REACTION PAPER ON THE ARTICLE

“POLITICAL RIVALRY BEFORE AND NOW”

Our country's history, the Philippines, has always been puzzling and

inadequate. It is both beautiful and tragic in many ways. As a large section of our history

had been theoretically distorted, many historical figures who existed and fought for our

country had been thrown into the shadows, waiting to be revealed. Many stories of the

past are still awaiting to be revealed. It may take 100 years or more, the modern people

of our country deserve to know and honor the right historical figures. Half of a student's

education has been spent learning about history from school textbooks. The textbooks

contain contradictory narratives, and what students learn in school is the official

narrative they will keep in mind for a long time.

The unearthing of historical artifacts and significant documents

for almost after 100 years flips our historical knowledge of our own country upside

down.  An article by Mario Alvaro Limos, published on  the 28th of November 2018

brought about a substantial impact on the Philippine history, notably the history of the

Philippine Revolution. On March 22, 1897, the Katipunan's Magdiwang and Magdalo

chapters, which also happened to be the country's two largest and most powerful

Katipunan branches, were planned to congregate in Cavite, in what is now known as the

notorious Tejeros Convention. The convention was officiated by Andres Bonifacio, the

Katipunan's leader. The Convention's aim was to establish a revolutionary government,

while others campaigned for monarchy, primarily to reduce conflict between the

Magdiwang and Magdalo factions. During the elections, Bonifacio was nominated for

President but was defeated by Emilio Aguinaldo. Finally, he was recommended for

the lowest position of Interior Secretary in respect of him being the Katipunan Supremo.

However, the events that followed lead to the present confusion and controversy

surrounding the legitimacy of Emilio Aguinaldo’s authority as the Philippines’ first

president after the Spanish reign. The unearthed documents reckoned to have been

written by Bonifacio which emphasized the abolishment of what had been congregated

in the Tejeros Convention. Many Filipinos speculated that this convention lead Bonifacio

to his early death.

When I read this article, I honestly was not surprised by how our elementary

history textbooks were proved wrong. Politics is always filled with filth and secrets.

People who are hungry for power will always do anything to conceal their bloody and

dishonest tracks. In addition, upon reading about how Bonifacio was discriminated for

his humble roots I felt nauseated how those people even considered themselves as

leaders. Andres Bonifacio deserved more recognition and respect. He was a true hero

and great person of a passionate heart. Despite being evidently discriminated by his

fellowmen, I commend his patience and meekness. In the end, the political rivalry in the

Philippines is still quite similar, mainly the arbitrary games most politicians play on

each other. Discrimination is still prevalent in the Philippines, especially discrimination

against the lower classes of the society. Presently, politicians use the masses for votes

by sugar-coating their intents and campaigns to be for the masses, but some are even

revealed to be anti-poor. With the 2022 Elections fast approaching, we should really be

thorough on choosing our candidates as it is for the sake of our beloved homeland.