SEEDS OF

DISCONTENT
Teodoro Agoncillo vs. Santiago Alvarez ‘aka’
“Kidlat Apoy”
 Teodoro Andal Agoncillo

Born Teodoro Andal Agoncillo

November 9, 1912

Died January 14, 1985 (aged 72)

Nationality Filipino

Alma mater University of the Philippines Manila

Occupation Historian

Awards National Scientist of the Philippines

 Born in Lemery, Batangas to Pedro Agoncillo and Feliza Andal, both from landed
families in Batangas,
 Agoncillo obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the 
University of the Philippines in Manila, in 1934, and a master's degree in the arts from
the same university the following year.
 He earned his living as a linguistic assistant at the Institute of National Language and as
an instructor at the Far Eastern University and the Manuel L. Quezon University.
 In 1956, he published his seminal work, Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio
and the Katipunan, a history of the 1896 Katipunan-led revolt against Spanish rule and
its leader, Andres Bonifacio. He garnered acclaim for this book, as well as criticisms
from more conservative historians discomfited by the work's nationalist bent.
 In 1958, Agoncillo was invited to join the faculty of the Department of History of his alma
mater, the University of the Philippines. He remained with the university until his
retirement in 1977, chairing the Department of History from 1963 to 1969. After retiring
from UP, Agoncillo taught Filipino history as a visiting professor at the 
International Christian University in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan, for one year from 1977 to 1978.
 Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal named Agoncillo as a member of the 
National Historical Institute in 1963. He served in this capacity until his death in 1985.
Agoncillo was chair of the History Department in the University of the Philippines at the
same time period that his cousin, General Abelardo Andal, served as Commander (Chair) of
the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of the same university.
GOBERNADOR-
GENERAL RAMON
BLANCO
- SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKED
AGAINST THE SPANISH
GARRISONS AND CONVENTS
BY KATIPUNAN OF CAVITE.

- THE MAGDALO
- THE MAGDIWANG
BOTH EXERCISED
SOVEREIGN POWER OVER A
NUMBER OF TOWNS
INCLUDING THOSE IN
BATANGAS BORDERING
CAVITE.
TALISAY- MAGDALO
NASUGBU, TUWI, & LOOK-
MAGDIWANG
MAGDALO LEADERS

BALDOMERO AGUINALDO -
PRESIDENT.
EDILBERTO EVANGELISTA -
VICE PRESIDENT.
CANDIDO TIRONA - SECRETARY
OF WAR.
FELIX CUENCA - SECRETARY OF
INTERIOR.
GLICERIO TOPACIO -
SECRETARY OF PUBLIC WORKS.
CAYETANO TOPACIO -
SECRETARY OF FINANCE.
EMILIO AGUINALDO - FLAG
OFFICER.
MAGDIWANG
LEADERS

MARIANO ALVAREZ-
PRESIDENT
LORENZO FENOY -
VICE PRESIDENT FOR
BATANGAS.
PASCUAL ÁLVAREZ -
MINISTER OF THE
INTERIOR.
ARISTON VILLANUEVA
- MINISTER OF WAR.
ANANIAS DIOKNO -
VICE MINISTER OF
WAR OF BATANGAS.
MARIANO TRÍAS -
MINISTER OF
WELFARE AND
JUSTICE.
EMILIANO RIEGO DE
DIOS - MINISTER OF
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT.
MAGDIWANG WERE SUCCESSFUL IN
THEIR RESPECTIVE REVOLTS HENCE
THE LEADERS DESIRED TO MERGE
ONE WITH THE OTHER.

-THOUGH NO SERIOUS OPEN BREACH

BETWEEN THE TWO THE SILENT
CONFLICT THREATENED TO WRECK
THE UNITY THAT IN THE BEGINNING
PREVENTED THE INVADERS FROM
OVERRUNNING THE WHOLE
PROVINCE.

-THIS CONFLICT LED TO THEIR

SUCCEEDING DEFEATS THROUGH
THE HANDS OF CAMILO GARCIA DE
POLAVIEJA RETURNING ALMOST
HALF OF THE PROVINCE TO THE
CONTROL OF ROYAL CROWN OF
SPAIN.
THEIR DEFEAT IS
BECAUSE ONE
REFUSED TO COME
TO HELP THE
OTHER WHEN
ASKED FOR AND
VICE VERSA.
HENCE THE
CLAMOR TO BE
UNITED UNDER
ONE LEADERSHIP.
THE MAGDIWANG BEING
THE INITIATOR OF THE
REVOLUTION IN CAVITE
ASKED FOR PRIORITY
RIGHT TO RULE.
THE MAGDALO CLAIMING
THAT MOST VICTORIES
WITHIN THE TERRITORIES
WERE WON BY THEM
WANTED TO WIN THE
LEADERSHIP.
THE MAGDIWANG
SUCCEEDED ON
INVITING BONIFACIO
TO INTERVENE ( BEING
THE FOUNDER OF THE
KATIPUNAN), WHO
FIRST REFUSED ON
THE GROUND THAT,
“INORDER TO SUCCEED
AGAINST THE
SPANIARDS THE
REVOLUTION MUST
NOT BE
CONCENTRATED IN
JUST ONE AREA.”
ANDRES BONIFACIO
TOGETHER WITH HIS
WIFE ORYANG AND HIS
BROTHERS CIRIACO AND
PROCOPIO WERE MET BY
EMILIO AGUINALDO,
CANDIDO TIRONA, AND
EDILBERTO EVANGELISTA
AT ZAPOTE.
IT IS IN THIS
PRELIMINARY MEETING
WHERE THE
MISUNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE MAGDALO
LEADERS AND BONIFACIO
TOOK PLACE.
BONIFACIO’S GESTURES
AND BEHAVIOR WERE
REGARDED BY THE
MAGDALO AS SUPERIOR,
“ACTED AS IF HE WAS A
KING.”
BONIFACIO WAS BROUGHT
TO THE HOUSE OF JUAN
CASTAÑEDA, HE WAS
VISITED BY BALDOMERO
AGUINALDO, DANIEL
TIRONA, AND VICENTE
FERNANDEZ. UPON SEEING
FERNANDEZ, THE SUPREMO
ORDERED HIS ARREST.
SINCE FERNANDEZ DID NOT
COMPLY ON HIS PROMISE TO
ATTACK LAGUNA &
MORONG THUS RESULTED
ON THE DEFEAT OF
BONIFACIO IN THE BATTLE
AT SAN JUAN BULACAN.
BUT HIS ORDER WAS
NOT OBEYED SINCE
GENERAL FERNANDEZ
IS A LEADER-MEMBER
OF THE MAGDALO.
“THE SUPREMO BY
THEN REALIZED THAT
HE HAD VERY LITTLE
OR NO INFLUENCE AT
ALL OVER THE
MAGDALO.”
HE WROTE TO HIS
UNCLE-IN-LAW
MARIANO ALVAREZ,
“PRESIDENT MAINAM
DON’T FAIL TO COME
THIS VERY MOMENT
FOR I WANT TO TALK
WITH YOU PRIVATELY
ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED TO ME IN
MAGDALO AND SO
THAT YOU MIGHT
EXPLAIN TO ME
THEIR
ORGANIZATION.”
ESTEBAN SAN JUAN
INVITED THE SUPREMO
IN A DEMONSTRATION BY
MAGDIWANG AT
NOVELETA. THE PEOPLE
OF NOVELETA AND
THOSE ON THE STRETCH
OF SAN FRANCISCO DE
MALABON ALONG WITH
THE MAGDIWANG
ENTHUSIASTICALLY
ACCEPTED BONIFACIO.
AND IN THE PARADE THE
PEOPLE WERE SHOUTING,
“ LONG LIVE THE RULER
OF THE PHILIPPINES!” TO
WHICH THE SUPREMO
RESPONDED IN A SHOUT,
“ LONG LIVE PHILIPPINE
LIBERTY!”
BECAUSE OF THE
N0N-COOPERATION
AND MUTUAL
MISTRUST,
GENERAL
POLAVIEJA
COUNTER-
OFFENSIVES LED
TO THE FALL OF
SEVERAL TOWNS
HELD BY THE
CAVITEÑO’S
REBELS.
THEREFORE BOTH
MAGDALO AND
MAGDIWANG CALL
AN ASSEMBLY AT
IMUS.
IN THE ASSEMBLY
HALL, THE SUPREMO
UNCEREMONIOUSLY
OCCUPIED THE SEAT ON
THE HEAD OF THE
TABLE. HE GESTURED
TO THE MAGDIWANG
REPRESENTATIVES TO
SEAT AT HIS RIGHT SIDE
AND THE MAGDALOS AT
HIS LEFT. THIS WAS
SILENTLY RESENTED BY
THE MAGDALO SINCE
TO THEIR MINDS
BONIFACIO’S ACT
SHOWED HIS
PARTIALITY.
GENERAL AGUINALDO
WAS CONTENDED TO BE
A MERE OBSERVER
SINCE HE HAD IN HIS
MIND TO NOMINATE
GENERAL EDILBERTO
EVANGELISTA AS
PRESIDENT SINCE
AMONG THEM,
“EVANGELISTA IS THE
MOST EDUCATED” (A
CIVIL ENGINEER
KNOWN TO DEFEND THE
ZAPOTE BRIDGE USING
“TRENCH WARFARE).
BALDOMERO AGUINALDO
PROPOSED TO “CREATE A
REVOLUTIONARY
GOVERNMENT” AND THAT
THE “CONTINUANCE OF THE
KATIPUNAN IS NO LONGER
NECESSARY.” HOWEVER THE
MAGDIWANG COUNTER-
ARGUED THAT THE
KATIPUNAN HAD BY-LAWS
AND CONSTITUTIONS DULY
APPROVED AND ENFORCED
IN THE ENTIRE PHILIPPINES
THUS ESTABLISHING
PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL
GOVERNMENTS AROUND
AND WITHIN METRO
MANILA. HENCE NO
NECESSITY TO ESTABLISH
NEW GOVERNMENT.
ARISTON VILLANUEVA
ARGUED THAT “IF A NEW
GOVERNMENT WAS TO BE
ESTABLISHED, ANDRES
BONIFACIO WHO HAD
ESTABLISHED AND
ORGANIZED THE
REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT
MUST AS A MATTER OF RIGHT
OCCUPIES THE PRESIDENCY
WITHOUT ANY ELECTION AND
MUST POSSESS POWER TO
APPOINT THE MINISTERS.”
THIS WAS STRONGLY
OPPOSED BY THE MAGDALO
THUS RESULTED TO
ADJOURNMENT WITHOUT
DEFINITE UNDERSTANDING.
TEJEROS CONVENTION
-THE PRIMARY AGENDA IS
THE DEFENSE OF THE
PROVINCE OF CAVITE.
- CHAIRED BY JACINTO
LUMBRERAS A
MAGDIWANG, TEODORO
GONZALES ACTED AS
SECRETARY ALSO A
MAGDIWANG.
-IT IS NOTE-TAKING THAT
“THE SUPREMO” WAS
LABELED BY AGONCILLO AS
DELEGATE OF THE
MAGDIWANG.
DE LAS ALAS TOOK THE FLOOR
AND MOVED FOR A MOTION TO
ADOPT WHAT KIND OF
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE SET
UP TO ADMINISTER THE WHOLE
COUNTRY, “ FROM THIS
GOVERNMENT ANYTHING THAT
IS NECESSARY IN THE DEFENSE
OF THE COUNTRY EMANATES”

THE CHAIR HOWEVER

REMINDED DE LAS ALAS THAT
A GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN
FOUNDED ALREADY THROUGH
THE “KATIPUNAN” AND THE
MEETING WAS CALLED TO
MERELY ADOPT DEFENSIVE
MEASURES FOR THE PROVINCE
OF CAVITE. BONIFACIO
SUPPORTED THE WORDS OF
THE CHAIR.
THE DISCUSSIONS AMONG
MEMBERS OF THE
MAGDIWANG HAS NO
CERTAIN DESTINATION
HENCE GENERAL ANTONIO
MONTENEGRO OF
MAGDALO IN LOUD
VOICE TOLD THE
DELEGATES, “IF WE DO
NOT ACT UPON THE
SUGGESTION OF MR. DE
LAS ALAS, WE REBELS
WILL BE LIKENED UNTO
MERE PACKS OF HIGHWAY
ROBBERS, OR WORSE, LIKE
ANIMALS WITHOUT
REASONS.”
SANTIAGO ALVAREZ
REFUTED MONTENEGRO BY
SAYING “WE THE REBELS
FROM CAVITE, ESPECIALLY
THOSE UNDER THE
MAGDIWANG, RECOGNIZE THE
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZED BY
THE ASSOCIATION OF THE
SONS OF THE PEOPLE.”
BECAUSE OF THE HEATED
CONFRONTATION AND THE
DEVIATION FROM THE
ORIGINAL AGENDA THE
CHAIRMAN FORFEITED HIS
CHAIRMANSHIP TO THE
SUPREMO TO CALL FOR
ORDER.
THE SUPREMO TOOK
THE SEAT BY VIRTUE
OF HIS BEING THE
PRESIDENT OF THE
SUPREME COUNCIL OF
THE KATIPUNAN. HE
ACCEDED TO THE
CALL TO FORM A NEW
REVOLUTIONARY
GOVERNMENT YET
LAYING DOWN
CONDITIONS FOR THE
ELECTION THAT MUST
BE STRICTLY
FOLLOWED.
FIRST, MUST RESPECT
AND OBEY THE WILL
OF THE MAJORITY;
AND LASTLY,
WHOEVER WOULD BE
ELECTED SHOULD BE
RECOGNIZED AND
RESPECTED
REGARDLESS OF HIS
SOCIAL STATUS AND
EDUCATION.

IT WAS ACCEPTED
UNANIMOUSLY BY ALL
THE DELEGATES.
PRESIDENCY

1.MARIANO ALVAREZ
2. ANDRES
BONIFACIO
3. EMILIO
AGUINALDO
- ABSENT SINCE THE
GENERAL WAS AT
SALITRAN
DEFENDING THE
TERRITORY AGAINST
THE SPANIARDS.

AGUINALDO WON
AGAINST BONIFACIO
FROM A CLOSE
VOTE.
VICE PRESIDENCY

SEVERINO DE LAS ALAS

SUGGESTED THAT
BONIFACIO SHOULD
OCCUPY THE VICE-
PRESIDENCY BEING THE
NOMINEE TO THE
PRESIDENCY WHO GOT
THE 2ND HIGHEST VOTE,
HOWEVER NONE
REACTED TO SUCH
MOTION HENCE
BONIFACIO CONTINUED
THE ELECTION.
1. MARIANO TRIAS
2. MARIANO ALVAREZ
3. SEVERINO DE LAS ALAS
4. ANDRES BONIFACIO
CAPTAIN-GENERAL
ARTEMIO RICARTE WON
OVER SANTIAGO
ALVAREZ WHO FIRST
REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE
SEAT.

BECAUSE IT WAS
GETTING DARK IT WAS
AGREED THAT VOTING
SHOULD BE DONE BY
STANDING TO THE SIDE
WHEN NOMINEE’S NAME
IS CALLED

DIRECTOR OF WAR
EMILIANO RIEGO DE DIOS
DIRECTOR OF INTERIOR

ANDRES BONIFACIO
WON HOWEVER IT WAS
OBJECTED BY DANIEL
TIRONA SAYING, “THE
POSITION IS AN EXALTED
ONE AND THAT IT IS NOT
MET BY A PERSON
WITHOUT LAWYER’S
DIPLOMA. WE HAVE IN
OUR PROVINCE A
LAWYER, JOSE DEL
ROSARIO THEREFORE WE
SHOULD PROTEST
AGAINST THE ELECTED,”
AND HE SHOUTED, ”LET
US VOTE FOR JOSE DEL
ROSARIO!’’
THE SUPREMO GOT INSULTED
HENCE HE DEMANDED TIRONA
TO RETRACT WHAT HE HAD SAID
REMINDED HIM OF THE TWO
RULES THAT THEY
UNANIMOUSLY AGREED. BUT
TIRONA IGNORED HIM AND
TRIED TO LOSE HIMSELF IN THE
CROWD SO THE SUPREMO
PULLED HIS PISTOL AND AIM ON
TIRONA HOWEVER RICARTE
GRABBED BONIFACIO’S HAND
THUS PREVENTED THE
SHOOTING. IN FRUSTRATION
AND WOUNDED FEELINGS THE
SUMPREMO CRIED ALOUD, “I, AS
CHAIRMAN OF THIS ASSEMBLY
AND AS PRESIDENT OF THE
KATIPUNAN DECLARE THAT
THIS ASSEMBLY BE DISSOLVED,
AND I ANNUL ALL THAT HAS
BEEN APPROVED AND
RESOLVED!”
CONCLUDING REMARKS

“THE SEED OF DISCONTENT

RESULTING FROM HIS FAILURE
TO GET THE PRESIDENCY AND
WHICH WATERED BY THE
UNFORTUNATE ATTITUDE OF
DANIEL TIRONA, WHO, BY
ANOTHER SAD COINCIDENCE
BELONGED TO THE OPPOSITE
FACTION FOUND FERTILE
GROUND IN BONIFACIO’S HEART
AND MIND.” TEODORO A. AGONCILLO