Emilio Aguinaldo's First Proclamation of January 5, 1899

The government of the Philippines has considered it its duty to set forth to the civilized powers the facts determining the rupture of its amicable relations with the Army of the United States of America in these islands, to the end that they may thereby reach the conviction that I, for my part, have done everything possible to avoid it, although at the cost of many rights uselessly sacrificed.

After the naval combat, which occurred on May 1 of last year, between the Spanish squadron and that of America, the commander of the latter consented to my return from Hongkong to this beloved soil, and he distributed among the Filipinos some rifles found in the arsenal at Cavite, doubtless with the intention of reestablishing the revolution, somewhat quieted by the convention of Biacnabato, in order to have the Filipinos on his side.

The people, influenced by the declaration of war between the United States and Spain, understood the necessity of fighting for its liberty, feeling sure that Spain would be destroyed and rendered incapable of leading it along the road to prosperity and progress. The Filipinos hailed my advent with joy, and I had the honor of being proclaimed leader on account of the services which I had rendered in the former revolution. Then all the Filipinos, without distinction of classes, took arms and every province hastened to expel from its frontiers the Spanish forces. This is the explanation of the fact that, after the lapse of so short a period of time, my government rules the whole of Luzon, the Visaya Islands, and a part of Mindanao.

Although the North Americans took no part in these military operations, which cost no little blood and gold, my government does not disavow the fact that the destruction of the Spanish squadron and the gift of some rifles from the arsenal to my people influenced the progress of arms to some extent. It was also taken for granted that the American forces would necessarily sympathize with the revolution which they had managed to encourage and which had saved them much blood and great hardships, and, above all, we entertained absolute confidence in the history and traditions of a people which fought for its independence and for the abolition of slavery; which posed as the champion liberator of oppressed peoples. We felt ourselves under the safeguard of the faith of a free people.

The Americans, seeing the friendly disposition of the Filipino people, disembarked forces at the town of Paranaque and took up positions all long the line occupied by my troops as far as Maytuvig, taking possession of many trenches constructed by my people by the employment of astuteness not unaccompanied by violence. They forced a capitulation on the garrison of Manila, which, inasmuch as it was invested by my troops, was compelled to surrender at the first attack. In this I took a very active part, although I was not notified, my forces reaching as far as the suburbs of Malate, Hermita, Paco, Sampaloc, and Tondo.

Notwithstanding these services and although the Spaniards would not have surrendered but for the fact that my troops had closed every avenue of escape to the towns of the interior, the American generals not only ignored me entirely in the stipulations for capitulation, but also requested that my forces should retire from the port of Cavite and the suburbs of Manila.

I represented to the American generals the injustice done me and requested in friendly terms that they should at least expressly recognize my cooperation, but they utterly declined to do so. Nevertheless, being always desirous of showing friendliness and good feeling toward those who called themselves liberators of the Philippine people, I ordered my troops to evacuate the port of Cavite and the suburbs of Hermita, Malate, Sampaloc, and Tondo, retaining only a portion of the suburbs of Paco.

In spite of these concessions not many days passed before Admiral Dewey, without any reason whatever, arrested our steam launches, which had been plying in the bay of Manila with his express consent. Almost at the same time I received a letter from General Otis, commander of the American army of occupation, demanding that I should withdraw my forces beyond the lines marked on a map which he also sent me, and which showed within the lines the town of Pandacan and the hamlet of Singalong, which never have belonged to the municipal area of Manila and its suburbs.

In view of this unjustifiable attitude of both American leaders, I summoned a council of my generals and asked the advice of my cabinet, and in conformity with the opinion of both bodies I named commissioners, who placed themselves in communication with these Americans. Although Admiral Dewey received in an insolent manner and with aggressive phrases my commissioners, whom he did not permit to speak, I yielded to the friendly suggestions of General Otis, withdrawing my forces to the desired line for the purpose of avoiding contact with his troops. This gave rise to many misunderstandings, but I hoped that once the Paris Conference was at an end, my people would obtain the independence promised them by the consul-general in Singapore, Mr. Pratt, and that the friendship formerly assured and proclaimed in manifestos and speeches would be established by the American generals who have reached these shores.

But it did not turn out thus. The said generals accepted my concessions in favor of peace and friendship as indications of weakness. Thus it is that, with rising ambition, they ordered forces to Iloilo on December 26, with the purpose of acquiring for themselves the title of conquerors of that portion of the Philippine Islands occupied by my government.

Such procedures, so foreign to the dictates of culture and the usages observed by civilized nations, give me the right to act without observing the usual rules of intercourse. Nevertheless, in order to be correct to the end, I sent to General Otis commissioners charged to solicit him to desist from his rash enterprise; but they were not listened to.

My government can not remain indifferent in view of such a violent and aggressive seizure of a portion of its territory by a nation which has arrogated to itself the title champion of oppressed nations. Thus it is that my government is disposed to open hostilities if the American troops attempt to take forcible possession of the Visaya Islands. I denounce these acts before the world, in order that the conscience of mankind may pronounce its infallible verdict as to who are the true oppressors of nations and the tormentors of humankind.

Upon their heads be all the blood which may be shed.

EMILIO AGUINALDO.

MALOLOS, January 5, 1899.

Source: Communications Between the Executive Departments of the Government and Aguinaldo, Etc.. Washington. United States Senate. 1900. pp. 101–103.