Malolos Constitution Case Study

1. Introduction
The Revolutionary government, led by Aguinaldo, continued the revolution
against the Spaniards. At this point, the Spaniards were of the impression that
the revolution was in decline and concentrated their efforts on pursuing
Aguinaldo and his companions. By the latter part of 1897, Aguinaldo was
forced by advancing Spanish forces to retreat to the mountains of
Biak-na-Bato.
On November 1, 1897, Aguinaldo, along with several revolutionaries,
convened a citizen’s assembly in order to draft a provisional constitution for the
Philippines, which has come to be known as the Constitution of Biak-na-Bato.
The government established was to be headed by a Supreme Council
composed of a President, Vice President, and four Secretaries empowered to
govern. However, this plan never materialized because Aguinaldo entered into
negotiations with the Spanish government. This resulted in an agreement
under which Philippine Revolutionaries would go into exile in Hong Kong and
surrender their arms in exchange for financial indemnities and pardons. The
Pact of Biak-na-Bato, as it would later be called, was signed on December 15,
1897. Aguinaldo and the revolutionaries departed for Hong Kong on December
24, 1897. In Hong Kong, Aguinaldo and his companions established a Junta,
which worked toward continuing the revolution and gaining freedom from the
Spaniards.
With the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Aguinaldo, with members of
the Hong Kong Junta, returned to the Philippines in the middle of 1898,
to continue the revolution. On May 28, 1898, the Philippine Flag was unfurled
for the first time at the battle of Alapan. Philippine Independence was formally
proclaimed on June 12, 1898, when Aguinaldo waved the flag in Kawit, Cavite,
and was declared dictator. There, the Philippine National Anthem was also
played for the first time.
On September 1898, the revolutionary Congress was convened in Malolos,
Bulacan, tasked with drafting the constitution for the Philippines. The Congress
was composed of both appointed and elected delegates representing all
provinces of the Philippines. In the inaugural session of the Congress,
Aguinaldo spoke and congratulated the delegates in his capacity as President
of the Revolutionary Government. One of its first actions was to ratify the June
12, 1898 Proclamation of Independence yet again. The Malolos Congress
approved the draft Constitution on November 29, 1898. It was returned by
President Aguinaldo on December 1, 1898 for amendments, which were
refused. President Aguinaldo finally approved the draft constitution on
December 23, 1898. It was formally adopted by the Malolos Congress on
January 20, 1899 and promulgated by President Emilio Aguinaldo on January
21, 1899.

2. Presentation of the main issue or problem
The most contentious issue in the Revolutionary Congress that crafted the 1899
Malolos Constitution pertained to the separation of church and state, which won by a
mere one vote. Until now this episode in Philippine history has not received a
satisfactory explanation, which this article seeks to offer. The debate in Malolos, as
argued here, was profoundly divisive because the two sides were driven by dif- fering
visions of national community. A crucial point was the Filipinization of the Catholic
Church, which the proponents of church–state unity championed and which their
opponents sidestepped. Even as the debate raged, however, Aguinaldo ’ s
revolutionary government acted on the church–state issue out of political expedi-
ency.
Analysis
The following are the key problems that could be found in our case study:
1. Separation of church and state
2. Agreement with the spaniards
3. Drafting constitution
4. Neglected constitution
5. Revolution
Solution and Intervention
The Malolos constitution is truly a prestigious history to be told due to its background
history. It is just so amazing how our heroes during the revolutionary fight for it from
traveling and standing as firm just to attain the desired. With that what I can suggest is
to give freedom for the both people where they choose instead of separating the
church and state because peace is in our hand and it could be experience without the
separation.
Conclusion
As done reading the significant happenings during the malolos constitution, I could
conclude that malolos constitution did really leave a remarkable history. A history of

3. courage to fight for the right, a history of nationalism to love the country that would
do anything and put it into action. From proclaiming of independence day, adapting
the malolos constitution Philippine history would remain a prestigious history to be
told that how freedom had been fight and how this constitution have made and fight.