seconded the motion and the election continued.
Mariano Trías Mariano Trías y Closas ( : October 12, 1869 – January 22, 1914) is considered to be the first '' de facto'' Philippine Vice President of that revolutionary government established at the Tejeros Convention - an assembly of Philippine rev ...
of the ''Magdiwang'' was elected Vice President. Bonifacio was the last to be elected, as Director of the Interior.
Daniel Tirona Daniel Tirona y Tria (July 22, 1864 — September 2, 1939) was a Filipino people, Filipino politician. He became infamous for causing divisions within the Revolutionary government in the Philippines#Historical revolutionary governments, Philippi ...
protested Bonifacio being appointed as Director of the Interior on the grounds that the position should not be occupied by a person without a lawyer's diploma. Tirona suggested a prominent lawyer for the position such as Jose del Rosario. Insulted and angered, Bonifacio demanded an apology, since the voters had agreed to respect the election results. Tirona ignored Bonifacio's demand for an apology, which drove Bonifacio to draw his gun and again he nearly shot Tirona, who hid among the people, but Bonifacio was restrained by Artemio Ricarte of the ''Magdiwang'', who had been elected Captain-General. Bonifacio declared: "In my capacity as chairman of this convention, and as ''Presidente Supremo'' of the Most Venerable Katipunan of the Sons of the People, which association is known and acknowledged by all, I hereby declare null and void all matters approved in this meeting." He then promptly left the premises.


Repudiation of Tejeros election results

On March 23, 1897, the day after the
Tejeros Convention The Tejeros Convention (Spanish: ''Convención de Tejeros''; Tagalog: ''Kapulungan sa Tejeros''), also referred to as the Tejeros Assembly or Tejeros Congress, was a meeting held on March 22, 1897, in San Francisco de Malabon (now General Tria ...
, Aguinaldo surreptitiously took his oath of office as president in a chapel officiated by Catholic priest Cenon Villafranca, who was under the authority of the
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
in Rome.Alvarez, S.V., 1992, Recalling the Revolution, Madison: Center for Southeast Asia Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, According to General Santiago Alvarez, guards were posted outside with strict instructions not to let in any unwanted partisan from the ''Magdiwang'' faction while the oath-taking took place. Artemio Ricarte also took his office "with great reluctance" and made a declaration that he found the Tejeros elections "dirty or shady" and "not been in conformity with the true will of the people." Meanwhile, Bonifacio met with his remaining supporters and drew up the Acta de Tejeros, wherein they gave their reasons for not accepting the election results. Bonifacio alleged the election was fraudulent due to cheating and accused Aguinaldo of treason for his negotiations with the Spanish. In their memoirs Santiago Álvarez (son of Mariano) and Gregoria de Jesús both alleged that many ballots were already filled out before being distributed, and Guillermo Masangkay contended there were more ballots prepared than voters present. Álvarez writes that Bonifacio had been warned by a Cavite leader Diego Mojica of the rigged ballots before the votes were canvassed, but he had done nothing.. The Acta de Tejeros was signed by Bonifacio and 44 others, including Ricarte, Mariano Alvarez and Pascual Alvarez. Then, in a later meeting on April 19 in Naic, another document, the Naic Military Agreement, was drawn up which declared that its 41 signatories, "... having discovered the treason committed by certain officers who have been sowing discord and conniving with the Spaniards nd other offensive acts, had "agreed to deliver the people from this grave danger" by raising an army corps "by persuasion or force" under the command of General Pio del Pilar. The document's 41 signatories included Bonifacio, Ricarte and del Pilar. The meeting was interrupted by Aguinaldo and del Pilar. Mariano Noriel and others present then promptly returned to Aguinaldo's fold. Aguinaldo attempted to persuade Bonifacio to cooperate with his government, but Bonifacio refused and proceeded to Indang, Cavite planning to get out of
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
and proceed back to Morong.


Arrest, trial and execution

In late April,
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
fully assumed the presidential office after consolidating his position among the
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
elite, with most of Bonifacio's ''Magdiwang'' supporters shifting allegiance to Aguinaldo.. Aguinaldo's government then ordered the arrest of Bonifacio, who was then moving out of Cavite.. In April 1897, Aguinaldo ordered the arrest of Bonifacio after he received a letter that Bonifacio had burned down a village and ordered the burning of the parish house and church of Indang when the townspeople were unable to provide the required supplies and provisions. Many of the principal men of Indang, among them Severino de las Alas (a loyalist and supporter of Bonifacio), presented Aguinaldo with several complaints against Bonifacio that the Supremo's men stole carabaos and other work animals by force and butchered them for food. On April 25, a party of Aguinaldo's men led by Colonel Agapito Bonzón and Major José Ignacio "Intsik" Paua caught up with Bonifacio at his camp in barrio Limbon, Indang. The unsuspecting Bonifacio received them cordially. Early the next day, Bonzón and Paua attacked Bonifacio's camp. Bonifacio was surprised and refused to fight against "fellow
Tagalogs The Tagalog people are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Philippines, particularly the Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions and Marinduque province of southern Luzon, and comprise the majority in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, N ...
", ordering his men to hold their fire, but shots were nevertheless exchanged. Bonifacio was shot in the arm by Bonzón, and Paua stabbed him in the neck but was prevented from striking further by one of Bonifacio's men, who offered to die in Bonifacio's place. Andrés's brother Ciriaco was shot dead, while his other brother Procopio was beaten, and his wife Gregoria may have been raped by Bonzón. From Indang, a half-starved and wounded Bonifacio was carried by hammock to Naic, which had become President Aguinaldo's headquarters.. Bonifacio's party was brought to Naic initially and then to Maragondon, Cavite, where he and Procopio stood trial on May 5, 1897, on charges of sedition and treason against Aguinaldo's government and conspiracy to murder Aguinaldo. The jury was composed entirely of Aguinaldo's men and even Bonifacio's defence lawyer himself declared his client's guilt. Bonifacio was barred from confronting the state witness on the charge of conspiracy to murder on the grounds that the latter had been killed in battle. However, after the trial the witness was seen alive with the prosecutors.. The Bonifacio brothers were found guilty, despite insufficient evidence, and were recommended to be executed. Aguinaldo commuted the sentence to deportation on May 8, 1897, but Pío del Pilar and Mariano Noriel persuaded him to withdraw the order for the sake of preserving unity. In this they were seconded by Mamerto Natividád and other '' bona fide'' supporters of Aguinaldo.. The Bonifacio brothers were executed on May 10, 1897, in the mountains of Maragondon. Apolinario Mabini wrote that Bonifacio's death demoralized many rebels from
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, La Laguna and
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
who had come to help those in Cavite, and caused them to quit. In other areas, Bonifacio's close associates like
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
and Macario Sakay continued the Katipunan and never recognized Aguinaldo's authority.


Historical controversies

The historical assessment of Bonifacio involves several controversial points. His death is alternately viewed as a justified execution for treason, and a "legal murder" fueled by politics. Some historians consider him to be the rightful first
President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
instead of Aguinaldo. Some historians have also advocated that Bonifacio share or even take the place of José Rizal as the (foremost) Philippine national hero. The purported discovery of Bonifacio's remains has also been questioned.


Trial and sentencing

Historians have condemned the trial of the Bonifacio brothers as unjust. The jury was entirely composed of Aguinaldo's men; Bonifacio's defense lawyer acted more like a prosecutor as he himself declared Bonifacio's guilt and instead appealed for less punishment; and Bonifacio was not allowed to confront the state witness for the charge of conspiracy on the grounds that the latter had been killed in battle, but later the witness was seen with the prosecutors..
Teodoro Agoncillo Teodoro Andal Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was a Filipino historian from the 20th century. He and his contemporary, Renato Constantino, were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a Filipino nationalis ...
writes that Bonifacio's declaration of authority in opposition to Aguinaldo posed a danger to the revolution, because a split in the rebel forces would result in almost certain defeat by their united and well-armed Spanish foe. In contrast,
Renato Constantino Renato Reyes Constantino Sr. (March 10, 1919 – September 15, 1999) was a Filipino historian known for being part of the leftist tradition of Philippine historiography. Apart from being a historian, Constantino was also engaged in foreign se ...
contends that Bonifacio was neither a danger to the revolution in general for he still planned to fight the Spanish, nor to the revolution in Cavite since he was leaving; but Bonifacio was definitely a threat to the Cavite leaders who wanted control of the Revolution, so he was eliminated. Constantino contrasts Bonifacio who had no record of compromise with the Spanish with the Cavite leaders who did compromise, resulting in the Pact of Biak-na-Bato whereas the revolution was officially halted and its leaders exiled, though many Filipinos continued to fight, especially ''Katipunan'' leaders who used to be close to Bonifacio. (Aguinaldo, unofficially allied with the United States, eventually did return to take charge of the revolution during the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
.) Historians have also discussed the motives of the Cavite government to replace Bonifacio, and whether it had the right to do so. The Magdalo provincial council which helped establish a republican government led by one of their own was only one of many such councils in the pre-existing
Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...
government.. Therefore, Constantino and Alejo Villanueva write that Aguinaldo and his faction may be considered counter-revolutionary as well – as guilty of violating Bonifacio's constituted authority just as they considered Bonifacio to violate theirs. Aguinaldo's own adviser and official Apolinario Mabini writes that he was "primarily answerable for insubordination against the head of the ''Katipunan'' of which he was a member". Aguinaldo's authority was not immediately recognized by all rebels. If Bonifacio had escaped Cavite, he would have had the right as the ''Katipunan'' leader to prosecute Aguinaldo for treason instead of the other way around.. Constantino and Villanueva also interpret the
Tejeros Convention The Tejeros Convention (Spanish: ''Convención de Tejeros''; Tagalog: ''Kapulungan sa Tejeros''), also referred to as the Tejeros Assembly or Tejeros Congress, was a meeting held on March 22, 1897, in San Francisco de Malabon (now General Tria ...
as the culmination of a movement by members of the upper class represented by Aguinaldo to wrest power from Bonifacio who represented the middle and lower classes.. Regionalism among the Cavite rebels, dubbed "Cavitismo" by Constantino, has also been put forward as motivation for the replacement of Bonifacio... Mabini considered the execution as criminal and "''assassination...the first victory of personal ambition over true patriotism.''" He also noted that "All the electors t the Tejeros Conventionwere friends of Don
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
and Don
Mariano Trías Mariano Trías y Closas ( : October 12, 1869 – January 22, 1914) is considered to be the first '' de facto'' Philippine Vice President of that revolutionary government established at the Tejeros Convention - an assembly of Philippine rev ...
, who were united, while Bonifacio, although he had established his integrity, was looked upon with distrust only because he was not a native of the province: this explains his resentment." Writing retrospectively in 1948, Aguinaldo explained that he initially commuted the sentence of death but rescinded his commutation from the pressure of the Consejo dela Guerra (Council of War) including Generals Mariano Noriel, Pio del Pilar, Severino de las Alas, all of which are supporters and loyalist of Bonifacio, among with General Mamerto Natividad, Sr. Anastacio Francisco together with the poet and historian Jose Clemente Zulueta among many others .


Execution

There are differing accounts of Bonifacio's manner of execution. The commanding officer of the execution party, Lazaro Macapagal, said in two separate accounts that the Bonifacio brothers were shot to death, which is the orthodox interpretation. Macapagal's second account has Bonifacio attempting to escape after his brother is shot, but he is also killed while running away. Macapagal writes that they buried the brothers in shallow graves dug with bayonets and marked by twigs.. However, another account states that after his brother was shot, Bonifacio was stabbed and hacked to death. This was allegedly done while he lay prone in a hammock in which he was carried to the site, being too weak to walk.. This version was maintained by Guillermo Masangkay, who claimed to have gotten this information from one of Macapagal's men. Also, one account used to corroborate this version is of an alleged eyewitness, a farmer who claimed he saw five men hacking a man in a hammock. Historian Milagros Guerrero also says Bonifacio was bayoneted, and that the brothers were left unburied.. After bones said to be Bonifacio's – including a fractured skull – were discovered in 1918, Masangkay claimed the forensic evidence supported his version of events. Writer
Adrian Cristobal Adrian Empremiado Cristobal Sr. (February 20, 1932 – December 22, 2007) was a Filipino writer who frequently touched on political and historical themes. Perhaps best known to the public for his "Breakfast Table" newspaper column, he was also ...
notes that accounts of Bonifacio's captivity and trial state he was very weak due to his wounds being left untreated; he thus doubts that Bonifacio was strong enough to make a last dash for freedom as Macapagal claimed. Historian Ambeth Ocampo, who doubts the Bonifacio bones were authentic, thus also doubts the possibility of Bonifacio's death by this manner.


Bonifacio as first President of the Republic of the Philippines

Some historians such as Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnación, Ramón Villegas and Michael Charleston Chua have pushed for the recognition of Bonifacio as the first
President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
instead of Aguinaldo, the officially recognized one. This view emphasizes that Bonifacio was not just the leader of the ''Katipunan'' as a revolutionary secret society, as traditional historiography has emphasized, but that he also established and headed a revolutionary government through the ''Katipunan'' from 1896 to 1897, before a revolutionary government headed by Aguinaldo was first formed at the
Tejeros Convention The Tejeros Convention (Spanish: ''Convención de Tejeros''; Tagalog: ''Kapulungan sa Tejeros''), also referred to as the Tejeros Assembly or Tejeros Congress, was a meeting held on March 22, 1897, in San Francisco de Malabon (now General Tria ...
. Guerrero writes that Bonifacio had a concept of the Philippine nation called '' Haring Bayang Katagalugan'' ("Sovereign Tagalog Nation") which was displaced by Aguinaldo's concept of ''Filipinas''. In documents predating Tejeros and the
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
of 1899, Bonifacio is called the president of the "Sovereign agalogNation" and the "
Tagalog Republic Tagalog Republic (; ) is a term used to refer to two revolutionary governments involved in the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire and the Philippine–American War. Both were connected to the '' Katipunan'' revolutionary movement. ...
". The term '' Tagalog'' historically refers to an
ethnic group An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...
, their language, and script. Historians have thus viewed Bonifacio's concept of the Philippine nation as restricted to the Tagalog-speaking regions of
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
, as compared to Aguinaldo's view of Luzon,
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...
, and
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
(comprising the modern Philippines). In their memoirs, Emilio Aguinaldo and other Magdalo people claim Bonifacio became the head of the Magdiwang, receiving the title ''Harì ng Bayan'' ("King of the Nation") with Mariano Álvarez as his second-in-command. Historians such as
Carlos Quirino Carlos Felix Lozada Quirino (January 14, 1910 – May 20, 1999) was a Philippine biographer and historian. Not only known for his works on biographies and history but also on varied subjects such as the old maps of the Philippines and the culi ...
and Michael Charleston Chua suggest these claims stem from a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of Bonifacio's
neologism In linguistics, a neologism (; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has achieved popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language. Most definitively, a word can be considered ...
''Haring Bayan'' ("Sovereign Nation") as referring to Bonifacio himself instead of his concept of the nation, as was in truth reflected in his title ''Pangulo ng Haring Bayang Katagalugan'' ("President of the Sovereign Tagalog Nation"), sometimes shortened to ''Pangulo ng Haring Bayan'' ("President of the Sovereign Nation").. Santiago Álvarez (son of Mariano) distinguishes between the ''Magdiwang'' government and the ''Katipunan'' Supreme Council headed by Bonifacio. According to historian Chua, the "first President" issue has been confounded by over a century of Philippine historiography most often referring to Bonifacio as "The Supremo" and taking it to mean "The Supreme Leader", thus ultimately taking him to have had dictatorial or monarchist ambitions as opposed to the later democratic and republican Philippine Presidents, when in fact "Supremo" was only a contraction of Spanish ''Presidente Supremo'' - a translation of Bonifacio's actual title as head of the Katipunan in Tagalog, ''Kataas-taasang Pangulo'' (Supreme President) - and based on surviving documents, Bonifacio generally did not call himself by the plain term "Supremo" despite other people's usage, but instead styled himself "Pangulo", i.e. President. Chua further writes:
...even inside the Katipunan, Bonifacio struggled to make people understand his concept of the Haring Bayan not as an individual or a King, but as something else... Haring Bayan really meant the King, or the power, is the people (Haring Bayan), which is basically "The Sovereign Nation"... So when he signed himself as Pangulo ng Haring Bayan past 24 August 1896, that means he intended to be president of a national revolutionary government which aimed to be a democracy.


Bonifacio as national hero

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 popularly considered a na ...
is generally considered the foremost of the national heroes of the Philippines and often "the" national hero, albeit not in law, but Bonifacio has been suggested as a more worthy candidate on the grounds of having started the
Philippine Revolution The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...
.
Teodoro Agoncillo Teodoro Andal Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was a Filipino historian from the 20th century. He and his contemporary, Renato Constantino, were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a Filipino nationalis ...
notes that the Philippine national hero, unlike those of other countries, is not "the leader of its liberation forces".
Renato Constantino Renato Reyes Constantino Sr. (March 10, 1919 – September 15, 1999) was a Filipino historian known for being part of the leftist tradition of Philippine historiography. Apart from being a historian, Constantino was also engaged in foreign se ...
writes that Rizal is a "United States-sponsored hero" who was promoted as the greatest Filipino hero during the American Occupation period of the Philippines – after Aguinaldo lost the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
. The United States promoted Rizal, who was taken to represent peaceful political advocacy, instead of more radical figures whose ideas could inspire resistance against American rule.. Specifically, Rizal was selected over Bonifacio who was viewed as "too radical" and
Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini y Maranán (; July 23, 1864 – May 13, 1903) was a Filipino revolutionary, revolutionary leader, educator, lawyer, and Politician, statesman who served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the Philippine Revolution# ...
who was "unregenerate." Historian Ambeth Ocampo gives the opinion that arguing for Bonifacio as the "better" hero on the grounds that he, not Rizal, began the Philippine Revolution, is moot since Rizal inspired Bonifacio, the Katipunan, and the Revolution. Even prior to his banishment to Dapitan, Rizal was already regarded by the Filipino people as a national hero, having been elected as honorary president by the ''Katipunan''. Other historians also detail that Bonifacio was a follower of Rizal's La Liga Filipina. León María Guerrero notes that while Rizal did not give his blessing to the Katipunan because he believed the time was premature, he did not condemn the aim of independence per se. Leon Ma. Guerrero, "The First Filipino", as quoted in Nick Joaquin's "Anatomy of the Anti-Hero." http://joserizal.info/Reflections/joaquin.htm
Teodoro Agoncillo Teodoro Andal Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was a Filipino historian from the 20th century. He and his contemporary, Renato Constantino, were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a Filipino nationalis ...
gives the opinion that Bonifacio should not replace Rizal as national hero, but they should be honored "side by side". Despite popular recognition of Rizal as "''the'' Philippine national hero", the title itself has no explicit legal definition in present Philippine law. Rizal and Bonifacio, however, are given the implied recognition of being national heroes because they are commemorated annually nationwide – ''
Rizal Day Rizal Day (, ; ) is a Philippine national holiday commemorating life and works of José Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines. It is celebrated every December 30, the anniversary of Rizal's 1896 execution at Bagumbayan (present-day Rizal ...
'' on December 30 and '' Bonifacio Day'' on November 30. According to the website of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts:
Despite the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming them as national heroes, izal and Bonifacioremain admired and revered for their roles in Philippine history. Heroes, according to historians, should not be legislated. Their appreciation should be better left to academics. Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough.


Bonifacio's bones

In 1918, the American occupational government of the Philippines mounted a search for Bonifacio's remains in Maragondon. A group consisting of government officials, former rebels, and a man reputed to be Bonifacio's servant found bones which they claimed were Bonifacio's in a
sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
field on March 17. The bones were placed in an urn and put into the care of the
National Library of the Philippines The National Library of the Philippines ( or , abbreviated NLP, ) is the Philippines' official national library, repository of information on cultural heritage and other literary resources. It is located in the district of Ermita, Manila, Ermit ...
. They were housed at the Library's headquarters in the Legislative Building in
Ermita, Manila Ermita is a district in central Manila, Philippines. It is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of Manila, bearing the seat of city government and a large portion of the area's e ...
, together with some of Bonifacio's papers and personal belongings. The authenticity of the bones was much disputed at the time and has been challenged as late as 2001 by Ambeth Ocampo. When Emilio Aguinaldo ran for President of the
Commonwealth of the Philippines The Commonwealth of the Philippines (; ) was an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States that existed from 1935 to 1946. It was established following the ...
in 1935, his opponent
Manuel L. Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1 ...
(the eventual victor) invoked the memory of Bonifacio against him, the bones being the result of Bonifacio's execution by the judiciary branch of the revolutionary government headed by Aguinaldo. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Philippines was invaded by Japan beginning on December 8, 1941. The bones were lost due to the widespread destruction and looting during the Allied capture of Manila in February 1945.."Philippine Revolution."
Retrieved on August 1, 2009.


Portrayal in the media

*Portrayed by Eddie del Mar in the film Andres Bonifacio (Ang Supremo) (1964) *Portrayed by Julio Diaz in the film ''Bayani'' (1992) and the unrelated TV series '' Bayani'' (1995). *Portrayal by Rody Vera in the musical 1896 (1995) produced by Philippine Educational Theater Association. *Portrayed by Gardo Versoza in the film ''
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 popularly considered a na ...
'' (1998). *Portrayed by Alfred Vargas in the film '' The Trial of Andres Bonifacio'' (2010) and in the film '' Supremo'' (2012). *Portrayed by Mark Anthony Fernandez in GMA ''
Lupang Hinirang "" ('Chosen Land'), originally titled in Spanish as "" ('Philippine National March'), and also commonly and informally known by its incipit "" ('Beloved Country'), is the national anthem of the Philippines. Its music was composed in 1898 by Jul ...
'' music video in 2010 *Portrayed by Cesar Montano in the film '' El Presidente'' (2012). *Portrayed by Jolo Revilla in the TV series '' Indio'' (2013). *Portrayed by Sid Lucero in the TV series ''
Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...
'' (2013) and ''
Ilustrado The Ilustrados (, "erudite", "learned" or "enlightened ones") constituted the Filipino intelligentsia ( educated class) during the Spanish colonial period in the late 19th century. Elsewhere in New Spain (of which the Philippines were part), ...
'' (2014). *Portrayed by
Robin Padilla Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Aziz, is a Filipino actor, film director, and politician serving as senator of the Philippines. He is known as the "Bad Boy" of Philippine cin ...
in the film '' Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo'' (2014). *Portrayed by Nico Antonio in the film '' Heneral Luna'' (2015). *Portrayed by Jhong Hilario in the film '' Unli Life'' (2018). *Portrayed by Eric David in the film ''The Ret. Col. Rodrigo Bonifacio Story'' (2021). *Portrayed by Bullet Dumas in the musical
2Bayani: Isang Rock Operang Alay Kay Andres Bonifacio
' (2021) produced by Tanghalang Ateneo. *Portrayed by Gary Guarino in the film ''
GomBurZa Gomburza, alternatively stylized as GOMBURZA or GomBurZa ("Gom" for Gómes, "Bur" for Burgos, and "Za" for Zamora), refers to three Filipino Catholic priests, Mariano Gómes, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were executed by a garrot ...
'' (2023). *Portrayed by Paw Castillio in the musical ''Pingkian: Isang Musika'' (2024) produced by Tanghalang Pilipino.


Notes


References

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External links

* *
Andres Bonifacio: 1863–1897
United States Library of Congress
The Records of the Court Martial of Andres and Procopio Bonifacio
Full text and online collection of court documents in Spanish and old Tagalog with regards to the Andres and Procopio Bonifacio trial.
The Court-Martial of Andres Bonifacio
English translation of the historical court documents and testimonies in the trial and execution of Andres and Procopio Bonifacio processed b
Filipiniana.netAng Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog
Summary and full text of an article written by Andrés Bonifacio in the Katipunan newspaper ''Kalayaan'' posted i
Filipiniana.net
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonifacio, Andres 1863 births 1897 deaths Executed Filipino people Filipino Freemasons Filipino nationalists Filipino Resistance activists Filipino revolutionaries Katipunan members Leaders ousted by a coup Filipino paramilitary personnel People executed for treason People executed by the Philippines People who were court-martialed People from Tondo, Manila People of the Philippine Revolution Tagalog people