By: Abigail C. Kwok, InterAksyon.com
February 19, 2013 12:31 AM
InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
On November 30, 2013, Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution, will mark his 150th birth anniversary.
However, misconceptions about his true character still abound 116 years after he was killed by his comrades.
The founder of the Katipunan, a revolutionary society that sought independence from Spain, was often considered as rash, violent, uneducated, and sometimes, even stupid or "bobo."
But these descriptions are far from the truth.
This explains why a group of historians sought to correct these misconceptions at a forum titled "Ang Supremo Andres Bonifacio at ang Himagsikan ng mga Anak ng Bayan" held at Miriam College in Quezon City.
All of them took a closer look at historical events that transpired during the Philippine revolution against the Spaniards and the role Bonifacio played, debunking several myths about his character.
1. Andres Bonifacio was a "lowly factory worker" during his time. In fact, he was a “yuppie.”
Contrary to popular belief, Bonifacio was not an uneducated indio but came from a middle class family, Professor Michael Chua of De La Salle University pointed out.
Besides having been born to a mother who was half-Spanish, Bonifacio was a "young urban professional," Chua said.
Thanks to his social standing, he enjoyed certain advantages, allowing him to get in touch with like-minded Filipinos and recruit them for the Katipunan.
But he didn’t limit himself to his social circle—Bonifacio was also able to work closely with the masses, the very same group of people which he remains closely affiliated with to this day.
2. Andres Bonifacio did poorly in the armed struggle. But historians describe him as a military strategist specializing in guerrilla warfare.
Since Bonifacio's military training was done mostly in the mountains, his skills were likened to those of the New People's Army (NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Chua said.
In the battle of Manila in August 29-30, 1896, Bonifacio led a tactical attack against the Spanish forces which was divided into two regions—Malabon-Balintawak-Caloocan and Sta. Ana-Pandacan-Sampaloc.
Bonifacio was able to capture the town's magazine (storage for ammunition) and water station in San Juan before Spanish reinforcements arrived and later had them outnumbered.
Despite the setback, the battle led to revolutions in other provinces.
Historian Zeus Salazar said that these strategies showed Bonifacio's military prowess in which he aimed at the "head of the snake," gathering his forces and launching simultaneous attacks in Manila.
3. Bonifacio is not only the Father of the Katipunan. Historians say he was the first President of the Philippines, before Emilio Aguinaldo.
Although hardly recognized, some historians say Bonifacio was the first Philippine president.
When Katipunan was recognized as the de facto revolutionary government on August 1896, Bonifacio was also recognized as its first President, Dr. Milagros Guerrero said.
In an August 24, 1896 meeting led by Bonifacio, he openly named the Katipunan as a revolutionary government and named this concept of government as "Haring Bayang Katagalugan."
Bonifacio used the word “Tagalog” as a collective term for all people born and raised in the Philippines, Guerrero said.
This de facto revolutionary government was recognized not only by the Spaniards but also by other revolutionaries.
"Filipinos should acknowledge that Bonifacio was not just the founder of Katipunan but also the first leader of the nation, the father of our nation and the founder of democracy," Guerrero added.
4. Andres Bonifacio was rash, a slave to his emotions. Historians say he was idealistic, highly-principled, and practical.
Unlike his close confidante Emilio Jacinto, widely known as the Brains of the Revolution, Bonifacio was more practical. He wanted to translate his idealism into principles that could be applied by his fellow Katipuneros.
Although Bonifacio chose to adopt Jacinto's Kartilya as the Katipunan’s official teaching, Bonifacio's own work, the Decalogue, was not totally expunged from the organization, said Salazar, also a retired professor of the University of the Philippines.
Bonifacio's ideals were embodied in the organization: love for country, brotherhood, and independence.
Jacinto focused more on the moral aspect of being a revolutionary while Bonifacio focused on the practical side of achieving victory through struggle, Salazar said.
5. Bonifacio was ordered killed because he could not accept his loss in the elections during the Tejeros Convention. Historians believe that the context of his assassination has never been fully explained and that the questionable convention formed part of the systemic problems that continue to prevail in the country.
Historians note that Bonifacio’s death and the questionable elections during the Tejeros convention allowed an "elite democracy" to rule over the country, remnants of which are still evident today.
"With Bonifacio's death, the man who pushed for Haring Bayan and a society of brotherhood, kindness, independence allowed the birth of an elite democracy that still rules the nation today," Chua noted.
It is up to Filipinos to fight this elite to allow the ideals of Bonifacio live on, he said.
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