WAS BONIFACIO'S "REMOVAL" JUSTIFIED?
Andre Bonifacio
I've been reading Emilio Aguinaldo's book, "A Second Look at America," and in it he justifies the removal of Bonifacio. He further states that eliminating Bonifacio was "quite logical and legal under the circumstances." Discontent with the formation of the new Revolutionary Government whereby Aguinaldo was appointed president, Bonifacio was moving towards building his own government and army.
I've been reading Emilio Aguinaldo's book, "A Second Look at America," and in it he justifies the removal of Bonifacio. He further states that eliminating Bonifacio was "quite logical and legal under the circumstances." Discontent with the formation of the new Revolutionary Government whereby Aguinaldo was appointed president, Bonifacio was moving towards building his own government and army.
Emilio Aguinaldo
Aguinaldo wrote, "The revolutionists could not afford to be divided. One of two courses had to be taken: either the continuation of the Katipunan Government under Bonifacio or the maintenance of the new Revolutionary Government under Aguinaldo which had the support of the majority...the Revolutionary Government was forced to eliminate him."
"Unity had to be maintained. All opposition had to be put down with an iron hand."
Was unity more critical? The odds were already stacked heavily against the revolutionaries. They could not afford a divided army let alone a government. Would Bonifacio been a more effective leader had he succeeded in formulating his own government and army?
But most Filipinos I have talked with just assumed he died for the Cause and the Revolution not because he was "operating illegally." Granted, he should be considered the Father of the Katipunan (along with Diwa and Plata) but did his death exalt him to National Hero status and martyr without warrent? Just a question.
I suppose the contempt for Aguinaldo throughout his life is what drove him to continue to speak and write and justify his views on the Revolution and his part in it.
"Over the span of half a century, I have been pictured as almost every kind of bad man both to Americans and Filipinos...Even in my own country, among some of my own countryman, I have at one time or another enjoyed the reputation of being an assassin, traitor and other forms of infamy."
But, regardless of the contempt for Aguinaldo and the perceived illegality of Bonifacio's actions, the more I read the more I am in awe of all those who led and participated in the Revolution. They were ALL extraordinary men and women and are heroes in my book. I find it difficult to allocate a percentage of who should be more of a hero than the other.
Someone wrote, "As great as we like to think of this war and how glorious we like to think of our heros, it hurts when in reality Filipinos were fighting fellow Filipinos, and Filipinos were murdering fellow Filipinos."
I share this same sentiment. It is sad that our history is full of these examples. My grandfather was murdered by his political opponents (his fellow Filipinos) while mayor of his beloved hometown in Sorsogon. Even sadder was the fact that this was during WWII during the Japanese occupation.
Aguinaldo wrote, "The revolutionists could not afford to be divided. One of two courses had to be taken: either the continuation of the Katipunan Government under Bonifacio or the maintenance of the new Revolutionary Government under Aguinaldo which had the support of the majority...the Revolutionary Government was forced to eliminate him."
"Unity had to be maintained. All opposition had to be put down with an iron hand."
Was unity more critical? The odds were already stacked heavily against the revolutionaries. They could not afford a divided army let alone a government. Would Bonifacio been a more effective leader had he succeeded in formulating his own government and army?
But most Filipinos I have talked with just assumed he died for the Cause and the Revolution not because he was "operating illegally." Granted, he should be considered the Father of the Katipunan (along with Diwa and Plata) but did his death exalt him to National Hero status and martyr without warrent? Just a question.
I suppose the contempt for Aguinaldo throughout his life is what drove him to continue to speak and write and justify his views on the Revolution and his part in it.
"Over the span of half a century, I have been pictured as almost every kind of bad man both to Americans and Filipinos...Even in my own country, among some of my own countryman, I have at one time or another enjoyed the reputation of being an assassin, traitor and other forms of infamy."
But, regardless of the contempt for Aguinaldo and the perceived illegality of Bonifacio's actions, the more I read the more I am in awe of all those who led and participated in the Revolution. They were ALL extraordinary men and women and are heroes in my book. I find it difficult to allocate a percentage of who should be more of a hero than the other.
Someone wrote, "As great as we like to think of this war and how glorious we like to think of our heros, it hurts when in reality Filipinos were fighting fellow Filipinos, and Filipinos were murdering fellow Filipinos."
I share this same sentiment. It is sad that our history is full of these examples. My grandfather was murdered by his political opponents (his fellow Filipinos) while mayor of his beloved hometown in Sorsogon. Even sadder was the fact that this was during WWII during the Japanese occupation.
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