It’s all the same: From the Bonifacio tragedy to the ‘Hello’ Garcillano

Tomorrow is Andres Bonifacio Day – and I’m glad, although I wish it hadn’t been made a non-working holiday – that Ka Andres, our family’s hero, has been rehabilitated as a solo bayani instead of being lumped with the others in a "National Heroes’ Day."

Remembering the tragic fate that befell Bonifacio, despite his honest and courageous patriotism, his having founded the Katipunan, his having raised the sigaw, cry of angry revolution heard all over the archipelago, is a timely reminder to us that politics in our country has not changed since those days. His title was that of "Supremo" but it was misleading. Bonifacio was betrayed and captured in Cavite because he made the mistake of going to the home-province of his rival, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, whose faction the Magdalo thus seized "control" of the Revolution.

Bonifacio was condemned to death by a military tribunal, a kangaroo court convened by his enemies, for – of all things – being a "traitor" who had connived and collaborated with the Spaniards, the very Spaniards whose polverin (garrison and ammunition depot) he and his brave Katipuneros had attacked in Pinaglabanan in San Juan – bamboo spears, bolos, and insanely reckless courage in the face of rifles.

Worst of all, after Bonifacio and his brother Procopio had been sentenced to execution, Aguinaldo wavered and wanted him, instead, "exiled" abroad. Two of Bonifacio’s former trusted aides, "generals" at that, who had turned balimbing whispered into the Generalissimo’s ear that Bonifacio had to die.

"As long as Bonifacio is alive, they pointed out, "the revolution will be divided."

This "advice" sealed the fate of poor Andres from Tondo. A Manila boy, alas, caught in the clutches of Cavitismo.

* * *

There’s no doubt General Emilio Aguinaldo, who went on to become "president" of the revolutionary government and successfully prosecute the fight to overthrow the colonial Spaniards (but dismally blundered in trusting the Americans), played his own heroic role in our history. He was a far better field general than the ill-fated Ka Andres, and won his battles against the Spaniards and their Guardia Civil. He also managed to bloody the Americans in turn by a subsequent guerrilla war between 1899 and 1906. More American soldiers were killed by the Filipino fighters than have died thus far in Iraq – no less than 4,234 men (counted and buried in the Philippines), while hundreds more died later in the United States of "service-connected" diseases. Another 2,818 American soldiers had been wounded, and the dollar cost had come to US$600 million.

These statistics come from the well-researched book of Leon Wolff, Little Brown Brother (Doubleday & Company, Inc., New York, 1960). This volume by Wolff, an Air Force officer in World War II, and the author of several books on military calamities, has become a classic, and ought to have been read by Messrs. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc., before they embarked on the attack on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq – so they could weigh the consequences of guerrilla action after Baghdad had been taken and Saddam overthrown. They are now paying the cost of this ignorance about how a determined guerrilla enemy indeed "terrorist" foe – can do, even against the best-equipped Americans.

I don’t begrudge Aguinaldo, therefore, his tenacity, his own bravery and his accomplishments. Ironically, he too was captured by America’s General Frederick Funston because some Filipinos betrayed him and collaborated in the ruse which resulted in his being seized in Palanan.

In his own autobiography, entitled Memoirs of the Revolution, or My Memoirs (translated in 1967 by Luz Colendrino-Bucu) Aguinaldo seeks to explain his side. He wrote: "My generals wanted Andres and Procopio Bonifacio shot to death without benefit of trial. As this matter involved the lives of two men . . . I said: ‘I am sorry to differ with your opinion on the matter. I believe that even if we are in a state of war, it is absolutely necessary that we act like prudent and civilized human beings. The life of a person, no matter who he is, needs to be respected. I don’t think it is right to have anyone, especially our brothers, shot just like animals. Whatever their crimes are, they should be entitled to a fair trial."

All these fine words were penned years later. Perhaps they were sincere. It’s likely they were an afterthought, intended to gloss over the cruelty with which a rival was disposed of. In the end, Andres and Procopio did not get a "fair trial" and were "shot just like animals."

Is there anything new under the sun?

The politics of jockeying for power seems to be the same today. It’s still "give no quarter." Now that the disappearing Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano is back – how many times did some people spread the rumor that he was already "dead", allegedly "murdered" by those upstairs who wanted to silence him? – what will be done with him? Our Congressmen have "lifted" a P1-million "bounty" on his head – he’s here already, from head to toe – and are calling on him to testify at their inquiry on the "Hello, Garci" ringtone and the allegations of GMA "cheating." Has the warrant of arrest on contempt charges issued against Garci-baby been lifted by the House of Representatives and Senate? We await the much-heralded Garci "revelations," if any. But already, the opposition is grumbling they expect him to "lie."

In my view, it’s all too familiar. They wanted him back, now they’re not sure what they can get out of him.

Will the Supreme Court take a hand in this, too?

Ka Andres Bonifacio blundered into Cavite, the camp of his bitter enemy, because he didn’t understand politics. It appears that in the entire century, and more which transpired between today and the date of his betrayal and execution, people are still confused about the perils and perversions of the same kind of politics which brought our hero, shackled and despairing, to his rendezvous with death on the mountain.

By golly, he was even shot down by an officer, hopefully no relation, named Macapagal.