1899 Malolos Constitution

December of 1897, after the signing of the truce, the

Filipino revolutionary leaders accepted a payment from Spain
and went to exile in Hong Kong.
 Spanish-American war broke out
(US Interest in the Philippines)
One year before the historic Cry of Rebellion, a revolution
broke out in Cuba – another Spanish colony that rose against the
rampant abuses of the Spaniards. At that time, Assistant
Secretary of the US Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, wanted a war to
erupt between the US and the Spain so he strengthens and
expand the US Navy. He immediately put his plan into place.
 Spanish-American war broke out

He ordered Commodore George Dewey to make Hong

Kong the headquarters of the American Asiatic Squadron. He
also directed Dewey to attack Manila Bay and to destroy the
Spanish fleet, the moment hostilities between Spain and US
broke out.
 Spanish-American war broke out
On February 15, 1898, however, a fateful event accrued in
Cuba. The American warship Maine was blown up in Havana
Harbor, resulting in the death of its 260 officers and crew
members. Although it was not proven that the Spaniards had
sunk the Maine, the Americans called for war against Spain.
Spain declared war against the US on April 23, 1898. The US
likewise declared war against the Spain on April 25, 1898.
 The Battle of Manila Bay
George Dewey, then a Commodore US Navy’s Asiatic Squadron
was waiting in Hong Kong when he received a cable from the
then secretary of Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, stating that the war
had begun between the US and Spain. Dewey sailed from Hong
Kong on board his flagship Olympia with six other heavily
armed ships. He brought with him a report on the location of
the Spanish ships in Corregidor and Manila at dawn of may 1,
1898.
 The Battle of Manila Bay
Dewey entered Manila Bay almost undetected. When he
saw the Spanish ships, which were under the command of
General Patricio Montoya, he ordered his men to fire. The
battle began at 5:41 in the morning and by 12:30 of the same
day, the Spaniards were raising the white flag in surrender.
 Re-formed Filipino Revolutionary
Government
The Filipino leaders saw the war between Spain and
America as an opportunity to free the Philippines from the claws
of the Spanish colony. Hence, supported the US with military
forces including indispensable intelligence.
 Re-formed Filipino Revolutionary
Government
Upon the defeat of Spaniards to the Americans in the
Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, America summoned
Aguinaldo to return to the Philippines from exile and with
confidence towards the pleasant US relations, Aguinaldo
anticipated independence from Spain with the help of America.
 Re-formed Filipino Revolutionary
Government
The US Navy transported Aguinaldo back to the
Philippines. The newly re-formed Philippine revolutionary
forces reverted to the control of Aguinaldo, and the Philippine
declaration of independence was issued on June 12, 1898,
together with several decrees that formed the First Philippine
Republic.
 The Malolos Congress
Aguinaldo issued a decree on July 18, 1898 asking for the
election of delegates to the revolutionary congress, another
decree was promulgated five days after, which declared that he
would appoint representatives of congress because holding
elections is not practical at that time.
 The Malolos Congress
He appointed 50 delegates in all composed of wealthy and
educated men. The revolutionary congress was assembled at the
Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan on September 15, 1898.
 The following were among the most important
achievements of the Malolos Congress:
• In September 29, 1898, ratified the declaration of Philippine
Independence held at Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898;
• Passage of a law that allowed the Philippines to borrow P20
million from banks for government expenses;
• Establishment of the Universidad Litertura de Filipinas and
other schools;
 The following were among the most important
achievements of the Malolos Congress:
• Drafting of the Philippine Constitution; and
• Declaring war against the US on June 12, 1899.
 Drafting of the Malolos Constitution
A committee headed by Felipe Calderon and aided by
Cayetano Arellano, the Constitution was drafted, for the first
time by representatives of the Filipino people and it is the first
republican constitution in Asia. The Constitution was inspired
by the constitution of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil,
Belgium and France.
 Drafting of the Malolos Constitution
After some minor revisions (mainly due to the objections of
Apolinario Mabini), the final draft of the Constitution with titled
“The Political Constitution of 1899” written in Spanish came up
with approved by the Congress on 29 November 1898 and was
presented to Aguinaldo.
 The First Philippine Republic
This paved the way to launching the inauguration of the
First Philippine Republic in Malolos, Bulacan on January 21,
1899. After being proclaimed President, Emilio Aguinaldo took
his oath of office. The Constitution was read article by article.
 1899 Malolos Constitution
The Political Constitution of 1899 or the Malolos
Constitution established a democratic, republication government
with three branches – the executive, legislative and the judicial
branches. It called for the separation of church and state. The
executive powers were to be exercise by the President of the
Republic with the help of his cabinet.
 1899 Malolos Constitution
Judicial powers were given to the Supreme Court and other
lower courts to be created by law. The Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court was to be elected by the legislative with the
concurrence of the President and his cabinet.
 1899 Malolos Constitution
President would be elected by a Constituent Assembly of
the Assembly of Representatives and Special Representatives.
The President will serve a term of four years without re-election.
There was no Vice President, and in case of a vacancy, a
President was to be selected by the Constituent Assembly.
 1899 Malolos Constitution
The 1899 Malolos Constitution was never enforced due to
the ongoing war. The Philippines was effectively a US territory
those time and therefore under the jurisdiction of the federal
government of the US upon the signing of the Treaty of Paris
between Spain and the US, transferring sovereignty of the
Philippines on December 10, 1898.
 Treaty of Paris
Under the Treaty of Paris, the Philippine was ceded by
Spain to the USA. Spain relinquished its sovereignty over the
Philippine Islands, and with this, all laws of political matters were
automatically abrogated.

The Treaty provided that the civil and political status of all
inhabitants of the island was to be determined by the US
Congress.
 Treaty of Paris
The Philippine in turn, was not given the status of an
“incorporated territory” (as to make it a candidate for a
statehood) and so ex proprio vigore, the US Constitution did
not apply to the Philippines unless the US Congress expressly
enacted its provisions.
 Military Government

General Wesley Merritt was the highest-ranking American

official in the Philippines after Spaniards surrendered Manila on
August 13, 1898. He established a military government and
became the first American Military Governor of the Philippines.
 Objectives of the Military Government
1) to establish peace and order to the Philippines, and
2) to prepare Philippines for civil governance.

The government in the Philippines can be considered into

opposition and collaboration. The Americans used propaganda
and other means to win the Filipinos to their side.
 Filipino-American hostilities
Emilio Aguinaldo agreed to hold a peace conference
between Filipino and American leaders. The conference lasted
from January 2 to 29 in 1899. It ended without definite results,
because the Americans were actually just biding time, waiting for
more reinforcement to arrive from the US.
 Filipino-American hostilities
Hostilities finally exploded between the Filipinos and
Americans on February 4, 1899 in San Juan. An American
soldier named Robert Grayson, saw 4 armed Filipino men on
San Juan del Monte Bridge and ordered them to stop, but they
ignored him.
 Filipino-American hostilities
This prompted Grayson to fire at the men, who
immediately fired back. The following day Gen. Arthur
Macarthur ordered his troops to openly engage the Filipinos in
battle. The Filipino-American war was on. From San Juan,
American soldiers marched on to Pasig and nearby areas.
 Filipino-American hostilities
In a matter of days, they were able to overrun Guadalupe,
Pateros, Marikina, and Caloocan. The Filipino forces applied
conventional, then guerrilla tactics in fighting against the US
army as they fully aware of the strength of the US military
equipped with superior firearms.
 Filipino-American hostilities
Gen. Antonio Luna and his men showed great heroism
when they attacked Manila on the night of February 24, 1899.
They burned the living quarters of the Americans in Tondo and
Binondo, and reached as far as Recto avenue, where they met by
formidable American troops.
 Filipino-American hostilities
Luna was forced to retreat to Polo, Bulacan two days late.
When American reinforcements arrived in the Philippines, Gen.
Elwell Otis immediately attacked the northern part of Manila,
while Gen. Henry Lawton to the south.
 Filipino-American hostilities
Gen. Arthur Macarthur marched to Malolos, which was
then the capital of the Philippine Republic. Malolos was taken
on March 31, 1899. By this time, however, Aguinaldo had
already moved his headquarters to San Fernando, Pampanga.
 Filipino-American hostilities
Gen. Fredrick Funston crossed the Pampanga River in
April 1899 and entered San Fernando, Pampanga. On May 5,
the Americans had gained control of Pampanga. Fortunately,
Aguinaldo was able to flee to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija.
 The Death of Antonio Luna
A significant event that greatly weakened Aguinaldo’s forces
was the death of Gen. Antonio Luna, acknowledged as the best
and most brilliant military strategist of the Philippine revolution.
He was brave, intelligent, and well educated; but he also had a
fiery temper, and was a strict disciplinarian. His harsh and
rough manner earned him a lot of enemies, who later plotted to
kill him.
 The Death of Antonio Luna
In June 1899 Luna was at his command post in
Bayambang, Pangasinan when he received a telegram allegedly
sent by Aguinaldo. The telegram instructed him to proceed to
Aguinaldo’s headquarters in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. On June
5, Luna arrived at the headquarters, a convent on the town plaza
in Cabanatuan, but was told that Aguinaldo left for Tarlac.
 The Death of Antonio Luna
Angry, Luna went out of the convent and was met and
killed by Captain Pedro Janolino with Kawit, Cavite Troops.
Gen. Luna was buried at the nearby churchyard. Aguinaldo’s
role on his death is not clear and his killer were never charged or
investigated.
 The Death of Antonio Luna
Philippine military strategies began to fail with the death of
Antonio Luna. The generals started to disagree among
themselves, and the Filipinos began losing battles. On
November 13, 1899, Aguinaldo fled to Calasiao, Pangasinan
with his wife, son, mother, sister, and some cabinet members.
The Americans followed in hot pursuit; but Aguinaldo still
managed to elude them.
 The Death of Antonio Luna
However, he soon realized that being constantly on the run
put the woman in his group at great disadvantage. So, on
December 25, 1899, he surrendered them to the Americans.
Aguinaldo then continued his march from Pangasinan to
Palanan, Isabela. There he stayed for some time, since the place
was mountainous and difficult to approach. Aguinaldo’s loyal
men guarded all roads leading to the area.
 End of the Philippine Revolution
Gen. Funston plotted the capture of Aguinaldo. On the
night of March 6, 1901, he boarded the American warship
Vicksburg and docked at Casiguran Bay, Aurora on March 14.
Funston group reached Aguinaldo’s headquarters in Palanan on
March 23, 1901.
 End of the Philippine Revolution
The Macabebe Scouts pretended to have sent by Lacuna,
with American officials as their prisoners. Thus Aguinaldo have
no idea of his impending capture until Tal Placido of the
Macabebe Scouits embraced him.
 End of the Philippine Revolution
The Americans then declared the arrest of Aguinaldo and
his men in the name of the US government. Aguinaldo was
brought to Manila and presented to then Military Governor-
General Arthur Macarthur. On April 19, 1901 he finally
pledged allegiance to the United States. This prompted some
other revolutionary generals to yield to the Americans.