Andres Bonifacio was not a traitor. History is not your bitch.
It’s too easy to make fun of El Presidente: General Emilio Aguinaldo Story and the First Philippine Republic. This historical movie may not be as bad as Carlo J. Caparas’s Tirad Pass: The Last Stand of General Gregorio del Pilar, but from hereon we shall be leery of any movie title containing a colon.
Jeorge “E.R.” Estregan acquits himself in the role of Aguinaldo, though it helps that he is a sea of calm in a storm of overacting. Baron Geisler’s cartoonish Spanish officer (kilay acting) looks set to seize the bad acting award despite fierce competition from John Regala’s Spanish friar (bangs acting), and from William Martinez’s revolutionary general who seems to be possessed by Enchong Dee’s beard from The Strangers (balbas acting). And then Christopher de Leon’s Antonio Luna rides in to show them how it’s done (bigote acting).
In the spirit of authenticity much of the dialogue is in phonetic Spanish, delivered haltingly and with an eyebrow raised, contravida style. The photography is in a washed-out blue that gives the actors a corpse-like pallor, and slow motion is overused in the big battle scenes. So far, so MMFF—and then we heard the comments from several people in the audience.
“Salbahe pala si Andres Bonifacio.”
Continue reading at InterAksyon.com.
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From reader giancarlo:
The question of bonifacio’s treachery is still a controversial and history being something of a blackhole where light does not escape I believe that to portray Bonifacio as a traitor although a little harsh is defensible.
This opinion is based on Nick Joaquin’s a question of heroes.
The facts as presented in that book.
+Bonifacio’s Temper
+Bonifacio was a failed military leader whose forces number not even a hundred during his time hiding in Rizal
+Bonifacio’s open insult of Magdalo troops (Increasing the animosity between Magdalo and Magdiwang forces)
+I’d list more if I had the book handy with me but I am at work and should really get back to working.
I have great respect for you and more so to our revolutionary heroes but I’d rather see them as they are and not as historical figures who can do no evil.
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Do not confuse heroes with saints.
The records show that Bonifacio had a foul temper and was a lousy military leader. He did insult the Magdalo troops; in the first place he shouldn’t have horned in on Aguinaldo’s territory (ambisyoso, impertinente, walang modo).
That doesn’t make him a traitor. That makes him a crap politician.
To establish treason you’d have to prove he was plotting to overthrow the revolutionary government or sell out to the Spanish. What is certain is that after the election, both sides spread rumors that the other was out to get them.
What is certain is that elections have always made Pinoys nuts.
Go to primary sources. But not Artemio Ricarte. We’re very fond of him but, umm, he referred to himself in the third person (El Vibora!).
The Nick Joaquin essay referred to is Why Fell the Supremo? Nick Joaquin calls Bonifacio ambitious and arrogant, but “traitor” does not come up. As for his plotting: “In Naic, he was surprised by Aguinaldo himself in the act of plotting with Mariano Noriel and Pio del Pilar, two generals of Aguinaldo’s army.”
Those two generals were taken back into Aguinaldo’s army as if nothing had happened. It was Noriel who signed Bonifacio’s death warrant.
P.S. Bonifacio “The Great Plebeian” was not technically a plebeian. He was upwardly mobile. He spoke some Spanish. Many of the writings attributed to him are probably fake. He had many cedulas under different names, so we’re not sure which one he tore, or exactly when and where.
Also, Apolinario Mabini was paralyzed not from syphilis but from polio. The VD story was black propaganda from the Aguinaldo camp. We could never understand the honorific, “Sublime Paralytic”. Sublime, maybe, paralyzed, certainly, but put the two together and it sounds like he was brilliant at being paralyzed.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
January 5th, 2013 at 16:30
Ms Zafra,
The question of bonifacio’s treachery is still a controversial and history being something of a blackhole where light does not escape I believe that to portray Bonifacio as a traitor although a little harsh is defensible.
This opinion is based on Nick Joaquin’s a question of heroes.
The facts as presented in that book.
+Bonifacio’s Temper
+Bonifacio was a failed military leader whose forces number not even a hundred during his time hiding in Rizal
+Bonifacio’s open insult of Magdalo troops (Increasing the animosity between Magdalo and Magdiwang forces)
+I’d list more if I had the book handy with me but I am at work and should really get back to working.
I have great respect for you and more so to our revolutionary heroes but I’d rather see them as they are and not as historical figures who can do no evil.
January 5th, 2013 at 16:34
On re reading I believe half of the movie was badly done to make bonifacio out as more of a traitor than he is. This is wrong. But a traitor is still a traitor.
January 5th, 2013 at 20:44
Do not confuse heroes with saints.
The records show that Bonifacio had a foul temper and was a lousy military leader. He did insult the Magdalo troops; in the first place he shouldn’t have horned in on Aguinaldo’s territory.
That doesn’t make him a traitor. That makes him a crap politician.
To establish treason you’d have to prove he was plotting to overthrow the revolutionary government or sell out to the Spanish. We seriously doubt that after Tejeros Bonifacio had enough supporters to mount a coup. What is certain is that after the election, both sides spread rumors that the others were out to get them.
What is certain is that elections have always made Pinoys nuts.
Go to primary sources. But not Artemio Ricarte. We’re very fond of him but, umm, he referred to himself in the third person (El Vibora!).
The Nick Joaquin essay referred to is Why Fell the Supremo? Nick Joaquin calls him ambitious and arrogant, but “traitor” does not come up. As for his plotting: “In Naic, he was surprised by Aguinaldo himself in the act of plotting with Mariano Noriel and Pio del Pilar, two generals of Aguinaldo’s army.”
Those two generals were taken back into Aguinaldo’s army as if nothing had happened.
P.S. Bonifacio “The Great Plebeian” was not technically a plebeian. He was upwardly mobile. He spoke Spanish. Many of the writings attributed to him are probably fake. He had many cedulas under different names, so we’re not sure which one he tore, or exactly when and where.
Also, Apolinario Mabini was paralyzed not from syphilis but from polio. The VD story was black propaganda from the Aguinaldo camp. We could never understand the honorific, “Sublime Paralytic”. Sublime, maybe, paralyzed, certainly, but put the two together and it sounds like he was brilliant at being paralyzed.
January 5th, 2013 at 23:42
read your review, loved your analysis. if only moviegoers think analytically rather than opine that bonifacio is “salbahe” as presented in the movie, the philippines will be better off for sure. we’ll have thinking audience rather than spoon-fed and mindless ones that make blockbusters out of crappy movies.
January 6th, 2013 at 00:57
“The death of Andres Bonifacio had plainly shown in Mr. Aguinaldo a boundless appetite for power, and Luna’s personal enemies exploited this weakness of Aguinaldo with skillful intrigues in order to encompass Luna’s ruin.
To say that if Aguinaldo, instead of killing Luna (allowing Luna to be killed), had supported him with all his power, the Revolution would have triumphed, would be presumption indeed, but I have not the least doubt that the Americans would have had a higher regard for the courage and military abilities of the Filipinos. Had Luna been alive, I am sure that Otis’s mortal blow would have been parried or at least timely prevented, and Mr. Aguinaldo’s unfitness for military command would not have been exposed so clearly. Furthermore, to rid himself of Luna, Aguinaldo had recourse to the very soldiers whom Luna had punished for breaches of discipline; by doing so Aguinaldo destroyed that discipline, and with it his own army. With Luna, its most firm support, fell the Revolution, and, the ignominy of that fall bearing wholly on Aguinaldo, brought about in turn his own moral death, a thousand times more bitter than physical death. Aguinaldo therefore ruined himself, damned by his own deeds. Thus are great crimes punished by Providence.”
-Apolinario Mabini, Chapter X, The Philippine Revolution, translated by Leon Ma. Guerrero
January 6th, 2013 at 10:06
its always a red flag when someone refers to one’s self in the 3rd person — that is why i dont watch mainstream wrestling.
January 6th, 2013 at 10:11
In Supremo, where Alfred Vargas plays Andres Bonifacio, the film is from the perspective of Andres Bonifacio supporters. Supremo almost venerates Bonifacio to the status of a martyred saint. The creators of the movie wants audiences to see Bonifacio as an under-appreciated hands-on hero that was not afraid to sweat blood, shed tears or get his hands dirty for the sake of the country, though it works, it also put Bonifacio on a pedestal and disallowed viewers to see him as a walking, living, breathing human being – an effort that in some way is just as disrespectful.
also, Supremo validates that Bonifacio is really ‘atapang a tao’ — i feel a young Robin Padilla would have been perfect as the brash, reactive, emotional, rage-filled Bonifacio — and a young Richard Gomez perfect as the stoic Aguinaldo.
January 7th, 2013 at 01:56
@5 fathom3: Mabini wrote that AFTER he was removed from the Aguinaldo cabinet, and eventually, exiled in Guam. When Apolinario’s in the good graces of Aguinaldo, he defended the president left and right, even against General Luna.
January 7th, 2013 at 19:35
Alfred Vargas as Bonifacio? who cast him?did they bother to look at Bonifacio’s actual photos?Once again,the casting directors’ fault. Local film makers always have a problem with the looks and the age to match the characters being portrayed. (or perhaps they’re just too lazy to audition talented people to portray the lead roles. of course their resemblance must be uncanny).Hollywood doesn’t seem to have that much of a problem with this.
January 7th, 2013 at 23:08
The Luna Brothers! There’s a movie we want to see. Antonio betrayed the Katipunan to the Spanish, then joined up, then was killed by his fellow soldiers. Juan in a jealous rage shot his wife and mother-in-law dead through the door.
January 8th, 2013 at 00:31
“The Luna Brothers! There’s a movie we want to see.”
EXACTLY! i have been wondering for a long time who could do that movie — whod star in it. pang bet sa best foreign film sa oscar. “wishkolaaaaaang”
January 8th, 2013 at 01:56
@zeno castelo: There’s only ONE Bonifacio photograph in existent, and he’s far the one we often imagine. And, Cesar Montano portrayed as Bonifacio in that movie.
January 8th, 2013 at 21:10
Alfred Vargas has played Bonifacio twice, in Mario O’Hara’s Ang Paglilitis Ni Andres Bonifacio, and in Richard Somes’s Supremo. Baka naman yung casting ay based on Monumento.
January 9th, 2013 at 00:38
Has anyone seen Raymund Marasigan’s photoshoot cover for a certain magazine when he was still an Eraserheads’ member? The four of them were wearing Katipuneros’ costumes. He certainly looked like Aguinaldo, a sentiment echoed in their very own fanzine.
January 10th, 2013 at 19:02
Thanks for the update. I know feel stupid writing what I did. Will have to read up some more on our history but the lack of really well written ones easily accessible is a pain.
January 10th, 2013 at 19:14
You’re actually interested in Philippine history, which is more than we can say for 90 percent of the populace. A questioning attitude is good, and the lack of accessible material really is appalling.