Andrés Bonifacio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Andres Bonifacio | |
|---|---|
| November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897 | |
 El Supremo |
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| Place of birth | Tondo, Manila |
| Place of death | Maragondon, Cavite |
- This article is about the person Andrés Bonifacio. For other uses, see Bonifacio (disambiguation).
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897) was one of the chief leaders of the revolution of the Philippines against Spanish colonial rule, the first revolution in Asia against European colonial rule.
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[edit] Early life
He was born to a native Filipino father and a Spanish mestiza mother in Tondo, Manila. Though his father was a cabeza de barangay (a leading barangay official), he was orphaned at a young age. According to popular anecdote, he peddled canes and fans to support his family.
Later, he worked as a clerk in foreign firms. He married twice - his first wife was a woman named Monica, who died of leprosy. According to some stories, he read books about the French Revolution, Les Miserables, and the novels of local reformist and future national hero Jose Rizal, among others. He was a Freemason. He also joined Rizal's La Liga Filipina (Spanish "The Philippine League"), a society that called for reforms in Spanish rule. However, the Liga was disbanded shortly after Rizal was arrested and deported to the town of Dapitan in Mindanao a day after the group's only meeting.
[edit] The Katipunan
The Republika ng Katagalugan (Tagalog Republic), with him as President and the members of the Katipunan high council as his cabinet. "Tagalog", in this sense, was a term used to refer to the Philippines as a whole, not the ethnic group.
On the night of July 7, 1892 (the eve of Rizal's arrest, in fact), Bonifacio founded the Katipunan, a revolutionary secret society which would later spark the Philippine Revolution of 1896 against Spanish rule. In this period, he met his second wife, Gregoria de Jesus, who became a rebel leader in her own right. His right-hand man was Emilio Jacinto. Within the society, Bonifacio's codename or nom de guerre was Maypagasa (There is hope).
With the establishment of the Katipunan, Andrés Bonifacio became popularly known as the Father of the Revolution and eventually held the title of Supremo.
He wrote the patriotic poem, Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa (loosely, Love for the Motherland), which saw print in the first and only issue of the Katipunan periodical, Kalayaan (Freedom), edited by Jacinto. Allegedly, he also made the first translation of Jose Rizal's final poem, Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell) into Tagalog.
Just before the Revolution broke out, he formed a revolutionary government called "Republika ng mga Katagalugan" and Bonifacio as the president.
[edit] Downfall
While Bonifacio's personal campaigns were less than successful, the revolutionaries in Cavite had greater success, led by officers coming from the upper classes, including the celebrated Emilio Aguinaldo. Thus, they sent out a manifesto calling for a revolutionary government of their own, disregarding Bonifacio's leadership. A council comprising of Bonifacio's men and the Magdalo and the Magdiwang, two locally-based rival Katipunan factions, held a convention in Tejeros, Cavite to establish a unified front and settle the issue of leadership of the revolutionary movement. The Magdalo faction was led by Baldomero Aguinaldo, cousin to Emilio Aguinaldo. In the elections, the Cavitenos voted their own Emilio Aguinaldo President. Bonifacio, due to the lack of a power base in the province, was voted Director of the Interior. However, a member of the Magdalo faction, Daniel Tirona, questioned Bonifacio's qualifications for high office, declaring him uneducated and unfit for the position. Bonifacio was slighted, all the more so since he had previously asked that the results of the election be respected by all. Invoking his authority as Supremo, he threatened those in attendance with a pistol and declared the results of the Tejeros Convention as null and void and left in a rage. Later, he wrote to Jacinto about his misgivings about the whole matter, as he suspected Tirona of spreading black propaganda against him and fixing the ballots (as some other leaders also suspected). Regrouping his forces, he attempted to return to the province of Morong (now Rizal), where he had a strong base and support. Tried by a moot court 'in absentia' by the Aguinaldo faction, he was condemned as a traitor to the Revolution and given the death penalty. An arresting party of Magdalo soldiers caught up with Bonifacio in the town of Indang and a skirmish ensued, in which Bonifacio was wounded and his brother Ciriaco killed. He and his other brother, Procopio, were captured and were subsequently executed by firing squad[citation needed] on May 10, 1897 at Mt. Nagpatong. Co-patriots of the Revolution regarded this an ugly blot laid at Aguinaldo's door, though in fairness Aguinaldo originally wanted them banished instead. His body was missing until a farmer dug up his body and some belongings which were placed in a museum.
However, Japanese invaders in World War II destroyed the museum, and his body was lost in the process.
[edit] Controversy
Some historians, like Renato Constantino, see him as a champion of the masses who was slighted by ambitious members of the upper class. Others like Gregorio Zaide, favor Aguinaldo and company over him. Glenn May goes as far as saying that his role as a national hero was largely invented. Also, there is debate whether he should be considered the first Philippine President instead of Aguinaldo and the national hero instead of Rizal.
[edit] Today
Bonifacio's birthday on November 30 is celebrated as Bonifacio Day (Filipino: Kaarawan ni Bonifacio) and is a public holiday in the Philippines.
There are many monuments to Bonifacio across the nation, with the most famous being two sculptures, one by Napoleon Abueva and the other by Guillermo Tolentino, both National Artists.
In current Philippine currency, he is depicted in the 10-peso bill (currently out of production) and 10-peso coin, along with fellow patriot and Aguinaldo man Apolinario Mabini.
[edit] In film
Bonifacio was portrayed by Julio Diaz in Bayani (Hero), a feature film loosely based on his life directed by experimental auteur Raymond Red, and an educational television series also named Bayani. In Jose Rizal, a film about the national hero, he was portrayed by Gardo Verzosa.
[edit] References
- Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984). Philippine History and Government. National Bookstore Printing Press.
- Ocampo, Ambeth. Bones of Contention: The Bonifacio Lectures
- Agoncillo, Teodoro. The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan
- Constantino, Renato. The Philippines: a Past Revisited
[edit] Further reading
- Cruz, Isagani A. (November 27 2005). "The Tragedy Of Andres Bonifacio". Philippine Daily Inquirer: 14.
- Clair, Francis St. (1902). The Katipunan: Or, The Rise and Fall of the Filipino Commune. Francis St. Clair.Full book on Google
- Quezon III, Manuel L. (November 21 2005). "The Supremo Lives". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- Lazaro, Roberto (November 29 2005). "Thinking Aloud Dead Ends Need Not Be Dead". Manila Times.
- Ramos, Marlon (December 9 2004). "Bonifacio: The Neglected Hero". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- Ocampo, Ambeth R. (December 1 2004). "Where Are the Bones of Bonifacio?". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- San Luis, Fr. Bel R. (November 29 2004). "Bonifacio & our changing notion of 'hero'". Opinion & Editorial Manila Bulletin.
- (November 2004) "Cavite to Unviel Bonifacio Mural Inquirer". Philippine Daily.
- De Vera, Ellalyn B. (November 27 2004). "Andres Bonifacio: The Katipunan Supremo". Manila Bulletin.
