Artemio Ricarte’s Account

Early in the morning of the day set for the assembly (March 22, 1897), men
filled the Tejeros estate house, among them not only the chiefs of the Magdiwang
but also men of Magdalo. Among the chiefs of the Magdiwang, a part from the
Supremo of Katipunan, were the following: Mariano, Pascual and Santiago Alvarez,
Luciano San Miguel, Mariano Trias Closas, Severino de las Alas and Santos Nocon.
Among those of Magdalo were Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, Cayetano
Topacio and Antonio Montenegro.

The session opened under the presidency of Jacinto Lumbreras who, in a few
words, explained the purpose of the meeting. Severino de las Alas rose to address
those present and said that before discussing the defense of a small piece of
territory in Cavite, it would be well to consider first the kind of government them
existing in the country, as upon that government would depend whatever defense
might be needed. The chairman replied that from the time the Katipunan was
established the country had been ruled by the Supreme Council, the provincial and
popular councils. He repeated that the purpose for which the assembly had been
called was one of great importance in those critical times. Andres Bonifacio, with
permission of the chair, spoke in support of Lumbreras and his stand in regard to
the government and went to explain the significance of the letter “K” in the center
of the sun on the flag, which stands for liberty, as has already been said in the
description of the insurgent flag. Severino de las Alas again addressed the meeting
and said that neither the letter “K” on the flag, nor the flag itself, has anything to
do with the character of the government then existing; that is to say, whether it
was a monarchy or a republic. Bonifacio replied that the Katipuneros, from the
president of the Supreme Council to the most insignificant member, recognized the
principles of Union, Fraternity and Equality, on which account it was very clear that
the government of the Katipunan was rigorously republican in form.

Antonio Montenegro rose and spoke in support of the De las Alas suggestion
and in a louder voice than usual said that unless some definite understanding was
arrived at regarding the matter, the insurgents were mere groups of tulisanes or,
much worse, brutes.

These last words of Antonio Montenegro wounded the pride of Santiago

Alvarez, who rose with glaring eyes and, addressing Montenegro, said: “We
insurgents of Cavite and especially of the Magdiwang government recognize and
obey the government established by Katipunan; if you wish to establish any other
kind of government more suited to your fancy, retire to your province and conquer
territory from the Spanish government as we have done here, and establish there
whatever government you like, and no one will interfere with you…”

The session broke up in disorder, but one hour later, when the passions of
the adherents of Santiago Alvarez and Antonio Montenegro had been pacified, it
convened against under the presidency of Andres Bonifacio because Jacinto
Lumbreras said that inasmuch as they were discussing a subject which was
provided for in the call for the meeting, but which concerned the establishment of a
general government for the insurrections, he ought not to be preside at the
continuation of the meeting. Then Andres Bonifacio was chosen by acclamation to
be meeting at the meeting.

Order being restored, Bonifacio opened the session saying: As you wish to
establish a supreme government to direct the insurrection, abolishing that already
organized by the Katipunan and agreed upon in the Imus Assembly.

I, as Supremo of the Supreme Council of the Katipunan, agree to your

petition; but I must first invite you all to join us recognizing a principle upon which
we must base all our decisions in this or in any other session; this principle is that
we respect and obey in everything the vote or decision of the majority.” Those
present signified their unanimous conformity and the Philippines Republic was
agreed upon and proclaimed amid repeated and enthusiastic applause. They then
proceeded to the election of the following officers of the Republic: President, Vice-
President, Captain General, and Directors of War, Interior, State, Finance,
Commerce and Justice…
 Ballots were then distributed and one hour later the votes were counted. As a
result of this vote, Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President of the Republic defeating
Andres Bonifacio and Mariano Trias. The result was proclaimed amidst applause.

They then proceed to the election of a Vice-President. Severino de las Alas

remarked that inasmuch as Andres Bonifacio had secured the second largest
number of votes in the election of President, he should be proclaimed Vice
President. No one expressed a wish to speak in favor or against the suggestion of
De las Alas, wherefore the chairman ordered that the election be proceed with, and
this being done it resulted in a majority of votes being cast for Mariano Trias Closas
as against Andres Bonifacio, Severino de las Alas, and Mariano Alvarez.

They then immediately proceeded to the election of a Captain General. The

secretary of the session, Artemio Ricarte, was elected by a large majority over
Santiago Alvarez. Ricarte rose and protested against his own election…Those
present disapproved the protest viva voice, and the chairman called the meeting to
order saying that as night was falling, it was advisable to continue the election for
the other positions. It was unanimously proposed and approved that, to cut short
the voting, those who favored any person for a position should stand on one side,
and those who favored other person should stand on the other side in groups, and
in that way, they voted for a Director of War, Emiliano Riego de Dios…

The election of Minister of the Interior was proceeded with in the same way,
with the result that Andres Bonifacio was elected.. In the midst of acclamation that
was accorded Andres Bonifacio, Daniel Triona demanded the floor and said: “Fellow
countrymen: The position of Minister of the Interior is a very important one and
should not be occupied by a person who is not a lawyer. We have in our province
lawyer Jose Del Rosario; hence we must protest against the election of the person
elected and acclaimed.” Thee, shouting at the top of his voice, he cried: “Let us
vote for Jose del Rosario, the lawyer!”

Bonifacio’s pride bring wounded, he rose and spoke thus: “Have we not
agreed that we shall obey the will of the majority, whatever might be the social
position of the person’s elected?” Having said this, he asked Daniel Tirona to repeat
what he said, or to apologize to the assembly for the insult offered to the persons
elected, because up to time not one those elected was fitted by reasons of his
culture for the position to which he had been designated. As Tirona tried to hide
himself among the crowd, without paying attention to what Bonifacio demanded of
him, the latter drew his revolver and was about to fire at Tirona, but the secretary
of the session (Ricarte) seized his hand and the incident passed without more ado.
As those present were about to leave the room, Bonifacio said in a loud voice: “I,
as president of the session, and also as a president of the supreme council of the
Katipunan as you all know, declare this assembly closed , and annul everything that
has been done therein.” He then left, followed by his adherents.
 Andres Bonifacio’s Account

The majority of the said convention agreed to establish a government, but I

explained to them that this could not be done because the representatives of the
other towns did not arrive, a condition that was agreed upon in the Imus Assembly
but which was disregarded by the majority because of the dire conditions of the
towns; and the Imus Assembly lacks proof because there were no documents.
Nevertheless, the ones who were present promised that whatever decision was
made, the majority will abide by the decision in the assembly and that is what I will
respect.
When the elections were held, Elected President of the Republic was Don
Emilio Aguinaldo; Vice President, Don Mariano Trias; Auditor General, Don Artemio
Ricarte; Director of War, Don Emiliano R. de Dios. The elections were held through
the expressions of those who were present (viva voice) because it was already
night time. I was elected Director of the Interior through the same expressions of
those present and among the midst of those who were elected: however, after the
decision was made and the election for the Director de Hacienda was about to start,
Don Daniel Tirona stood up and said that there is a cry being raised that Don Jose
del Rosario be chosen Director of the Interior because there is need that this
position should be filled by some educated. He announced this after saying that he
did not state this with the intention of insulting me. I answered back that good and
educated men are needed for all the positions; I asked him to point out to me who
among the elected ones are already well-versed in their positions but instead, he
began to shout: “Let us agree that Jose del Rosario, a lawyer, be chosen Director of
the Interior!” No one responded to his call which he did four times whereas a few
responded by calling out my name. Because of the tumult that occurred, the
President of the Magdiwang announced that this was not an assembly of gentlemen
because everything that they did had no evidence. Also, I discovered that even
before the election was made, some of those who are from Imus had secretly
spread the word that it was not good for them to be under the leadership of
someone from another province. It was for the reason that Captain Emilio
Aguinaldo was elected President. When I heard about this, I told them that this
assembly was the idea of those with evil intentions as this was the only thing that
they wanted and that they deceived the people. I even added that if they wished I
will point out one by one those who intended to this if they wanted to. The
assembly answered that it was not necessary. I also told them that if the wishes of
the assembly are not to be followed, I will not recognize those who were elected
and if I will not recognize them then my men will also not recognize them. Even
General Ricarte-the one elected General-also stated that their assembly was the
result of bad intensions….
 Santiago Alvarez’s Account

The assembly at Tejeros was finally convened on 25 March 1987 (sic). The
invitations to the meeting were signed by Secretary Jacinto Lumbreras of the
Magdiwang Council, and he preside over the assembly. Seated with Lumbreras at
the long presidential table were the Supremo Andres Bonifacio, Messsrs. Mariano M.
Alvarez, Pascual Alvarez, Ariston Villanueva, Mariano C. Trias, Diego Mojica,
Emiliano R. de Dios, Santiago V. Alvarez, Artemio Ricarte, Santos Nocon, Luciano
San Miguel, Pablo Mojica, Severino de las Alas, and Santiago Rillo, all of them of
the Magdiwang. Among the Magdalo seated at the head table were Messrs.
Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, and Cayetano Topacio.
It must be mentioned that, before the assembly was convened, Secretary of
War Ariston Villanueva of the Magdiwang Council received the confidential
information that Mr. Daniel Tirona of the Magdalo faction was set to undermine the
proceedings of the assembly and that he had already acceded in enjoining any
among the Magdiwang leaders to ally with him. Secretary Villanueva kept silent,
but nevertheless alerted Captain General Apoy, who had troops in readiness for any
sudden eventuality.
The leaders were seated at the presidential table, as previously described
and all the others were standing in groups both sides of those seated. After
Chairman Jacinto Lumbreras had declared the assembly open, he announced the
main topic of discussion which was how to bolster the defense in the areas still
under Magdiwang control. Presently, Mr. Severino de las Alas rose to speak, and
when he was recognized, he said. “Before we discuss minor details, let us first
tackle the major issue such as what kind of government we should have and how
we should go about establishing it. Once we make a decision about these questions,
the problem of organization and strengthening of defense will be resolved.
“As initiator of the Revolution,” Chairman Lumbreras replied, “the Katipunan
now holds authority over the islands. It has a government of law and a definite
program. It is obeyed and respected by all because it stands for freedom, brotherly,
love and well-organized and well-run government….”
The chair next recognized the Supremo. He concurred with what Chairman
Lumbreras had just said and explained that the “K” in the middle of the sun in the
Katipunan flag used in the Revolution stood for “Kalayaan.”
Mr. Severino de las Alas spoke again. He countered that the letter “K” and
the sun on the flag did not indicate whether the revolutionary government was a
democratic or not.
The Supremo replied that from the rank-and-file to the highest levels, the
Katipunan was united in the respect for universal brotherhood and equality of men.
It was risking bloodshed and life itself in its struggle against the king, in order to
establish a sovereign, not a government led only by one or two
Mr. Antonio Montenegro spoke in defense of Mr. Severino de las Ala’s stand.
He argued that if they would agree on the kind of revolutionary government they
were to have and that if they were to let the status quo prevail then they who were
in the Revolution would be no better than a pack of bandits of wild, mindless
animals.”
General Apoy was hurt by these words of Mr. Montenegro. He quickly stood
up and looked angrily at the previous speaker.
“We of the Katipunan,” he began, “are under the jurisdiction of our respected
Highest Council of the Sons of the People. This Council is defender of, and has
authority over, the Magdiwang and Magdalo governments of Cavite. We are true
revolutionaries fighting for freedom of the native land. We are not bandits who rob
others of their property and wealth. Nor should be liked to beasts, for we know how
to protect and depend others, especially the political refugees who seek asylum
with us. We are rational and we do not expose those who talk big but do not
accomplish anything. If you want to establish a different kind of government that is
to your liking, you must do as we have done: Go back to your localities and snatch
them from Spanish control. Then you can do what pleases you; but don’t you dare
seek refuge among coward who might call you bandits and beasts…
When order was restored, some wanted the convention adjourned but the
Supremo Bonifacio prevailed upon the others to continue. However, the presiding
officer, Mr. Lumbreras, refused to resume his role of chairman. He wanted to yield
the chair to the Supremo whom he thought to be the rightful chairman…
Mr. Lumbrera’s speech was well received and his proposal was unanimously
accepted. The Supremo Bonifacio assumed that chairmanship accordingly and said,
“Your aim is to establish a new overall government of the Katipunan and the Sons
of the People. This would repudiate the decision made at the meeting held at the
friar estate house in Imus. In my capacity as “President-Supremo” of the Most
Venerable Katipunan of the Sons of the People, I agree and sympathize with your
aspirations. But I wish to remind you that we should respect all decisions properly
discussed and approved in all our meetings. We should respect and abide by the
wishes of the majority.”
Because of a repeated clamor for the approval for the establishment of a
government pf the Philippine Republic, the chair proceeded to prepare for an
election to the following positions: president, vice-president, minister of finance,
minister of warfare, minister of justice, and captain-general.
The Supremo spoke again before the election began. He said that the
candidate who would get the most number of votes for each position should be the
winner, no matter what his station in life on his educational attainment.
The Supremo spoke again before the election began. He said that the
candidate who would get the most number of votes for each position should be the
winner, no matter what his station in life or his educational attainment…
The Supremo Bonifacio appointed Gen. Artemio Ricarte as a secretary. Then,
with the help of Mr. Daniel Tirona, he distributed pieces of paper serve as ballots.
When the ballots had been collected and votes were read to be canvanssed, Mr.
Diego Mojica, the Magdiwang secretary of the treasury, warned the Supremo that
many ballots distributed were already filled out and the voters had not done this
themselves. The Supremo ignored this remark. He proceeded with the business at
hand as if nothing unusual had happened.
When the votes for president were counted, Mr. Emilio Aguinaldo won over
Mr. Andres Bonifacio, The Supremo. The winner was acclaimed by applause and
shouts of “Mabuhay!”
Mr. Severino de las Alas spoke again to say that since the Supremo Bonifacio
had received the second highest number of votes for the presidency, he should be
proclaimed vice-president of the government of the Philippine Republic. When
nobody signified approval officer, the Supremo Bonifacio, ruled that the election be
continued. For vice-president, Mariano Trias won over Mr. Mariano Alvarez and the
Supremo Bonifacio General Vibora was elected captain over General Apoy….
Mr. Baldomero Aguinaldo wanted the elections to be finished before it got too
dark. To facilitate the counting of votes, he suggested that for all other positions to
be voted upon, voters should stand on one of the sides of the hall if in favor and on
the other side if against. This suggestion was adopted for the rest of the election.
For the position of a secretary of war, Mr. Emiliano R. de Dios was elected
overwhelmingly…. After the voters had given the proper honors to the new
secretary of war, they proceeded to elect the secretary of the interior. Mr. Andres
Bonifacio, the Supremo, won over Mr. Mariano Alvarez. The crowd broke into shouts
of “Mabuhay!” Mr. Daniel Tirona requested for a restoration of order and then spoke
aloud:
“My brethren, the office of Secretary of Interior is of so great a scope and of
such sensitivity that we should no entrust it to one who is not a lawyer. One among
us here is a lawyer. He is Mr. Jose del Rosario. Let us reconsider the choice of the
last position, for he has no credentials to show attesting to any educational
attainment.
Then in as loud a voice as he could muster, Tirona shouted, “Let us elects Mr.
Jose del Rosario, the lawyer!”
Greatly embarrassed, The Supremo Bonifacio quickly stood up and said, “We
agreed to abide by the majority vote and accept its choice no matter what the
station in life of person elected. And because of this, I demand from you, Mr. Daniel
Tirona, an apology. You must restore to the voters and the one they elected the
honor you have oly now besmirched.”
Then he pulled out his revolver and took aim.
Instead of replying, Mr. Tirona ignored the Supremo’s remarks and, perhaps
because of fear, he slid away and got lost in the crowd. Disorder ensued as the
convention secretary to disarm the Supremo, who was intent on shooting Mr.
Tirona. The people began to disperse and the Supremo adjourned the meeting with
these words:
“In my capacity as chairman of this convention and as President-Supremo of
the Most Venerable Katipunan of the Sons of the People which association is known
and acknowledged by all, I hereby declare null and void all matters approved in this
meeting.”
Then he left quickly and was followed by his asides and some others present.