The Battle of Tirad Pass, sometimes referred to as the "Philippine Thermopylae", [1] was a battle in the Philippine-American War

fought on December 2, 1899, in northern Luzon in the Philippines, in which a 60-man Filipino rearguard commanded by Brigadier General Gregorio del Pilar [Gregorio S. Del Pilar] succumbed to 500 Americans of the 33rd Infantry Regiment under Major Peyton C. March, while delaying the American advance to ensure Emilio Aguinaldo's escape.

Tirad Pass, RPs Battle of Thermopylae (Dec. 2, 1899)

December 7, 2010 By jcc 37 Comments Share4

I should have posted this bit of historical note five days ago, to enliven our search for our nations soul and for us to reminisce, that once in the life of our nation, we have something to be proud of our past. That one glorious moment of our past happened 111 years and five days ago today. The Battle of Tirad Pass at Candon, Ilocos Sur , is our local equivalent of the great Battle of Thermopylae, where approximately 7,000 Greek soldiers blocked the pass in the Summer of 480 B.C. to repel a far superior Persian army numbering in millions. The greeks were subdued, just like our 60 defenders in the pass under the command of 24 year old general, Gregorio Del Pilar, to allow President Aguinaldo to escape to the mountains from the pursuing U.S. soldiers numbering about 300 with superior arms and limitless ammunitions. Our forebears fought foreign invaders and painted our souls with a sense of a nation. Let us continue to fight against a more insidious enemy today - ourselves, our ignorance, our disunity, our poverty and our betrayal of the ideals which our elders had sanctified with their blood. Let the Battle of Tirad Pass refresh our memory of our illustrious past.

American war correspondent, Richard Henry Little described the battle at Tirad Pass, this way: We had seen him cheering his men in the fight. One of our companies crouched up close under the side of the cliff where he had built his first entrenchment, heard his voice continually during the fight, scolding them, praising them cursing, appealing in one moment to their love of their native land and the next instant threatening to kill them if they did not stand firm. Driven from the the first entrenchment, he fell slowly back to the second in full sight of our sharpshooters and under a heavy fire. Not until every man around him in the second entrenchment was down did he turn his white horse and ride slowly up in the winding trail. Then we who were below saw an American squirm his way out to the top of high flat rock, and take deliberate aim at the figure on the white horse. We held our breath, not knowing whether to pray that the sharpshooter would shoot straight or miss. Then came the spiteful crack of the Krag and the man on horseback rolled to the ground, and when the troops charging up the mountainside reached him the boy general of the Filipinos was dead. We went up the mountain side. After H company had driven the insurgents out of their second position and killed Pilar, the other companies rushed straight up the trail. Just past this a few hundred yards, we saw a solitary figure lying on the road. The boy was almost stripped of clothing, and there were no marks of rank on the blood-soaked coat. We got his diary and letters and all his papers, and Sullivan of our company got his pants, and Snider got his shoes, but he cant wear them because theyre too small, and a lieutenant got the other, and somebody swiped his cuff button and his collar with blood on it. So this was the end of Gregorio del Pilar. A private sitting by the fire was exhibiting his handkerchief. Its old Pilars Its got Dolores Hoses on the corner. I guess that was his girl. Well, its all over with Gregorio. Anyhow said Private Sullivan, I got his pants. He wont need them anymore. The man who had the general shoes strode proudly past. A private sitting on a rock was examining a gold locket containing a curl of a womans hair. Got the locket off his neck, said the soldier. As the main column started its march for the summit of the mountain, a turn in the trail brought us again in sight of the insurgent general below us. There had been no time to bury him. Not even a blanket or a poncho had been thrown over him And when Private Sullivan went by in his trousers, and Snider his shoes, and the other man who had the cuff buttons, and the sergeant who had the spur and the lieutenant who had the other spur, and the man who had the handkerchief, and another that had his shoulder straps, it suddenly occurred to me that his glory was about all we had left him.

Philippine Declaration of Independence

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2010) For Main article Independence Day (Philippines). For more information History of the Philippines (19461965), Treaty of Manila (1946). Philippine Declaration of Independence

Created Ratified Location

MayJune 1898 June 12, 1898 National Library of the Philippines Author(s) Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista Emilio Aguinaldo Signatories 98 delegates Purpose To proclaim the sovereignty and independence of the Philippines from the colonial rule of Spain

The Philippine Declaration of independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in Cavite II el Viejo (now Kawit), Cavite, Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the Declaration of independence, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain, which had been recently defeated at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. The declaration, however, was recognized by neither the United States nor Spain. The Spanish government later ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War. The United States finally recognized Philippine independence on July 4, 1946 in the Treaty of Manila.[1] July 4 was observed in the Philippines as Independence Day until August 4, 1964 when, upon the advice of historians and the urging of nationalists, President Diosdado Macapagal signed into law Republic Act No. 4166 designating June 12 as the country's Independence Day.[2] June 12 had previously been observed as Flag Day and many government buildings are urged to display the Philippine Flag in their offices.
The Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in the Philippines, where Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo (later to become the Philippines' first Republican President) proclaimed before the crowd in Cavite el Viejo (now Kawit the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain following the latter's defeat at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. The declaration was based on the Act of the Declaration of Independence which was prepared and written by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista in Spanish.

Battle of Manila Bay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Battle of Manila Bay
Part of the Spanish-American War

Commodore George Dewey aboard the cruiser Olympia.

Date Location Result

United States

1 May 1898 Near Manila, Philippines Decisive U.S. victory Belligerents

Kingdom of Spain

Commanders and leaders

George Dewey Patricio Montojo y Pasarn

Strength
Engaged Forces:[cn 1] 2 protected cruisers 4 unprotected cruisers 2 gunboats Unengaged Forces: 1 cruiser 3 gunboats, 1 transport Shore defenses 6 batteries 3 forts 161 dead, 210 wounded, 2 protected cruisers sunk,

Engaged Forces:[cn 1] 4 protected cruisers 2 gunboats Unengaged Forces: 1 revenue cutter 2 transports

Casualties and losses

1 dead (due to heatstroke),[5] 9 wounded,

1 protected cruiser damaged

5 unprotected cruisers sunk, 1 transport sunk

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Pacific Theater: Spanish American War

The Battle of Manila Bay took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish-American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarn. The engagement took place in Manila Bay in the Philippines, and was the first major engagement of the SpanishAmerican War.

Discovery of The May 7, '08 1:36 AM Katipunan by emilio for everyone A. Spanish Suspicion Aroused More and more Filipinos were becoming members of KKK Although this is advantageous for Bonifacio, it also became a disadvantage for the organization because the new members were impatient. emiliojacintokkk Due to their impatience, they met nightly and this aroused the Spanish suspicion that a rebellious organization existed which has the goal of over throwing the Spanish government Rumors and news of the meetings of the KKK members reached Manila which caused anxiety for the Spanish population particularly the Spaniards. B. Betrayal The discovery of the Katipunan was because of an unfortunate incident that took place between two katipuneros who was working in the Spanish owned Diario de Manila Apolonio dela Cruz and Teodoro Patino had a misunderstanding and to get revenge, Patino revealed the secretsof the society to his sister Honoria. Honoria, informed Sor Teresa, madre portera of the orphanage where she worked, and later suggested that Patino confess to Father Mariano Gil In the afternoon of August 19, Patino revealed what he knew of the secret society The discovery of the KKK was immediately followed mass arrests of Filipino suspects. C. Wealthy Filipinos Implicated Bonifacio thought that in order to force the wealthy Filipinos to join the

KKKmovement, they had to make it appear that they were deeply involved in the movement This led to the arrest of Luis R. Yangco, Francisco L. Roxas, and other wealthy Filipinos denied being part of the organization Roxas was executed and Yangco alog with others, bribed the officials and they were eventually set free.
Trial and execution

Historians have condemned the trial of the Bonifacio brothers as unjust. The jury was entirely composed of Aguinaldo's men; Bonifacio's defense lawyer acted more like a prosecutor as he himself declared Bonifacio's guilt and instead appealed for less punishment; and Bonifacio was not allowed to confront the state witness for the charge of conspiracy on the grounds that the latter had been killed in battle, but later the witness was seen with the prosecutors.[72][73] Teodoro Agoncillo writes that Bonifacio's declaration of authority in opposition to Aguinaldo posed a danger to the revolution, because a split in the rebel forces would result in almost certain defeat to their united and well-armed Spanish foe.[70] In contrast, Renato Constantino writes that Bonifacio was neither a danger to the revolution in general for he still planned to fight the Spanish, nor to the Revolution in Cavite since he was leaving; but Bonifacio was definitely a threat to the Cavite leaders who wanted control of the Revolution, so he was eliminated. Constantino contrasts Bonifacio who had no record of compromise with the Spanish with the Cavite leaders who did compromise, resulting in the Pact of Biak-na-Bato whereas the revolution was officially halted and its leaders exiled, though many Filipinos continued to fight (though Aguinaldo, unofficially allied with the United States, did return to take charge of the revolution during the Spanish-American War).[74] Historians have also discussed the motives of the Cavite government to replace Bonifacio, and whether it had the right to do so. The Magdalo provincial council which helped establish a republican government led by one of their own was only one of many such councils in the preexisting Katipunan government.[75][76] Therefore, Constantino and Alejo Villanueva write Aguinaldo and his faction may be considered counter-revolutionary as well - as guilty of violating Bonifacio's constituted authority just as they considered Bonifacio to violate theirs.[75][77] Aguinaldo's own adviser and official Apolinario Mabini writes that he was "primarily answerable for insubordination against the head of the Katipunan of which he was a member".[39] Aguinaldo's authority was not immediately recognized by all rebels. If Bonifacio had escaped Cavite, he would have had the right as the Katipunan leader to prosecute Aguinaldo for treason instead of the other way around.[78] Constantino and Villanueva also interpret the Tejeros Convention as the culmination of a movement by members of the upper class represented by Aguinaldo to wrest power from Bonifacio who represented the middle and lower classes.[77][79] Regionalism among the Cavite rebels, dubbed "Cavitismo" by Constantino, has also been put forward as motivation for the replacement of Bonifacio.[80][81][82] Mabini considered the execution as criminal and "assassination...the first victory of personal ambition over true patriotism." He also noted that "All the electors [at the Tejeros Convention] were friends of Don Emilio Aguinaldo and Don Mariano Tras, who were united, while Bonifacio, although he had established his integrity, was looked upon with distrust only because he was not a native of the province: this explains his resentment."[39] There are differing accounts of Bonifacio's manner of execution. The commanding officer of the execution party, Lazaro Macapagal, said in two separate accounts that the Bonifacio brothers

were shot to death, which is the orthodox interpretation. Macapagal's second account has Bonifacio attempting to escape after his brother is shot, but he is also killed while running away. Macapagal writes that they buried the brothers in shallow graves dug with bayonets and marked by twigs.[1] However, another account states that after his brother was shot, Bonifacio was stabbed and hacked to death. This was allegedly done while he lay prone in a hammock in which he was carried to the site, being too weak to walk.[44] This version was maintained by Guillermo Masangkay, who claimed to have gotten this information from one of Macapagal's men.[1] Also, one account used to corroborate this version is of an alleged eyewitness, a farmer who claimed he saw five men hacking a man in a hammock.[44] Historian Milagros Guerrero also says Bonifacio was bayoneted, and that the brothers were left unburied.[83] After bones said to be Bonifacio's - including a fractured skull - were discovered in 1918, Masangkay claimed the forensic evidence supported his version of events.[1] Writer Adrian Cristobal notes that accounts of Bonifacio's captivity and trial state he was very weak due to his wounds being left untreated; he thus doubts that Bonifacio was strong enough to make a last dash for freedom as Macapagal claimed.[44] Historian Ambeth Ocampo, who doubts the Bonifacio bones were authentic, thus also doubts the possibility of Bonifacio's death by this manner.[1]

The Naik Military Agreement, 19 April 1897

Signed by Andres Bonifacio and other members of the Magdiwang council of the Katipunan, the Naik Military Agreement declares that several Filipino revolutionaries have committed treason against the nation and the revolution by forging a peace pact with the Spanish colonial forces. The signatories resolve that they are no longer bound to recognize the authority of the traitors and that all revolutionary forces shall be unified under the command of Pio del Pilar.

Execution of Bonifacio
In the morning of May 10, 1897, a sealed order was received by Maj. Lazaro Makapagal from General Noriel. The latter further ordered Makapagal to take four soldiers and escort the Bonifacio brothers to Mount Buntis. Noriel insisted that only upon arrival at said location would Makapagal open the sealed orders and follow the instructions. Makapagal, four soldiers, and the Bonifacio brothers marched along a trail leading to Mount Buntis. At the foot of the mountain, Andres Bonifacio asked Makapagal to open the sealed order. After reading the content, the Bonifacio brothers were shot and buried in a shallow grave marked only by a few twigs and leaves.