Andres Bonifacio

Letter to Emilio Jacinto, April 24, 1897

Source: Facsimile of the original document in Adrian E. Cristobal, The Tragedy of the
Revolution (Makati City: Studio 5 Publishing Inc., 1997), 146–7.

Bonifacio’s communications with Jacinto and Nakpil in the north had

become very problematic, relying on his couriers being able to get across
enemy lines or through enemy-held territory. Writing here, Bonifacio does
not know whether Jacinto has received his previous letter, dated April 16, and
so he repeats (adding more detail) the key points he had relayed already: that
much of the liberated territory in Cavite had now been retaken by the
Spaniards; that a number of Magdalo leaders had surrendered; and that the
decisions of the Tejeros convention had been nullified. Together with his
letter, Bonifacio enclosed the declaration written by Artemio Ricarte a month
earlier – March 24 - recounting how, “with great reluctance,” he had taken his
oath of office as General-in-Chief of the revolutionary army, the position to
which he had been elected at Tejeros.

Bonifacio also tells Jacinto, as he had told Nakpil in his letter of the
same date, that he is currently camped outside the town of Indang with about
1,000 troops, and is only delaying his departure from Cavite because he is
waiting for his emissary Antonino Guevara to return from the north and
report back to him on what Jacinto and Nakpil thought about his plans for
mounting an offensive in Laguna. Bonifacio had dispatched Guevara
northwards a week or so earlier, bearing his letter to Emilio Jacinto dated
April 16 and with instructions to meet both Jacinto and Nakpil and sound out
their views on the military situation. In his brief memoir, which he dedicates
to Emilio Aguinaldo, Guevara mentions neither this particular mission nor, in
fact, the names of Bonifacio, Jacinto and Nakpil at all, a silence which, as O.D.
Corpuz sadly notes, “reflects one of the tragedies of the Revolution.” On April
24, the day that Bonifacio wrote to Nakpil from Indang saying he was
anxiously awaiting the outcome of the critical discussions Guevara was
supposed to have in the north, Guevara was actually (according to the
chronology of his memoir) in or around Indang himself, and had been there
for two days. 1 Even if he was not in the immediate vicinity of Bonifacio’s
headquarters, he could surely have sent a messenger to convey his crucial
news, and Bonifacio, his troops and followers could then have decided to move
off either northward to the provinces of Manila and Morong or eastward into
Laguna. Instead, they waited a while longer, and for Bonifacio those
additional days waiting were to mean death.

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Tagalog text

ANDRES BONIFACIO

1
 MAYPAGASA
P. ng K. Kapulungan

M. Emilio Jacinto Pinkian

Minamahal kong kapatid: tinangap ko ang inyong sulat, taglay ang

kabilangang araw na ika labingsiyam ng umiiral at nabatid ko ang lahat ng
doo’y nasasabi.

Magbuhat ng mapasok ang bayan ng Silang ng kaaway at

magpahanga ngayong mga araw na ito ay wala kaming ibang inaatupag
kundi ang pag tatangol sa guipit na kalagayan ng bayan; ito ang
kadahilanan ng di ko pagsulat dian; nguni’t bago ko tinangap ang inyong
sulat ay ako’y nagpadala sa inyo ng sulat sa pamaguitan ni M. Antonino
Guevara na taga S. Pedro Tunasan na ngayo’y inaakala kong sumapit na sa
inyong kamay; doo’y akin ibinabalita sa inyo ang mga nangyaring
napagsapit nitong mga bayan sakop nitong Tangway na nakuha ng Kastila
ang Silang, Dasmarinas, Ymus, Bakood, Kawit, Noveleta, Malabon, Salinas
at Tanza; tatlo o apat ang mga bayang ito ay nakuha ng kaaway ng walang
laban at marahil ay makukuha pa ang nangatitirang bayan kung ang pag
sasarilinan at kakulangan ng pagkakaisa ay mananatili, ito’y siyang
tanging kadahilanan ng ikinapapahamak ng mga bayan dito tungkol sa
pulong na guinawa dito ng ika 22 ng buang nagdaan, yao’y ginawa sa
kadahilanan may tinangap na sulat sa isang Jesuita at isang Kastila na
nagngangalang Pio Pi at Rafael Comenge na ipinadala kay Kapitan Emilio
Aguinaldo sa sulat na ito’y, nasasabi na tayo’y bibigyan ng laganap na
kapatawaran (Yndulto mas amplio) o kaya makipagusap sa kanila at
sabihin kung ano ang ibig natin. Yto’y kapwa ipinadala ng taga Ymus sa
mga pinuno ng Magdiwang na may kalakip ng mga condiciones na ibig
hingin sa Kastila na pakikipagyari. Ang taga Magdiwang ng ito’y hindi
sangayunan sa kadahilanang ako’y wala sa Tangway at na sa sa Look
(Batangan) ng mga araw na yaon bukod pa sa niwawalan nilang
kabuluhan ang mga katauhan ng Jesuita at ni Comenge na di
makapakikialam sa mga bagay na ito.

Sa matanto ng taga Ymus ang kasagutan ng taga Magdiwang si

Capitan Emilio ay lihim na sumulat sa mga Pangulong bayan sakop ng
Magdiwang ng tungkol sa nasabing pakikipagyaring gawin sa Kastila;
ito’y ng mabatid ng Presidente ng Magdiwang ay karakarakang
nagpatawag ng Pulong at sampung ako’y ipinasundo sa Look at guinawa
na nga ang nasabing Pulong. Doo’y halos ang lahat sa akin pagpapaaninao
ng kasamaan ng pakikipagyari sa Kastila ay wala na hindi ang ibig ay
laban.

Sa pagka’t ang karamihan sa Pulong na ito ay minagaling na itayo

ang isang Pamahalaan (Gobierno), bagama’t ipinaunawa ko na ito’y hindi
mangyayari sapagka’t wala doon ang pinakakatawan ng taga ibang
hukuman at bukod pa sa rito’y ipinagsabi ko na mayroon ng pinagkayarian
sa Pulong na guinawa sa bayan ng Ymus; ang lahat ng ito’y niwawalan

2
kabuluhan ng karamihan at di umano’y sa kaguipitan tinatawid ng mga
bayang ito’y ay wala ng panahon ay makapag aantabay pa na dumating
ang taga ibang bayan at yaong Pulong na guinawa sa Ymus ay winala rin
kabuluhan sapagka’t di rao magawa ang acta. Gayon ma’y akin ipinagsabi
sa lahat na kaharap sa Pulong na yaon na kung kalooban ng mga taung
bayan ang siyang masusunod na makapangyayari sa paghahalal ng mga
Pinuno ako’y sumasangayon.

Ng gawin ang paghahalal ay lumabas na Presidente de la Republica

ay si M. Emilio Aguinaldo, Vice presidente ay si M. Mariano Trias, General
en Jefe si M. Artemio Rikarte, Director de grra. M. Emiliano R. de Dios, ito’y
isinigaw na lamang sapagka’t gabi na gayondin naman isinigaw akong
pinagkaisahan Director del Ynterior na ipinag viva pa na gaya ng ibang
nahalal; datapwa’t ng ito’y matapos na at sinisimulan ang pag hahalal ng
Director de Hacienda si M. Daniel Tirona ay nagsabing may sumisigaw na
ihalal sa katungkulan Director del Interior si M. José del Rosario; tuloy
ipinagsabi na ang katunkulan Director del Interior ay totoong mabigat at
kinakailangan ang isang marunong ang tungkulan nito, ito’y sinabi
kapagkatapos na ipagturing na hindi sa pag hamak niya sa akin. Ang
kasagutan ko sa kanya ay sa lahat ng katungkulan yaon ay kinakailangan
ang taung marunong, datapwa’t sino ang wika ko sa nangag si labas ang
kanyang maituturong marunong? gayon ma’y sumigaw rin ng ganito:
Isigaw ninyo anya ¡Director del Interior José del Rosario, Abogado! Wala
rin sumunod sa kanya hangan sa makaapat na ulitin kun di mangilanngilan
at sigaw rin ay ako. Sa kaguluhang ito ang Presidente ng Magdiwang ay
ipinahayag na yao’y hindi kapulungan ng mga taung mahal, kaya’y sinabi
niya na walang kabuluhan ang doo’y mga pinagusapan. Bukod dito’y bago
sinimulan ang paghahalal ay matuklasan ko ang mga panguupat ng ilan
taga Ymus na di umano’y di nararapat na sila’y pamunuan ng taga ibang
bayan. Kaya’t ipinahahalal na maguing Presidente ay si Capitan Emilio.
Kapagkarakang ito’y mabatid ko ay akin sinabi rin na ang kapulungang
yaon ay totoong marumi sapagka’t gayon ang ipinamamarali ang
isiahihibo [?] sa tawo at itanong ko na kung ibig nilang isaisahin kong ituro
ng daliri ang gumagawa ng gayon ang aking ituturo ang karamiha’y
sumagot ng huag na. Sinabi ko rin naman na kapag hindi nasunod ang
talagang kalooban nang bayan ay hindi ako makakikilala sa kanino pa
mang Pinuno lumabas at kapag di ako kumilala ay di rin naman kikilalanin
ng mga taga rian sa atin. Ang lumabas na general na si M. Artemio Rikarte
ay isinigaw rin sa kapulungang yaon na ang kanyang pagkahalal ay sa
masamang paraan.

Ang mga taga Ymus ay ng kinabukasan sila sila ay nagkapulong sa

Convento ng Tanza at doo’y pinilit na isaisang pinapanunumpa ang
nangahalal at siya ninyong mapagkikita sa kalakip nitong isang kasulatan
ni M. Artemio Rikarte.

Ang taga Magdiwang lalong lalo ang mga taga Malabon ay gumawa
[?] ng isang protesta sa ipinatawag si Kapitan Emilio at Daniel Tirona at sa
isang pag haharap ay pinabitiwan sa kanya ang kapangyarihang ibig
niyang kamkamin; kaya’t sa gabi ring yaon ay gumawa siya ng isang
Circular na ipinahayag niya sa lahat ng bayan sakop ng Tangway na ang

3
kapulungan guinawa na pagkahalal sa kanya ay wala ng kabuluhan at
malagay na muli sa dating kalagayan ng Magdiwang at Magdalo.

Ako at sampu ng ating mga kawal na ma’y mga dalawang pung na

baril na Remington at mga dalawang pung baril na de piston na may
katampatan kasangkapan ang nagsi labas na nang bayan ng Indang sa
nayong Halang na talagang gayak sa pag uwi diyan. Kaakbay rin naman
namin ang makapal na sandatahan na may mga isang libo, kaya’t wala
kaming ibang inaantay kun di ang inyong pagkakayarian ni M. Antonino
Guevarra ayon sa aming salitaan nito. Antay ko sa madaling panahon ang
inyong marapatin pagkasunduan diyan tungkol sa amin binabalak ng
nasabing M. Guevarra.

Tungkol sa armas na ating inaantay ay tila hindi maaasahan

sapagka’t sa sulat ni Jokson ay humihingi ng dalawang pung libo; dito’y
ang salaping na iipon ay halos naubos na sa kagugugol ng mga Pinuno sa
kailangan nila at Panghihimagsik.

Kalakip din nitong sulat na ito na inyong tangapin ang salin ng

“Manifiesto Revolucionario” namin sanang ilalathala ito’y nasusulat din sa
wikang ingles datapwa’t sa pagka’t tila totoong mahaba ay kayo na ang
bahalang maghusay upang magamit natin kapagkarakang tayo’y
magkaayos-ayos; gayon din kalakip nito ang alfabeto de numero na
guinagamit sa pakikipagsulatan sa Hong Kong; ito’y kinakailangan
ipaglihim sa kay Vnvqrtc Llntñbqdnd [Mamerto Natibedad].

Ang Hukuman ng Batangan ay nagbangon ng isang Gobierno

Provincial at ito’y isinusukob sa akin kapangyarihan na pinatutunayan ng
apat na sulat na sa aki’y ipinadala at doo’y ipinadala kong saklolo ang
dalawang pung baril at dalawang pu’t limang sandatahang Balara; gayon
din si Lucino na may kasamang ilan barilan upang sila’y makatulong sa
kasalukuyang paglusob doon ng mga taga roon sa walong bayan sabay-
sabay.

Tungkol sa balitang napatay si Procopio ito’y hindi totoo kahit

nanganib ng malaki.

Kayo’y ibinalita rin naman dito ng buang katatapos na pinatay ng

mga Carabineros sa kadahilanang di umano’y kayo’y nagbigay ng isang
masamang kautusan, ito’y sapagkat balita ng taga Ymus ay hindi ko
pinaniwalaan at itinuring kong isang kasukaban dating gawa ng mga
taung ito.

Tungkol sa pagiipon ng salapi ay inaakala kong hindi kailangan ang

tayo’y magpalimos kundi ang nararapat ang tayo’y magpumilit na
pumasok ng mga bayan-bayan at humingi o sumamsam sa kanino pa mang
mayaman. Ang K. na si M. Nakpil ay sumulat sa akin na itinatanong na
kun ang salaping may mga apat na raan mahiguit na kanyang naaipon ay
kung nararapat na ibigay sa kay Vnvqrtc Llntñbqdnd [Mamerto
Natibedad], ito’y huag ninyong pahintulutan mangyari, sapagka’t iya’y

4
hindi tapat ang pakikisama sa atin at iya’y malaki ang hilig sa taga
Magdalo.

Isang kasuklam suklam na balita ang akin maipapasabi sa inyo

tungkol sa kasukaban gawa ng mga pinuno ng S. Magdalo na nag si sukob
sa indulto o umayon sa Kastila ito’y si Daniel Tirona, Mtro. de Guerra, Jose
del Rosario, Ministro del Interior, José Caelles, teniente Gral., gayon din
halos lahat ng mga taga Tanza sampu ng Cura doon; ang lahat ng ito’y
pawang kabig o partidos ni Capitan Emilio; kaya’t malabis ang hinala ng
marami na kun kaya’t malabis na nagpumilit na sila’y maguing Gobierno
ay ng upang maisuko ang boong Revolucion. Ng lingong nagdaan ay
ipinagapos ko sa ating mga kawal ang isa rin sa mga Ministro ni Capitan
Emilio sa kadahilanang nahuling magtatanan, kaakbay ang dalawang
Kastila bihag at isang señora isa sa mga Kastilang ito ay nagsabi ng totoo
na sila ay magtatanan; ito’y pinaghatulan sa Sangunian Digma at ang
kinalabasan ay ang dati rin palakad dito ng pag tatakipan o favoritismo;
datapwa’t ang espediente na tinalaan na ng nasabing Ministro na si M.
Cayetano Topacio ay naiwan sa akin ay gayon din ang sa Kastila. Yto’y isa
sa manga kadahilanan ng aming pagpupumilit na mapaalis dito sapagka’t
hindi lamang sa kaaway na Kastila nanganganib ang amin buhay kun di
lalo’t higit pa sa mga pinuno dito na ang karamiha’y may masasamang
kilos.

Ang limbagan mga librong kailangan, mapang malaki at mga

kasangkapan sa paggagawaan ng kapsula ay aming dalang lahat.

Ang mga Cuchara na inyong ipinadadala sa kapatid ni Dimas ay

hindi maibigay sa kanila sapagka’t sila’y nagsialis na, na tumungo sa
dakong Silangan (Laguna). Ang inyong ina na na sa Marigondong ay
aming ipinatawag at magpahangangayo’y siya naming inaantabayanan.

Tangapin ang mahigpit na yakap na pahatid ko buhat dito.

Limbon 24 Abril 1897

Ang Plo. ng H. B.
And ... Bonifacio

Maypagasa

[SEAL – “HARING BAYANG KATAGALUGAN – KATAASTAASANG

KAPULUNGAN”]

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English translation2

Don Emilio Jacinto Pinkian

5
 My dear Brother:- I received your letter dated the nineteenth of the
present month and took note of everything you say in it.

From the time the enemy entered the town of Silang until the present
day our endeavors have been limited to ameliorating the desperate plight of
the people, and this is one of the reasons I haven’t written there. Before I
received your letter, however, I sent you a letter through Don Antonino
Guevara, of San Pedro Tunasan3, and I presume the letter must already be in
your hands. Therein I related to you the fate that has befallen the towns here
in the district of Tanway taken by the Spaniards - Silang, Dasmarinas, Imus,
Bacoor, Kawit, Noveleta, Malabon, Salinas and Tanza. Three or four of these
towns were taken by the enemy without any struggle, and if selfishness and a
lack of unity prevail the remaining towns might also be taken. This is the sole
cause of the reverses in the towns here. As to the convention held here on the
22nd of last month4, it was held because letters were received from a Jesuit
and a Spaniard, Pio Pi and Rafael Comenge by name, addressed to Capitan
Emilio Aguinaldo5 These letters state that we will be granted a complete
pardon (indulto mas amplio) or, alternatively, we can talk to them and tell
them what we are seeking. Both letters were brought by the Imus people to
the Magdiwang chiefs, together with a list of the conditions they want to seek
from the Spaniards in order to reach an agreement. The Magdiwang people
did not agree, for the reason that I was away from Tanway at that time, at
Look (Batangas); besides, they attach no importance to the personages of the
Jesuit and Comenge, who should not meddle in these matters.

When the Imus people received the reply of the Magdiwang people,
Capitan Emilio wrote secretly to the chiefs of the towns under the jurisdiction
of Magdiwang about making the said agreement with the Spaniards. When the
President of Magdiwang6 learned this, he immediately called a Meeting and
sent someone to fetch me from Look, and the said Meeting was then held.
Nearly everybody there agreed with me that it would wrong to reach a
settlement with the Spaniards, and nobody wanted to abandon the fight.

The majority at this Meeting wanted to establish a Government

(Gobierno), even though I explained this was not possible on account of the
lack of people there from other districts, and aside from this I said that an
agreement had already been reached at the Meeting held in the town of Imus. 7
The majority gave no importance to all this, saying that due to the critical
situation of the towns here there was no time to wait for people from other
places to arrive, and also that the Meeting held in Imus lacked validity,
because no record of the proceedings had been made, it was said. In any
event, I told everybody present at that Meeting that if it was the will of the
people to go ahead and elect Leaders, then I would be in accord.

When the voting took place the outcome was that Don Emilio
Aguinaldo was elected as President of the Republic; Don Mariano Trias 8 as
Vice-President, Don Artemio Ricarte 9 as General in Chief; Don Emiliano R. de
Dios10 as Director of War. This was all by acclamation, as it was already night.
I was elected Director of the Interior, also by acclamation, and was cheered by
all, in the same way as the others who had been elected, but when the cheering
was over and the election of a Director of Finance was about to begin, Don

6
Daniel Tirona11 said there were voices shouting for Don José del Rosario 12 to
be elected to the position of Director of the Interior. He went on to say that the
office of Director of the Interior was a most exacting one, and that a learned
man was needed to fill this office, and he said this after stating that it was not
his intention to offend me. My reply to him was that all the offices required
learned men, but who among those who had been elected, I asked, could he
point out to me as being learned? Still, he called out like this: Shout, he cried,
Director of the Interior José del Rosario, Lawyer ! Only a few followed him the
four times that he shouted it, and again people shouted for me. In view of this
turmoil, the President of Magdiwang declared that this was not a convention
of honorable men and so everything done there lacked validity. This aside,
before the voting began, I discovered the intrigues of some of the Imus people,
who had being saying it was not right for them to be governed by men from
other towns, and that Capitan Emilio should therefore be elected as President.
As soon as I heard of this, I also said that the meeting was truly dirty, because
this was a deceit they were pressing on the people, and I asked whether they
wished me to point out; one by one, those who were conducting themselves in
this manner. The majority said not to bother. I also said that if the manifest
will of the people was not followed, I would not recognize any of the Leaders
elected, and that if I did not recognize them, they would likewise not be
recognized by the people there in our place. Don Artemio Ricarte, who was
chosen as General, also declared at that meeting that his election was due to
bad practices.

The Imus people met the next day at the convento in Tanza, and there
they compelled those who had been elected to take the oath, one by one, as
you can see in the document by Don Artemio Ricarte that is sent herewith. 13

The Magdiwang people, especially those from Malabon, drew up a

protest14 which they put to Capitan Emilio and Daniel Tirona, and at a meeting
they made him resign the position of authority he wanted to seize. That same
night he accordingly issued a circular, which was published in all the towns of
Tanway, to the effect that the convention at which he was elected had been
invalid, and that the situation of the Magdiwang and Magdalo should revert to
as it had been before.

Together with our soldiers, totaling about 20 armed with Remington

rifles and about 20 with muzzle-loaders, with the necessary implements, I
have already left the town of Indang for the barrio of Jalang, with the firm
intention of returning there. We also have with us a multitude of bolomen,
numbering about 1,000. There is nothing for which we are waiting other than
whatever you and Don Antonino Guevarra will decide in relation to our news
here. I am waiting to know soon what you may see fit to agree there regarding
what we have planned with the said Don Guevarra. 15

As to the arms for which we are waiting, it does not seem hopeful,
because Jocson's16 letter asks for 20,000 pesos, and the money collected here
has nearly all been spent by the Chiefs for their necessities and the Revolution.

Together with this letter you will receive the translation of the
“Revolutionary Manifesto” we are going to publish. It has been written in

7
English as well, but as it seems very long I entrust you with its arrangement so
that we can use it as soon as we are properly organized. Also herewith is the
numerical code to be used for letters to Hongkong; you must keep this secret
from Mamerto Natividad.17

The District of Batangas has organized a provincial government, which

four letters sent to me affirm is under my authority. I sent 20 riflemen and 25
Balara bolomen to help them; Lucino also went there with several riflemen in
order to aid in the assault the people there are currently launching
simultaneously on eight towns.

As to the report of Procopio's18 death, there is no truth to it, but he was

in serious danger.

News was also received here last month that you had been killed by the
Carabineers because, it was said, you had given a bad order; but as this news
came from Imus, I did not believe it and I treated it as one of the usual
duplicities of these people.

As to the collection of money, I believe we need not beg, but should

solicit or take it from whoever is wealthy. Brother Don Nakpil wrote me,
asking whether the money collected by him, almost four hundred pesos or so,
should be given to Mamerto Natividad. Do not allow this to happen, because
that man is not sincere in his friendship with us, and he is very close to the
Magdalo people.

A piece of sickening news I can tell you is the treachery committed by

the chiefs of the Magdalo Council who have applied for pardon or gone over to
the Spaniards. These are Daniel Tirona, Minister of War; José del Rosario,
Minister of the Interior; José Cailles19, Lieutenant-General, and nearly all the
Tanza people, even the parish priest there, the whole lot of them henchmen or
partisans of Capitan Emilio. For this reason, many people strongly suspect
that they strive so hard to get control of the Government in order to surrender
the whole Revolution. Last week I ordered our soldiers to tie up another of
the Ministers of Capitan Emilio because he was caught as he was about to
escape with two Spanish prisoners and a lady. One of these Spaniards told the
truth, that they were going to escape. He [the Minister] was tried by a Council
of War, but the outcome, as usually happens here, was that everybody covered
up for each other, or favoritism. However, the record of the case against the
minister mentioned, Don Cayetano Topacio20, remains in my possession, as
does that against the Spaniards. This is one of the reasons why we desire to
leave here, because our life is in danger not only from the Spanish enemy, but
still more so from the leaders here, most of whom have wicked intentions.

We have taken away everything: the printing press, the necessary

books, the big map, and the tools for making cartridges.

The spoons you sent for the brother and sisters of Dimas 21 could not be
given to them because they have already left in the direction of Silangan
(Laguna). We have sent for your mother, who is now in Maragondon, and we
are still waiting for her.

8
Receive the close embrace that I send you from here.

Limbon, April 24, 1897

The President of the Sovereign Nation

And ... Bonifacio

Maypagasa

9
1
Antonino Guevara y Mendoza, History of One of the Initiators of the Filipino Revolution, translated from the
Spanish by O.D. Corpuz (Manila: National Historical Institute, 1988), ii; 7–8.
2
This translation is my own, but in places it follows the English version published in Philippine Review in 1918.
Although that version was retranslated from Spanish rather than directly from the Tagalog, it generally retains
the meaning of the original quite well. Epifanio de los Santos, “Andrés Bonifacio” [English version], Philippine
Review (Revista Filipina), III:1–2 (January–February 1918), 44–6.
3
This previous letter to Jacinto is presumably that dated April 16, 1897, in which Bonifacio says the bearer,
Antonino Guevara, “has most important things to tell you.”
4
The Tejeros convention.
5
Emilio Aguinaldo was Captain General of the Magdalo forces at this time. In calling him “Capitan” in this
letter, Bonifacio is presumably referring not to his military rank but to the position he held prior to the
revolution , capitan municipal of his home town of Kawit.
6
Mariano Alvarez.
7
This must refer to what is known as the Imus assembly, held around the end of December 1896, at which
Bonifacio was reportedly appointed to head a “legislative committee” or “congress” (“Lupung Tagapagbatas” or
“Kapulungan”) and authorized to appoint as its members “some people he considered to be worthy.” Artemio
Ricarte, Himagsikan nang manga Pilipino laban sa Kastila (Yokohama: “Karihan Café”, 1927), 37. See also
Santiago V. Alvarez, The Katipunan and the Revolution: the memoirs of a general, translated by Paula Carolina
S. Malay (Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1992), 306.
8
Mariano Trias had for a time served as the Magdiwang minister of welfare and justice, but is said by Santiago
Alvarez to have switched his allegiance to the Magdalo council in February 1897 following disputes with his
colleagues over military matters. Alvarez, The Katipunan and the Revolution, 304–5; 313.
9
Prior to the Tejeros convention Artemio Ricarte was deputy Captain General (to Santiago Alvarez) of the
Magdiwang council.
10
Emiliano Riego de Dios was for a time the minister of economic development in the Magdiwang council but
prior to the Tejeros convention became a partisan of the Magdalo camp.
11
Daniel Tirona was secretary of war of the Magdalo council.
12
José del Rosario was a colonel on the staff of the Magdiwang Captain General, Santiago Alvarez.
13
Artemio Ricarte’s statement is dated March 24, 1897.
14
This might refer to the so-called “Acta de Tejeros,” or at least to another protest in similar terms.
15
In the letter he wrote to Julio Nakpil on the same date, Bonifacio makes it plain that what he was planning was
an attack somewhere in the “southern district (Laguna)”.
16
Feliciano Jocson, who together with José Alejandrino had been attempting to procure arms in Hongkong.
17
Mamerto Natividad Jr., from Bacolor, Pampanga, had joined the Magdalo forces in Cavite after the outbreak of
the revolution; he stayed for a time in the house of the Magdalo president, Baldomero Aguinaldo, in the town of
Binakayan. Carlos Ronquillo, Ilang talata tungkol sa paghihimagsik nang 1896-1897 [1898], edited by Isagani
R. Medina (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1996), 769.
18
Procopio Bonifacio, one of the brothers of Andres.
19
Juan Cailles, previously a colonel in the Magdiwang council.
20
Cayetano Topacio, minister of finance in the Magdalo council.
21
“Dimas” here is presumably a shortened form of “Dimasalang,” which was one of the pen names of Jose Rizal.
His brother Paciano and one or more of his sisters, it appears, had been with the revolutionary forces in Cavite
until shortly before this letter was written.