Declaration of Philippine Independence - Abrosio Rianzares Bautista

Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista (December 7, 1830 – December 4, 1903), also known as Don
Bosyong, was a lawyer and author of the Declaration of Philippine Independence. A distant
relative of the Rizal family, Bautista often gave advice to José Rizal, a Filipino nationalist, while
studying in Manila.

He was also the one who read the declaration during the June 12, 1898 Independence
proclamation by General Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite

Early life and career

Bautista was born in Biñan, Laguna to Gregorio Enriquez Bautista and Silvestra Altamira. He
attended preparatory school in Biñan and studied law at the University of Santo Tomas (UST),
obtaining a degree in 1865. He then practiced law in Manila and offered free legal services to
poor clients. Whilst practicing law, Bautista, on his way to Malolos, Bulacan, was captured by a
group of bandits, who subsequently learned that he had saved many of their friends as a
defender of the poor in court cases against rich Filipinos and Spaniards. The bandits apologized
to Bautista and set him free.

Political activism
Bautista solicited funds to finance a campaign for reforms in the Philippines, later becoming a
member of the La Liga Filipina, Cuerpo de Compromisarios and La Propaganda. In 1896, the
Spaniards arrested and imprisoned him at Fort Santiago, as he was suspected of being involved
in the Philippine Revolution; Bautista elected to defend himself and was later released from
prison.

In 1898, Bautista became the first adviser to President Emilio Aguinaldo and
subsequently wrote the Declaration of Philippine Independence.

Contrary to common belief, it was Bautista, and not Aguinaldo, who waved the Philippine
flag before the jubilant crowd on June 12, 1898, during the Philippines Proclamation of
Independence in Cavite.

On July 14, 1899, Bautista was elected to the position of president in Tarlac's Revolutionary
Congress and was later appointed judge of the Court of First Instance of Pangasinan.[5]

Historical Backround
During the Spanish-American War, Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo proclaim the
independence of the Philippines after 300 years of Spanish rule. By mid-August, Filipino rebels
and U.S. troops had ousted the Spanish, but Aguinaldo’s hopes for independence were dashed
when the United States formally annexed the Philippines as part of its peace treaty with Spain.

Independence was proclaimed on 12 June 1898 between four and five in the afternoon in Cavite
at the ancestral home of General Emilio Aguinaldo some 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Manila.
The event saw the unfurling of the Flag of the Philippines, made in Hong Kong by Marcela
Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo, and Delfina Herboza, and the performance of the Marcha Filipina
Magdalo, as the national anthem, now known as Lupang Hinirang, which was composed by
Julián Felipe and played by the San Francisco de Malabon marching band.

The Act of the Declaration of Independence was prepared, written, and read by Ambrosio
Rianzares Bautista in Spanish. The Declaration was signed by 98 people,[4] among them a
United States Army officer who witnessed the proclamation. The final paragraph states that
there was a "stranger" (stranger in English translation—extranjero in the original Spanish,
meaning foreigner) who attended the proceedings, Mr. L. M. Johnson, described as "a citizen of
the U.S.A., a Colonel of Artillery".[5] Despite his prior military experience, Johnson had no
official role in the Philippines.
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The proclamation of Philippine independence was, however, promulgated on 1 August, when
many towns had already been organized under the rules laid down by the Dictatorial
Government of General Aguinaldo.[7][8] 190 municipal presidents of different towns from 16
provinces—Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Bataan, Infanta, Morong, Tayabas,
Pampanga, Pangasinan, Mindoro, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, La Union and Zambales—ratified the
Proclamation of Independence in Bacoor, Cavite.

Later at Malolos, Bulacan, the Malolos Congress modified the declaration upon the insistence of
Apolinario Mabini who objected to that the original proclamation essentially placed the
Philippines under the protection of the United States.

The declaration was never recognized by either the United States or Spain. Later in 1898, Spain
ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish–
American War.

The Philippine Revolutionary Government did not recognise the treaty or American sovereignty,
and subsequently fought and lost a conflict with the United States originally referred to by the
Americans as the "Philippine Insurrection" but now generally and officially called the Philippine–
American War, which ended when Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by U.S. forces,[9] and issued
a statement acknowledging and accepting the sovereignty of the United States over the
Philippines.[10] This was then followed on July 2, 1902, by U.S. Secretary of War Elihu Root
telegraphing that the insurrection the United States had come to an end and that provincial civil
governments had been established everywhere except those areas inhabited by Moro tribes.
[11] Pockets of resistance continued for several years.

Following the end of World War II, the United States granted independence to the Philippines on
4 July 1946 via the Treaty of Manila.[12] 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.[13] June 12 had previously been observed as Flag
Day and many government buildings are urged to display the Philippine Flag in their offices.

Because of it, many people during that time accused him of politicizing the holiday.
According to Macapagal, it was only correct to recognize June 12 as the country’s true
independence day because it was the birthday of the independent Filipino nation. Its
proclamation, as explained earlier, had the unprecedented support, unity, and resolve of
various leaders from local governments nationwide.

Macapagal also pointed out that it doesn’t matter whether actual independence was in
effect during or after the proclamation. He argued that when America declared its
independence from England on July 4, 1776, it was only after 7 years on September 3,
1783 when their former mother country formally recognized the United States’
independence.

Current location of the Declaration

The Declaration is currently housed in the National Library of the Philippines.[1] It is not on
public display but it can be viewed with permission like any other document held by the National
Library.

During the Philippine–American War, the American government captured and sent to the United
States about 400,000 historical documents.[14] In 1958, the documents were given to the
Philippine government along with two sets of microfilm of the entire collection, with the U.S.
Federal Government keeping one set.[14]

Sometime in the 1980s or 1990s, the Declaration was stolen from the National Library.[1] As
part of a larger investigation into the widespread theft of historical documents and a subsequent
public appeal for the return of stolen documents, the Declaration was returned to the National
Library in 1994 by historian and University of the Philippines professor Milagros Guerrero, who
mediated the return of the documents.

The document provides answers as to why Philippines celebrates their independence day on
June 12 as it carries the wishes and countless sacrifices of the Filipinos who fought for their
independence, as well as the meaning behind the national flag. It aids the people in
understanding all the hardship the Filipinos endured under the hands of the colonizers and how
their well-earned independence was finally achieved. It will forever serve as the proof that
Philippines is ours and belongs to no other country.
Drafting of the Malolos Constitution - Felipe G. Calderon

Felipe Gonzáles Calderón y Roca, also known as Felipe G. Calderon (April 4, 1868 – June 6,
1908) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, and intellectual, known as the "Father of the Malolos
Constitution".

In 1899, the Malolos Constitution, the first Philippine Constitution—the first republican
constitution in Asia—was drafted and adopted by the First Philippine Republic, which lasted
from 1899 to 1901.

The first significant act of the Congress was the ratification on September 29, of the
independence proclaimed at Kawit on June 12, 1898. Aguinaldo, whose office and official
residence were located at the convent of Malolos Church, arrived at Barasoain, where Congress
was holding its sessions, amidst the "vociferous acclamations of he people and strains of
music." The ceremonies began at 10:30am and Aguinaldo, after congratulating Paterno for
having been elected to the presidency of Congress

The First Philippine Republic never gained international recognition and the Malolos
Constitution was never fully implemented across the Philippines.

Following Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War, the United States in the Treaty of Paris
of 1898 acquired the Philippines from Spain, along with several other territories. On February 4,
1899, the Philippine–American War started with the Battle of Manila of 1899. On March 23,
1901 Aguinaldo was captured.[12] On April 19, he issued a Proclamation of Formal Surrender to
the United States, telling his followers to lay down their weapons and give up the fight.[13]
General Miguel Malvar took over the leadership of the Filipino government, or what remained of
it.[14] Malvar surrendered, along with his sick wife and children and some of his officers, on
April 13, 1902.[15]

Beginning with the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 the United States Congress passed a number
of so-called organic acts in the American constitutional tradition which acted like constitutions
for the colonial Insular Government. Eventually, the Tydings–McDuffie Act of 1934 was passed
leading to the 1935 Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and subsequent
charters, including the present 1987 Constitution. These were written in the American
constitutional tradition and based upon American constitutional principles, often lifting wording
directly from the Constitution of the United States and other American sources.[7] The Malolos
Constitution, rooted in Spanish constitutionalism, has had limited influence on subsequent
Philippine constitutions, rooted in American constitutionalism.[citation needed]

Isagani Giron, a past president of the Samahang Pangkasaysayan ng Bulacan (Historical

Society of Bulacan; SAMPAKA), described the Malolos Constitution as "the best Constitution
the country ever had".[16]
The original copy of the Malolos Constitution is kept in the historical archives of the Batasang
Pambansa Complex, the current seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The
document is not available for public viewing.

The Malolos constitution is the first important Filipino document ever produced by the people's
representatives. It is anchored in democratic traditions that ultimately had their roots in
American soil. It created a Filipino state whose government was "popular, representative and
responsible" with three distinct branches -- the executive, the legislative and the judicial. The
constitution specifically provided for safeguards against abuses, and enumerated the national
and individual rights not only of the Filipinos and of the aliens.

It is a monument of hope for the Filipinos which served as the symbol which carries the ideals
after a long period of oppression in the hands of the colonizers. The constitution signifies the
new beginning of the country as well as the desire of the Filipinos to protect their freedom and
move forward.
Inauguration of the First Philippine Republic- Emilio Aguinaldo

On January 23, 1899, the First Philippine Republic, also known as the Malolos Republic, was
inaugurated in Malolos, Bulacan with General Emilio Aguinaldo as President.

History
Earlier, Aguinaldo, who had returned to the Philippines from Hong Kong, had planned to form a
Filipino government in the wake of victories against the Spaniards and to show the capacity of
the Filipinos for self-government. Hence, he established a Dictatorial Government, then a
Revolutionary Government.

He declared Independence at Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898, believing that such a move would
inspire the people to fight more eagerly against the Spaniards and at the same time lead the
foreign countries to recognize the independence of the country.

Notably, Aguinaldo adopted the Constitución Política de la República Filipina, drawn up by the
Philippine Constitutional Convention in the Barasoain Church in Malolos in January 1899 to
replace the dictatorial government set up by the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on July 7, 1897.

However, the Malolos Republic did not last long. It ended with the capture and surrender of
Aguinaldo to the American forces on March 23, 1901 in Palanan, Isabela, which effectively
dissolved the First Republic.

On April 1, 1901, Aguinaldo announced allegiance to the United States, formally ending the First
Republic and recognizing the sovereignty of the United States over the Philippines.

After the abolition of the First Philippine Republic, the U.S. continued its annexation of the
islands pursuant to the Treaty of Paris which ended the Spanish- American War.

The Philippines was under U.S. sovereignty until July 4, 1946, when formal independence was
granted by the United States.

The Philippine Republic (Spanish: República Filipina), more commonly known by historians as
the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic, was an unrecognized independent
sovereign state in the Philippines.[discuss] It was formally established with Emilio Aguinaldo as
president by proclamation of the Malolos Constitution on January 21, 1899, in Malolos, Bulacan,
[Note 1] succeeding the previous Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. It endured until
1901.[Note 2] April 1, The First Philippine Republic was established during the Philippine
Revolution against the Spanish Empire (1896–1897) and the Spanish–American War between
Spain and the United States (1898). Following the American victory at the Battle of Manila Bay,
Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines, issued the Philippine Declaration of Independence on
June 12, 1898, and established successive revolutionary Philippine governments on June 18
and 23 of that year. In December, Sovereignty over the Philippines was transferred from Spain
to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris, making the United States formally the
Philippines colonial power. The Malolos Constitution establishing the First Philippine Republic
was proclaimed the following month. The Philippine–American War began in February 1899,
eventually resulting in American victory.

The Philippine Republic is considered by Filipino historians to be the first proper constitutional
republic in Asia[12] Although there were several Asian republics predating the First Philippine
Republic - for example, the Mahajanapadas of ancient India, the Lanfang Republic, the Republic
of Formosa or the Republic of Ezo, and Aguinaldo himself had led a number of governments
prior to Malolos, like those established at Tejeros and Biak-na-Bato which both styled
themselves República de Filipinas ("Republic of the Philippines") - the Republic at Malolos was
the first to frame a comprehensive constitution duly approved by a partially elected congress.[13

In 1896, the Philippine Revolution began against Spanish colonial rule. In 1897, Philippine
forces led by Aguinaldo signed a cceasefire with the Spanish authorities and Aguinaldo and
other leaders went into exile in Hong Kong. In April 1898, the Spanish–American War broke out.
The U.S. Navy's Asiatic Squadron, then in Hong Kong, sailed to the Philippines to engage the
Spanish naval forces. On May 1, 1898, the U.S. Navy decisively defeated the Spanish Navy in
the Battle of Manila Bay. Later in May, Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines, established a
dictatorial government on May 24, 1898[14][15] (formally established by decree on June 18[16]),
and on June 12, 1898, at Aguinaldo's ancestral home in Cavite, issued the Philippine
Declaration of Independence from Spain. Following the proclamation of independence
Aguinaldo established a revolutionary government on June 23, 1898, under which the partly-
elected and partly-appointed Malolos Congress convened on September 15 to write a
constitution.[17]

On December 10, 1898, the 1898 Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Spanish–American
War and transferring the Philippines from Spain to the United States.[18]

The Malolos Constitution written by the congress was proclaimed on January 22, 1899, creating
what is known today as the First Philippine Republic, with Aguinaldo as its president.[19][14]
The constitution was approved by delegates to the Malolos Congress on January 20, 1899, and
sanctioned by Aguinaldo the next day.[19] The convention had earlier elected Aguinaldo
president on January 1, 1899, leading to his inauguration on January 23. Parts of the
constitution gave Aguinaldo the power to rule by decree.[Note 3] The constitution was titled
"Constitución política", and was written in Spanish.[21][19][22]

It enshrined the rights of Filipino citizens denied by their colonizers. It organized a government
with powers shared by three branches—the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. It
recognized the separation of Church and State, promoted education, and valued the native
tongue.
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