History: Spanish American War: Leandro Fullon Revolutionary Leader Re-interred 100 Years After Death |
|
| By Nestor P. Burgos Jr. October 23, 2004--ANTIQUEYENOS marked the centennial death anniversary of revolutionary leader Gen. Leandro Fullon on Oct. 16, with the re-interment of his remains at the national shrine in his name at his hometown Hamtic, 7 km south of San Jose town, Antique. The re-interment capped a three-day commemoration in the province that started on Oct. 14 with a vigil at the provincial capitol, where his remains were taken from the La Paz cemetery in Hamtic. On Oct. 15, a motorcade accompanied the transfer of his remains from San Jose to the Hamtic covered court where it stayed overnight. On Oct. 16, officials of Antique and representatives of the National Historical Institute led the rites, which started with a necrological program at 8 a.m. before the procession from the covered court to the Sta. Monica Parish Church. After the Mass, a funeral procession followed from the church to the Gen. Leandro Locsin Fullon National Shrine at the town's public plaza for the re-interment. The remains were re-buried at the base of a monument of Fullon made by National Artist Napoleon Abueva. Born on March 13, 1877 in Hamtic, Fullon studied at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila, where he joined the Katipunan, shortly before the revolutionary government was being organized by President Emilio Aguinaldo. He was appointed by Aguinaldo to lead an expeditionary force to Panay Island. He left on Sept. 6, 1898 from San Roque, Cavite with 140 officers and 340 men and arrived in Pandan on Sept. 21 where volunteers joined his forces. He established a revolutionary government in Pandan with the election of local officials. He fought the Spanish forces that landed in the neighboring Culasi where he also formed a revolutionary government. On Nov. 22, 1898, Fullon's forces captured San Jose, the provincial capital. He led the organizing of a provincial government. When the revolutionary government in the Visayas was later organized, he was appointed politico-military governor of Antique. He was in Iloilo when the Filipino-American War broke out and helped in the resistance together with Gen. Martin Delgado and other revolutionary leaders. He returned to Antique in 1899 and led the resistance against American troops there starting in 1900. He surrendered on March 22, 1901 after his forces became weakened due to heavy casualties and battle losses. After the civil government was organized, he was appointed on April 15, 1901, a post that he held until he died in Oct. 16, 1904. On Nov. 14, 1982, the Batasang Pambansa passed B.P. 309 directing the National Historical Institute to transfer the remains of Fullon from the La Paz Cemetery in Hamtic and the erection of a shrine in his honor at the public plaza. Copyright 2004 Philippine Daily Inquirer |
