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AMERICAN INTERVENTION AND PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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