PHNO-INQUIRER EDITORIAL: PH INDEPENDENCE PROMISE FOILED BY U.S. DUPLICITY

INQUIRER EDITORIAL: PH INDEPENDENCE PROMISE FOILED
BY U.S. DUPLICITY
MANILA, JUNE 14, 2012
(INQUIRER) By: Bryan Anthony C. Paraiso - The road to our
country's independence and nationhood in 1898 was pockmarked with the naïveté,
bitter rivalries and petty bickering of the revolution's foremost actors,
weaknesses that the American colonizers exploited to further their imperialist
agenda in Southeast Asia.
But the biggest roadblock to Philippine sovereignty was the duplicitous face
that American officials turned to the leaders of the Philippine Revolution.
In Henri Turot's incisive narrative of the Philippine Revolution "Les hommes
de révolution: Aguinaldo et les Philippins," which was published in Paris in
1900, the French journalist noted that the US scheme to colonize the Philippines
commenced even before the Spanish-American War was declared, with American
emissaries negotiating with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in March 1898.
Turot wrote that the commander of the Petrel, one of the vessels in the
squadron of US Adm. George Dewey, strongly urged Aguinaldo "to return to the
Philippines and resume hostilities against the Spaniards, promising the
assistance of the United States if war broke out against Spain."
To assuage his doubts on America's sincerity, Aguinaldo asked the commander
what the United States would do in favor of the Philippines. Turot stated that
the response was noncommittal: "'The United States,' replied the commander, 'is
a big and rich nation and does not need a colony.'"
More negotiations
Negotiations were further pursued during Aguinaldo's sojourn in Singapore on
April 21, 1898, by US Consul Spencer Pratt: "During this interview, Consul Pratt
said that since the Spaniards did not comply with their promises in the treaty
of Biak-na-Bato, the Filipinos had the right to continue the revolution that was
suspended by the agreement that was concluded … (A)fter pressing Aguinaldo to
renew hostilities against the Spaniards, he gave him assurances that the US
(would) grant more liberty and material advantages to the Filipinos which the
Spaniards never promised them."
Turot wrote that Aguinaldo and Consul Pratt had agreed on 13 points to
guarantee the US intentions of respecting Philippine sovereignty. Four of the
most significant were:
The independence of the Philippines would be proclaimed. A centralized
republic with a government would be created, with members provisionally named by
Aguinaldo. The government would recognize a temporary intervention (by) American
and European commissioners to be designated by Admiral Dewey. The American
protectorate would be established under the same terms and conditions that were
accepted in Cuba. Pratt evasive
Emilio Aguinaldo's narration of the events published in "Reseña Veridica de
la Revolucion Filipina" (True Version of the Philippine Revolution), stated that
Consul Pratt was evasive of the US acquiescence to the agreement and telegraphed
Admiral Dewey for advice: "Between 10 or 12 in the forenoon of the next day, the
conference was renewed and Mr. Pratt then informed me that the admiral had sent
him a telegram in reply to the wish I had expressed for an agreement in writing.
He said the admiral's reply was that the United States would at least recognize
the independence of the Philippines under the protection of the United States
Navy.
The Consul added that there was no necessity for entering into a formal
written agreement because the word of the admiral and of the United States
consul were in fact equivalent to the most solemn pledge, that their verbal
promises and assurance would be fulfilled to the letter and were not to be
classed with Spanish promises or Spanish ideas of a man's word of honor. In
conclusion the consul said, 'The government of North America is a very honest,
just, and powerful government.'"
On his arrival in the Philippines on May 19, 1898, aboard the ship McCulloch,
Aguinaldo recounted that he was immediately conveyed to Admiral Dewey's flagship
Olympia, where Dewey continued to assure him that "…the United States had come
to the Philippines to protect the natives and free them from the yoke of Spain.
He said, moreover, that America is exceedingly well off as regards territory,
revenue and resources and therefore needs no colonies, assuring me finally that
there was no occasion for me to entertain any doubts whatever about the
recognition of the independence of the Philippines by the United States."
Agreed secret
Even after the declaration of Philippine Independence in Kawit on June 12,
1898, Admiral Dewey, during a visit to Aguinaldo in Cavite a month later, would
point out: "Have faith in my word, and I assure you that the United States will
recognize the independence of the country. But I recommend you to keep a good
deal of what we have said and agreed secret at present…"
As history would show, the promises uttered by the American official would
turn out to be empty and facetious, a ploy to gain the Filipinos' support to
hasten the defeat of the Spanish colonizers.
A few months later, the Philippine-American War would erupt, resulting in the
death of roughly 20,000 Filipino soldiers, 200,000 Filipino civilians and 4,000
American soldiers.
Never was there a greater price paid for the false words of a mighty nation
determined to accomplish its imperialist ambitions.


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




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