CRISPULO AGUINALDO (1836-1897)
Crispulo Aguinaldo, the elder brother of Emilio Aguinaldo, paid the supreme sacrifice so that the latter could take his oath as newly elected President of the revolutionary Government established in the Tejeros Convention, March 22, 1897. It was the costliest oath taking in the history of the Philippines.
Emilio
was then commanding the Filipino forces defending the strategic pass of Pasong
Santol, in barrio Salitran, Dasmariñas gateway to the Magdalo capital of Imus.
For two weeks Aguinaldo had succeeded in blocking the Lachambre offensive in
this area despite the enemy’s superiority in men and material. It was a seesaw
battle throughout, the control of the military salient changing hands almost
every day. This was the situation when Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President
in absentia.
The first commission headed by Col. Vicente Riego de Dios to persuade Emilio Aguinaldo to leave the front so that he could be sworn in as President of the Revolutionary government. Then, a second commission came, this time headed by Emilio’s elder brother, Crispulo Aguinaldo, who had been promoted to lieutenant general for gallantry in action. Crispulo emphasized to his younger brother that he must take his oat of office so that the Revolutionary Government could function formally.
At first Emilio declined to leave the front because the situation was so critical, But when Crispulo, whose military prowess had proven earlier, offered to take over hi brother’s command, promising to defend Pasong Santol to his last breathe, the young president-elect had no choice but to hand over his command to Crispulo.
Probably having learned of Emilio’s departure from the area, the Spaniards intensified their offensive. The enemy finally captured the strategic pass—but only when Crispulo’s dead body. He kept this promise.
The fifth of eight children of Carlos Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy of Noveleta, Cavite, Crispulo was born on June 10,1863 (six years older than Emilio) in Binakayan, Kawit. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Juan de Letran College. Like his younger brother, Crispulo was a mason and a Katipunero, although he remained in good terms with the Recollect friars in the Kawit Parish. He took part in the Battle of Binakayan, November 9-11, 1896, and led successful raids on enemy positions in Muntinlupa, Taguig, and Pateros in Morong (now Rizal) Province.
Crispulo had been gobernadorcillo several times before Emilio became capitan municipal of Cavite el Viejo (now Kawit). When he died defending Pasong Santol, Crispulo left a widow, Irenea Aranzanzo, who was on the family way. She later gave birth to a boy, who was named after his distinguished father.
[Sources:
(1) Prominent Caviteños in Philippine History. Copyright by Esteban A.
de Ocampo, 1941; and (2) Leon S. del Roasario, “General Crispulo Aguinaldo:
Hero of Pasong Santol,” Philippines Free Press, May 23, 1964.]