Lesson 10: The Tejeros Assembly - After that, the Katipuneros visited the warehouse of the Katipunan to

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 Historical Context
- Basically, dahil sa pangyayaring ito ay may mga grupong gusting palitan
- The first days of the Philippine Revolution saw the defeat of the
Katipunan in Manila, forcing Andres Bonifacio and his men to retreat to na si Bonifacio at may mga gusto naming manatili si Bonifacio. The birth
the mountains of Montalban. of Magdalo (pro Aguinaldo forces) and Magdiwang (pro Bonifacio
forces) started from Cavite.
- The Katipunan under Emilio Aguinaldo managed to subdue the Spanish
- With that, napagkasunduan ng dalawang grupo na magsagawa ng
forces by surprise and take control of the province.
pulong sa Tejeros.
- The victory was short-lived as the Cavite Katipuneros (consisted of
- Sa assembly na iyon ay Si Bonifacio ang nag preside because he was
Magdiwang by Bonifacio and Magdalo by Aguinaldo) were soon fighting
requested to neutralize or mediate between the faction of the two
each other over territory and logistics.
forces. Bonifacio discussed the rules in his opening statement (Weare
- Unable to solve their differences, Aguinaldo invited the Supremo Andres
Bonifacio to Cavite to mediate. here to have an election of officers; We shall have elections by majority
- The two groups agreed to form a revolutionary government vote; No one shall question the results of the election).
(pamahalaang panghihimagsik) which would led the revolution. - Emilio Aguinaldo was elected as the president
- The assembly was set to be held in the friar’s estate house in Barrio - Mariano Trias, who was loyal general to Aguinaldo, as the vice president
- Gen. Artemio Ricarte as the Auditor Genral.
Tejeros.
- Emiliano de Dios as the Director of War
- On March 22, 1897, The Cavite Katipuneros, as well as the
- Andres Bonifacio as the Director of the Interior
representatives Katipunan from the nearby provinces, converged at the
- The election was eventually held through “viva voce”, which is ang
estate house.
pagtataas ng kamay kung sino ang boto kay… kasi maggagabi na.
- Emilio Aguinaldo was not in the assembly as he was commanding the
- Hindi sumangayon si Tirona sa pagkakahalal ni Bonifacio dahil hindi raw
Filipino forces at the frontlines in Pasong Santol, Barrio Salitran,
ito lawyer at sinabing si Jose del Rosario nalang daw ang pumalit.
Dasmarinas, facing the imminent attack of the Spanish forces.
- Sa inis ni Bonifacio ay itinutok niya yung revolver niya kay Tirona pero
 Lecture from the Discussion
pinigilan siya ng tauhan niya.
- The 3 sources were Artemio Ricarte, Andres Bonifacio, and Santiago
- Dahil dito ay dineclare ni Bonifacio na null and void ang lahat ng
Alvarez. Alvarez’s account also appeared in the first phase of the
nangyari sa Assembly.
Philippine Revolution because he was an active official of the Katipunan
- Sa sumunod na araw, ang grupo ni Bonifacio ay nagpunta sa Tejeros at
and he was also a general who was loyal to Andres Bonifacio.
nagtatag ng bagong gobyernong sila lang ang miyembro. Gumawa sila
- Daniel Tirona expressed that Andres Bonifacio was unit for the position
ng document proclaiming that the results of the election were invalid
of secretary of interior and suggested that Jose del Rosario, a lawyer, to
and illegitimate due to the fraud.
be elected instead (this is the reason why the Tejeros Assemble took
- Emilio Jacinto brought a letter to Andres Bonifacio even before the
place because it is used to pacify all the members of the Katipunan after
assembly (bago pa man magsimula yung assembly, may mga sources na
the discovery of their existence since everybody was in panic).
ang mga taga Magdiwang about sa masamang balak ng mga Magdalo na
- Since they are in panic, the members of the Katipunan blamed anyone
walang makakapasok na Magdiwang sa election)
among their revolutionary society.
- Kaya naman maraming Magdalo na nanalo sa election kasi mga taga
- At that time, the Katipuneros are already being divided due to the
Cavite ang mga Magdalo (Taga Cavite kasi si Aguinaldo, si Bonifacio
arguments that they encountered.
naman ay taga Tondo)
- It all started when Teodoro Patiño told the existence of the Katipunan
- Ang utos ni Bonifacio na maging pinuno sa Acta de Tejeros na isang
to his sister and after that, his sister confessed to the one of the officials
military agreement or Naic military agreement.
until the news reached Mariano Gil.
- Ang Naic military agreement ay dumipensa sa Acta de Tejeros na puro
dayaan. Nagtatag si Bonifacio ng sarili niyang army at pinilit niya si Pio
Valenzuela na sumali.
- With that, ang mga tauhan ni Aguinaldo ay pinilit siya na ipapatay si
Bonifacio.
- Kinasuhan sina Andres Bonifacio at Procopio Bonifacio ng Treason and
Sedition. Inexecute silang dalawa at nirape ng grupo ng arresting
officers si Gregori de Jesus na asawa ni Andres Bonifacio. (Treason is
cooperating to the enemy of your country in times of war; Sedition is
the act of rebellion since hindi nirecognize ni Bonifacio yung Tejeros
Assembly)
- Hindi sangayon si Aguinaldoi sa death penalty kina Andres at Procopio
dahil sobra sobra na raw kaso sinuhulan siya ng mga officials niya.
- Ang ginawa ni Tirona ay pangaasar lamang kasi dati pala siyang MAgdalo
na ngayon ay miyembro na ng gabinete.
- Hanggang ngayon ay hindi parin Makita ang bangkay ni Andres
Bonifacio.
- The Tejeros Assembly was called by Emilio Aguinaldo and he requested
to preside it. The assembly was held in estate house in Cavite and
presided over by Andres Bonifacio.
- Andres Bonifacio is the one who set the rules in the assembly.
- At the end of the election, Bonifacio was shocked by the insult that
came from Daniel Tirona.
- The event of the Tejeros Assembly marked or highlighted the very
serious problem of our people’s regionalism. (we are obsessed when it
come to the leadership at the regional level)
- In the comment of Bonifacio that is being stated in his account, the
irregularity in the election was the main reason why he had to establish
his own Naic Military Agreement separate from the Assembly of the
Tejeros.
- For this reason, Bonifacio and his brother was accused with treason and
sedition.
- Emilio Aguinaldo was bullied by his senior advisers and convinced him
to execute Andres Bonifacio and its brother.
- Basically, the Tejeros Assembly was perceived to be as scripted
assembly used by the Magdalos to pretend that there was a democracy
in the process. (It is evident in the 3 sources that there was no sense of
democracy in the Tejeros Assembly)
- The people of the Magdalo group are comprised of ignorant people but
it does not mean that the Magdiwang group is made up of intellectual
people.
- At the end of the story in the account of Bonifacio, it was said that the
Tejeros Assembly was comprised by evil intentions (kasama na yung
pangungutya at pagsira sa pagkatao).
 Artemio Ricarte’s Account
- Pen name was “Vibora”
- One of the officials of the Magdiwang faction.
- During the Tejeros Assembly, he served as the secretary of the
convention when Bonifacio began presiding over the session.
- He was elected in the Tejeros Assembly as Captain-General.
- He initially refused the position but his objections were overruled by the
electoral body.
- His account was entitled “Apuntes Historicos de la Insurreccion por los
Asociados al Kamahalmahala’t Kataastaasang Katipunan nang mga Anak
ng Bayan contra el Gobierno Espanol en las Islas Filipinas”
- It was written during his imprisonment for subversion by the American
authorities in 1904.
- It was translated into English by British journalist, William Brecknock
Watson.
- Ricarte’s memoirs were published in Tagalog in 1927 in Yokohama,
Japan with the title “Himagsikan ng mga Pilipino Laban sa Kastila”
- The account:
- March 22 was the date that was set for the assembly.
- Among the chiefs of the Magdiwang were Mariano, Pascual, and
Santiago Alvarez; Luciano San Miguel, Mariano Trias Closas;
Severino de las Alas and Santos Nocon.
- Among those of Magdalo were Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona,
Cayetano Topacio, and Antonio Montenegro.
- The session opened under the presidency of Jacinto Lumbreras who
explained the purpose of the meeting.
- Severino de las Alas rose to address those present that it would be
well to consider first the kind of government then existing in the
country, as upon the government would depend whatever the
defense might be needed.
- Andres Bonifacio spoke in support of Lumbreras and his stand in
regard to the government and went to explain the significance of
the letter “K” in the center of the sun on the flag, which stands for
liberty.
- Severino de las Alas again address the meeting and said that neither
letter “K” on the flag, nor the flag itself, has anything to do with the
character of the government then existing.
- Bonifacio replied that the Katipuneros, from the president of the
Supreme Council to the most insignificant member, recognized the
principles of Union, Fraternity, and Equality.
- The government of the Katipunan was rigorously republican in form.
- Antonio Montenegro rose and spoke in support of the De las Alas
suggestion and said that unless some definite understanding was
arrived at regarding the matter, the insurgents were mere groups of
tulisanes or brutes. (Kung hindi naman daw sila magaarrive sa
magandang pagkakaunawaan, sila ay walang kinaibahan sa mga
tulisan at bandido)
- These last words of Antonio Montenegro wounded the pride of
Santiago Alvarez, who rose with glaring eyes and said that the
insurgents of Cavite and the Magdiwang government recognize and
obey the government established by the Katipunan. It you wish to
to establish any other kind government more suited to your fancy,
retire to your province and conquer territories from Spanish
government.
- The session broke up in disorder, but one hour later, when the
tension of the adherents of Santiago Alvarez and Antonio
Montenegro had been pacified, it convened against under the
presidency of Andres Bonifacio because Jacinto Lumbreras said that
discussing a subject that was provided for in the call for the
meeting.
- Bonifacio opened the session again and stated that he agree to the
people’s petition (ang unang supremo ng Katipunan ay hindi si
Andres Bonifacio dahil sa 4th term lang siya nagging official na
supremo; si Deodato Arellano ang unang pinunong Katipunan)
- Elections were held.
- As a result of the vote, Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President of
the Republic defeating Andres Bonifacio and Mariano Trias.
- Severino de las Alas remarked that since Bonifacio got the second
highest vote, he should be the Vice-President but it was not
granted.
- Majority of the votes was casted to Mariano Trias Closas as against
Andres Bonifacio, Severino de las Alas, and Mariano Alvarez.
- The secretary of the session, Artemio Ricarte, was elected as the
Captain General.
- It was unanimously proposed that to cut the short voting, those
who favored any person for a position should stand on one side,
and those who favored other person should stand on the other side
in groups (viva voce)
- Emiliano Riego de Dios was elected as the Director of War.
- The election of a Minister of the Interior was proceeded and the
result was favored Andres Bonifacio.
- In the midst of the acclamation that was Andres Bonifacio, Daniel
Tirona demanded the floor and said that Bonifacio’s position should
not be occupied by a person who is not a lawyer and suggested to
be replaced by Jose del Rosario who is a lawyer.
- Bonifacio’s pride was wounded, he rose and spoke. He asked Tirona
to repeat what he has said, or to apologize to the assembly for the
insult offered to the person elected, because up to that time not
one of those elected was fitted by reason of his culture for the
position to which he had been designated. (reason of his culture
means his educational attainment
- When Tirona didn’t do anything, Bonifacio drew his revolver and
was about to fire at Tirona.
- Nung nahalal siya ay tumanggi siya.
- Ang taong ito ay Magdiwang din.
- Hindi original na residing officer si Andres Bonifacio. Dito sa account
na ito ay nagpalitan ng galit si Montenegro at si Alvarez. Kaya
napunta ang pagiging residing officer kay Andres Bonifacio.
- During the elction and the assembly, ilang beses sila nagrevise ng
mga patakaran dahil maraming mga sumisingit na mga irrelevant
persons.
- Basically, the account of Ricarte mas maraming distorting of
election process, provision of qualifications, and insults.
- Maihahalintulad ang isa sa mga teaching of the Katipunan, which
was the “A man’s word is his law” sa mga dpaat na pagtupad sa mga
rules na napagusapan sa Assembly kahit na may mga bastos sa
paligid.
 Andres Bonifacio’s Account
- His account is from a letter he wrote to Emilio Jacinto in Montalban, a
month after Tejeros elections.
- This would be the first time the other members of the Supreme Council
would hear of the events that happened in Cavite.
- This was published in Jose P. Santos “Si Andres Bonifacio at ang
Himagsikan”
- The account:
- The majority of the said convention agreed to establish a
government and this could not be done because the representatives
of the other towns did not arrive, a condition that was agreed upon
in the Imus Assembly but which was disregarded by the majority
because of the dire conditions of the towns.
- The Imus Assembly lacks proof because there were no documents.
- Don Emilio Aguinaldo was the elected President of the Republic;
Vice President Don Mariano Trias; Auditor General Don Artemio
Ricarte; Director of War Don Emiliano R. de Dios; Director of Interior
Andres Bonifacio.
- The elections were held through the expressions of those who were
present (viva voce) because it was already night time.
- After the decision was made about Bonifacio’s victory as the
Director of Interior, Daniel Tirona stood up and said that there is a
cry being raised that Jose del Rosario be chosen as the Director of
the Interior because there is a need that this position should be
filled by someone educated.
- Bonifacio asked Tirona to point out who among the elected ones are
already well-versed in their positions and Tirona said that Jose del
Rosario who was a lawyer is the one who deserves the position.
- Because of the loud noise that occurred, the President of the
Magdiwang announced that his was not an assembly of gentlemen
because everything that they did had no evidence. (pinapa highlight
ni maam)
- Bonifacio discovered that even before the elections, some of those
who are from Imus had secretly spread the word that it was not
good for them to be under the leadership of someone from another
province.
- Bonifacio told them that the assembly was the idea of those with
evil intentions.
- Even General Ricarte also stated that the assembly was the result of
bad intentions.
- May ipinahayag dito si Bonifacio na medyo may kinaibahan sa ibang
kuwento.
- Diretso raw na sinabi sa kanya na yung pinagaralan niya ay hindi
naman kataasan samantalang si Jose del Rosario ay lawyer.
- Emilio Jacinto gave Bonifacio a letter saying that there are group of
Magdalo people saying that the Magdalo people should be the one
who will occupy all the positions.
- Scripted talaga ang assembly kasi nanalo si Aguinaldo kahit wala
siya mismo sa assembly.
- Kastila dapat ang dapat na pinagtutuunan ng pansin pero ang mga
Pilipino mismoang nagkakawatakwatak at ang kanilang
pinagaawayan ay leadership.
 Santiago Alvarez’s Account
- It is found in the Chapter 32 of Gen. Santiago Alvarez’s memoirs.
- Like Artemio Ricarte, Alvarez was a direct participant and witness to the
events that occurred in the elections.
- The account:
- The Tejeors Assembly was convened on March 25, 1897.
- The invitations to the meeting were signed by Secretary Jacinto
Lumbreras of the Magdiwang Council, and he presided over the
assembly.
- Seated with Lumbreras at the long presidential table were Andres
Bonifacio, Messrs. Mariano Alvarez, Artemio Ricarte, Santos Nocon,
Luciano San Miguel, Pablo Mojica, Severino de las Alas, and Santiago
Rillo.
- Among the Magdalo seated at the head table were Messrs.
Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, and Cayetano Topacio.
- Before the assembly was convened, Secretary of War Ariston
Villanueva of the Magdiwang Council received the confidential
information that Daniel Tirona of the Magdalo faction was set to
undermine the proceedings of the assembly and that he had already
acceded in enjoining any among the Magdiwang leaders to ally with
him.
- Secretary Villanueva kept silent but alerted Captain General Apoy,
who had troops in readiness for any sudden eventuality.
- Severino del las Alas rose to speak and said that it is a must to tackle
first the kind of government they should have and how they should
go about establishing it.
- Chairman Lumbreras replied that the Katipunan holds authority
over the islands. It has government of lawand a definite program. It
is obeyed and respected by all because it stands for freedom,
brotherly love, and ell-organized and well-run government.
- The “K” and the sun of the flag did not indicate whether the
revolutionary government was democratic or not.
- The Supremo replied that the Katipunan was united in its respect
for universal brotherhood and equality of men. It was risking
bloodshed and life to establish a sovereign and free government.
- Antonio Montenegro spoke in defense of Severino de las Alas’ - Baldomero Aguinaldo suggested that for all other positions to be
stand. He argued that if they would agree on the kind of voted upon, voters should stand on one of the sides of the hall if in
revolutionary government they were to have and that if they were favor and on the other side if against.
to let the status quo prevail then they who were in the Revolution - For the position of Secretary of War, Emiliano de Dios was elected.
would be no better than a pack of bandits or of wild, midless - In the Secretary of the Interior, Andres Bonifacio won over Mariano
animals. Alvarez but Daniel Tirona requested for a restoration of order and
- General Apoy was hurt by Montenegro’s statement and quickly suggested that Jose del Rosario, who was a lawyer, must replace
stood up saying that the Katipunan were under the jurisdiction of Bonifacio
our respected Highest Council of the Sons of the People and they - The Supremo quickly stood up and asked Tirona to apologized and
are not bandits. He added that the Katipunan is rational and do not eventually pulled out his revolver towards Tirona.
expose those who talk big but do not accomplish anything. - After this, Bonifacio declared the election as null and void.
- When the order was restored, some people wanted the convention
to be adjourned but the Supremo prevailed upon the others to
continue.
- Bonifacio accepted the chairmanship from Lumbreras and said that
it would repudiate the decision made at the meeting held at the
friar estate house in Imus.
- Because of a repeated clamor for the approval for the
establishment of a government of the Philippine Republic, the chair
proceeded to prepare for an election to the following positions:
President, Vice-president, Minister of Finance, Minister of Warfare,
Minister of Justice, and Captain-General.
- Andres Bonifacio appointed Gen. Artemio Ricarte as a secretary and
with the help of Daniel Tirona, the pieces of papers that served as
ballots were distributed.
- When the ballots had been collected and votes were ready to be
canvassed, Diego Mojica, who was the Magdiwang secretary of the
treasury, warned the Supremo that many ballots distributed were
already filled out and that the voters had not done these
themselves. The warning was ignored by Bonifacio.
- When the votes for president were counted, Emilio Aguinaldo won
over Andres Bonifacio.
- Severinode las Alas spoke again and said that since Bonifacio had
received the second highest number of votes for the presidency, he
should be proclaimed as the vice-president.
- For vice-president, Mariano Trias won over Mariano Alvarez and
Bonifacio.
- General Vibora was elected as the Captain-general over General
Apoy.