Readings On Tejeros Convention
Readings On Tejeros Convention
The Katipunan and the Revolution: The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of
Memoirs of a General Bonifacio and the Katipunan
By: Santiago V. Alvarez (1992) By: Teodoro A. Agoncillo (2002)
Author’s Background
Mention of Dates
Mention of Place
Tejeros - The place where the assembly Cavite - The Tejeros Convention was the
took place. meeting held on March 22, 1897
San Francisco de Malabon - The place between the Magdiwang and Magdalo
where the election for the new factions.
government took place. Mountains of Montalban & Mariquina -
Tanza (Santa Cruz de Malabon) - A delegate was sent in the mountains to
(parish house of the Catholic Church) look for the Supremo to apprise to him of
many attested seeing Messrs. Mariano the urgent necessity of mediating of the
Trias. Daniel Tirona, Emiliano R. de Dios, widening rift between the two popular
Santiago Rillo and others, and that they councils.
were conferring with the priest, Fr. Cenon
Villafranca. The former summer resort of Noveleta - The place where Esteban
the friars that witnessed the first San Juan invited Bonifacio to attend the
important election held under the demonstration of the Magdiwang rebels.
auspices of the Katipunan government
Estate house of Tejeros - The place
where the leaders of the Magdiwang
planned to hold another convention.
Towns under the sovereign power of each Town of Kawit, Bakood, and Imus –
faction: The place where the Spanish army
Kin Batangas and other towns (Magdalo) seriously threatened it for battle.
Nasugbu, Tuwi and Look, in the same
province (Magdiwang) Barrio between the towns of Imus and
Dasmarinas - General Emillio Aguinaldo
Mountains of Montalban and lead the Magdalo Soldiers to face the
Mariquina - The search for Supremo, to Spaniards.
apprise him of the urgent necessity of
mediating of the widening rift between Santa Cruz de Malabon - The place
the two popular councils. where a bridge is connected to San
Francisco de Malabon and is the place
Zapote - Emilio Aguinaldo, Candido where the former summer resort of the
Tirona and Edilberto Evangelista were on friars, that witnessed the first important
hand to meet the Supremo and and his election held under the auspices of the
entourage Katipunan government.
San Juan del Monte/Laguna - The
Imus (house of Juan Castaneda) - place where they were going to attack
Bonifacio was brought by the rebel the Spaniards.
leaders where he was visited by
Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona,
Vicente Fernandez and others. Bonifacio
ordered the arrest of Fernandez.
Key Personalities
Andres Bonifacio - Leader of the Andres Bonifacio - Supreme Head of
Katipunan the Katipunan
- Magdiwang president elected Artemio Ricarte - Magdalo's military
as the Secretary of the Interior commander brigadier-general
Sequencing of Events
In the Philippine Revolution of 1896, there The Katipunan of Cavite, divided into two
was a conflict that emerged between factions, the Magdiwang and the Magdalo,
Andres Bonifacio, the supremo of the and each factions exercised sovereign
Katipunan, the secret society that power over a number of towns. Leaders of
launched the uprising against Spain in each council never got together to elect
August 1896, and Emilio Aguinaldo, a their leader; they proceeded independently
leader of the Filipino forces in Cavite their elected leader. Both factions
province who replaced Bonifacio as head attempted to make their uniform to
of the revolutionary movement in March recognized their council, however the plan
1897. did not go beyond the paper stage due to
lack of budget.
In hopes of uniting the conflicting factions When Cavite led by its two factions,
and establishing a new government of the successfully rose in their revolt, disputes
Katipunan, Andres Bonifacio and Emilio arises between the leaders of rival factions
Aguinaldo agreed to hold the Tejeros for their desire to control the other faction.
Convention. The assembly at Tejeros took But neither both sides would bow nor allow
place on March 25, 1897, which was the other faction to rule the other faction,
initially presided by Secretary Jacinto and this led to rebel's defeat at the hands
Lumbreras of the Magdiwang Council. of Polavieja and the Spaniards. The
Magdiwang men initiated to invite Andres
Secretary Jacinto Lumbreras announced Bonifacio to visit Cavite and intervene in
the main topic of discussion, which was the conflict of the two factions. A delegate
how to bolster the defenses in the areas was sent to look and inform him, but he
under Magdiwang control. Severino de las refuses to heed the request.
Alas interrupted and announced that the
major issues should be tackled first such Periodic exchanges of communication
as what kind of government should we between Bonifacio and Magdiwang
have and how should we establish it. chieftains led to accepting the third
Secretary Lumbreras emphasized that the invitation written to Bonifacio. Bonifacio left
Katipunan now holds authority over the for Cavite in the middle of December 1896.
island that has a government of law and a A misunderstanding arose between
definite program. Severino de las Alas Magdalo leaders and Bonifacio at the
disagreed otherwise. preliminary meeting, that they regarded
Bonifacio's behavior and "acted as if he
A disorder ensued between General Apoy were a king". After the meeting, Bonifacio
and Antonio Montenegro, which disrupted met Fernandez, who was his comrade in
the assembly. Antiono Montenegro said the battle of San Juan, promised to help
the they who were in the Revolution would him, but didn't carried out his promise had
be no better than a pack of bandits or of led to their defeat, ordered his arrest. But
wild, mindless animals. Hurt by the words Magdalo chieftains, whom Fernandez had
of Montenegro, General Apoy emphasized run for shelter, refused to give him up and
that they are true revolutionaries fighting Bonifacio concluded that he had little
for the freedom of the native land and they influence in Magdalo area.
are not bandits who rob others of their
property and wealth. General Apoy then Bonifacio was invited to attend an event in
ordered the arrest of Antonio Montenegro. Noveleta. A parade took place and Emilio
Aguinaldo, a Magdiwang, observed the
When order was restored, Andres parade, while having a plan to nominate
Bonifacio presumed the chairman of the Edilberto Evangelista, with the intention of
assembly, for he is the Father of the his faction to propose an establishment of
Katipunan and the Revolution. Secretary a revolutionary government. Bonifacio
Lumbreras thought Bonifacio to be the knowing the plan of Aguinaldo was hurt for
rightful chairman because the as the the presidency must be given to him for he
leader of the Katipunans, he was is the founder of Katipunan. After, an
responsible for the spread of the assembly was opened with Bonifacio as
revolutionary movement throughout the chairman. And both factions have different
Philippines. sides that never come to understanding.
Magdalo proposes to have a government
An election took place for the following with the Katipunan for it was no longer
positions: President, Vice President, necessary, and Magdiwang opposes the
Minister of Finance, Minister of Welfare proposal. At the end the assembly was
and Justice, and Captain General. The adjourned, but as tension between the
Supremo Bonifacio emphasized that all Magdiwang and Magdalo continues to rise.
decisions discussed and approved in the
meetings should be respected and all The leaders held another convention at the
should abide by the wished of the majority, estate-house in Tejeros. This was during
no matter what his station in life or his Aguinaldo’s birthday March 22,1987 and
educational attainment. The Magdiwang when he was facing the Spaniards in
secretary of the treasury warned Bonifacio Salitran. The convention was mostly
that the ballots were tampered and some attended by Magdiwang soldiers. The
were already filled out, however, Bonifacio convention was opened by Jacinto
ignored this and proceeded with the Lumbreras, however Severino de las Alas
election. took the floor and wanted to discuss on
what kind of government should be set up.
In the voting for the presidency position in Andres Bonifacio explaining that the K in
the revolutionary government, Emilio the Katipunan flag already identified the
Aguinaldo prevailed over Andres type of government but de las Alas was
Bonifacio. The next most important posts not satisfied. The tension was heated up
went to members of the Magdiwang: as Antonio Montenegro insulted the
Mariano Trias was elected Vice President, Katipunan which was not taken lightly by
Artemio Ricarte, and Emiliano Riego de Santiago Alvarez. Lumbreras then
Dios was elected Secretary of War. Andres proceeded to gave the seat to Andres
Bonifacio was elected to a position, the Bonifacio in spearheading the convention.
Secretary of the Interior. After that, an
argument broke out between Bonifacio and An election was held where whoever
Daniel Tirona, where the later insisted that elected was to be recognized and
the position of Secretary of the Interior respected regardless of social status and
should be entrusted to a lawyer and elect education. Emilio Aguinaldo was elected
Jose del Rosario instead. Bonifacio President, Mariano Trias as Vice
adjourned the meeting, announcing that all President, Ricarte as Captain General,
matters approved in the meeting are null Emilio R. de Dios as director of war and
and void. Andres Bonifacio as Director of Interior.
The position of Bonifacio was opposed by
Baldomero Aguinaldo, the Magdalo Daniel Tirona, which offended the
president, convinced the Magdiwang Supremo, that led him to call the assembly
leaders to reconvene the disrupted off and all that was discussed as null.
meeting at the same friar estate house in
Tejeros the following day to continue and Bonifacio believed that that he should
revalidate the proceeding of the election; have been given the presidency but was
however, the Magdalo members did not not due to the dirty work of the Magdalo
came. It was rumored that a meeting had men. In his letter to Mariano Alvarez he
taken place at the Tanza parish house and also said that he would not recognize the
Bonifacio’s decision regarding the election chiefs elected during the Imus Convention
being null and void were not respected. At and should not be recognized by the
the gathering in the Tanza parish house, people either.
those elected at the Tejeros Convention
took their oaths office, which was officiated
by Fr. Cenon Villafranca. Unknown to the
Magdiwang Council, the Magdalo posted
troops to guard the Tarzan parish house
and not to admit any unwanted Magdiwang
partisans.
Analysis
Alvarez’s account was not detailed enough The group thinks that it was unfair for
to really understand about what happened Bonifacio to die when he wrote the letter to
even before and even after of that event. It his uncle in law.
only briefly explained the situation unlike
the 2nd reading that is much more detailed
Agoncillo’s account was very detailed and
of the occurrences.
everything was described on how the
election became a null and later on was
Alvarez’s account focuses more on the dismissed.
election that occurred and how the officers
opposed to Bonifacio’s decision of
The significant events that happened in
declaring it as null and void.
Agoncillo’s account were more on the
conflicts they encountered and what the
outcome of the election was.
Sources:
Readings in Philippine History Handouts (Readings on Tejeros Convention – 1897)
Author’s Background:
https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1245/today-in-philippine-history-july-25-1872-
santiago-alvarez-was-born-in-imus-cavite
https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/737/today-in-philippine-history-november-9-1912-
teodoro-a-agoncillo-was-born-in-lemery-batangas