Andres Bonifacio formed a secret group called the KKK or Katipunan. Their goal was to bring all Filipinos together and fight for our country’s freedom from the Spanish regime. 

          They believed that by being good and working together as a strong army, Filipinos could achieve independence.

         Originally a secret revolutionary society composed exclusively of men, KKK eventually embraced both men and women in their membership. Women played important roles such as hiding confidential KKK documents and joining secret meetings. They cleverly danced, sang, and celebrated during meetings to avoid suspicion from the Spaniards. But contrary to common misconception, the women of the Katipunan were not relegated to only playing supporting roles but rather were active members of the revolution (X. Chua, personal interview, July 12, 2023).

          They had a safe place to gather in assembly at Melchora Aquino, also known as Tandang Sora’s house. She cared for the injured members and became known as the Mother of the Revolution in our history.

Andres Bonifacio called a meeting in Pugad Lawin, where some leaders of the Katipunan decided to launch the revolution in pursuit of  freedom for the Filipinos. In Pugad Lawin, they tore up their cedulas and shouted, “Long live the Philippines!” This important event is called the Cry of Pugad Lawin and marked the beginning of an armed struggle for Philippine independence led by Andres Bonifacio, with Emilio Jacinto as his advisor.

The term “Cry” is linked to the Spanish expression “el grito de rebelion,” which translates to the “cry of rebellion” or simply “el grito.” This bears resemblance to Mexico’s “Grito de Dolores” in 1810. However, “el grito de rebelion” specifically denotes a decision or call to revolt, without necessarily involving shouting, unlike the Filipino term “sigaw.”

Other important events that followed:

• August 19, 1896 – Spanish authorities discovered the existence of Katipunan.
• August 23, 1896 – Katipunan leaders including Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto tore their cedulas (identification certificates) in  the Cry of Pugad Lawin to signify the start of the revolution.
• August 25, 1896 – Bonifacio issued a manifesto urging people to join the revolution, setting  this day as the start of the revolution
• August 30, 1896 – The Battle of San Juan del Monte took place, also known as the Battle of Pinaglabanan which is considered the first major battle between the Spanish troops and the Katipunan forces in their quest for Philippine Independence.
• August 30, 1896 – Governor-General Ramon Blanco declared a state of war against the first eight provinces that fought against Spanish rule (Cavite, Manila, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija) and placed them under Martial Law.
• September 12, 1896 – The thirteen martyrs of Cavite, popularly known as “Trece Martires de Cavite” were executed.

The revolt spread throughout the other parts of the country, such as Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog region. The Katipunan had a lot of members; from its establishment with less than 300 members, it rose to 3000 members in January 1896. However,internal conflicts within members resulted in splitting of the Katipunan in Cavite: Magdalo and Magdiwang.

Magdalo, named after the patroness of Kawit Mary Magdalene, led by Baldomero Aguinaldo, Emilio Aguinaldo’s cousin. This group believed that a revolutionary government should be established, replacing the Katipunan.

On the other hand, Magdiwang, led by Mariano Alvarez, believed that the Katipunan should remain the government of the revolutionists because its by-laws and constitution were already recognized.

On March 22, 1897, leaders from two groups in the revolutionary government, Magdiwang and Magdalo, gathered in Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon. They wanted to talk about the type of government the country needed and make plans to protect themselves. At first, Jacinto Lumbreras was in charge of the meeting to discuss how to defend Cavite, but this was not addressed. Instead, the leaders decided to elect the officers for the Revolutionary government. Later, Andres Bonifacio presided over the convention. Before the meeting started, he made the members of the assembly pledge that they would all respect the majority’s decision.

The results of the election were:

• President – Emilio Aguinaldo
• Vice-President – Mariano Trias
• Captain-General – Artemio Ricarte
• Director of War – Emiliano Riego de Dios
• Director of the Interior – Andres Bonifacio

Surprisingly, the Supremo got the lowest position while Aguinaldo got the highest despite not being present during the election. This caused disagreement among the members of the assembly, because for Bonifacio, this was an insult to his reputation as the founder of the Katipunan, that the result was manipulated. In addition, Daniel Tirona, protested against Bonifacio being elected because according to him, an educated person should be the one to handle the position. These had caused disagreement among the members that made Bonifacio declare the result of the election null and void.

Despite Emilio Aguinaldo’s absence at the Tejeros Convention, where important elections took place,  he received a notification declaring him as the president of the Revolutionary Government on March 23, 1897. At the time, he remained in Pasong Santol, Dasmariñas, Cavite, to defend the town. After his election despite his absence, his followers urged him to take his oath of office. Aguinaldo, torn between his desire to stay with his troops and fulfill his new role, made the difficult decision to entrust the defense of the town to his brother, Crispulo.

Following this development, Aguinaldo proceeded to Hacienda Tejeros, where the election of government officials took place. The proceedings were presided over by Padre Cenon Villafranca, and Aguinaldo, along with other elected officials, pledged their oath as the new leaders of the revolution. However, it later came to light that Captain-General Artemio Ricarte discovered irregularities in the election, casting doubt on its legitimacy.

In the aftermath of the Tejeros Convention, Andres Bonifacio, who was not present at the assembly, expressed his suspicions about the fairness of the election in a letter to Emilio Jacinto. He believed that the process had been manipulated. In response, Bonifacio and a group of 45 followers convened on March 23, 1897, drafting a significant document they signed and became known as the Acta de Tejeros (the Tejeros Act). This document outlined their reasons for rejecting the election results, indicating their dissatisfaction with the proceedings.

As tensions escalated, Bonifacio and his supporters relocated to Naic, Cavite, where they penned another crucial document called the Naic Military Agreement. This agreement solidified their rejection of the revolutionary government formed at Hacienda Tejeros.

In   an    interview   with   public   historian   Professor  Xiao  Chua   (X. Chua, personal communication, July 12, 2023), he discussed a significant historical document dated March 22, 1948, found in Kawit, Cavite. This document was signed by Emilio Aguinaldo, and it serves as his confession of ordering the execution of Andres Bonifacio, the esteemed leader of the Philippine Revolution. The confession provides evidence that Aguinaldo had ordered the execution of Bonifacio and his brother, Procopio, as recorded in facsimile to select historical books. 

According to the confession, initially, Aguinaldo had intended to exile Bonifacio and his brother instead of resorting to execution. However, he faced pressure from General Mariano Noriel and General Pio del Pilar, which ultimately influenced him to proceed with the execution of the Bonifacio brothers. This document sheds light on a critical chapter in Philippine history and adds to our understanding of the complexities and conflicts within the revolutionary movement during that time.

Following Emilio Aguinaldo’s establishment of his headquarters in Biak-na-Bato, Bulacan province, the news quickly spread, reinvigorating the spirit of the revolutionaries. General Mariano Llanera in Nueva Ecija pledged his support to Aguinaldo during this time. In July 1897, the Biak-na-Bato Republic was formally established by Aguinaldo, accompanied by a proclamation that presented a list of demands. These demands included the expulsion of the friars and the return of their lands to the Filipinos, representation of the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes, freedom of the press and religion, abolition of the government’s power to banish Filipinos, and equality for all under the law.

To govern the Republic, a charter inspired by the Cuban Constitution was drafted by Felix Ferrer and Isabelo Artacho. It was signed on November 1, 1897. This constitution, known as the Biak-na-Bato Constitution, outlined the formation of a Supreme Council as the highest governing body of the Republic. It also enshrined fundamental human rights such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the right to education. Aguinaldo was elected as the President of the Supreme Council, with Mariano Trias serving as the Vice President.

The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 14, 1897, marked a temporary truce between Spanish colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo. Under the agreement, Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries agreed to exile themselves in Hong Kong in exchange for amnesty and cash indemnities totaling 800,000 pesos. The Supreme Council, headed by Emilio Aguinaldo as President and Mariano Trias as Vice President, oversaw the implementation of the pact, with other officials appointed for Foreign Affairs, Interior, Treasury, and War (Agoncillo, 1990). However, despite the pact, numerous Katipuneros, mainly peasants and workers, continued to resist Spanish rule and fight for a sovereign nation. They were not willing to settle for mere indemnities and remained committed to the revolution.

The pact’s provisions included Aguinaldo and his companions going into voluntary exile abroad, and Governor-General Primo de Rivera paying 800,000 pesos in three installments, with conditions related to the surrender of arms and thanksgiving for the restoration of peace. Additional compensation was also promised to non-combatant Filipino families affected by the armed conflict. 

In addition, Agoncillo (1990) stated that despite the pact, the revolution continued as not all revolutionaries complied, and armed conflicts resumed in various provinces.  Many revolutionaries, including Aguinaldo, believed that Spain had reneged on their promises, leading them to purchase more arms and ammunition in preparation for further resistance.

Furthermore, Aguinaldo (1899) himself mentioned that the failure of the Spanish authorities to fulfill the terms of the treaty, along with the denial of the revolutionaries’ right to return to Manila, caused frustration and anger among Aguinaldo and his companions.