Recently, in our History class, when I read Renato Constantino's book "A Past Revisited", I realized that some of the knowledge that I knew about history during my elementary and high school days are actually taken in a wrong perspective. The book viewed historical events without any positive bias towards the Americans and focused more on the inarticulate (the masses). Here are the 'truths' which are actually false:
1. "Emilio Aguinaldo is a hero."
False. Emilio Aguinaldo never deserves any honor. He ordered the
killing of Andres Bonifacio and Antonio Luna, who actually stood a
chance against the Spaniards. Under the pact of Biak-na-bato, he sold
Philippines to Spain for 400,000 pesos. Later, under the Treaty of
Paris, he sold Philippines to America for 20 million pesos. Aguinaldo
always had an implicit trust in the US and reliance on her protection;
he was also dependent with his "distinguished persons" who only did
graft and corruption, fulfilling their self-interests. During the times
Aguinaldo moved from province to province to escape from the Americans
while the Filipinos fought against them, Aguinaldo did nothing. He even
had a party with his fellow "distinguished persons" and danced until
four in the morning.
2. "Philippines had their 'first' independence on June 12, 1898."
False. There was never an independence at that time because even during the waving of the flag and the singing of the National Anthem at Kawit, Cavite, Philippine Independence was "proclaimed" under the protection of the "Mighty and Humane North American Nation". Moreover, after that proclamation, the "Benevolent Assimilation" was filled with lies as American solders still oppressed and abused the Filipinos.
3. "The Americans helped the Filipinos drive away Spaniards."
False. The Filipino rebels eventually succeeded in ending the Spanish colonial system through their own efforts without the help of Aguinaldo or even the Americans. The Americans at that time only meddled, and used Aguinaldo to maneuver everything.
4. "Diego Silang is a hero."
False. He was an 'illustrado prototype'. He took advantage of the British occupation of 1762 because he wanted to have the privilege to participate in the indulto de comercio (an exploitative trading system). Instead of fighting for the people, he opted for a compromise and shifted his allegiances to the British.
**Fun Fact: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), actually opposed to the colonization of the Philippines.
2. "Philippines had their 'first' independence on June 12, 1898."
False. There was never an independence at that time because even during the waving of the flag and the singing of the National Anthem at Kawit, Cavite, Philippine Independence was "proclaimed" under the protection of the "Mighty and Humane North American Nation". Moreover, after that proclamation, the "Benevolent Assimilation" was filled with lies as American solders still oppressed and abused the Filipinos.
3. "The Americans helped the Filipinos drive away Spaniards."
False. The Filipino rebels eventually succeeded in ending the Spanish colonial system through their own efforts without the help of Aguinaldo or even the Americans. The Americans at that time only meddled, and used Aguinaldo to maneuver everything.
4. "Diego Silang is a hero."
False. He was an 'illustrado prototype'. He took advantage of the British occupation of 1762 because he wanted to have the privilege to participate in the indulto de comercio (an exploitative trading system). Instead of fighting for the people, he opted for a compromise and shifted his allegiances to the British.
**Fun Fact: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), actually opposed to the colonization of the Philippines.
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