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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Bonifacio Revisited
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Jan. 30, 2008 For the Standard Today, January 31 issue In keeping with the �on-the-other-hand� spirit of this column, I yield the space to Engineer Dante G. Balacanao of Los Angeles, CA, who not only has a critical view of Andres Bonifacio, he also draws the conclusion that Bonifacio�s personality flaws encapsulate the fatal tendencies of modern Filipinos towards dysfunction. Wrote Balacanao: One aspect of my job as an Engineering & Manufacturing Technology Specialist is to find ways to improve the process. When a negative trend occurs, a root cause analysis is required to prevent reoccurrence, inform the workforce, and improve the culture. With this in mind, I decided to write this article after witnessing a number of incidents that showed a negative cultural trend. These incidents happened in the Los Angeles area in the early 1990s, but similar situations (have) occurred among Filipino organizations in other cities in the U.S. The events concerned three local organizations: the alumni associations of the University of the Philippines and Ateneo University , as well as Radyo Pinoy (a CB radio hobby group). These groups had similar experiences. They had normal disagreements, but what followed wasn�t. Instead of making up by finding common ground, some members decided to quit and form rival groups. In one case, the feud was serious enough that it ended in court! In Radyo Pinoy�s situation, new chapters sprung up as a result of internal conflicts. In a five-mile radius, there were 5 chapters. This was extraordinary because distance or communications were non-factors. CB�s range thousands of miles and every member owned cars. Yet they couldn�t find common ground to unite. This wasn�t normal for educated people for education teaches unity based on common goals. This spurred me to do a root cause analysis for such odd behavior and take appropriate action to reverse the trend. I was disappointed when the cause led to the second most popular national hero, Andres Bonifacio, my idol since Philippine Science High. If heroes were meant to be role models, then the members of these fractious organizations were consciously or subconsciously imitating the infamous act that led to Bonifacio�s execution. In that incident, Bonifacio attempted to split the revolutionary movement by forming a rival group after loosing the leadership. With its possible impact on Filipinos, I decided to research whether Bonifacio deserved to be a national hero or villain. The results were more disappointments. What Bonifacio did reflects the modern ills of Philippine society. Here are some of the results in timeline. - July 7, 1892, Katipunan, the secret organization that will eventually lead the fight for Philippine independence was founded in Manila by a group of indios. The first president or supremo was Deodato Arellano. Bonifacio was the first comptroller. - Feb. 1893, Roman Basa replaced Deodato Arellano for being ineffective. - 1894, Tomas Remigio accused Andres Bonifacio of mismanaging Katipunan funds. - Early 1895, Andres Bonifacio deposed Roman Basa as supremo due to disagreements over the management of Katipunan funds and personal issues. - Aug. 19, 1896, Teodoro Patino exposed the Katipunan to Father Gil of Tondo. It was Bonifacio�s idea to implicate innocent Filipinos who wished to remain neutral by drafting fake documents against them. More than 500 were imprisoned, tortured, or executed based on pretext. - Aug. 29, 1896 � Bonifacio failed to give the signal for a coordinated uprising at midnight. He overslept. Bonifacio�s tardiness was partially blamed for their defeat. - Early Dec. 1896, 2,000 soldiers and 6,000 rifles arrived from Spain . On Dec. 17, Bonifacio went to Cavite in order to settle the feud between the two dominant Katipunan factions, the Magdalo and the Magdiwang. It was written that Bonifacio already lost the fight in his areas of Manila and Morong. According to two Jesuit historians, Andres lost all twenty-seven (27) of his battles. The last province left able to fight was Cavite . Andres would be welcomed at the border by Emilio Aguinaldo and Edilberto Evangelista. Emilio would later get elected as the first president of the republic. Edilberto, a native of Manila with an engineering degree from Belgium, would later die from a sniper�s bullet. Edilberto was responsible for training the indios in trench warfare. Emilio Aguinaldo and other prominent Magdalos wished for Edilberto the presidency because he was educated and effective. It was reported after that meeting that Aguinaldo and Evangelista had the same impression, that Bonifacio acted like "parang Diyos" one who suffers from god complex. The 27 defeats weren�t enough to humble the supremo. - Dec. 29, 1896 � the first attempt (the second would be Tejeros Convention) to consolidate the Katipunan factions through an election was held in the house of Baldomero Aguinaldo (then leader of the Magdalo) in Imus. The event quickly fell apart, thanks to Andres Bonifacio�s lack of decorum, divisive action and arrogance. From the onset, Andres invited himself to the presidential table, as well as his Magdiwang allies, to sit with him (the Magdiwang was led by Mariano Alvarez, a relative of Bonifacio�s wife). Andres then proceeded to preside over the occasion without allowing the homeowner and leader of the rival Magdalo faction to say anything. It was total insult. The meeting was called off without resolution. - Feb. 16, 1897, Edilberto Evangelista, who was supposedly out of range from the ongoing battle in Binakayan, was killed by a sniper�s bullet. It was suspected to be an assassin hired by Bonifacio, because Edilberto was the biggest threat to Bonifacio�s leadership at this point. - March 1897, Bonifacio prevented Magdiwang fighters from reinforcing the Magdalos who were fighting a major battle. Bonifacio went to the extent of threatening bodily harm to whoever disobeyed him. In another incident, Bonifacio handed out cash like it was his, to the Magdiwang forces that won a battle. The money came from Katipunan funds since Bonifacio was poor. - March 22, 1897, the Tejeros convention/election was held. A great majority of voters were Bonifacio�s men and his Magdiwang allies. The result, all elected officers except the presidency were Magdiwangs. Emilio Aguinaldo, the only Magdalo and president-elect, was absent during this event; he was leading his men in the battle of Salitran. Bonifacio didn�t win any post because even his own men knew he was incapable of leadership. This was an example of democracy that worked because it was able to expel the ineffective without bloodshed. - March 24, 1897 Gen. Crispulo Aguinaldo (Emilio�s brother), who assumed command in order for Emilio to take his oath of office, was killed in the battle of Salitran. - April 29-30, 1897, during the trial of the Bonifacio brothers in Naic, it was divulged that Andres refused to honor the result of the Tejeros Convention, that Andres tried to form a splinter group and paid an assassin to kill Emilio Aguinaldo. - May 10, 1897, the Bonifacio brothers were executed for treason. - Early 20th century, the Bonifacio letters were touched up, improved, or forged. - 1932, Philippine Congress declared Nov. 30 Bonifacio Day, one of only two national holidays named after individuals (the other was Jose Rizal). Before passing judgment, I�d like to share this story for perspective. It happened to a country with better unity and loyalty. Thanks to farsighted founding fathers that understood their choice of heroes and villains will likely become the blueprint for the national conscience. It involved the most brilliant general of the American Revolution. A man who won so many battles that if not for a bullet to the leg that ended his military career, he could have taken Canada for the US . In one victory, they were outnumbered 20-to-1. Yet, this man turned traitor for he tried to set the capture of George Washington to the British. His name was Benedict Arnold. There�s a statue of his likeness in New York State without his name. For even today, the name Benedict Arnold stands for treachery, the biggest obstacle to nation building. The Americans anticipated the consequences if Arnold got a favorable verdict; his bad example would be copied. I believe the negative cultural pattern in the Philippines was the result of Bonifacio being declared a national hero. Comparing outcomes, it�s obvious the American founding fathers made the right call. They had the foresight to anticipate that elevating a man guilty of treason to hero status was like poisoning the mind or injecting virus into a computer. The result will be total system failure. By branding Arnold a traitor, American founding fathers started a positive cultural pattern for future generations to follow. Comparing Arnold �s plan to sell Washington to the British and Bonifacio�s idea of starting a civil war in the midst of revolution would be like surgical cut to major depopulation. Yet as bloody as Bonifacio�s plan was compared to Arnold , Bonifacio became a Philippine national hero while Arnold the unofficial "national villain" of America ! The Americans knew the importance of setting high standards for their heroes. It�s worth noting Bonifacio�s character traits, for this mirrors the worst in modern Philippine society. I�m referring to the pride, divisiveness, corruption, crab-mentality, and last but not least, selfishness. For it was said that all sins stem from selfishness. Bonifacio deserved to be called the most selfish revolutionary of his generation. He chose self-interest over the greater good. For this, he shouldn�t be considered a true warrior. With these in mind, it could be said that the congressional act of 1932 was the catalyst for the corruption of modern Filipino psyche (pilipit na katwiran). For that irresponsible stroke of legislative pen pried the pegs of reason and virtue off the cultural foundation, plunging the country into dysfunction. For morality and critical thinking was replaced by what could be termed the Andres Bonifacio complex. These are splitting the organization to form a rival group, showing extreme pride after committing shameful acts and refusing to relinquish power. His elevation to heroism condemned future generations to unjust suffering by holding on to wrongful or superficial values. Isn�t it amazing how a talented hard-working people, with solid basics at hand by the middle of the 20th century, managed to squander everything? It�s like inheriting a bad habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory��.It is time to cast the name Andres Bonifacio from the roster of Philippine national heroes. A decent country deserves a better role model than a "hero" with a legacy of conceit, deceit and defeat. Dante G. Balacanao, Los Angeles , CA ***** Nationalists-communists worship Andres Bonifacio because he had the �right� social background; he came from the proletariat. Unlike Jose Rizal and Emilio Aguinaldo who came from the property-owning upper middle-class. (When Joma Sison organized the Kabataang Makabayan in 1964, we pointedly held our first general meeting on November 30 � Bonifacio Day.) But, comrades, Bonifacio overslept when he was supposed to lead the initial uprising, and lost ALL his subsequent battles. He also came close to wrecking the revolutionary movement, just because he could not win its leadership. Surely we deserve more heroic heroes than this. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Bonifacio Revisited� Dear Sir Tony, Greetings, I read your article often and we closely encounter during one forum in UE-Recto regarding charter change in 2004 during the question and answer forum. I hope you can remember the event. I understand the problem of Bonifacio's personality and the Magdiwang responsibility for inviting Andres in Cavite and not protecting him later. However, we must also take into consider the personality problem and indecision's of our leaders during the 1896 revolution as well as to the event during the Philippine-American War like what happen in Biak na Bato money, the Hong Kong bank account of Aguinaldo, the Antonio Luna and Hacienda Luisita and other gray areas among our venerated heroes and historical events. I wonder why the current Magdalos soldier of Oakwood are symbolically using this group as a present name, the same with Joma's Bonifacio veneration. Is it at the very beginning of the Republic. I hope that you will write something about why Trillanes et al are using Magdalo name with a wrong symbolic flag with them since the flag that they are using are not really identified with Magdalo but more similar to the flag of Macario Sakay. We lack genuine leaders who walk their talk as for example Mahatma Gandhi. On the other hand, heroes are not avatars. Instead they are human's who has limitation and imperfection's, same with our leaders today, what is important is that we learn from them, gather the lesson, the insights that we can learn from our history and move forward to re-create or re-imagine our nation. I am only sad today becausewe cannot hear leader's today who have the strong sense of history and invoked without reading a paper regarding his vision of a nation. God Bless You! Albert Banico, (by email), Jan. 31, 2008 (I do not know why Trillanes and his Magdalos are using the flag of Macario Sakay. But I am glad that Andres Bonifacio never tried to seize a luxury hotel. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear sir, Can you write an article regarding Artemio Ricarte, Apolinario Mabini, Lazaro Makapagal and Dr. Pio VALENZUELA'S MEMOIRS REGARDING THE KATIPUNAN AND BONIFACIO? Accidentally I come across with one web page concerning this topic. You may open this site and be interested if you still haven�t come across with this.. http://bonifaciopapers.blogspot.com/ Thank you very much... Albert Banico, (by email), Jan. 31, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww With due respect to the professional expertise of Dante G. Balacanao of Los Angeles, California as an Engineer, his piece on laying on one particular individual the responsibility for the "cultural flaw" of modern day Filipinos reeks of amateurish sociology. It simply reminds one of the gravest manipulations committed in Christendom in order to control the behavior of followers: "Original Sin". JMCN, [email protected], Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Wow and wow. I love this column. A. Bonifacio just proved my thinking that a majority of Filipinos belonging to the poor will never deserve to be rich because of their greed. D porke mahirap eh kaawan na natin because of their corrupt thinking. Just look at the baranggay captains, karamihan mga patay gutom, and we often hear stories of their kalokohan. It is also good to know of this info because history books during our elementary and high school never supplied us with these details. Good to know. Will forward this. Definitely. Mike Delgado, (by email), Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony -- From a faithful reader of your column, just a factual note on Bonifacio being an indio , as Engr. Balacanao believes (in today's column). This is from Alfredo Roces' Adios Patria Adorada (DLSU Press, 2006), p.232. "Its (the Katipunan's) Supremo, Bonifacio, was the son of a Spanish mestiza. His father was once Tondo's teniente mayor. His young bride, Gregoria de Jesus, said to be the first woman member of the KKK, was a member of the principalia, her father having served the office of gobernadorcillo of Caloocan ." Indios and masses? Or mestizos and principales? Regards, Benito Legarda, Jr., (by email), Feb. 01, 2008. (Beniting, Actually, the author referred to AB as a "native" and to the other revolutionists as "natives." In my only revision of his text, I changed "native" to " indio " and "natives" to "indios" because I thought it was inappropriate for a "native" to refer to his own countrymen as "natives." So the racial and social inaccuracies are mine, not the author's. Tony). wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony. Quite a number of employers I know would tell you that Filipino workers are reliable, hard-working, committed, dedicated, self-sacrificing and so many other plaudits. Wonderful, I would say. But deep inside I would also be saying, well they have to be, otherwise there are others workers from other lands waiting on the queue. Simply they don't have a choice for there is nothing from the place they come from. But are these the normal characters of Filipinos? Well, put a group of Filipinos in one room and you'll witness what Dante has described as how a talented hard-working people, with solid basics at hand by the middle of the 20th century, managed to squander everything ...through...pride, divisiveness, corruption, crab-mentality, and last but not least, selfishness. It's not only happening in America but I believe anywhere that there are Filipinos. In Melbourne alone there are about 50 or more Filipino organizations., Why? Simply because of the 'Bonifacio' syndrome. When disagreements occur Filipinos try to solve them by forming another group, then another group and so on and so forth. Also there is an organization for Kapampangans, for Bicolanos, for Cebuanos, etc. etc. etc. We have here an annual celebration called the Philippine Fiesta. But guess what, another group tried to put up another Fiesta. Each one accusing each other of milking the coffers. And some quarrels end up in court. What a shame indeed. Now I have ceased joining any Filipino organization and completely avoided the Philippine Fiesta celebration. It's a pity, but I don't want to support any sham or corrupt group. I just picked up from Melbourne airport a young chap from northern Philippines who is here to undergo surgery on a tumor growing on the bridge of his nose. This is a humanitarian program of Rotary of which I am a past-president. I contacted a few Filipinos to host him and his companion for a week at a time with financial support from Rotary. Until this writing no one has given me affirmative answers. Some are even worried that this fellow and his companion might be carrying transferable disease. Australian embassy staff are on strict instructions not to grant visas to anyone suspected of such illnesses. Unfortunately, I have to bear the unforseen reality of my accidental birth to Filipino lineage. I'd expressed though my profound gratitude to my parents. Regards, Bert Dellosa (Rev.), (by email), Melbourne , Australia , Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi, Tony: There seems to be some historical soul-searching going on in the search for our cultural defects caused by our cultural DNA. I had a short write-up moment on Manuel Quezon as well. Historically inaccurate perhaps...but hey I�m just a hack. =) http://yps.org.ph/blogs/jaime/index.php?p=13 Have a good weekend. Jaime Garchitorena, (by email), Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony! I don't know what Mr. Balacanao is belly-aching about. We did not make Bonifacio a National Hero because of his saintly qualities, if he had any. The fact is that he led an organization which eventually threw out the Spaniards (or would have if the Americans did not intervene) and he was among the first Filipinos to actually do something about Spanish tyranny. Compare this with Rizal partying/womanizing in Europe or sitting on his butt writing something amidst the splendor of Dapitan. In his age, Bonifacio stood tall among his contemporaries so we should not begrudge him of a deserved accolade. Herminigildo Gutierrez, (by email), Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Good Morning Sir, I'm Manolo Gatbonton, a moderator of at least two Filipino Masonic groups in the US and home-based in Virginia Beach . I came across your article this morning as I was going through my mails. It caught my attention and I thought it is a valuable article that can be shared with the members of Fraternity. With your permission, I would like to share this article with the rest of the Brethren. I thank you in advance and wishing you best regards. Manolo Gatbonton, (by email), Virginia Beach , Virginia , Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: I somewhat agree with Mr Bolacanao on his "root cause analysis to prevent reoccurences..." This is a REACTIVE mode. He can prevent accidents or negative occurrences by being PRO-ACTIVE. This can be accomplished by using the "WHAT IF.." approach. To be successful, prevention is the key to any root cause analysis. In managing Filipino organizations, you can prevent a split if the "what if" approach is discussed prior to doing anything. If you can come out with something to answer the "what if" then find a solution to resolve it prior to implementation. If there are disagreements, then "compromise"...that is accepting the majority rule regardless if you agree or not. If one disagrees still, then there is no compromise. Look for alternative solutions. If you run out of alternative solutions and there is still a break in the organization....then blame it on our culture (root cause). At least you tried. As in the case of Andres Bonifacio as a national hero....blame it on the academically educated intellectuals of the Philippines . They should know better..... Rudy Hermosa, (by email), Boston , MA , Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr.Abaya, First it was the spin-doctors who hyped that Rizal was the first Filipino Renaissance Man. Now it's Bonifacio as a SOB ? If the allegations are true, then wonder no more why we are an extremely fractious society. Yes, onli in da Pilipins ! There is really a tragic flaw in the moral fiber of the Filipino. So how come a supposedly smart dude like Joma Sison, an expert in the social/political/economic sciences, missed this one? Is it because he was a "working class hero"? Could you please clarify ? Thank you . Auggie Surtida, (by email), Tigbauan, Iloilo , Feb. 01, 2008 (As I wrote in my article, nationalists-communists worship Andres Bonifacio because he came from the proletariat. Bonifacio would have fulfilled the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist prophecy that the Revolt of the Masses will transform society from feudalism to socialism, without having to go through capitalism. Unfortunately for them, Bonifacio bombed out. But still he remained/s the model they were/are looking for, to personify their revolution ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. A.C.Abaya, Kudos to the article of Eng. Dante G. Balacanao re "Bonifacio Revisited"...Somehow, I have never believed in Bonifacio as a hero but could not come up with hard evidence to support my sentiment. Everything in me floats in the air as far as Bonifacio is concerned...I tried to parse what really happened and why he was executed and formed a reasonable conclusion that's parallel to the research and findings of the good engineer...So what else is new??? I still consider Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and Jose Rizal to be the authentic heroes of Philippine independence...This I say because of their positive contributions to rouse the consciences of our forefathers which was dormant for centuries helped by the colonial government and religious leaders at that time...A time when the natives were left inside the proverbial caves to nurture ignorance and be taken advantaged of...It still is happening, just observe the annual fiestas and how the Christian faithful express themselves...I feel like throwing up!!! More power to your column, Mr. Abaya. Respectfully yours, Roberto E. Cabilao, (by email), Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Thank you, countryman Dante Balcanao, for enlightening us on this matter. Thank you, Tony Abaya, for pursuing this information. Past my college years in U.P., I had realized the importance of Rizal as a national hero. His significance was the result of his defining a national consciousness for the Filipino. Prior to Rizal conceptualizing and defining this consciousness implicitly through his writings, I thought that Filipinos were an un-unified lot that did not know what they had in common. When you analyze history, it was the Spaniards that unified this scattered geographic area into a political union. Rizal had a good sense of history and anthropology to be able to perceive that we were in fact a nation that shared a common history with the people who migrated into this archipelago before it was unified by Spain . Others just thought of themselves with respect to their locality. With Bonifacio, on the other hand, I had perceived him to be a reckless, disorganized and impetuous personality that did not seek counsel nor consensus. This became obvious when I could not see the coherence of the accounts about him, particularly in the Cry of Balintawak where no subsequent accounts of strategic actions followed. This was unlike the accounts about Aguinaldo that revealed deliberate intentions and strategic action. Bonifacio is lionized because of the boldness of the image of the Cry of Balinatwak to which many uneducated people could identify. This is why our people adore people who will risk everything today without looking two or three steps ahead - the "bahala na" mentality. As a matter of fact, my mother-in-law who is a descendant of General Gregorio del Pilar tells me that when the Katipuneros tore up their cedulas in Balintawak, the cry was actually "bahala na!" While it may be too late to remove the romance of a reckless Bonifacio, I think if more people understand what really happened, perhaps we Filipinos may finally understand the consequence of this national flaw and start to reform ourselves. After all, we are a Christian nation and Christianity is based on personal renewal by turning away from our sins. I salute Dante Bacalanao for his perception on this historical error. I even salute him more for suggesting a plausible solution. May your tribe increase. Gus Cosio, (by email), Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Lesson we learned from Mr. Balacanao's essay on Bonifacio is the known naked story of struggle for power, for fame, pride and show of force "KUNG SINO ANG LALAKI" mentality. Dr Jose Rizal, speaking through the mouth of Father Florentino in the NOLI novel, was right of his prediction. In an answer to an earlier quote, " there are no tyrants where there are no slaves", the native priest told a dying wounded Simoun on his failed revolution the disastrous consequence of "WHAT GOOD IS INDEPENDENCE IF THE SLAVES OF TODAY ARE THE TYRANTS OF TOMORROW!" The jealousy and personal feud between Bonifacio and Aguinlaldo was repeated as we noted the same jealousy and personal feud between Aguinaldo and Antonio Luna. While we had not yet achieved independence, Aguinaldo can claim his bragging right as "the SURVIVOR" but was NOT awarded the monument he expected in his native province right after the grant of independence. Jose Sison Luzadas, (by email), Delray Beach , Florida , Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, It was only General Aguinaldo who could have cleared all the clouds on the controversy of Andres Bonifacio's execution and heroism, being the last survivor of the Philippine Revolutionary era. But until his death in 1967 (correct me if I'm wrong), he chose to remain silent about it? What about the accounts of a historian from Bonifacio's side? Maybe it's not inherent with a particular person or race. Maybe it's about the virus that afflicts a person, anyone of the seven deadly sins. Edel Anit, (by email), Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, "...I believe the negative cultural pattern in the Philippines was the result of Bonifacio being declared a national hero". "...With these in mind, it could be said that the congressional act of 1932 was the catalyst for the corruption of modern Filipino psyche (pilipit na katwiran). For that irresponsible stroke of legislative pen pried the pegs of reason and virtue off the cultural foundation, plunging the country into dysfunction... ," so says Mr. Balacanao sweepingly in his Bonifacio Revisited (January 31, 2008) . Wouldn't it be nice if it were all that simple? Erase Bonifacio from our memory and all "...the pride, divisiveness, corruption, crab-mentality, and last but not least, selfishness" of the Pinoys, which by the way Mr. Balacanao seems to think to be the exclusive monopoly of our people, and we would all be like saints and angels. But even the Greek and Roman gods and the stars of the Old Testament were all much too human and mostly bereft of virtue. Jacob (meaning grabber or usurper and whose other name is Israel ) swindled his blind father Isaac and his brother Esau. David who was supposed to be the greatest Jewish King in the Old Testament (no record of him outside the Bible, in other words, was he just created myth?) committed adultery with Bathsheba whose husband Uriel was purposely sent by David to die in battle. I will not go into all those Greek tragedies. Greek, Roman and Jewish heroes all exhibited the same hubris, divisiveness, corruption, jealousy, crab-mentality, selfishness, vindictiveness, greed for power, schism. lust, sexual deviation, envy, betrayal, etc., etc. and were in many ways mostly a tragic lot. And yet their civilizations waxed, waned and survived through the millennia and their people to this very day are still exhibiting the same hubris, divisiveness, corruption, jealousy, crab-mentality, selfishness, vindictiveness, greed for power, schism, lust, sexual deviation, envy, betrayal, etc., etc., for human beings they all are. Finally, if they could create myths and make heroes out of flawed characters or characters that may never even have existed, why can't Pinoys? Louie Fernandez, (by email), New Jersey , Feb. 01, 2008 P.S. See Beppe�s Inferno, A comedian�s war on crooked politics: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/04/080204fa_fact_mueller It seems the Italians are even more corrupt than Filipinos! wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I thank you for sending some notes recently. I am really interested reading something from you regarding your point of view why this recent Magdalo soldiers are using Magdalo symbol of the Aguinaldo group 100 years ago. It will be nice if after revisiting some flaws of Bonifacio we will try to revisit the flaws of Magdalo too, of Cavite in 1890's lead by Aguinaldo and perhaps closed this chaper as we try to see some insights and learning from the flaws of our historical figure's and perhaps show it to this young soldiers who belong to my own generation that maybe they pick a wrong name for themselves. Second, after this again perhaps we can look forward for better Philippines without becoming too militaristic, pacifist or messianic in nature. Thank you very much and more power. Hope we can have a constant communication since there are only a few columnists that I read even if they belong from different orientation like PDI's Doronila, David for a few times, Esposo and Pamintuan of Philstar, Gemma Araneta of Bulletin, you and Jimeno of Standard and of course some in the Tribune group like Herman Laurel, because by reading from different context we can at least see a larger picture even if it is not complete. God Bless Albert Banico, (by email), Feb. 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Good heavens, Tony! Where did all this material suddenly come from? After all the historical squabbling about Bonifacio for ages, and with none of the material the author brings up now having ever been mentioned, one wonders what documentation the author goes by and by what means he unearthed his facts. Angie Collas-Dean, (by email), Eugene , Oregon , Feb. 02, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Nice piece of information. I had not been a very keen reader of our history although I know most of them. The information you provided us somehow explains the importance of the historic events and the manner our historians wrote or interpreted them. Had there been biases among our historians? I guess if we want to correct an erroneous historic entry we need to do it now and in the right process. Thanks Eduardo Duvalan, (by email), Feb. 02, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I have just read your column, Bonifacio Revisited, and Dante Balacanao's opinion. So, we should blame Andres Bonifacio for our dysfunction as a nation? Because he embodied everything that is the antithesis to heroism, we should start tearing down the Bonifacio monument in Caloocan City and pounding it to pieces until it�s reduced to dust, just like what we�ve seen when the Berlin Wall collapsed, or when Lenin�s statue or Saddam Hussein�s bust was demolished after liberation. But wait. Let�s first examine Dante Balacanao�s devious ruminations about the Supremo and why he is the most extraordinary root of all the ills that plague our present-day Philippine society. Balacanao�s timeline of events, beginning from the founding of the Katipunan on July 7, 1982, to Bonifacio�s declaration as a national hero in 1932, appears to be a revisionist�s interpretation of history. Every U.P. freshman starts the first semester with a class in Philippine History, and some of us who were keen on knowing more would enroll in higher history classes and even supplement this interest with additional readings of treatises and writings by other scholars not named Teodoro Agoncillo. It is amazing that Balacanao got it right as to who was the first president of the Katipunan, but he forgot to mention that Deodato Arellano was the most educated among the founding members who all belonged to the lowest class of society, including Bonifacio, whose parents were very poor and most probably illiterate, who was self-educated through reading newspapers and books. The truth was Bonifacio did not even finish the equivalent of Grade Four today. Teodoro Agoncillo, the eminent Filipino historian, would credit Bonifacio for conceiving the idea of organizing the Katipunan. Deodato Arellano and Roman Basa were deposed as supremos because they were not very active and Bonifacio was not contented with their performance. It was during Bonifacio�s leadership of the Katipunan that the flames of the revolution caught fire, and he became the Supremo of the Katipunan until the establishment of a revolutionary government in Cavite . During the Tejeros Convention on March 22, 1897, the Magdiwang and Magdalo factions of the Katipunan in Cavite tried to reconcile their differences by forming a provisional government with Emilio Aguinaldo as President and Bonifacio as the Director of the Interior. When Bonifacio was about to be proclaimed, Daniel Tirona stood up objecting that another man, Jose del Rosario should be elected instead of Bonifacio. This hurt Bonifacio because everybody had previously agreed to respect whoever was elected. He was about to shoot Tirona but Artemio Ricarte held his hand. Angry, Bonifacio left and declared the results of the election null and void in his capacity as the Supremo of the Katipunan. As every student of Philippine history knows, the ensuing events after Tejeros led to the trial and execution of Bonifacio and his brother. Personally, I find Balacanao�s statement about the man he used to idolize in high school�that Bonifacio�s traits �mirror the worst in modern Philippine society��very disturbing. He singled out Bonifacio�s �pride, divisiveness, corruption, crab-mentality, and selfishness.� The intellectual foundation for such sweeping conclusion: his own revisionist take on Philippine history. Why would Balacanao write this disparaging statement about his former idol and the founder of the Katipunan? All those negative traits he ascribed to Bonifacio ran against the grain of the Ten Commandments or teachings of the Katipunan, some of which were: �3. Engrave in your heart that the true measure of honor and happiness is to die for the freedom of your country; 4. All your good wishes will be crowned with success if you have serenity, constancy, reason, and faith in your acts and endeavor; 6. It is the duty of all to deliver, at the risk of their own lives and wealth, anyone who runs great risks in the performance of his duty; 7. Our responsibility to ourselves and the performance of our duties will be the example set for our fellow men to follow.� Balacanao�s characterization of Bonifacio also gives us an image of a leader who would not subscribe to the Katipunan�s Kartilla, which members of the Katipunan were expected to take the teachings to heart. Let me cite some of these teachings embodied in the Kartilla which Emilio Jacinto, Bonifacio�s close friend and right-hand man, wrote. �1. Life which is not consecrated to a lofty and sacred cause is like a tree without a shadow, if not a poisonous weed. 2. A good deed that springs from a desire for personal profit and not from a desire to do good is not kindness. 3. True greatness consists in being charitable, in loving one�s fellow men and in adjusting every movement, deed and word to true Reason.� If Balacanao could not find Bonifacio as a hero because he was poor and uneducated, unlike the American heroes who seem to be his present idols, at least he should find comfort and some amount of pride in the teachings of the Katipunan, ideals of conduct written by men of incomparable education and wealth. Every movement, organization or human initiative has always been plagued by division. Unity is a perfect ideal, most oftentimes too difficult to achieve. Just like the Katipunan. It was split into two factions, the Magdalo and the Magdiwang groups. Bonifacio was not fomenting a civil war but only objected to the fraud committed by the Magdalo faction, at least this was according to Teodoro Agoncillo. If you were a genuine Katipunero and someone stood up to dishonor you, simply because you did not have the requisite education or social skills, would you not find this revolting? Bonifacio had nothing to do with the disagreements among the alumni associations of U.P. and Ateneo, and Radyo Pinoy in Los Angeles . Certainly, Bonifacio is not responsible for the great divide between Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Filipino masses. Nor should he be blamed for our ineffective Philippine Congress. The nature of politics is division. Comparing Bonifacio with Benedict Arnold is perplexing, and to suggest that Bonifacio should also be treated like what the American people did to Arnold, make him our national villain, is both na�ve and senseless. Arnold switched sides, Bonifacio never did. Bonifacio was executed by his own people, Arnold died in England of delirium after gout attacked his unwounded leg. (Those afflicted with gout, pay attention.) Arnold was regarded as a revolutionary hero before he switched allegiance to the British. Bonifacio, on the other hand, despite us declaring November 30 as Bonifacio Day, will always be deemed below the heroism of Rizal, who did not want a revolution against Spain at the time. The house in Gloucester �s Place where Arnold lived in Central London still stands, bearing a plaque that describes Arnold as an �American Patriot.� Balacanao, on the other hand, would rather intend to blow up the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City to pieces. There is a danger that the kind of arguments Balacanao would like us to believe might be seductive to some of us for the wrong reasons. For those who disagree with him, it may cause them some discomfort or even unpopularity. But as Socrates would teach us, it would be na�ve to hold unpopularity as synonymous with truth as to believe that it is synonymous with error. The validity of an idea or an argument is determined not by whether it is widely believed or widely reviled but whether it obeys the rules of logic. It is not because an argument is denounced by a majority that it is wrong nor, for those drawn to heroic defiance, that it is right. Joe Rivera, (by email), Toronto , Canada , Feb. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dante Bacalanao's article is an intriguing, if not captivating, story that deserves my undivided attention for the next couple of weeks. Usually, allegations like these come with a long bibliography; more so if the author is saying that "It is time to cast the name Andres Bonifacio from the roster of Philippine national heroes." Unfortunately, he can't make that happen with a few paragraphs; not even with a few pages of ink. Mismanaged the KKK funds? Got 500 Filipinos falsely implicated, tortured and killed? Hired an assassin to kill a Katipunero? Did Mr. Bacalanao get this information from the depths of the imagination of imaginary historians? These are very serious allegations; they should be proven to the satisfaction of the Filipino people who have, for all their lives, looked up to Gat Andres Bonifacio as a hero worthy of emulation - the same Filiipinos whom Mr. Antonio Abaya calls communists. I don't know where these two writers are coming from. Willy Calinawan, (by email), Pasig City , Feb. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww G. Antonio Abaya Ka Tony, Pasensya ka na sa abalang ito. Tigmak sa aking alaala ang inyong ngalan simula pa nung ako'y isang Press Office reporter sa staff ni dating Press Secretary Virgilio "Rex" Reyes sa panahon ni "Cong" Dadong Macapagal. Napakatagal na! Ipahintulot ninyong iambag ko ang mga sumusunod: SAAN PATUTUNGO IKAW, BAYAN KO? * Nimia Perez Carpio Bakit ikaw bayan, hilig gunitai�y mga kasawian? Ang �Fall of Bataan ; Fall of corregidor� ipinagdiriwang? Bakit patuluyang ngalan nitong bansa�y Pilipinas? Hindi kaya ang pangalang iya�y merong sumpa; o 'di kaya'y, malas? Bakit para kay Magellan kay laking bantayog na krus sa Cebu ; Nguni�t ang unang bayaning si Lapu-Lapu ay d�un lang Sa isang sentimo? Bakit watawat pa ng USA ang nasa ating sandaan-piso; Na waring saklaw pa rin ang pananalapi natin ni Kanuto? Bakit di natin wakasan ang pagsandig sa JUSMAG Tungkol sa ating Sandatahang-Lakas; at �di mag-isip Ayon sa likas na alam ng ating sariling hukbo? Bakit patuluyan ang pagka-gumon ng sistema ng edukasyon sa salitang Ingles, sa halip na pagyamanin ang sarili nating mga wika, at bumuo ng isang mayaman, maunlad at laganap na wikang pambansa? Bakit ang palitang-salapi ay hindi sikaping magkaroon ng Asian dollar, para sa mga bansa dini sa Silangang-Asya, sa halip na palaging isabit sa greenbuck ang ating pananalapi? Bakit panatilihin pa ang mga eleksyon kung hindi rin lamang makabuluhan at iginagalang ng ating mga pinuno ang ganitong sistema sa ating buhay-pulitika? Hindi ba�t malaking aksaya? Gugol sa pagmantini ng COMELEC; mga paraphernalia sa eleksyon, mga abala, samaan ng loob; destabilisasyon, mga patayan at iba pang mga krimen sa pagsawata ng mga kilos-protesta? SA LAHAT NANG MGA IYAN AY SINO KAYA ANG NAKIKINABANG? AT SINO NAMAN ANG NALULUGI? Nagtatanong po lamang -- Si KaPule2 (Ang ibang mga kaisipan dito�y hango sa talumpati ni Congressman Zialcita ngPara�aque City sa instalasyon ng Pamunuan sa Palanyag Lodge No. 323, of Free and Accepted Masons, sa King Solomon�s Garden, Las Pi�as City, kagabi � Pebrero 2, 2008). Irineo P. Goce , (by email), Lipa City , Feb. 03, 2008 a.k.a. KaPule2 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww NOTE: Because of limited space, this post may be truncated in my blogsite acabaya.blogspot.com. It appears or will appear complete in www.tapatt.org. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony, I wonder where Mr. Balacanao got his data? As Post Commander of Fort Andres Bonifacio, I have a professional interest in the Gatpuno's credentials as a hero. I'll keep an open mind provided Mr. Balacanao can cite his sources. Dick Morales, Brig. Gen., (by email), Feb.03, 2008 Post Commander, Fort Bonifacio wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Tony Abaya It is well said that "Revolutions eats its own sons.." World history is full of anecdotes with leaders ending up as victims of their own enterprises. We need not to point to the French and Russian revolutions. Andres Bonifacio, his brother and Gen. Antonio Luna were murdered by Aguinaldo's men. The Bonifacio brothers through a kangaroo military court in Cavite and Gen. Antonio Luna by blatant treacherous assassination while on his way to attend a war council called by Aguinaldo. Whatever the intra-rivalries and hatred between the personalities involved that led to such shameful and tragic deaths, one thing is obvious, the leadership of the Philippine revolution were by men who's personal interests and perhaps by abounded ambitions dominated the greater cause of fighting for liberty and emancipation of the country from colonial power(s). It would be superfluous to assume that the official declaration of Andres Bonifacio as a National Hero was deliberately concocted by the American colonial government to plant the seed of future dysfunctional national leadership of the colony. Maybe it would be more acceptable to conclude that the social and political order of feudalism and colonialism, the very same social conditions the revolutionaries wanted to eradicate at that time did not change a bit up to the present time. The Spanish colonial powers composed mainly of the feudal lords, the church and illustrados were simply transformed as Trapos, Political Dynasties and Showbiztocracy. Benedict Arnold and Andres Bonifacio as any big name player of the both American and Philippine revolutions were just names and participants of the grand historical pictures. In the Philippine political scene from the time we acquired historical consciousness, there was nothing but tribal fragmentation and very little nationalistic fervor. The only time we fought united for our survival as a nation was during the Japanese occupation, embarrassingly led and insufficiently armed by the Americans. Perhaps our endemic tribalism that led to a "damaged culture" is the real culprit for what we are now. What do you expect of a country with 70+ dialects?. Where political loyalties extended only to the immediate and extended families, disregarding the greater portion of anybody else that did no belong to their clan? Our historical antecedents were replete with tribalism and factionalism. Until we find a way to solve this social dilemma, we will remain a fractured society always dysfunctional and sadly now spiralling towards a semi-failed State...ironically maintained alive by the remittances sent home by the very same citizens driven to endure self exiled conditions brought about by their own inherited endemic social conditions. Mark Enriquez/Peter Lee,, (by email), Pomona , CA , Feb. 03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I read with great interest the article of Engr. Balacanao on Bonifacio's personality flaws and the fatal tendencies of modern Filipinos towards dysfunction. I am not in a position to attest to the correctness of his research on Bonifacio neither do I want to draw such a general conclusion as to the tendencies of modern Filipinos towards dysfunction, but I do see a clear parallel with another undeclared hero of the Philippine revolution and a self-proclaimed leader of the Filipino people, Joma Sison, and some of our friends in the movement. I want to share with you my 'Martial Law Memoirs'. Especially the latter part of my memoirs relate a number of incidents which I myself experienced, that show such a negative cultural trend that Balacanao is talking about. In particular I cannot agree with their hard stand on continuing the armed struggle. By all means, they should stop this unholy war and spare no efforts to come to a negotiated settlement between the Filipino people and the NDF. Take my comments for what it is worth. With kind regards, Arnold van Vugt, (by email), Cagayan de Oro City, Feb.03, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww For the nation to do a soul searching, the writer has to establish first the factual bases of his allegations. For each assertion, he has to provide the documentary (and/or oral) sources or references. Whichever come out as facts, together with complete circumstances surrounding each incident, shall then be the proper bases of revisiting the national hero. Marcelo Tecson, (by email), San Miguel, Bulacan, Feb. 04, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, I wonder if the author could provide us (the readers) some concrete evidence, references to his various claims. Ii say claims because these stuff were not in our history books, which we use as standard in the absence of contrary opinion. The article is full of assumptions (e.g., suspected of, believed to be�) and contradictions. Assuming that what the author just pointed out here is all true; the cause-effect relationship of supposedly modern Filipino flaws (especially in organizational aspect) attributable to Bonifacio's traits is completely farfetched and problematic, Why? First off, cause-effect study is the hardest to prove because it involve years... and so many variables (academic, spiritual, philosophical background, etc, etc) to study (in this case, what we are talking about are not just years but generations.)Ssecondly, the connection made, I think, is too stretched, at one side of the world there is divisiveness or problems among individuals who can't seem to get along then on the other the supposed flaws of one of our national heroes then there's the connection... its just as some Filipinos might call it pilit. Some readers may even argue that although Bonifacio was not a good military strategist, his organizational skills were superb, being the one who founded the Katipunan and all. or that he fight for his ideals and principles (whatever they were) to his death, unlike some 'heroes' who agree and compromise every time the opportunity provides it, like going into exile in exchange of money and comfort but that is a different story altogether. Thanks Oliver L. Floralde, (by email), Feb. 04, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: Thanks for your article, which I received courtesy of Dr. Jose Maria P. Alcasid, president of the Philippine Crusade for the Defense of Christian Civilization. I already heard of these facts about Bonifacio years ago, and I myself have been for a long time more partial to Emilio Aguinaldo's role in history than Bonifacio despite several flaws in Aguinaldo's character and mistakes he committed as leader of the Revolution against Spain and subsequent War against the United States . But it is only now that I heard that Edilberto Evangelista was allegedly killed by an assassin hired by Bonifacio in order to eliminate a potential rival for the leadership of the Revolution, not by a Spanish soldier as in the usual narratives. This account also did not contain the fact that Bonifacio ordered the execution of three Spanish friars originally captured by Aguinaldo's men of the Magdalo faction of the Katipunan in Cavite but who were later handed over to the Magdiwang faction of Bonifacio for safekeeping. These friars were Fr. Antonio Piernavieja of the Augustinian Recollects (whom Rizalists, without any historical proof, are fond of claiming that he is the basis for the character of Padre Damaso in Jose Rizal's first novel, Noli me tangere); Fr. Agapito Echegoyen, also of the Recollects; and Fr. Domingo Cardenas of the Augustinians. Right after they were handed over, they were tortured by Bonifacio's other brother, Ciriaco (who was killed during the skirmish with Aguinaldo's men sent to arrest Bonifacio the following year) by being whipped on their feet by bamboo branches, for Bonifacio blamed them for complicity in the execution of Filipino nationalist priest Fr. Jose Burgos and his companions 25 years earlier. Bonifacio ordered them shot shortly afterward. This led to the loss of confidence by many Cavitenos on Bonifacio, for they were already shocked to learn earlier that he was an atheist, for he had by this time stopped the practice of Catholicism and was deeply hostile to the friars, even more than Rizal and Marcelo del Pilar. In fact, after his canonical church wedding to his wife, Gregoria de Jesus, he later had his union "solemnized" by Katipunan rites the following day (this organization had pseudo-masonic rituals and symbols). This unfortunate execution was later blamed for the successive defeats the revolutionaries' suffered after the renewal of the Spanish offensive against them on February 15, 1897 by Governor-General Camilo de Polavieja (who signed Rizal's death sentence two months earlier) for they were still very religious despite the Masonic propaganda hurled against the Church and the friars, and they considered the defeats God's punishment for the execution of the priests. This incident was well-narrated by Jesuit historian Fr. John Schumacher in his article, "The Religious Character of the Revolution in Cavite ." Therefore, it is not surprising that Bonifacio lost the election for the presidency of the Revolutionary Government at the Tejeros Convention on March 22, 1897. The delegates to that convention did not relish a godless and ruthless leader like Bonifacio. I could say that had Andres Bonifacio been elected, he could have been another Plutarco Ellas Calles, the diabolical and anti-Catholic President of Mexico of the 1920s, who launched a persecution against the Church not seen since the time of the Roman emperors. Surely, Bonifacio's early death made him a hero, and thus sparing him the possibility of becoming a Filipino Calles, and becoming an old and nearly-forgotten man like Aguinaldo (who died only in 1964 at the age of 95). Also, good for his historical image, not only did the Communists and Socialists build up his image for allegedly being a man of the masses (an image now challenged by recent historians for his mother was a Spanish mestiza and there was evidence of some wealth by his family), Filipino nationalist leader Manuel L. Quezon elevated it in order to smear his political rival, Aguinaldo, for the revolutionary hero sided with him in his fight against the American governor-general Leonard Wood during the early 1920s when Wood generally had a less friendlier attitude towards Filipino interests in contrast to his predecessor, Francis Burton Harrison. When his whole cabinet resigned in protest and in solidarity with Quezon, Wood sought and got the sympathy of Aguinaldo, which irked Quezon and turned him against his former commander-in-chief, whom he once admired very much (Quezon fought as a major in the Philippine Revolutionary Army against Spain and later the Americans). Aguinaldo subsequently ran against him during the Commonwealth presidential elections of 1935. Quezon used his political influence to make Bonifacio's birthday of November 30, 1863 as a national holiday, just like that of Rizal's date of death on December 30, 1896. He also successfully lobbied for the construction of the Bonifacio monument at Kalookan City (in a place now simply and popularly known as "Monumento", where several major roads of Metropolitan Manila intersect, such as the EDSA and Rizal Avenue and MacArthur Highway ). Aguinaldo's ill-advised decision to run for the presidency of the Commonwealth against Quezon was his biggest mistake. After years of living in retirement since his capture by the Americans in 1901, he decided to challenge the overwhelmingly-popular and charismatic Quezon, for he felt that letting him run unopposed was not healthy for Philippine democracy. Besides Aguinaldo, another figure from the revolutionary era, priest-turned politician Gregorio Aglipay (co-founder and first supreme bishop of the schismatic Philippine Independent Church ), also ran for president. In the end, the total votes they got were even less than half of Quezon's. The electoral campaign also became an opportunity for Quezon to further besmirch Aguinaldo by reviving the issue of his responsibility for the deaths of Bonifacio and revolutionary General Antonio Luna. In the process, this is what we find in our history books today. The cult of Bonifacio was motivated primarily by socialist ideology and politics. Apparently, very little historical evidence supported this. Sincerely, Restituto R. Ramos, (by email), Feb. 04, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww This is what is basically wrong with Filipinos � putting the blame on someone else but oneself. I would not blame the Filipinos' socially fractious tendencies on Andres Bonifacio. I'm afraid that Engineer Dante G. Balacanao's conclusion based on his researched analysis as an Engineering & Manufacturing Technology Specialist was putting a bit of a stretch on the matter. Let us not forget that social dynamics is a lot more complex than machines, i.e., what can be done to machines, which are inanimate and can be studied in isolation, can be commuted to human societies as well. Is Eng. Balacanao sure that this fractious tendency had already existed long before Andres Bonifacio was born? Let us all grow up and mature. We should know better. Armando B. Aspiras, (by email), Feb. 04, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww THIS IS A NEW TWIST. This is the first I read about a new picture of Andres Bonifacio .. after all these years. What do the historians -- the reputable ones have to say about this apparent revision -- from Abaya? Ben Oteyza, (by email), Feb. 04, 2008 (You mean from Dante Balacacnao. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Below are some reactions from UP alumni folks who read your article on Balacanao's Bonifacio. This was forwarded to me by my friend Gus Lucero from LA. Thank you for your very interesting articles! Best regards, Rico Rojas, (by email), New Orleans, Louisiana, Feb. o4, 2008 Hi Brod Dante, Below are three postings from UP Alumni based in Toronto forwarded to me by my wife Merfa. She said maybe a rejoinder from you would be most welcome for Joe & Patty Rivera's ( riverayrivera@ gmail.com ) comments. Re: Bonifacio-the national hero remembered Posted by: "OscarCasta�os" castanios@yahoo. ca castanios Sat Feb 2, 2008 2:55 pm (PST) Thanks Merfa...I'll give myself plenty of time to mull over this write-up. i must say this new insight about Bonifacio will clear up my views and/or misconceptions about this politburo-hero whose iconic bolo-wielding image had seared our consciousness. ..padala ka pa...best regards... Oscar/Norma Re: Bonifacio-the national hero remembered Posted by: "renato isla" renora@rogers. com reneisla Sat Feb 2, 2008 4:56 pm (PST) Nice article Merfa...and I thought all the while that Bonifacio should be ranked equally with Rizal, Aguinaldo, Jacinto, Mabini, and others. Now that we are free from colonial bondage, it is time to re- examine our history and rank our heroes based on what they have actually accomplished. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww *Since Andres Bonifacio is dead and gone, there is no way he could defend himself from this indictment. In any case, it is my opinion that Engr. Balacanao's negative assessment of Bonifacio's supposedly flawed character actually applies to all Filipino politicians whether of the Aguinaldo and Bonifacio genre or the current crop of Trapos, to include Senator Trillanes. Proof of that abounds and some of them were cited by Engr. Balacanao himself in the early part of his article. By the way, please call the attention of the good engineer to the fact that "reoccur" or "reoccurence" is not found in any English language dictionary. The word "recur" is. Romy Monteyro, (by email), San Diego , CA , Feb. 04, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Sir Rizal, Thank you for emailing me this article with so may historical inaccuracies/omissions and presumptuous/fallacious conclusions that I can not refrain but write my comments and opinions. Of course everyone is entitled to his own opinion. I would like take exception to the sweeping and presumptuous generalities that the author A. Abaya (You mean, Mr. Balacanao. ACA) put forth. People actuations cannot be compared to machines and mechanical process as theorized by a certain Balanacao. I am an engineer too. It is a fallacy. What transpired before in LA area in early 1990 concerning the 3 groups and governance problems of groups and associations today, cannot be attributed or even remotely blamed on the misplaced hero worship of Andres Bonifacio whose holiday was declared on Nov. 30 1932. In (Balacanao�s) article, Bonifacio is presented on a not too flattering image. The timeline listed is historically correct but the facts and backgrounds are loaded and tilted against Bonifacio. How could the author claimed that he used to be an admirer of the hero and later is so acerbic concerning his former idol or it's just a ploy to sugar coat his diatribe against Bonifacio. He sounded like a man from the Magdalo Faction. Has he read the "REVOLT OF THE MASSES" by Teodoro Agoncillo which is considered to be one of the most authoritative studies on Bonifacio and the revolution of 1896 ? Has he known about the "MEMOIRS OF THE KATIPUNAN AND THE REVOLUTION" by General Santiago Alvarez who wrote that Bonifacio was found innocent of the charge against him by all witnesses except 2 and yet he was sentenced to death ? Quoting verbatim from (Balacanao�s) article;" It could be said that that the Congressional Act of 1932 was the catalyst for the corruption of modern Filipino psyche (pilipit na katwiran). For that irresponsible stroke of legislative pen pried the pegs of reason and virtue off the cultural foundation, plunging the country into dysfunction. The morality and critical thinking was replaced by what could be termed as ANDRES BONIFACIO COMPLEX. These are splitting the organization to form a rival group. His elevation to heroism condemned future generations to unjust suffering by holding on to wrongful or superficial values. " What a sweeping conclusion even a psychologist/psychiatrist/behavioral scientist cannot attempt to formulate. Poor Andres must be turning in his grave for he cannot defend himself from these accusations. How about Aguinaldo being the usurper of power instead of Bonifacio since the latter is the father of the katipunan and the present supremo? Bonifacio attempted to rescue Rizal from Dapitan while Aguinaldo did not lift a finger. He was reported to learn in HongKong of Rizal's execution in Manila . It is grossly unfair to make Bonifacio the root cause of this Filipino MALAISE of wanting to be leader or president of this or that organization or association. This MALAISE is endemic to all people of all times, not only to Filipinos although we might exhibit more of or not too clever to hide, camouflage or dissimulate it. One lesson we can be proud as Filipinos is when our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal sent his letter of resignation to Marcelo H. Del Pilar who defeated him for leadership with extra votes in the propaganda movement and surreptiously tried turn them over to Rizal wherein he said : "I deemed it very necessary that there must be unity. Since you're the head although I have my own ideas, it is better for you to enforce the rules and regulation according to your understanding. I will not interfere, go ahead since you are the chief. Use your authority to achieve success in your undertaking. My resignation does not mean war. " He wrote this to preclude the friars perception of dissension among the Filipino propagandists. Rizal was the more learned of the 2 propagandists and he gave in. Aguinaldo supposed to the more learned than Bonifacio because the former was a school teacher and the latter was but a common peasant. Draw your won conclusion. Mr. (Balacanao) emphasized that Bonifacio lost all his battles and skirmishes against the Spaniards in Manila . Bonifacio realized his precarious predicament of fighting in Manila where the Spaniards were concentrated and the battle field was usually in the open or street areas using raw untested katipunereos with inferior weapons. The other katipunero units throughout the islands had less Spanish soldiers to fight, had lower casualties and even won battles like Emilio Aguinaldo in Cavite . Bonifacio however knew that he must do the lopsided fighting in Manila to stop or delay the Spaniards from attacking the revolutionaries outside the capital and to give them time to prepare. A leader other than Bonifacio would not have fought right in the Spanish stronghold of Manila . He thought that Manila was the capital and Manila leads and the nation follows. Tactically speaking Bonifacio was a military failure, no battles won, but the long term effects, the sacrifices of Bonifacio's Manila brigades, were the very painful stepping stones which led to our freedom Mr. (Balacanao) uncharitably opined that the negative cultural pattern in the Philippines was the result of Bonifacio being declared a hero - a Magdalo of 1898 resurrected ' Mr. (Balacanao) is entitled to his opinion but let him not pontificate before he has read the mitigating circumstances around Bonifacio from reliable and authoritative sources. Even in America there are still some quarters that believed Benedict Arnold was shortchanged, unappreciated and was eventually driven to go to the other side and he is still considered a hero. In Rizal, Sir Ven, [email protected] , Feb. 04, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Firstly, allow me to say thank you for being on your mail list. I did nothing so far but read and be educated on the mails I receive. This time however, I am impressed with the study on Andres Bonifacio. Thanks to the fine gentleman who went out of his way and did the research. Indeed..the Et tu Brutus just recently ended inside the halls of congress is very reflective of our Filipino culture on integrity and honestly especially of feelings seen among our political leaders today. . I am just a simple woman who volunteers to walk the street of my city and be with street kids and help support girl children with opportunities to better their lives. Nevertheless, the feeling of frustration on where we are going as a nation haunts me, especially at nights. Our leaders are people we deserve because perhaps of our own inactions and apathy. When can we rise above the Bonifacio mentality and become united as a people, then as a nation? Who will give us that charism to forget ourselves and think of the greater good? The Politicians? the Church Leaders? From where I stand, I don't see anyone at the moment. So I pray that with leaders such as yourselves, we continue to expand our re-education process as a Filipino firstly and foremost before being anybody else. More power Lina Melecio Tan, (by email), Dagupan City , Feb. 06, 2008 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |