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Philippine Declaration of Independence

ACT OF PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

(Acta de la proclamación de la independencia del pueblo Filipino)

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 Egregious 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 yoke
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 the 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 López 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 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
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not recognized, the legitimacy of such revolution can not be put in doubt which was calmed but not
completely 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 Spanish Squadron by the North American Navy, and bombardment 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 and Cavite-Viejo, under the command of a 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 the last two remaining provinces, only in their 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 the Powerful and Humanitarian Nation, the United States of America, we do hereby proclaim
and declare solemnly in the name and 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 any allegiance
to the Crown of Spain; that all political ties between them are and 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 an Independent State has a 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 most 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 revere 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, in spite
of his humble origin, to effectuate the redemption of this unfortunate country as foretold by Dr. Don José
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 sacrificed 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

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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 priests, 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 last
year for the issuance of the proper Royal Degree which, in turn, caused the growth of the tree of liberty in
this our dear land that grew more and more through the iniquitous measures of oppression, until the last
drop from our chalice of suffering having been drained, the first spark of revolution broke out in Caloocan,
spread out to Santamesa and continued its course to the adjoining regions of the province where the
unequalled heroism of its inhabitants fought a onesided battle against superior forces of General Blanco
and General Polavieja for a period of three 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 resolved unanimously that this Nation, already free and independent as of this day,
must use the same flag which up to now is being used, whose design and colors 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 three stars,
signifying the three principal Islands of this Archipelago-Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay where this
revolutionary movement started; the sun representing the gigantic steps made by the sons 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 declared 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 North 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:

Don
Don
Agapito
Segundo
Zialcita
Arellano
Don
Don
Flaviano
Tiburcio
Alonzo
del
Don
Rosario
Mariano
Don
Legazpi
Sergio
Matias
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Don Don
José Marcos
Turiano Jocson
Santiago Don
y Martin
Acosta de
Don los
Aurelio Reyes
Tolentino Don
Don Ciriaco
Felix Bausa
Ferrer Don
Don Manuel
Felipe Santos
Buencamino Don
Don Mariano
Fernando Toribio
The Philippine Declaration of Independence
Canon Don
Faustino Gabriel
Don Reyes
Anastacio Don
Pinzun Hugo
Don Lim
Timoteo Don
Bernabe Emiliano
Don Lim
Flaviano Don
Rodríguez Fausto
Don Tinorio
Gavino Don
Masancay Rosendo
Don Simón
Narciso Don
Mayuga Leon
Don Tanjanque
Gregorio Don
Villa Gregorio
Don Bonifacio
Luis Don
Pérez Manuel
Tagle Salafranca
Don Don
Canuto Simon
Celestino Villareal

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Don Don
Calixto Francisco
Lara Arambulo
Don Don
Buenaventura Antonio
Toribio Gonzales
Don Don
Zacarias Juan
Fajardo Arevalo
Don Don
Florencio Ramon
Manalo Delfino
Don Don
Ramon Honorio
Gana Tiongco
Don Don
Marcelino Francisco
Gómez del
Don Rosario
Valentin Don
Polintan Epifanio
Don Saguil
Felix Don
Polintan Ladislao
Don Afable
Evaristo José
Dimalanta Don
Don Sixto
Gregorio Roldan
Álvarez Don
Don Luis
Sabas de
de Lara
Guzmán Don
Don Marcelo
Esteban Basa
Francisco Don
Don José
Guido Medina
Yaptinchay Don
Don Epifanio
Mariano Crisia
Rianzares Don
Bautista Pastor

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López Don
de José
León del
Don Rosario
Mariano Don
de Proceso
los Pulido
Santos Don
Don José
Santiago María
García del
Don Rosario
Claudio Don
Tria Ramón
Tirona Magcamco
Don Don
Estanislao Antonio
Tria Calingo
Tirona Don
Don Pedro
Daniel Mendiola
Tria Don
Tirona Estanislao
Don Calingo
Andrés Don
Tria Numeriano
Tirona Castillo
Don Don
Carlos Federico
Tria Tomacruz
Tirona Don
Don Teodoro
Sulpicio Yatco
P. Don
Antony Ladislao
Don Diwa,
Epitacio
Who
Asunción
solemnly
Don
swear to
Catalino
recognize
Ramon
and
Don
defend it
Juan
unto the
Bordador

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last drop those

of their proceedings,
blood.: a citizen of
the
In witness
U.S.A.,
thereof, I
Mr. L. M.
certify that
Johnson,
this Act of
a Colonel
Declaration
of Artillery.
of
Independence
was
signed by
Ambrosio
me and by
Rianzares
all those
Bautista
here
War
assembled
Counselor
including
and
the only
Special
stranger
Delegate-
who
Designate
attended

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