“The Tejeros Assembly of 1897”
The Tejeros Convention ( alternate names include Tejeros
Assembly and Tejeros Congress) was the meeting held on
March 22, 1897 between the Magdiwang and Magdalo
factions of the Katipunan at San Francisco de Malabon,
Cavite. These are the first presidential and vice
presidential elections in Philippine history, although only
the Katipuneros (members of the Katipunan) were able to
take part, and not the general populace.
A convention was held in Tejeros in order to settle the
dispute between the two councils and to decide on what
type of government should be installed.
“Site of the Tejeros Convention at San Francisco de
Malabon, Cavite”
The convention was called to discuss the defense of Cavite
against the Spaniards during the Philippine Revolution. The
contemporary Governor Camilo de Polaveija, had regained much
of Cavite itself. Instead the convention became an election to
decide the leaders of the revolutionary movement, by passing the
Supreme Council. The revolutionary leaders held an important
meeting ina friar estate residence in Tejeros to resume their
discussions regarding the escalating tension between the Magdalo
and Magdiwang forces and also to settle once and for all the issue
of governance within the Katipunan through an election.
The invitations to the meeting were signed by Secretary Jacinto Lumbreras
of the Magdiwang Council, and he presided over the assembly. Seated with
Lumbreras at the long presidential table were the Supremo Andres
Bonifacio, Mariano Alvarez, Pascual Alvarez, Ariston Villanueva, Mariano
Trias, Emiliano de Dios, Santiago Alvarez, Artemio Ricarte, Santos Nocon,
Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, and Severino de las Alas all of them
of the Magdiwang among the Magdalo seated at the head table.
The declaration of the agenda, which is to discuss how to secure the
areas under the Magdiwang Control, was made and was
immediately countered by Severino de las Alas, who imposed that
the important matter that should be tackled is the form of the
government the Katipunan should have.
There was a debate whether to change the form of government the
Katipunan had established or not.
A conflict between General Apoy and Antonio Montenegro
disrupted the formality of the convention.
Conflict was immediately resolved and chairmanship of the meeting
was transferred to Supremo Andres Bonifacio.
Bonifacio proceeded with the election of officials, stressing that the
person who gets most of the votes must be declared and respected as
the winner, regardless of his state in life.
“ I am taking the chair in this meeting to give you fullest
opportunity to voice yoir views and then to vote what shall be done.
But one restriction do I impose upon the freedom of your
deliberations. It is that whatever the majority shall decide that all
present will loyally accept and steadfastly abide by”
- Andres Bonifacio
A conflict between Andres Bonifacio and Daniel Tirona was
formed after Bonifacio won the position for Secretary of the
Interior. Tirona went against the initial agreement regarding the
majority votes which humiliated Bonifacio.
Because of humiliation and anger, Bonifacio declared that all
matters convened in the Tejeros Convention were null and void,
which ended the first day of the Tejeros Convention.
As people left the room, Bonifacio declared: “ I as chairman of
this assembly and as President of the Supreme Council of the
Katipunan, as all of you do not deny, declare this assembly
dissolved, and I annul all that has been approved and resolved.”
“ Summary of the March 22,1897 Philippine
Presidential Election, 1897”
Presented by:
Ramos, Lyka T. (BSHM 1-A)
