"What is the use of independence if the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow?"
Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and Emilio Aguinaldo. Even if one weren't familiar with the Three "Biggies," the fact that author Nick Joaquin wrote two chapters for each of them is a clear indicator of their importance (he reserves the same honor for Apolinario Mabini, but that will be part of the next post).
Our national hero wrote books that inspired a revolutionary movement, which in turn inspired our future First President.
What fascinates me about Nick Joaquin's book is that it offers an alternative interpretation of events, while always sticking to the facts. Joaquin quotes primary sources, usually words penned by the heroes themselves.
These six chapters could best be summarized by the word "anti-hero." Nick Joaquin recounted how these three failed to live up to their idealized versions in different ways: Jose Rizal's denial to join the Katipunan and his application to serve Spain as a doctor in Cuba ("Rizal, when the Revolution came, chose to disown it and to enlist on the side of Spain."), Andres Bonifacio's failures as a military leader and his proud, domineering escapades that cost him his life in Cavite ("The revolutionaries had closed ranks behind Aguinaldo, and the price of unity was Bonifacio's blood."), and Emilio Aguinaldo's lack of foresight that made him trust in the deceitful American leaders who used him so the Americans could "conquer" Manila ("His was a politics of convenience.").
To be honest, I found Joaquin's account rather distressing, as I have been taught by pro-Rizal and pro-Bonifacio teachers. Then again, there is a kernel of truth to each side of the story, and having known one version, I count myself enriched by learning the other side.
What rings true are Joaquin's penetrating psychological descriptions. The descriptions of our heroes' weaknesses resonate with me culturally. When Nick Joaquin describes the inferiority complexes, the small-minded naivete, and provincial loyalties, he could have very well been describing ANY Filipino and not the best of our race.
"The Revolution was inopportune, because it cost the lives of the very men who could have made a true Filipino nation work," mourns Nick Joaquin, whose regard for the ilustrado is evident in every chapter. He maintains that "from a larger view, there was only one revolution in 1896 -- and it was not Bonifacio's... the entire period from the Propaganda Movement to the Philippine-American War as a single: the Revolution of the Ilustrados." He was referring to the educated elite who sought enlightenment through education, uplifting the masses so they could be worthy of self-governance. Rizal belonged to this group; Bonifacio and Aguinaldo did not but were inspired by it.
"Each failure was one more stone added to the construction of the nation."
Then as now, the soul and future of our country depends on how well its citizens are taught, and if they take these lessons to heart.
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