The Philippine Republic (Spanish: República Filipina), retroactively known as the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic, was an unrecognized state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire (1896–1898) through the promulgation of the Malolos Constitution on January 23, 1899, succeeding the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. Emilio Aguinaldo was its inaugural president. It was not recognized by any foreign power, but remained a de facto government.
Following the American victory at the Battle of Manila Bay, Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines, issued the Philippine Declaration of Independence on June 12, 1898, and proclaimed successive revolutionary Philippine governments on June 18 and 23 of that year, under which regimes the liberation of Philippine territory from Spain was conducted.
In December 1898, Spain and the United States signed the 1898 Treaty of Paris, ending the Spanish–American war. As part of the treaty, Spain ceded its claim to the Philippines to the United States. The treaty was not considered as in effect until April 11, 1899, when mutual ratifications were exchanged. The Revolutionary Government considered the treaty invalid, and in the meantime had been drafting a republican constitution to succeed its current regime. On January 21, 1899, the Malolos Constitution was promulgated, and the Republic was inaugurated on January 23. On February 4, fighting erupted in Manila between American and Filipino forces in what developed into the Philippine–American War. Aguinaldo was captured by the American forces on March 23, 1901, in Palanan, Isabela, and he declared allegiance to the U.S. on April 19, 1901, effectively ending the Philippine Republic.
The First Philippine Republic is sometimes characterized as the first proper constitutional republic in Asia, although there were several Asian republics predating it – for example, the Mahajanapadas of ancient India, the Lanfang Republic, the Republic of Formosa, or the Republic of Ezo. Aguinaldo himself had led a number of governments prior to Malolos, like those established at Tejeros and Biak-na-Bato which both styled themselves República de Filipinas ("Republic of the Philippines"). Unlike the founding documents of those governments, however, the Malolos Constitution was drafted and approved by a partially elected congress and called for a true representative democracy.
Contents
History
Background
In 1896, the Philippine Revolution began against Spanish colonial rule. In 1897, Philippine forces led by Aguinaldo signed a ceasefire with the Spanish authorities and Aguinaldo and other leaders went into exile in Hong Kong. In April 1898, the Spanish–American War broke out. The U.S. Navy's Asiatic Squadron, then in Hong Kong, sailed to the Philippines to engage the Spanish naval forces. On May 1, 1898, the U.S. Navy decisively defeated the Spanish Naval force and blockaded Manila Bay. The American naval commander, lacking forces to conduct land operations following his unexpectedly complete victory, returned Aguinaldo and a number of other revolutionary exiles to the Philippines from Hong Kong.Aguinaldo arrived in the Philippines on May 24 and on that date, proclaimed a dictatorial government, rekindling the Philippine Revolution (formally established by decree on June 18). On June 12, he issued the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain at his ancestral home in Cavite. The Dictatorial Government was replaced by a revolutionary government on June 23, which conducted a mass liberation of the islands from Spanish rule. It provided for the creation of the Malolos Congress, a legislative body partially elected and partially appointed, which convened on September 15 to write a constitution.
On December 10, 1898, the 1898 Treaty of Paris was signed between Spain and the United States, ending the Spanish–American War and transferring the former's claim to the Philippines to the latter. The Revolutionary Government, through its accredited representative, Felipe Agoncillo, previously had an unproductive audience with the President of the United States, and now sought representation in the talks at Paris; Filipino representation was not granted and Agoncillo filed a protest against the Spanish act of ceding the Philippines, characterizing it as invalid under international law and therefore not binding. Agoncillo further contested the treaty and pushed for recognition of Philippine independence with the American Department of State and later the United States Senate, but his protests were paid no mind.
The draft constitution, chiefly written by Felipe Calderón, was approved by the Congress in December 1898, but Mabini, through Aguinaldo, drafted amendments that allowed the President to rule by decree until other nations gave diplomatic recognition to the country. In response, the Congress named a commission headed by Calderón to investigate the proposed amendments, with the final report thoroughly objecting to Mabini's proposals, but a compromise was made and certain provisions were included in the final constitution, approved on January 20. Aguinaldo promulgated the constitution the next day, and the inauguration of the Constitution was scheduled for January 23. The constitution was titled "Constitución política", and was written in Spanish.
Inauguration
On January 23, the Revolutionary Congress, upon swearing fealty to the constitution, assumed the functions of the Assembly of Representatives. Immediately after, it proceeded to elect the President of the Republic according to the provisions of the constitution, and unanimously elected Emilio Aguinaldo, now considered as the president of a former government. He was notified of his election by a commission named by the Congress and brought in a procession from the Malolos Cathedral, the seat of the presidency, to Barasoain Church, the seat of the Congress, where he swore his oath of office, administered by the President of the Congress, Pedro Paterno; the formula read by Aguinaldo, recorded in Tagalog, was: "I swear in the
name of God that I will faithfully execute my duty, execute and cause to be executed the Constitution and the Laws, and take care that nobody shall violate the Mother Country." Paterno replied with: "If you do this, may God bless you. And if you don’t, may God punish you." Aguinaldo's oath was followed by an inaugural address. The inauguration of the Republic was celebrated by a parade of soldiers numbering 6,000 at the town plaza, and the celebration culminated in a display of the national flag to the sound of the national march. The inauguration was celebrated simultaneously in the surrounding towns.
Philippine–American War
Hostilities erupted between US and Filipino forces in the suburbs of Manila, which until then had been the site of tensions between the Americans who controlled the capital city and the Filipinos who controlled the surrounding suburbs. That day President Aguinaldo issued a proclamation ordering and commanding that "peace and friendly relations with the Americans be broken and that the latter be treated as enemies, within the limits prescribed by the laws of war". The fighting quickly escalated into the Second Battle of Manila, with Philippine Republic's forces being driven out of the city. Caloocan would be captured on February 10 by northward-moving American forces.
On March 29, as American forces threatened Malolos, the seat of government moved to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. On March 31, American forces captured Malolos, the initial seat of the Philippine Republic government, which had been gutted by fires set by withdrawing Philippine Republic forces. Emilio Aguinaldo and the core of the revolutionary government had by then moved to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Peace negotiations with the American Schurman Commission during a brief ceasefire in April–May 1899 failed, and San Isidro fell to American forces on May 16. The Philippine Republic core government had moved by then to Bamban, Tarlac, and subsequently moved to Tarlac town. Aguinaldo's party had already left Tarlac, the last capital of the Philippine Republic, by the time American troops occupied it on November 13.American forces captured Calumpit, Bulacan on April 27 and, moving north, captured Apalit, Pampanga with little opposition on May 4 and San Fernando, Pampanga on May 5. This forced the seat of government to be shifted according to the demands of the military situation.
In October 1899, American forces were in San Fernando, Pampanga and the Philippine Republic was headquartered not far north of there, in Angeles City. On October 12, an American offensive to the north forced the Philippine Republic to relocate its headquarters in November to Tarlac, and then to Bayambang, Pangasinan. On November 13, under pressure by American forces, Aguinaldo and a party departed Bayambang by rail for Calasiao, from where they immediately proceeded eastwards to Santa Barbara in order to evade pursuing American forces. There, they joined a force of some 1200 armed men led by General Gregorio del Pilar.
Aguinaldo had decided in aa November 13 conference in Bayambang to disperse his army and begin guerrilla war. From that point on, distance and the localistic nature of the fighting prevented him from exercising a strong influence on revolutionary or military operations. Recognizing that American troops blocked his escape east, he turned north and west on November 15, crossing the mountains into La Union province. Aguinaldo's party eluded pursuing American forces, passing through Tirad Pass near Sagada, Mountain Province where the Battle of Tirad Pass was fought on December 2 as a rear guard action to delay the American advance and ensure his escape. At the time of the battle, Aguinaldo and his party were encamped in Cervantes, about 10 km south of the pass. After being notified by a rider of the outcome of the battle and the death of del Pilar, Aguinaldo ordered that camp be broken, and departed with his party for Cayan settlement.
Organization
Presidency
Executive power was exercised by the President, through his cabinet secretaries. Emilio Aguinaldo, the incumbent president of the Revolutionary Republic initially assumed the presidency upon the promulgation of the constitution, and he was elected in the first election under the new regime. Presidents were to be elected by the legislature to terms of four years and to be eligible for reelection.
In addition to his basic powers, the 1899 Constitution assigned the following duties to the presidency:
Confer civil and military employment in accordance to the law
Appoint Secretaries of Government
Direct diplomatic and commercial relations with other countries
Ensure the swift and complete administration of justice in the entire national territory
Pardon criminal offenders in accordance with the law, subject to the provisions relating to the Secretaries of Government
Preside over national solemnities, and welcome accredited envoys and representatives of foreign countries with relations to the Republic
National cabinet
The constitution established a Council of Government, or Cabinet, composed of a President and seven Secretaries. The following individuals were appointed to Cabinet positions:
The following are the executive departments:
Foreign Relations
Interior
Finance
War and the Navy
Public Instruction
Public Works and Communications
Agriculture and Industries Commerce
Legislature
Legislative power was exercised by an Assembly of Representatives initially composed by members of the Revolutionary Government and subsequently elected to four year terms and organized in the form and manner determined by law and referred to at various points in the constitution as the National Assembly. It specified that assembly members would be chosen by election, but left the manner of the election to be later specified by law. The assembly was initially composed of the former members of the Malolos Congress and had powers and responsibilities detailed in Title IV of the constitution.
Provincial and local government
Municipal and provincial governments under the Republic had quickly reorganized upon Aguinaldo's decrees of June 18 and 20, 1898. Article 82 of the Malolos Constitution specified the principles governing local laws and governance, prescribing the maximum amount of decentralization and limiting the opportunity for intervention in subnational affairs by the central government.
Overseas territories
The government claimed jurisdiction over the overseas territory of Palaos (Modern day Palau) and the Sulu Archipelago. Both areas are represented in the Congress by representatives appointed by President Emilio Aguinaldo. Aguinaldo sent a letter to the Sultan of Sulu requesting that the islands be part of the First Philippine Republic, but the letter was ignored.
Judiciary
The Provisional Law on the Judiciary was issued on March 7, 1899, in accordance to the provisions of the 1899 Malolos Constitution providing that the Chief Justice shall be chosen by the National Assembly with the concurrence of the president and secretaries of the government. The Chief Justice simultaneously served as a vice-President of the Republic, who would become head of state in an acting capacity until the Assembly voted for a new President. Aguinaldo nominated Apolinario Mabini to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines on August 23, 1899, but this nomination was rejected by an Assembly hostile to Mabini; the seat was instead given to Gracio Gonzaga.
The Supreme Court included Gracio Gonzaga serving as president; Juan Arceo and Felix Ferrer as Chamber Presidents; and Deogracias Reyes, Juan Tongco, Pablo Tecson, and Ygnacio Villamor serving as Associate Justices
Finances
One of the important laws passed by the Malolos Congress was the law providing for a national loan to buoy up the national budget in which the Republic was trying to balance. The loan, worth 20 million pesos, was to be paid in 40 years with an annual interest of six percent. The law was decreed by Aguinaldo on November 30, 1898.
Emilio Aguinaldo ordered the issuance of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100-peso banknotes which were signed by Messrs. Pedro A. Paterno, Telesforo Chuidan and Mariano Limjap to avoid counterfeiting. However, only the 1 and 5-peso banknotes had been printed and circulated to some areas by the end of the short-lived republic. Aguinaldo also issued currency backed by the country's natural resources. Two types of two-centavo copper coins were struck at the Malolos arsenal. These were withdrawn from circulation and declared illegal currency after the surrender of General Aguinaldo to the Americans.
Military
When Philippine independence was declared on June 12, 1898, the Philippine Revolutionary Army was renamed the Philippine Republican Army. Aguinaldo then appointed Antonio Luna as Director or Assistant Secretary of War by September 28, 1898, and the Philippines' first military school, the Academia Militar, was established in Malolos.
When the Republic was inaugurated on January 23, Luna had succeeded Artemio Ricarte as the Commanding General of the Republican Army. With such powers at hand, Luna attempted to transform the weak, undisciplined republican army into a disciplined regular army for the service of the Republic.
Seats of government
Cavite El Viejo – The hometown of General Aguinaldo where the declaration of independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898.
Bacoor, Cavite – The declaration of independence was first ratified in Cuenca House by 190 municipal presidents of different towns from 16 provinces.
Malolos, Bulacan – In September 1898, General Emilio Aguinaldo made the Paroquia dela Inmaculada Concepcion, an Augustinian-built town church (now cathedral basilica) of Malolos, the executive palace while the nearby Barasoain Church served as the legislative house where the Malolos Constitution was written. When the Americans captured Malolos, Aguinaldo ordered General Antonio Luna to burn the Malolos Church, including its huge silver altar.
Angeles, Pampanga – On March 17, 1899, General Emilio Aguinaldo transferred the seat of the First Philippine Republic to Angeles. It then became the site of celebrations for the first anniversary of Philippine independence.
San Isidro, Nueva Ecija – On March 29, 1899, Aguinaldo arrived in Nueva Ecija and the town was made temporary capital of the First Philippine Republic. He stayed in this house which served as his executive office. When the Americans occupied San Isidro, the Sideco house served as the headquarters of Col. Frederick Funston who would later capture Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela. General Aguinaldo's capture is said to have been planned in this house.
Tarlac – The Casa Real de Tarlac served as headquarters of the revolutionary capital after Nueva Ecija was captured by the Americans in 1899.
Pangasinan – In November 1899, Aguinaldo designated Bayambang as seat of government after Tarlac was captured by the Americans.
Kalinga – Aguinaldo made Lubuagan the seat of government for 73 days, from 6 March 1900 to 18 May 1900 before his escape and eventual capture at Palanan, Isabela.
Temporary capitals
Angeles, Pampanga from March 17, 1899;
San Isidro, Nueva Ecija from March 29, 1899;
Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija from May 9, 1899;
Bamban, Tarlac from June 6, 1899;
Tarlac City, Tarlac from June 21, 1899;
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya from November 1899;
Bayambang, Pangasinan, until November 13, 1899;
Lubuagan, Kalinga, from March 6, 1900, to May 18, 1900;
Palanan, Isabela until March 23, 1901.