The Evolution of Philippine Constitution

1897 Biak-na-Bato Republic

and its
Constitution
 The Revolution Continues

After the Tejeros Convention, Cavite soon became the

center of the revolution, and even with the loss of Bonifacio, it
did not deter the Filipinos from fighting for their freedom. The
Spanish government, for its part, doubled its effort in trying to
control Cavite which was considered the seat of the revolution.
Governor General Primo de Rivera marched to Cavite to
persuade the Filipinos to surrender. But the Filipinos, however,
stood their ground.
 The Revolution Continues

Aguinaldo realized that Cavite was no longer safe for his

men. They moved to Batangas where they temporarily set up
camp in the town of Talisay. However, Spanish soldiers were
able to pursue them there. When they were surrounded by
Spanish forces at his headquarters in Talisay, Batangas,
Aguinaldo slipped through the Spanish cordon and, with 500
picked men, retreated to Morong on June 10, 1897 and
proceeded to San Miguel, Bulacan.
 The Revolution Continues

Aguinaldo established his headquarters in Biak-na-Bato, a

wilderness area at San Miguel, Bulacan (now parts of San
Miguel, San Ildefonso and Dona Remedios in Bulacan). When
news of Aguinaldo’s arrival there reached the towns of Central
Luzon, men from Ilocos provinces, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan,
Tarlac, and Zambales renewed their armed resistance against the
Spanish.
 The Revolution Continues

Unable to persuade the revolutionaries to give up their

arms, Governor General Primo de Rivera issued a decree on
July 2, 1897, which prohibited inhabitants from leaving their
villages and towns. Contrary to his expectations, they continued
fighting.
 The Biak-na-Bato Republic

In July 1897, from his hideout in Biak-na-Bato,

Aguinaldo established the Biak-na-Bato Republic and
issued proclamation entitled “To The Brave Sons of the
Philippines", in which he listed his revolutionary demands.
 The Revolutionary demands are
• The expulsion of the friars and the return to the Filipinos of the
lands which they had appropriated for themselves;
• Representation in the Spanish Cortes;
• Freedom of the press and tolerance of all religious sects;
• Equal treatment and pay for Peninsular and Insular civil
servants;
• Abolition of the power of the government to banish civil
citizens;
• Legal equality of all persons.
 The Biak-na-Bato Constitution

A charter of the constitution based from the Cuban

Constitution was drafted by Felix Ferrer and Isabelo Artacho.
“Constitucion Provisional de la Republica de Filipinas”. It was
signed on November 01, 1897.
 The Biak-na-Bato Constitution provided the
establishment of the following;
1. Supreme Council that would serve as the highest governing body of
the republic;
2. The Consejo Supremo de Gracia y Justicia (Supreme Council of
Grace and Justice), which was given the authority to make decisions
and affirm or disprove the sentences rendered by other courts, and
to dictate rules for the administration of justice; and
3. The Assemblea de Representantes (Assembly of representatives).
 It also outlined basic human rights, such as freedom of
religion, freedom of the press, and the right to education.

Emilio Aguinaldo and Mariano Trias were elected

Supreme Council President and Vice-President respectively.

The Constitution of Biak-na-Bato was never fully

implemented, since a truce, the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, was signed
between the Spanish and the Philippine Revolutionary Army.
 The preamble of the Biak-na-Bato Constitution
“The separation of the Philippines from the Spanish monarchy and
their formation into an independent state with its own government called
the Philippine Republic has been the end sought by the revolution in the
existing war, begun on the 24th of August, 1896; and therefore, in its
name and by the power delegated by the Filipino people, interpreting
faithfully their desires and ambitions, we, the representatives of the
revolution, in a meeting at Biac-na-bato, Nov. 1st. 1897, unanimously
adopt the following articles for the Constitution of the state.”
 The Pact of Biak-na-Bato
By the end of 1897, Governor-Gen. Primo de Rivera accepted the
impossibility of quelling the revolution by force of arms. In a statement
to the Cortes Generals, he said, "I can take Biak-na-Bato, any military
man can take it, but I can not answer that I could crush the rebellion."
Desiring to make peace with Aguinaldo, he sent emissaries to Aguinaldo
seeking a peaceful settlement. Ironically, nothing was accomplished until
Pesdo A. Paterno, a known turncoat and a lawyer from Manila,
volunteered to act as negotiator.
 The Pact of Biak-na-Bato
On august 9, 1897, Paterno proposed a peace based on reforms
and amnesty to Aguinaldo. In succeeding months, practicing shuttle
diplomacy, Paterno traveled back and forth between Manila and Biak-na-
Bato carrying proposals and counterproposals. Paterno's efforts led to a
peace agreement called the pact of Biak-na-Bato. This consisted of three
documents, the first two being signed on December 14, 1897, and the
third being signed on December 15; effectively ending the republic of
Biak-na-Bato.
 The Pact of Biak-na-Bato
On December 23, 1897, Generals Celestino Tejero and Ricardo
Monet of the Spanish army arrived in Biak-na-Bato and became hostages
of the rebels. A ceasefire was declared by both camps and an agreement
will grant self-rule to the Philippines in 3 years if Aguinaldo went to exile
and surrender his arms. In exchange, Aguinaldo will receive P800,000
(mexican pesos) as remuneration to the revolutionaries and an amnesty.
After receiving a partial payment of P400,000, Aguinaldo left for Hong
Kong on December 27, 1897.
 The Pact of Biak-na-Bato
Some Filipino generals, however, did not believe in the
sincerity of the Spaniards. They refused to surrender their arms.
The pact fails, the Filipinos and the Spaniards did not trust each
other. As a result, periodic clashes between the two groups still
took place even after Aguinaldo’s departure from the country.
The Spanish did not pay the entire agreed amount.
 Aguinaldo’s Principal Conditions of the Pact
were:
• That I would, and any of my associates who desired to go with me, be free to live
in any foreign country. Having fixed upon Hong Kong as my place of residence, it
was agreed that payment of the indemnity of $800,000 (Mexican) should be made
in three installments, namely, $400,000 when all the arms in Biak-na-Bató were
delivered to the Spanish authorities; $200,000 when the arms surrendered
amounted to eight hundred stand; the final payment to be made when one
thousand stand of arms shall have been handed over to the authorities and the Te
Deum sung in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of
peace. The latter part of February was fixed as the limit of time wherein the
surrender of arms should be completed;
 Aguinaldo’s Principal Conditions of the Pact
were:
• The whole of the money was to be paid to me personally,
leaving the disposal of the money to my discretion and
knowledge of the understanding with my associates and other
insurgents;
 Aguinaldo’s Principal Conditions of the Pact
were:
• Prior to evacuating Biak-na-Bató the remainder of the insurgent
forces under Captain-General Primo de Rivera should send to
Biak-na-Bató two general of the Spanish army to be held as
hostages by my associates who remained there until I and a few
of my compatriots arrived in Hongkong and the first
installment of the money payment (namely : four hundred
thousand dollars ) was paid to me.