Pact of Biak-na-Bato

The Filipino negotiators for the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Seated from left to right: Pedro Paterno and Emilio Aguinaldo with five companions

The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 14, 1897, created a truce between Spanish Colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries were given amnesty and monetary indemnity by the Spanish government in return for which the revolutionary Government would go into voluntary exile in Hong Kong. Aguinaldo would later use the money to purchase firearms. This happen while Aguinaldo was on the Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan

Provisions

According to Aguinaldo, writing in 1899, the principal conditions of the pact were:

(1) That I would, and any of my associates who desired to go with me, be free to live in any foreign country. Having fixed upon Hongkong as my place of residence, it was agreed that payment of the indemnity of $800,000 (Mexican) should be made in three installments, namely, $400,000 when all the arms in Biak-na-bató were delivered to the Spanish authorities; $200,000 when the arms surrendered amounted to eight hundred stand; the final payment to be made when one thousand stand of arms shall have been handed over to the authorities and the Te Deum sung in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace. The latter part of February was fixed as the limit of time wherein the surrender of arms should be completed.

(2) The whole of the money was to be paid to me personally, leaving the disposal of the money to my discretion and knowledge of the understanding with my associates and other insurgents.

(3) Prior to evacuating Biak-na-bató the remainder of the insurgent forces under Captain-General Primo de Rivera should send to Biak-na-bató two General of the Spanish Army to be held as hostages by my associates who remained there until I and a few of my compatriots arrived in Hongkong and the first installment of the money payment (namely, four hundred thousand dollars) was paid to me.

(4) It was also agreed that the religious corporations in the Philippines be expelled and an autonomous system of government, political and administrative, be established, though by special request of General Primo de Rivera these conditions were not insisted on in the drawing up of the Treaty, the General contending that such concessions would subject the Spanish Government to severe criticism and even ridicule.

According to historian Teodoro Agoncillo, the pact was made up of three documents which together came to be known as the Truce of Biak-na-Bató and which provided, among other things:

• That Aguinaldo and his companions would go into voluntary exile abroad;
• that Governor-General Primo de Rivera would pay the sum of P800,000 to the rebels in three installments:

1. $400,000 {Mexican) to Aguinaldo upon his departure from Biak-na-Bató,
2. $200,000 (Mexican) when the arms surrendered by the revolutionists amounted to 800 stand, and
3. the remaining $200,000 (Mexican) when the arms surrendered amounted to 1,000 stand,Te Deum in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace;

• that Primo de Rivera would pay the additional sum of P900,000 to the families of the non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during the armed conflict.

Note: The Mexican dollar at the time was worth about 50 U.S. cents

According to historian Sonia M. Zaide, the agreement consisted of three parts

1. a document called "Program", generally as described by Agoncillo;
2. a document called "Act of Agreement" which reiterated parts of the "Program" document and hinted at the desire of the Filipinos for reforms but contained no definite agreement by Spain to grant such reforms;
3. a third document which discussed the question of indemnity, specifying that Spain would pay a total of $1,700,000— $800,000 as above plus $900,000 to be distributed among the civilian population as compensation for the ravages of war.

Results

In accordance with the first part of the pact, Aguinaldo and twenty five other top officials of the revolution were banished to Hong Kong with $400,000 (Mexican) in their possession. The rest of the men received $200,000 (Mexican), while the third installment was never received. General amnesty was never declared because sporadic skirmishes continued.

References

• Agoncillo, Teodoro (1990) [1960], History of the Filipino People (Eighth ed.), R.P. Garcia Publishing Company, ISBN 971-1024-15-2
• Aguinaldo (23 September 1899), "Chapter II. The Treaty of Biak-na-bató", True Version of the Philippine Revolution, Authorama: Public Domain Books, retrieved 2008-009-23 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Boncan, Celestina, "19", Kabihasnang Pilipino
• Halstead, Murat (1898), "XII. The American Army in Manila", The Story of the Philippines and Our New Possessions (published 22 May 2004)
• Zaide, Sonia M. (1999), The Philippines: a unique nation, All-Nations Publishing, ISBN 9789716420715