ACT OF PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE In the town of Cavite Viejo, province of C 1898, before me, Don Ambrosio Rianzares Bauti War, and Special Commissioner designated to proclaim and perform this Act by the Dictatorial Government of these Philippine Is- lands, for the purposes and by virtue of the circular addressed by the Eminent Dictator of the same, Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy, the undersigned being assembled, among whom figure chiefs of the army, representatives of others who have not been able to attend and prominent residents of several towns of the same, taking into account that their inhabitants, weary of bearing the ominous yoke of Spanish domination, on account of the arbitrary arrests and cruel treatments committed by the Civil Guards to the extent of causing death in complicity with and even under the express orders of their chiefs, who at times would order the shooting of prisoners under the pretext of their attempting to escape, in violation of the provisions of the regu- lations of their corps, which abuses were left unpunished and on account of the unjust deportations of persons of eminence and high social position, especially decreed by General Blanco at the instigation of the Archibishop and friars interested in Keeping them out of the way for selfish and avaricious ends, deportations which were quickly brougth about by processes more accursed than those of the Inquisition which every civi- lized nation repudiates because a decision is rendered without the accused being heard, the people resolved to start a revolu- tion in August 1896, for the purpose of recovering the indepen- dence and sovercignty deprived them by Spain, through the Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who, continuing the course followed by his predecessor. Hernando de Magallanes, who arrived at the shores of Cebu and occupied that Island by virtue of treaty of friendship with King Tupas, although he was killed in the battle that took place on said shores to which he was pro- voked by King Kalipulako of Mactan who suspected his evil intentions, landed on the Island of Bohol, also entering into a treaty of friendship, the famous blood compact, with its King Sikatuna, with the purpose of taking Cebu by force of arms, but because Tupas’ successor did not allow him to occupy it, he decided to go to Manila, the capital, which in effect he did, 4swinning likewise the friendship of its Kings Soliman and Lakandula, afterwards taking possession of it and thus of the whole archi- pelago for Spain by virtue of an order of King Felipe Il; in view of all these historical data and because in international law the prescription established by laws legalizing even the fraudu- lent acquisition of properties of private individuals is not rec- ognized, there can be no doubt as to the legality of such a movement as the one that was calmed but not stifled com- pletely by the pacification proposed by Don Pedro A. Paterno with Don Emilio Aguinaldo as President of the Republician Government established in Biak-na-bato and accepted by the Governor General, Don Fernando Primo de Rivera, under stipu- lated conditions, some in writing and others verbally, among them a general amnesty for all deported and sentenced p sons; that by reason of non-fulfillment of some of these condi- tions after the destruction of the Spanish squadron by the North Americans and the bombardment of Cavite, Don Emilio Aguinaldo returned to start a new revolution, and hardly had he given the word to begin on the 3lst of last month, when several towns anticipated the move, and on the 28th between Imus and Cavite Viejo a battle was fought in which a Spanish force numbering 178 under the command of a major of the marine infantry was captured and had to surrender. This movement spread like an electric spark through the other towns not only of this prov- ince, but also of Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan, La- guna and Morong, some of them with seaports. So complete is the triumph of our forces, so truly marvelous and unparalleled in the history of colonial revolutions, that in the first province mentioned, only the detachments at Naic and Indang remained to surrender; in the second, all surrendered; in the third, the resistance of the Spanish forces was localized in the town of San Fernando, where the greater part are concentrated, the remainder being in Macabebe, Sexmoan and Guagui fourth, only in the town of Lipa; in the fifth, in the capital of Calumpit; and in the rest, only in their respective capitals. The city of Manila will soon be completely besieged by our forces; and also the detachments in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Zambales, and several others in the Visayan Islands, where the revolution has broken out in several towns, having started in some almost at the moment of completing that pacification, and in others even before it; wherefore the independence of our territory and the recovery of our sover- eignty are assured. And summoning as witness of the honesty of our intentions, the Supreme Judge of the Universe, and under the protection of the mighty and humanitarian nation, North America, we proclaim and solemnly declare, in the name and by the authority of the inhabitants of all these Philippine Islands that they are and have the right to be free and independent; that 46 ti nerth ite wwe ens com they be free from all obedience to the crown of Spain; that every political tie between the two is and must be completely severed and annulled; and that, like all free and independent states, they have complete authority to declare war, make peace, es: tablish commercial treaties, enter into alliances, regulate com- merce, and execute all other acts and things incumbent upon independent states. Having firm confidence in the protection of Divine Providence, we guarantee for the support of this decla ration our lives, fortunes, and the most sacred that we have, honor. We recognize, approve and confirm together with the orders already issued therefrom, the Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo whom we honor as the Supreme Chief of this nation, which begins on this day to have a life of its own, in the belief that he is the instrument selected by God, in spite of his humble origin, to effect the redemption of this unfortunate country as foretold by Dr. Jose Rizal in the mag- nificent verses which he composed moments prior to his execu- tion, liberating it from the yoke of Spanish domination, in pun- ishment for the impunity with which its government allowed the commission of abuses by its subjects, and for the unjust execution of said Rizal and others who were sacrificed to please the greedy friars in their insatiable desire to seek revenge and exterminate all those who are opposed to their Machiavellian purposes, which tramples upon the penal code prescribed for these islands; and for the sake of those persons who, through mere suspicion, were convicted by chiefs of detachments at the instigation of the friars without form or semblance of a trial and without the spiritual consolation afforded by our sacred religion; and likewise for the hanging under the same motives of the eminent Filipino priests, Doctor Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, whose innocent blood was shed through the intrigues of those so-called religious orders which pretended that a military uprising had broken out on the night of January 21, 1872, in the fort of San Felipe in Cavite, accus- ing said martyrs of starting it so as to prevent the execution of the decree-sentence issued by the Council of State in the ap- peal in the administrative litigation interposed by the secular clergy against the Royal Orders, where it was directed that the parishes under them within the jurisdiction of this Archbishopric should be turned over to the Recollects in exchange for those controlled by them in Mindanao which were to be transferred to the Jesuits. All of this was revoked completely and the re- turn of these parishes was ordered. The papers were filed in the Ministry of Overseas Territories, to which they were sent sometime during the last month of the present year for the preparation of the respective Royal Order. That was what caused the tree of liberty to bud in this land of ours. The inquitous measures employed to suppress it only caused its growth more ” TEand more, until the last drop having been drained from the cup of our afflictions, the first revolution broke out in Caloocan, extended to Santa Mesa, and continued its course to the ad- joining places in this province, where the incomparable hero- ism of its inhabitants met with failures in battles with General Blanco, and continued the fight against the numerous troops of General Polavieja for a period of three months, without any of the war material that we now possess, commencing with arms peculiar to the country such as bolos, sharpened bam- boos and arrows. In addition to what has been said, we confer upon our renowned Dictator, Don Emilio Aguinaldo, all the powers necessary to discharge properly the duties of the government, including the prerogative of pardon and amnesty. And finally it was unanimously resolved that this nation, already indepen- dent from this day, must use the same flag used heretofore, whose design and colors are described in the attached sketch, representing in natural colors the three arms mentioned. The white triangle represents the distinctive emblem of the famous Katipunan Society, which by means of its blood compact sug- gested to the masses the urgency of the insurrection; the three stars represent the three principal islands of this Archipelago, Luzon, Mindanao and Panay, wherein this revolutionary move- ment broke out; the sun represents the gigantic strides that have been made by the sons of this land on the road to progress and civilization; its eight rays symbolize the eight province: Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Li guna and Batangas, which were declared in state of war almost fas soon as the first revolutionary movement was initiated; and the colors blue, red and white, commemorate those of the flag of the United States of North America, in manifestation of our profound gratitude towards that great nation for the disinter- ested protection she is extending to us and will continue to extend to us, And holding said flag, I displayed it before the assembly and all swore solemnly to recognize and defend it to the last drop of our blood. In testimony whereof, I commit the proceedings in writings in these minutes signed by me and by all those present in this act, as well as by the only foreigner, a North American subject, Mr. L. M. Johnson, Colonel of Arti lery, who attended the meeting, and to all of which I certify. [The signers of the documents appearing in the preceding fa have been omitted in this translation. ~ Editor,] OO SO PHU RU EE OO