The deficiency of Emilio Aguinaldo

Juan Apolinario C. Reyes

I threw away close to a thousand books last year. Because of the lockdown, I couldn't find ways to transport my books to schools and libraries, and so I just paid someone to bring them to our town's dumpsite.

One of those books, written by Teodoro Agoncillo, was about the first Philippine Revolution of 1898. It also told how Andres Bonifacio was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. He died in a mountain, Mt. Tala, if I am not mistaken, together with his brother or brothers. They were executed.

Present-day readers of history are making a huge mistake when they cast Emilio Aguinaldo and his colleagues as anti-heroes. People who were alive during those times did not know the full context and issues of their days in the manner that we know them today. Because we have a panoramic view of those times, we are omniscient. Aguinaldo was not.

Emilio Aguinaldo was thrust into a stage to lead a people into achieving a grand vision. Aguinaldo did not share that vision. What he wanted was a lofty spot for himself under the reformed government led by Spain. But big events came one after another. One day, Aguinaldo found himself compelled to lead a revolution whose aims he did not agree to.

I have a soft heart for the old man. A much-flawed man who, because of circumstances beyond his control, was drawn to take an epic role that requires a great character. Emilio Aguinaldo, however, was parochial. He was someone who would be most loved and would do well as a town mayor but was flawed to lead the founding of a nation.

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