“ACTA DE LA PROCLAMACIÓN DE LA INDEPENDENCIA DEL PUEBLO FILIPINO”

(Declaration of PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE)

In the town of Cavite-Viejo, Province of Cavite, this 12th day of June 1898:
BEFORE ME, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, War Counsellor and Special Delegate
designated to proclaim and solemnize this Declaration of Independence by the
Dictatorial Government of the Philippines, pursuant to, and by virtue of, a Decree issued
by the Engregious Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy,
The undersigned assemblage of military chiefs and others of the army who could not
attend, as well as the representatives of the various towns,
Taking into account the fact that the people of this country are already tired of bearing
the ominous joke of Spanish domination,
Because of arbitrary arrests and abuses of the Civil Guards who cause deaths in
connivance with and even under the express orders of their superior officers who at
times would order the shooting of those placed under arrest under the pretext that they
attempted to escape in violation of known Rules and Regulations, which abuses were
left unpunished, and because of unjust deportations of illustrious Filipinos, especially
those decreed by General Blanco at the instigation of the Archbishop and friars
interested in keeping them in ignorance for egoistic and selfish ends, which
deportations were carried out through processes more execrable than those of the
Inquisition which every civilized nation repudiates as a trial without hearing.
Had resolved to start a revolution in August 1896 in order to regain the independence
and sovereignty of which the people had been deprived by Spain through Governor
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who, continuing the course followed by his predecessor
Ferdinand Magellan who landed on the shores of Cebu and occupied said Island by
means of a Pact of Friendship with Chief Tupas, although he was killed in the battle that
took place in said shores to which battle he was provoked by Chief Kalipulako ** of
Mactan who suspected his evil designs, landed on the Island of Bohol by entering also
into a Blood Compact with its Chief Sikatuna, with the purpose of later taking by force
the Island of Cebu, and because his successor Tupas did not allow him to occupy it, he
went to Manila, the capital, winning likewise the friendship of its Chiefs Soliman and
Lakandula, later taking possession of the city and the whole Archipelago in the name of
Spain by virtue of an order of King Philip II, and with these historical precedents and
because in international law the prescription established by law to legalize the vicious
acquisition of private property is not recognized, the legitimacy of such revolution can
not be put in doubt which was calmed but not complete stifled by the pacification
proposed by Don Pedro A. Paterno with Don Emilio Aguinaldo as President of the
Republic established in Biak-na-Bato and accepted by Governor-General Don
Fernando Primo De Rivera under terms, both written and oral, among them being a
general amnesty for all deported and convicted persons; that by reason of the non-
fulfillment of some of the terms, after the destruction of the plaza of Cavite, Don Emilio
Aguinaldo returned in order to initiate a new revolution and no sooner had he given the
order to rise on the 31st of last month when several towns anticipating the revolution,
rose in revolt on the 28th , such that a Spanish contingent of 178 men, between Imus
Cavite-Viejo, under the command of major of the Marine Infantry capitulated , the
revolutionary movement spreading like wild fire to other towns of Cavite and the other
provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, and Morong, some of
them with seaports and such was the success of the victory of our arms, truly
marvelous and without equal in the history of colonial revolutions that in the first
mentioned province only the Detachments in Naic and Indang remained to surrender; in
the second all Detachments had been wiped out; in the third the resistance of the
Spanish forces was localized in the town of San Fernando where the greater part of
them are concentrated, the remainder in Macabebe, Sexmoan, and Guagua; in the
fourth, in the town of Lipa; in the fifth, in the capital and in Calumpit; and in last two
remaining provinces, only in there respective capitals, and the city of Manila will soon
be besieged by our forces as well as the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan,
La Union, Zambales, and some others in the Visayas where the revolution at the time of
the pacification and others even before, so that the independence of our country and
the revindication of our sovereignty is assured.
And having as witness to the rectitude of our intentions the Supreme Judge of the
Universe, and under the protection of our Powerful and Humanitarian Nation, The
United States of America, we do hereby proclaim and declare solemnly in the name by
authority of the people of these Philippine Islands,
That they are and have the right to be free and independent; that they have ceased to
have allegiance to the Crown of Spain; that all political ties between them are should be
completely severed and annulled; and that, like other free and independent States, they
enjoy the full power to make War and Peace, conclude commercial treaties, enter into
alliances, regulate commerce, and do all other acts and things which and Independent
State Has right to do,
And imbued with firm confidence in Divine Providence, we hereby mutually bind
ourselves to support this Declaration with our lives, our fortunes, and with our sacred
possession, our Honor.
We recognize, approve, and ratify, with all the orders emanating from the same, the
Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo whom we reverse as the Supreme
Head of this Nation, which today begins to have a life of its own, in the conviction that
he has been the instrument chosen by God, inspite of his humble origin, to effectuate
the redemption of this unfortunate country as foretold by Dr. Don Jose Rizal in his
magnificent verses which he composed in his prison cell prior to his execution,
liberating it from the Yoke of Spanish domination,
And in punishment for the impunity with which the Government sanctioned the
commission of abuses by its officials, and for the unjust execution of Rizal and others
who were sacrified in order to please the insatiable friars in their hydropical thirst for
vengeance against and extermination of all those who oppose their Machiavellian ends,
trampling upon the Penal Code of these Islands, and of those suspected persons
arrested by the Chiefs of Detachments at the instigation of the friars, without any form
nor semblance of trial and without any spiritual aid of our sacred Religion; and likewise,
and for the same ends, eminent Filipino priest, Doctor Don Jose Burgos, Don Mariano
Gomez, and Don Jacinto Zamora were hanged whose innocent blood was shed due to
the intrigues of these so-called Religious corporations which made the authorities to
believe that the military uprising at the fort of San Felipe in Cavite on the night of
January 21, 1872 was instigated by those Filipino martyrs, thereby impeding the
execution of the decree- sentence issued by the Council of State in the appeal in the
administrative case interposed by the secular clergy against the Royal Orders that
directed that the parishes under them within the jurisdiction of this Bishopric be turned
over to the Recollects in exchange for those controlled by them in Mindanao which
were to be transferred to the Jesuits, thus revoking them completely and ordering the
return of those parishes, all of which proceedings are on file with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to which they are sent last month of the year of the issuance of the proper Royal
Degree which, in turn, caused the grow of the tree of the liberty in our dear land that
grow more and more through the iniquitous measures of oppressions, until the last drop
of our chalice of suffering having been drained, the first spark of revolution broke out in
Caloocan, spread out to Santa Mesa and continued its course to the adjoining regions
of the province were the unequalled heroism of its inhabitants fought a one sided battle
against superior forces of General Blanco and General Polavieja for a period of 3
months, without proper arms nor ammunitions, except bolos, pointed bamboos, and
arrows.
Moreover, we confer upon our famous Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo all the powers
necessary to enable him to discharge the duties of Government, including the
prerogatives of granting pardon and amnesty,
And lastly, it was results unanimously that this Nation, already free and independent as
of this day, must used the same flag which up to now is being used, whose designed
and colored are found described in the attached drawing, the white triangle signifying
the distinctive emblem of the famous Society of the "Katipunan" which by means of its
blood compact inspired the masses to rise in revolution; the tree stars, signifying the
three principal Islands of these Archipelago - Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay where the
revolutionary movement started; the sun representing the gigantic step made by the
son of the country along the path of Progress and Civilization; the eight rays, signifying
the eight provinces - Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan,
Laguna, and Batangas - which declares themselves in a state of war as soon as the
first revolt was initiated; and the colors of Blue, Red, and White, commemorating the
flag of the United States of America, as a manifestation of our profound gratitude
towards this Great Nation for its disinterested protection which it lent us and continues
lending us.
And holding up this flag of ours, I present it to the gentlemen here assembled:
(list of names of representatives with signatures)
Don Segundo Arellano Don Agapito Zialcita Don Jose Turiano Santiago y
Acosta
Don Tiburcio del Rosario Don Flaviano Alonzo
Don Aurelio Tolentino
Sergio Matias Don Mariano Legazpi
Don Felix Ferrer Don Fausto Tinorio(?) Don Ladislao Afable Jose

Don Felipe Buencamino Don Rosendo Simon Don Sixto Roldan

Don Fernando Canon Faustino Don Leon Tanjanque(?) Don Luis de Lara

Don Anastacio Pinzun Don Gregorio Bonifacio Don Marcelo Basa

Don Timoteo Bernabe Don Manuel Salafranca Don Jose Medina

Don Flaviano Rodriguez Don Simon Villareal Don Efipanio Crisia(?)

Don Gavino (?) Masancay Don Calixto Lara Don Pastor Lopez de Leon

Don Narciso Mayuga Don Buenaventura Toribio Don Mariano de los Santos

Don Gregorio Villa Don Zacarias Fajardo Don Santiago Garcia

Don Luis Perez Tagle Don Florencio Manalo Don Andres Tria Tirona
Don Canuto Celestino Don Ramon Gana Don Estanislao Tria Tirona
Don Marcos Jocson Don Marcelino Gomez
Don Daniel Tria Tirona
Don Martin de los Reyes Don Valentin Politan
Don Andres Tria Tirona
Don Ciriaco Bausa Don Felix Politan
Don Carlos Tria Tirona
Don Manuel Santos Don Marcelino Gomez
Don Sulpicio P. Antony
Don Mariano Toribio Don Valentin Politan
Don Epitacio Asuncion
Don Gabriel de los Reyes Don Felix Politan
Don Catalino Ramon
Don Hugo Lim Don Evaristo Dimalanta
Don Juan Bordador
Don Emiliano Lim Don Gregorio Alvarez
Don Jose del Rosario
Don Faustino Tinorio(?) Don Sabas de Guzman

Don Esteban Francisco

Don Proceso Pulido
Don Rosendo Simon

Don Guido Yaptinchay Don Jose Maria del Rosario

Don Leon Tanjanque(?)

Don Gregorio Bonifacio Don Mariano Rianzares Bautista Don Ramon Magcamco(?)

Don Manuel Salafranca Don Francisco Arambulo Don Antonio Calingo

Don Simon Villareal Don Antonio Gonzales Don Pedro Mendiola

Don Calixto Lara Don Juan Antonio Gonzales Don Estanislao Galinco

Don Buenaventura Toribio Don Juan Arevalo Don Numeriano Castillo

Don Gabriel Reyes Don Ramon Delfino Don Federico Tomacruz

Don Hugo Lim Don Honorio Tiongco Don Teodoro Yatco
Don Emiliano Lim Don Francisco del Rosario
Don Ladislao Diwa(?).
Don Epifanio Saguil
 Who solemnly swear to recognize and defend it unto the last drop of their blood.
In witness thereof, I certify that this Act of Declaration of Independence was signed by
me and by all those here assembled including the only stranger who attended those
proceedings, a citizen of the U.S.A., Mr. L.M. Johnson, a Colonel of Artillery.

Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista

War Counsellor and Special Delegate-Designate