AMERICAN INTERVENTION AND PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE

While Aguinaldo and his group went into voluntary exile in Hong Kong, Cuba was also in the state of revolution

Cuba was also under the Spanish colonial regime

To protect the huge investments of American businessmen in the sugar industry in Cuba, the US government was dragged into a war with Spain

This development was closely monitored by the Filipino revolutionaries in exile

The Spanish-American War of 1898 Cuba, a Spanish colony in the West Indies, revolted

against Spain sometime in February 1895 Philippines, on the other hand, staged revolution in August 1896

Many American businessmen had huge investments in the sugar industry in Cuba

Fearing that Americans were endangered by the on-going struggle between the Cubans and Spanish authorities, US Pres William McKinley sent the US battleship Maine to Cuba for the purpose of evacuating the Americans in case the revolution worsened.

Meanwhile, on February 9, 1895, a letter from Enrique Dupuy de Lome, a Spanish minister to the United States, which had been stolen from a post oce in Havana was published in the New York Journal

This letter pictured US Pres McKinley as a would-be politician and a weak president

It aroused the ire of the American people considering that the person insulted was the symbol of the American nation

The battleship docked at Havana harbor was blown up, allegedly by the Spaniards on February 15, 1898, which resulted in the loss of about 260 crewmen

This incident aroused public indignation in the US

According to Randolf Hearst, the father of Yellow journalism, the battleship was actually blown up and sank not by the Spaniards but by the American spies stationed in Cuba to provoke the war

Because of the preceding events, Pres McKinley recommended direct American intervention in Cuba to the US Congress on April 11, 1898

The US Congress accepted McKinleys recommendation and voted for war against Spain

On April 24, 1898, Spain declared war against the US

On April 25, 1898, the Spanish-American War began

On April 25, 1898, Commodore George Dewey, upon the orders of Pres McKinley, proceeded immediately to the Philippines, with the squadron of: 1. Four armored cruisers 2. Two gunboats 3. Revenue cutter 4. Flagship Olympia

In the early morning of May 1, 1898, they entered Manila Bay, and engaged the Spanish eet of 12 ships, headed by Admiral Patricio Montojo (the battle lasted only for a few hours)

Implications of the Battle of the Manila Bay: 1. For the Americans, it showed the US as a world

power; 2. For the Filipinos, it signaled the end of more than

300 years of Spanish colonial rule; 3. Likewise, marked the beginning of American

colonial rule in the Philippines.

After defeating the Spanish eet, Dewey blockaded Manila while waiting reinforcements from the US, because he had no land forces to back them up in besieging the city

Meanwhile, Governor-General Basilio Agustin, the successor of Primo de Rivera was very much demoralized due to the following reasons: 1. The defection of the Filipinos from the Spanish

army to Aguinaldos side; 2. Deweys victory over the Spanish eet in Manila

Bay.

The Governor-General appealed to the Filipino people to assist Spain to resist American aggression

To convince the Filipinos to cooperate with the Spaniards, Agustin issued two decrees creating the following: 1. Filipino Volunteer Militia 2. Consultative Assembly (headed by Pedro

Paterno)

But these bodies achieved nothing because all those appointed militia sided with Aguinaldo

Filipino-American collaboration

The Filipino exiles in Hong Kong closely monitored the developments in the Philippines and the conict between Spain and the United States

They considered seeking assistance from US government in their armed struggle against the Spaniards

Meanwhile, the generals in Hong Kong met a problem regarding the disposal of the PH 400,000 given to them by Governor-General de Rivera

Isabelo Artacho wanted the money to be apportioned among themselves

He sued Aguinaldo in the Hong Kong Supreme Court because Aguinaldo rejected Artachos proposal

To escape the mess, Aguinaldo (as well as Gregorio del Pilar and J. Leyba) secretly went to Singapore and arrived there on April 23, 1898

In the afternoon, Howard Bay, an Englishman, informed Aguinaldo that E. Spencer Pratt, the American consul, wanted to confer with him: 1. Pratt gave Aguinaldo the impression that the

Americans would not colonize the Philippines, considering its distance about 10,000 miles away from the US

2. Aguinaldo consented to return to the Philippines with Dewey to ght the Spaniards alongside the Americans.

However, when Aguinaldo returned to Hong Kong, Dewey had already sailed to Philippines

Rounseville Wildman, American consul in Hong Kong, gave Aguinaldo Deweys instruction for his return to the Philippines

He suggested to Aguinaldo to establish a dictatorial government, which was needed in the prosecution of the war against the Spain, but had to be replaced with a government similar to that of the US once the war was over and peace was restored

Wildman and Pratt assured Aguinaldo that the American government sympathized with the Filipinos aspirations for independence

The Hong Kong junta, met and decided that Aguinaldo should return to the Philippines to lead the struggle against the Spaniards

In preparation for his return to the Philippines, Aguinaldo gave Wildman PH117,000 to purchase guns and ammunition

The rst shipment for PH50,000 arrived promptly

The second delivery, however, did not happen

Wildman arranged Aguinaldos return to the Philippines boarding a revenue cutter McCulloch

On May 17, 1898, the ship left Hong Kong Arrived in Cavite two days after Aguinaldo was accorded military honors (as a general)

Constantino identied four major forces on the historical stage of Aguinaldos return to the Philippines: 1. Spanish colonialism 2. American Imperialism 3. The Filipino ilustrados 4. The masses

On May 21, 1898 (2 days after), Aguinaldo in a letter advised the people to respect foreigners and their properties, also enemies who surrenderif we do not conduct ourselves thus, the Americans will decide to sell us or else divide up our territory as they will hold us incapable of governing our land; we shall not secure our liberty; rather the contrary, our own soil will be delivered over to other lands.

When news of Aguinaldos arrival spread, a number of Filipino volunteers in the Spanish army defected to the Filipino side

By the end of May, with a growing number of revolutionary supporters, 5,000 Spaniards had been captured

Within a week, Imus and Bacoor Cavite, and Paranaque and Las Pinas in Morong were seized by the rebels

On June 2, 1898, Gen Artemio Ricarte accepted the surrender of the Spanish commanding general in Cavite

Within the month of June, almost the whole of Luzon, except for the port of Cavite and Manila, had fallen into the hands of the rebels.

The Siege of Manila

When the Spanish navy was destroyed, many Spaniards had taken refuge at Intramuros

Aguinaldo seized the opportunity to besiege the city and cut o its food and water supply to force the Spaniards out

Aguinaldo oered the option of surrender three times, with generous terms, to Gov-Gen Agustin but these were rejected as he was also awaiting reinforcements from Spain which never came

Aguinaldos Dictatorship

When Aguinaldo arrived from Hong Kong, he brought with him a draft of constitutional plan drawn up by Mariano Ponce

The plan was to establish a federal republic His adviser Ambrosio Rianzares suggested a dictatorial government to prosecute the war against Spain

On May 24, 1898, Aguinaldo issued a decree: 1. Formally establishing a dictatorial government; 2. Nullify the orders issued under the Biak-na-Bato

Republic

Having a government in operation, Aguinaldo deemed it necessary to declare INDEPENDENCE of the Philippines

Apolinario Mabini (unocial adviser of Aguinaldo) objected the plan, for the reason that there was a still a need to reorganize the government for political stability

Aguinaldo, however, rejected the suggestion of Mabini

Proclamation of Independence Proclaimed on June 12, 1898, in the presence of a huge crowd at the ancestral house of Gen Emilio Aguinaldo between 4 and 5 in the afternoon

In Kawit, Cavite Highlights of the events:

1. The unfurling of the Philippine national ag sewed in Hong Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo and Delna Herbosa

2. Playing of the Marcha Filipina Magdalo by the Francisco de Malabon marching band as the countrys national anthem

3. The reading of the Declaration of Philippine Independence (written by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista)

The Declaration of Independence was translated into English by Sulpicio Guevarra

The proclamation of June 12, however, was later modied by another proclamation done at Malolos, Bulacan, upon the insistence of Apolinario Mabini

Mabini objected the original proclamation as it basically placed the Philippines under the protection of the United States

To Revolutionary Government On June 18, Aguinaldo issued a decree reorganizing local governments in areas liberated from Spain

Apolinario Mabini became Aguinaldos liberal adviser

By virtue of the Decree of June 23, they announced that: 1. Dictatorship was changed to a Revolutionary

government 2. Orders of the Biak-na-Bato Republic were revoked

Emilio Jacinto (operating independently) was invited by Mabini to join the government in Malolos

By the end of June the rebels controlled all of Luzon except Manila, which was besieged.

On July 15, Aguinaldo chose his cabinet: 1. His brother Baldomero Secretary of War and Public Works 2. Cayetano Arellano oered the post of Secretary of Foreign

Aairs

Aguinaldo was proclaimed the Chief General on July 23

Immediately he deployed 14,000 Filipino soldiers between the Spaniards and the Americans outside the Intramuros

At the same time, the American forces were arriving: 1. Gen Thomas Anderson with 2,500 troops (June

30) 2. Gen Francis Greene with 3,500 troops (July 17) 3. Gen Arthur MacArthur 4,800 troops (July 31)

Gen Wesley E. Merritt had a total 10,964 men and 740 ocers

For the fourth time, Aguinaldo negotiated a surrender of the Spaniards

But Spanish ocials refused stressing that if there is a need to surrender, they would surrender to the Americans, not to Filipinos

Mock Battle of Manila

With reinforcements, Dewey started negotiating with Gov-Gen Agustin and with the Belgian consul, Andre, acting as mediator for the surrender of the Spaniards

Spanish government immediately replaced Agustin with Gov-Gen Fermin Jaudenes

The two powers agreed secretly to stage a mock battle between them on one condition that no Filipino troops would be allowed to enter Manila

Gen Merritt, overall commander, decided to conduct the oensive from the side of the Manila Bay

Gen Francis Greene the commander of the second reinforcement instructed Aguinaldo and his troops to cooperate with the Americans by leaving the area free for the foreigners to occupy

Gen Anderson commander of the rst reinforcements telegraphed Aguinaldo not to let his troops enter Manila without permission from the American troops or else they would be shot

Gen Arthur MacArthur commander of third reinforcement

In rainy morning of August 13, 1898, the Americans started their mock attack together with the Filipino forces

At about 11:20 am, the Spaniards raised the ag of surrender

By 5 pm, surrender negotiations were completed

On August 14, the document stating the terms of surrender was formally signed by representatives of both parties