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Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Speak out: June 12 a false Independence Day date
By Lorenzo de la Serna
4th of July Independence Movement
Lapu-Lapu City
At the instance of then president Diosdado Macapagal, we have been celebrating Independence Day every June 12 on the belief that when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo declared independence in Kawit, Cavite we were already free.
But we are celebrating our independence on a false date.
June 12, 1898 was actually one of the many proclamations of independence.
Proclamations
Here’s the sequence:
--April 12, 1895 (a Good Friday). Andres Bonifacio, after asserting the independence of the country wrote the words in Tagalog “Mabuhay ang Independencia ng Filipinas” on the wall of a cave in Pamintinan, Montalban, Rizal in the presence of fellow-Katipuneros.
--Aug. 23, 1896. After the discovery of Katipunan, Bonifacio tore his cedula into shreds and shouted: “Mabuhay ang Filipinas!”
--Also sometime in 1986. Another proclamation of independence was done in Negros when the people marched to Iloilo and established their own republic.
--Oct. 31, 1896. Aguinaldo issued two decrees in Kawit, Cavite proclaiming Philippine statehood. Prior to this, on May 24, 1896 he issued a decree establishing the Dictatorial Government. This lasted until June 23, 1898, when he changed it to Revolutionary Government.
Declaration
--June 12, 1898. The Declaration of Philippine Independence was signed, also in Kawit, Cavite by 97 Filipinos and one American Army officer, a unique document investing Aguinaldo with the supreme powers of head of state.
--Jan. 11, 1898. In Cagayan de Oro City, a parade led by Gen. Nicolas Capistrano was held proclaiming Philippine Independence. Capistrano also installed himself as the first head of State of Cagayan de Misamis.
--Oct. 14, 1943, the Japanese Imperial Army “allowed” the Filipino people to proclaim independence, with Jose P. Laurel as president.
(What I cannot understand is that while we recognize Laurel as the third president of the Republic, we call his government puppet. What is the difference between Laurel’s presidency and that of Aguinaldo? Both were president of a country still under foreign dominion.)
Sovereignty
--July 4, 1946. US President Harry S. Truman proclaimed the withdrawal of American sovereignty over the Philippines and recognized Philippine Independence.
My history books tell me that Spanish rule over the country ended on Dec. 10, 1898, when the US paid Spain $20 million through the “Treaty of Paris.”
American rule was briefly broken by the Japanese occupation during World War II.
On July 4, 1946, all American flags were lowered from the flagpoles all over the country.
That signaled the culmination of our struggle for freedom from the clutches of colonialism.
Aguinaldo
Granting that Aguinaldo was the first president of the Republic, making Manuel L. Quezon second, why would the latter send nine missions to plead for independence from the United States?
Aguinaldo was still alive during that period. Why did he not “remind” Quezon that the country was already independent since 1898?
Aguinaldo died on Feb. 6, 1964, or 18 years after the US granted the Philippines her independence.
Before and during those years nobody addressed him as former president of the Republic, for he was not. (to be continued)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 14, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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