The Philippines marks 30th of November as an official holiday to commemorate one of its heroes, Andres Bonifacio. Known as \”Father of the Philippine Revolution\”, he was a key person and leader in the Filipino revolution against the Spaniards. Andres Bonifacio was also accredited for founding the Katipunan, a secret organization which, defended the poor and oppressed Filipinos, tried to restore good principles and aimed to oust the Spanish rule, which was the key to Philippine independence.
Public holidays are usually declared to commemorate a hero\’s death. But Andres Bonifacio Day deviates from this norm. This public holiday was enacted not to honor his death but to celebrate his birth. To grasp this odd phenomenon, one only has to study history and he will find out that Andres Bonifacio died not in the hands of our enemies but in the hands of his fellow countrymen.
Over the years, historians believe that Andres Bonifacio\’s unfortunate death was a result of the old aged struggle between the rich and the poor. In this scenario, Andres Bonifacio represented the masses-the poor or lower class-while Emilio Aguinaldo embodies the upper class-the rich and powerful. However, I believe that Andres Bonifacio\’s death, as well as his brother Procopio, was not the result of \’rich vs. poor\’ dilemma. What led to his execution, in my opinion, was his involvement in foolish politics.
Excessive politicizing became the key reason why Andres Bonifacio lost his place in the revolutionary government. At that time the revolutionary government elected Emilio Aguinaldo as their president and the \”El Supremo\” (The Supreme leader) of the Katipunan by majority vote was elected to the position of director of the interior. Yet despite the majority vote, a fellow Katipunero, Daniel Tirona, doubted Andres Bonifacio\’s capacity to hold the position as secretary of the interior citing that such position belonged to a lawyer.
Furious and offended by the remarks from a fellow Katipunero, Andres Bonifacio declared the proceedings null and void pointing out that the only rules agreed upon in holding key positions within the revolutionary government was through a majority vote. No qualifications were agreed upon nor discussed. Bonifacio then opted not to coordinate with Aguinaldo\’s revolutionary government from that time on.
Because of this, Andres Bonifacio\’s actions were considered treason against the revolutionary government. He was then tried and sentenced to death. Somehow, President Aguinaldo brought down the sentence to banishment but for some unknown reason that order was not carried out and Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio died of execution. According to some historians, they believe that someone pressured Aguinaldo to withdraw his decision because Bonifacio would only tend to bring division in the revolutionary government. Excessive politicizing has once again achieved what it is intended for. Excessive politicizing has brought about political deception, has taken advantaged of situations, has exploited the loop holes of the system, and has brought wavering principles that resulted in partisan politics without regard to integrity.
Today, excessive politicizing not only ravages, but also devastates our society. Politicizing has pressured Ombudsmen to delay or dismiss cases against corrupt officials who are close to the president. It has changed principled judges and justices to favor their decisions for those who have the upper hand in the political arena. It has influenced law enforcers turn their attention away from criminals who have friends in high places, and it has been the reason why people with tainted character get to be appointed to hold positions that are considered as hallowed.
Mount Nagpatong in Maragondon, Cavite lies the dreams of Andres Bonifacio of a just and humane society. This is where the oppressed executed the liberator. Nonsensical politics will do the same thing to each and every Filipino.
Zigfred Diaz is a big fan of Andres Bonifacio however this is not what his blog is all about. He writes on several interesting topics including Philippine politics and Current events, money management, investments, law and business. Go visit his blog today!
