Chapter 7The American Rule

War of Philippine Independence from the

United States

• President Aguinaldo regarded the United States an ally in the Philippines’ road towards independence. Filipino-American relations deteriorated as the American military authorities took over Manila in August 1898.

There was a popular belief among the supporters of Manifest Destiny that the United States had the God-given right to help oppressed countries and build democratic nations. When US President William McKinley issued his so-called Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation on December 21,1898, he expressly indicated American policy regarding the Philippines, that the US shall exercise sovereignty over the entire archipelago.

• January 5, 1899, Aguinaldo issued a counter-proclamation and specified his forces were prepared to fight any American attempt to take over the country.

• January 20, 1899, Pres. McKinley appointed the First Philippine Commission to make recommendations in the administration of the country. This commission headed by Dr. Jacob Schurman, issued a proclamation on April 4, 1899, declaring the establishment of American sovereignty in the Philippines in the midst of the Philippine-American war, which broke out months ago.

Hostilities began on the night of February 4, 1899 at about 9p.m. An American soldier named Private Robert Willie Grayson of the 1st Nebraska volunteers with two other members of the U.S. sentry shot and killed a man who happens to be a Filipino soldiers. The man together with 3 other Filipino soldiers were already entering into American lines on their way home. The American soldiers tried to stop them and shouted. “halt!” twice. Unfamiliar with the word halt the Filipino shouted “halto!”.

The site of the 1st shot of the Philippine-American war, called Philippine Insurrection by the Americans, is in Silencio corner Sociego Street in Sta. Mesa, Manila. (This is pursuant to National Historical Institute Board Resolution 07 s. 2003, ‘Authorizing the Transfer of the Historical Marker for the site of the First Shot of the Philippine-American War from San Juan Bridge to Silencio corner Sociego St., Sta. Mesa, Manila’ after a thorough deliberation on the position of Dr. Benito Legarda).

The next day, Sunday, Gen. Arthur MacArthur issued his order to advance against the Filipino troops without investigating the shooting incident. Aguinaldo tried to avoid war. He sent an emissary to inform Governor Gen. Elwell Otis that the firing on their side had been against his order. Gov. Gen. Otis answered that since the fighting had begun, it must go on to the grim end. On the same day, Aguinaldo issued a declaration informing the Filipino people that they were now at war. This turned out to be the seven-year Philippine-American War (1899-1906).

Gen. John C. Bates tried to win the friendship of the Muslims by negotiating with them on the basis of equality. On August 20, 1899, John Bates and Sultan Jamalul Kiram II of Sulu with three datus signed the Bates Treaty. This treaty provided that the rights and dignities of the Sultan and his datus shall be respected.

The Muslim province remained under American military rule until 1914. schools that taught non-Muslim curriculum were established.

Panglima Hasan led a rebellion against the American authorities. His fight for freedom ended on March 4, 1904.

• In the suburbs of manila, the American fleet started bombarding the Filipino fort north of San Juan del Monte on February 5, 1899. in the afternoon of that day, a fierce battle in La Loma, near the Chinese cemetery ensued. Major Jose Torres Bugallon, one of General Antonio Luna’s gallant officers, fell mortally wounded. After capturing La Loma, General MacArthur headed for Caloocan.

• In Caloocan, a fierce battle followed, with the Americans once again victorious. Undismayed by his defeat, Gen. Antonio Luna (younger brother of Juan Luna) prepared for a plan for the recapture of Manila by burning American occupied houses in Tondo and Binondo.

The Filipinos fought with fierce valor near Malinta. Colonel Harry O. Egbert of the 22nd U.S.

March 30, the American army was already in Malolos. By this time, the Aguinaldo government had evacuated Malolos and Established its headquarters in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Gen. MacArthur wanted to pursue Aguinaldo but Gov. Gen. Elwell Otis ordered him to rest in Malolos.

March 31, Gen. MacArthur captured Malolos.

The Filipino troops, although insufficiently armed and inadequately fed continued fighting. In Quingua ( now Plaridel), on April 23, the American cavalry under Major Bell suffered heavy losses under Gen. Gregorio del Pilar. In this battle, Colonel John Stotsenberg was killed.

April 25, Calumpit fell into American hands. Gen. Gregorio del Pilar and his troops were fell into American hands. Gen. Gregorio del Pilar and his men, had already left to defend the Filipino lines since Gen.Luna and his men, had already left for Pampanga at the height of the battle to see what had happened to the reinforcement troops being asked from Gen. Tomas Mascardo.

March 6, 1899, Apolinario Mabini, in his capacity as head of the cabinet and minister of foreign affairs met with the Schurman Commission and requested for a temporary cease-fire but was refused. He issued a manifesto dated April 15, 1899 in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija urging his countrymen to continue the struggle for independence.

When Mabini resigned from his post on May 7, 1899, Pres. Aguinaldo named Pedro Paterno the head of the new Cabinet.

The Paterno Cabinet, known as the “Peace Cabinet” created a Committee headed by Felipe Buencamino to negotiate peace with the Americans. When Gen. Antonio Luna heard this, he blocked the trip of the committee to Manila and arrested the members.

General Luna met his tragic end in the hands of his fellow patriots.

• June 1899, he received a telegram from Aguinaldo asking him to go to Cabanatuan. He left his command in Bayambang, Pangasinan.

• June 5, he went to a convent in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, which served as Aguinaldo’s headquarters.

Severino de las Alas, the Secretary of the Interior in his circular informed the provincial chiefs of Luna’s death and said that it was caused by Luna’s insulting and assaulting of the President’s bodyguards and the plan of Luna to take over the presidency from Aguinaldo. After Luna’s death, some demoralization set in.

November 12, 1899, the regular army was dissolved by Aguinaldo. He formed guerilla units instead, to carry on the war.

The capture of Aguinaldo was one of the priorities of the Americans. They mounted a full-scale offensive on October 12, 1899.

In order to elude the American forces, Aguinaldo and his forces proceeded to the Cordillera mountain range. In Candon, Ilocos Sur, Aguinaldo and his troops went east and crossed the Ilocos range. This passageway to the Cordillera was Tirad Pass. Del Pilar saw the advantageous terrain of the Tirad Pass.

From atop Mt. Tirad, which could provide view of pursuing Americans, Del Pilar and with 60 riflemen were given the mission of defending the pass.

In the morning of December 2, 1899, Major Peyton G. March and about 300 American troopers stormed the Pass, but were repulsed by Del Pilar’s men.

• Tirad was 4,500 feet high.• Through Januario Galut, an Igorot guide of the

Americans, the secret trail to the top from the rear was known. In the midst of the combat, General del Pilar, was hit with a bullet that passed through his neck. Only eight men escaped alive to relate the tragic news to Aguinaldo.

After the Battle of Tirad Pass, which took six hours, the American authorities lost track of Aguinaldo until Cecilio Segismundo, Aguinaldo’s messenger fell into the hands of Gen. Frederick Funston, stationed in Nueva Ecija. He was carrying important letters to Baldomero Aguinaldo, General Urbano Lacuna, and other guerilla leaders.

Aguinaldo was taken aboard the Vicksburg and brought to Manila. Gen. MacArthur graciously received him at the Malacaňang Palace. On April 19,1901, he took the oath of allegiance to the United States and appealed to all Filipinos to accept the sovereignty of the United States.

At the time when some patriotic Filipinos were still fighting for independence, some officials of the revolutionary government had already decided to make peace with the colonizers. The Pacificados (Pacifists) led by Pedro Paterno and Felipe Buencamino founded Asociacion de Paz. Among the organizers were Cayetano Arellano, Tomas del Rosario, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Leon Ma. Guerrero, Rafael Palma, Justo Lukban, and Pascual Poblete.

While Aguinaldo and some of his men were in the highlands of Northern Luzon, the Pacificados (Pacifists) in a meeting on December 23,1900 renamed the league for peace the Partido Federal (Federal Party), with Trinidad Pardo de Tavera as elected president. The Federlistas were haughtily called Americanistas or pro-Americans by the nationalists.

The Filipino civilians, caught between the Americans and the Filipino revolutionaries suffered badly. More than 200,000 Filipinos died during the war, most often by famine and disease. Some Filipinos accepted the offer of amnesty. Notable exceptions were Apolinario Mabini and Macario Sakay. Only July 4,1902, President Theodore Roosevelt declared that the Philippine-American war was over. However, local resistance continued.