Narrative of General Apoy on Tejeros' convention

1. RECALLING THE
REVOLUTION: MEMOIRS
OF A FILIPINO GENERAL
SANTIAGO ALVAREZ ’AKA’ “GENERAL KIDLAT APOY”

2. GENERAL
SANTIAGO
ALVAREZ
BORN IN IMUS (CAVITE, LUZON) ON JULY 25, 1872
AND DIED IN SAN PABLO (PROVINCE OF LAGUNA, LUZON) ON OCTOBER 30, 1930,
WHICH WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS HEROES OF THE WAR OF
INDEPENDENCE AGAINST SPAIN (1896-1898).
SON OF ANOTHER FAMOUS FILIPINO GENERAL, MARIANO ÁLVAREZ (1818-1924)
SANTIAGO FOLLOWED IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS AS A TEACHER OF THE
SCHOOL FORMING IN SEVERAL PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND AT THE COLEGIO SAN
JUAN DE LETRAN; IN THIS LAST GRADUATED ALSO IN ARTS, PASSING THEN TO THE
LYCEUM OF MANILA TO STUDY LAW.
MEMBER OF THE KATIPUNAN SECRET SOCIETY,
AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE REVOLUTION OF INDEPENDENCE OF AUGUST 1896 WAS
APPOINTED DELEGATE FOR THE COUNCIL OF CAVITE - THE PRESIDENCY FELL TO
FATHER – AND LATER CAPTAIN GENERAL OF THE MILITARY REBEL FORCES IN THIS
PROVINCE, PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THE EARLY SKIRMISHES BROUGHT WITH
SPANISH TROOPS AS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE GUARDIA CIVIL'S NOVELLA
(AUGUST 31, 1896),
THE DEFENSE OF THE CITY AGAINST THE REAR ATTACK ENEMY (SEPTEMBER 4,
AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE OF DALAHICAN.
ACCORDING TO THE CHRONICLES OF THE TIME, IN ALL OF THESE ACTIONS
ÁLVAREZ STOOD OUT FOR THEIR FEARLESSNESS AND BRAVERY.

4. ”SEATED AT THE
HEAD TABLE
BALDOMERO
AGUINALDO,
DANIEL TIRONA,
AND CAYETANO
TOPACIO.”

5. BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY
CONVENED, ARISTON
VILLANUEVA(SEC. OF WAR OF
THE MAGDIWANG) RECEIVED A
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
THAT DANIEL TIRONA WAS SET
TO UNDERMINE THE
PROCEEDINGS OF THE
ASSEMBLY TOGETHER WITH
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
MAGDIWANG. HE KEPT SILENT
BUT ALERTED GENERAL APOY
HENCE HIS TROOPS WAS
READY FOR ANY SUDDEN
EVENTUALITY.

6. THE MAIN TOPIC
OF THE
DISCUSSION,
“HOW TO
BOLSTER THE
DEFENSES IN THE
AREAS STILL
CONTROLLED BY
THE
MAGDIWANG.”

7. DE LAS ALAS PROPOSED TO DISCUSS
WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT SHOULD
BE ESTABLISHED.
HOWEVER CHAIRMAN LUMBRERA
REPLIED, “AS INITIATOR OF
REVOLUTION THE KATIPUNAN NOW
HOLDS AUTHORITY OVER THE
ISLANDS. IT HAS GOVERNMENT OF
LAWS AND A DEFINITE PROGRAM…
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO
DISCUSS THE BEST MEASURES TO
STRENGTHEN THE MAGDIWANG
GOVERNMENT VIS-À-VIS THE ENEMY.
WE SHOULD AVOID SURRENDERING
THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE
KATIPUNAN ARMY SHOULD THE
MAGDALO EVENTUALLY LOSE OUT.”

8. GENERAL ANTONIO
MONTENEGRO
SUPPORTED DE LAS ALAS
SAYING,
“ IF THEY WERE TO LET
THE STATUS QUO
PREVAIL, THEN THEY
WHO WERE IN
REVOLUTION WOULD BE
NO BETTER THAN PACK
OF BANDITS OR OF
MINDLESS ANIMALS.”
WHICH DIRECTLY
RESPONDED BY GEN. APOY
(P.84)

9. GENERAL APOY ORDERED
THE ARREST OF
MONTENEGRO. HOWEVER,
TRINING THE SISTER OF
RIZAL AND JOSEPHINE
RIZAL’S WIFE PLEADED
NOT TO ARREST THE
LATTER BUT INSTEAD BE
SENT TO THE ESTATE
HOUSE WHERE THE TWO
WOMEN STAYED TAKING
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
MONTENEGRO’S
CUSTODY.
Trinidad Rizal and Josephine Bracken

10. BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED
MR. LUMBRERAS ASKED
EVERYONE TO LET BONIFACIO
CHAIRED THE ASSEMBLY
SAYING, “ THAT THE KATIPUNAN
WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
SPREAD OF THE
REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT
THROUGH OUT THE
PHILIPPINES AND BECAUSE OF
THE DISAFFECTION OF SOME
CALLING TO ESTABLISH A NEW
OVERALL REVOLUTIONARY
COUNCIL. THE SUPREMO BEING
THE FATHER OF THE
KATIPUNAN AND THE
REVOLUTION HAS THE RIGHT
TO PRESIDE OVER THE
ASSEMBLY.”

11. BONIFACIO ACCEPTED THE
CHAIRMANSHIP PROVIDED
“ALL DECISIONS DULY
DISCUSSED AND
APPROVED MUST BE
RESPECTED AND ABIDED.”
SAYING FARTHER THAT
“THE CANDIDATE WHO
WOULD GET THE MOST
NUMBER OF VOTES IS THE
WINNER NO MATTER
WHAT HIS STATION IN LIFE
OR HIS EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT.”

12. ARTEMIO RECARTE AND
DANIEL TIRONA
DISTRIBUTED PIECES OF
PAPER TO SERVE AS
BALLOTS. HOWEVER WHEN
BALLOTS HAD BEEN
COLLECTED AND VOTES
READY TO BE CANVASSED
DIEGO MOJICA ALERTED
THE SUPREMO THAT
”MANY OF THE BALLOTS
WERE ALREADY FILLED
OUT AND THAT THE
VOTERS HAD NOT DONE
THIS THEMSELVES.” THE
SUPREMO JUST IGNORED
THIS REMARK AS IF
NOTHING UNUSUAL
HAPPENED.

13. PRESIDENT- AGUINALDO
WON OVER BONIFACIO
AND MARIANO
ALVAREZ.
VICE PRESIDENT-
MARIANO TRIAS
CAPTAIN GENERAL-
GENERAL RICARTE OR
VIBORA WON OVER
GENERAL APOY

14. IT WAS ALMOST DARK
THAT’S WHY
BALDOMERO
AGUINALDO SUGGESTED
THAT VOTING BE DONE
BY STANDING ON EITHER
SIDE IF IN FAVOR OR
AGAINST.
SECRETARY OF WAR-
EMILIANO REIGO DE
DIOS
SECRETARY OF
INTERIOR- ANDRES
BONIFACIO

15. HOWEVER DANIEL
TIRONA OPPOSED THE
ELECTION OF THE
SUPREMO TELLING,” THE
OFFICE OF THE
SECRETARY OF INTERIOR
IS OF SO GREAT A SCOPE
AND OF SUCH
SENSITIVITY THAT WE
SHOULD NOT ENTRUST
IT TO ONE WHO IS NOT
A LAWYER.” THEN
SUGGESTED IN A LOUD
SHOUT TO VOTE JOSE
DEL ROSARIO.

16. THE SUPREMO WAS
GREATLY EMBARRASSED,
REMINDED TIRONA ABOUT
THE RULES THEY AGREED
TO ABIDE HENCE HE
DEMANDED HIM TO
APOLOGIZE AND HE
PULLED HIS REVOLVER.
BUT TIRONA IGNORED THE
SUPREMO, SLID AWAY AND
GOT LOST IN THE CROWD.
GENERAL VIBORA WAS
QUICK TO DISARM THE
SUPREMO WHO HAD THE
INTENTION ON SHOOTING
TIRONA.

17. THE SUPREMO
ADJOURNED THE
ASSEMBLY SAYING,” IN MY
CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN
OF THIS CONVENTION
AND AS PRESIDENT-
SUPREMO OF THE MOST
VENERABLE KATIPUNAN
OF THE SONS OF PEOPLE
WHICH ASSOCIATION IS
KNOWN AND
ACKNOWLEDGED BY ALL, I
HEREBY DECLARE NULL
AND VOID ALL MATTERS
APPROVED IN THE
MEETING.”

18. BALDOMERO AGUINALDO
ASKED THE LEADERS OF
MAGDIWANG TO
RECONVENE THE
DISRUPTED MEETING.
THAT SAME NIGHT
RUMORS HAD THAT
MARIANO TRIAS, DANIEL
TIRONA, EMILIANO REIGO
DE DIOS, SANTIAGO
RILLOS AND OTHERS WERE
IN THE PARISH HOUSE OF
TANZA CONFERRING WITH
FATHER CENON
VILLAFRANCA AS SEEN
AND ATTESTED BY MANY.

19. THE FOLLOWING DAY
BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST
OF BALDOMERO
AGUINALDO TO
RECONVENE, LEADERS OF
THE MAGDIWANG MARIANO
ALVAREZ, DIEGO MOJICA,
ARISTON VILLANUEVA,
PASCUAL ALVAREZ, JACINTO
LUMBRERAS, SANTIAGO
ALVAREZ, ARTEMIO
RICARTE…. AND FATHER
MANUEL TRIAS PARISH
PRIEST OF SAN FRANCISCO
DE MALABON WAITED UNTIL
5 O'CLOCK FOR THE
MAGDALO GROUP WHICH
NONE CAME.

20. ON MARCH 27, 1897 OR
TWO DAYS AFTER THE
TEJEROS CONVENTIONAT
TANZA PARISH HOUSE
EMILIO AGUINALDO,
MARIANO TRIAS AND
ARTEMIO RECRATE KNELT
BEFORE A CRUCIFIX AND IN
THE NAME OF THE HOLY
FATHER, THE HIGHEST
PONTIFF OF THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE
PRESENCE OF DANIEL
TIRONA AND SEVERINO DE
LAS ALAS AS WITNESS TOOK
THEIR OATH THROUGH
FATHER CENON
VILLAFRANCA. THE
SUPREMO EVENTHOUGH
WON AS SECRETARY OF
INTERIOR WAS NOT INVITED.