Declaration of Independence

In the town of Cavite-Viejo, Province of Cavite, this 12th day of June 1898:

BEFORE ME, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, War Counsellor and Special Delegate designated to proclaim
and solemnize this Declaration of Independence by the Dictatorial Government of the Philippines,
pursuant to, and by virtue of, a Decree issued by the Engregious Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy,

The undersigned assemblage of military chiefs and others of the army who could not attend, as well as
the representatives of the various towns,

Taking into account the fact that the people of this country are already tired of bearing the ominous joke
of Spanish domination,

Because of arbitrary arrests and abuses of the Civil Guards who cause deaths in connivance with and even
under the express orders of their superior officers who at times would order the shooting of those placed
under arrest under the pretext that they attempted to escape in violation of known Rules and Regulations,
which abuses were left unpunished, and because of unjust deportations of illustrious Filipinos, especially
those decreed by General Blanco at the instigation of the Archbishop and friars interested in keeping them
in ignorance for egoistic and selfish ends, which deportations were carried out through processes more
execrable than those of the Inquisition which every civilized nation repudiates as a trial without hearing.

Had resolved to start a revolution in August 1896 in order to regain the independence and sovereignty of
which the people had been deprived by Spain through Governor Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who, continuing
the course followed by his predecessor Ferdinand Magellan who landed on the shores of Cebu and
occupied said Island by means of a Pact of Friendship with Chief Tupas, although he was killed in the battle
that took place in said shores to which battle he was provoked by Chief Kalipulako ** of Mactan who
suspected his evil designs, landed on the Island of Bohol by entering also into a Blood Compact with its
Chief Sikatuna, with the purpose of later taking by force the Island of Cebu, and because his successor
Tupas did not allow him to occupy it, he went to Manila, the capital, winning likewise the friendship of its
Chiefs Soliman and Lakandula, later taking possession of the city and the whole Archipelago in the name
of Spain by virtue of an order of King Philip II, and with these historical precedents and because in
international law the prescription established by law to legalize the vicious acquisition of private property
is not recognized, the legitimacy of such revolution can not be put in doubt which was calmed but not
complete stifled by the pacification proposed by Don Pedro A. Paterno with Don Emilio Aguinaldo as
President of the Republic established in Biak-na-Bato and accepted by Governor-General Don Fernando
Primo De Rivera under terms, both written and oral, among them being a general amnesty for all deported
and convicted persons; that by reason of the non-fulfillment of some of the terms, after the destruction
of the plaza of Cavite, Don Emilio Aguinaldo returned in order to initiate a new revolution and no sooner
had he given the order to rise on the 31st of last month when several towns anticipating the revolution,
rose in revolt on the 28th , such that a Spanish contingent of 178 men, between Imus Cavite-Viejo, under
the command of major of the Marine Infantry capitulated , the revolutionary movement spreading like
wild fire to other towns of Cavite and the other provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan,
Laguna, and Morong, some of them with seaports and such was the success of the victory of our arms,
truly marvelous and without equal in the history of colonial revolutions that in the first mentioned
province only the Detachments in Naic and Indang remained to surrender; in the second all Detachments
had been wiped out; in the third the resistance of the Spanish forces was localized in the town of San
Fernando where the greater part of them are concentrated, the remainder in Macabebe, Sesmoan, and
Guagua; in the fourth, in the town of Lipa; in the fifth, in the capital and in Calumpit; and in last two
remaining provinces, only in there respective capitals, and the city of Manila will soon be besieged by our
forces as well as the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Zambales, and some others
in the Visayas where the revolution at the time of the pacification and others even before, so that the
independence of our country and the revindication of our sovereignty is assured.

And having as witness to the rectitude of our intentions the Supreme Judge of the Universe, and under
the protection of our Powerful and Humanitarian Nation, The United States of America, we do hereby
proclaim and declare solemnly in the name by authority of the people of these Philippine Islands,

That they are and have the right to be free and independent; that they have ceased to have allegiance to
the Crown of Spain; that all political ties between them are should be completely severed and annulled;
and that, like other free and independent States, they enjoy the full power to make War and Peace,
conclude commercial treaties, enter into alliances, regulate commerce, and do all other acts and things
which and Independent State Has right to do,

And imbued with firm confidence in Divine Providence, we hereby mutually bind ourselves to support this
Declaration with our lives, our fortunes, and with our sacred possession, our Honor.

We recognize, approve, and ratify, with all the orders emanating from the same, the Dictatorship
established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo whom we reverse as the Supreme Head of this Nation, which today
begins to have a life of its own, in the conviction that he has been the instrument chosen by God, inspite
of his humble origin, to effectuate the redemption of this unfortunate country as foretold by Dr. Don Jose
Rizal in his magnificent verses which he composed in his prison cell prior to his execution, liberating it
from the Yoke of Spanish domination,

And in punishment for the impunity with which the Government sanctioned the commission of abuses by
its officials, and for the unjust execution of Rizal and others who were sacrified in order to please the
insatiable friars in their hydropical thirst for vengeance against and extermination of all those who oppose
their Machiavellian ends, trampling upon the Penal Code of these Islands, and of those suspected persons
arrested by the Chiefs of Detachments at the instigation of the friars, without any form nor semblance of
trial and without any spiritual aid of our sacred Religion; and likewise, and for the same ends, eminent
Filipino priest, Doctor Don Jose Burgos, Don Mariano Gomez, and Don Jacinto Zamora were hanged whose
innocent blood was shed due to the intrigues of these so-called Religious corporations which made the
authorities to believe that the military uprising at the fort of San Felipe in Cavite on the night of January
21, 1872 was instigated by those Filipino martyrs, thereby impeding the execution of the decree- sentence
issued by the Council of State in the appeal in the administrative case interposed by the secular clergy
against the Royal Orders that directed that the parishes under them within the jurisdiction of this Bishopric
be turned over to the Recollects in exchange for those controlled by them in Mindanao which were to be
transferred to the Jesuits, thus revoking them completely and ordering the return of those parishes, all of
which proceedings are on file with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which they are sent last month of the
year of the issuance of the proper Royal Degree which, in turn, caused the grow of the tree of the liberty
in our dear land that grow more and more through the iniquitous measures of oppressions, until the last
drop of our chalice of suffering having been drained, the first spark of revolution broke out in Caloocan,
spread out to Santa Mesa and continued its course to the adjoining regions of the province were the
unequalled heroism of its inhabitants fought a one sided battle against superior forces of General Blanco
and General Polavieja for a period of 3 months, without proper arms nor ammunitions, except bolos,
pointed bamboos, and arrows.

Moreover, we confer upon our famous Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo all the powers necessary to enable
him to discharge the duties of Government, including the prerogatives of granting pardon and amnesty,

And lastly, it was results unanimously that this Nation, already free and independent as of this day, must
used the same flag which up to now is being used, whose designed and colored are found described in
the attached drawing, the white triangle signifying the distinctive emblem of the famous Society of the
"Katipunan" which by means of its blood compact inspired the masses to rise in revolution; the tree stars,
signifying the three principal Islands of these Archipelago - Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay where the
revolutionary movement started; the sun representing the gigantic step made by the son of the country
along the path of Progress and Civilization; the eight rays, signifying the eight provinces - Manila, Cavite,
Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas - which declares themselves in a state of
war as soon as the first revolt was initiated; and the colors of Blue, Red, and White, commemorating the
flag of the United States of America, as a manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this Great
Nation for its disinterested protection which it lent us and continues lending us.

And holding up this flag of ours, I present it to the gentlemen here assembled:
Don Segundo Arellano Don Ramon Gana
Don Tiburcio del Rosario Don Marcelino Gomez
Sergio Matias Don Valentin Politan
Don Agapito Zialcita Don Felix Politan
Don Flaviano Alonzo Don Evaristo Dimalanta
Don Mariano Legazpi Don Gregorio Alvarez
Don Jose Turiano Santiago y Acosta Don Sabas de Guzman
Don Aurelio Tolentino Don Esteban Francisco
Don Felix Ferrer Don Guido Yaptinchay
Don Felipe Buencamino Don Mariano Rianzares Bautista
Don Fernando Canon Faustino Don Francisco Arambulo
Don Anastacio Pinzun Don Antonio Gonzales
Don Timoteo Bernabe Don Juan Antonio Gonzales
Don Flaviano Rodriguez Don Juan Arevalo
Don Gavino Masancay Don Ramon Delfino
Don Narciso Mayuga Don Honorio Tiongco
Don Gregorio Villa Don Francisco del Rosario
Don Luis Perez Tagle Don Epifanio Saguil
Don Canuto Celestino Don Ladislao Afable Jose
Don Marcos Jocson Don Sixto Roldan
Don Martin de los Reyes Don Luis de Lara
Don Ciriaco Bausa Don Marcelo Basa
Don Manuel Santos Don Jose Medina
Don Mariano Toribio Don Efipanio Crisia
Don Gabriel de los Reyes Don Pastor Lopez de Leon
Don Hugo Lim Don Mariano de los Santos
Don Emiliano Lim Don Santiago Garcia
Don Faustino Tinorio Don Andres Tria Tirona
Don Rosendo Simon Don Estanislao Tria Tirona
Don Leon Tanjanque Don Daniel Tria Tirona
Don Gregorio Bonifacio Don Andres Tria Tirona
Don Manuel Salafranca Don Carlos Tria Tirona
Don Simon Villareal Don Sulpicio P. Antony
Don Calixto Lara Don Epitacio Asuncion
Don Buenaventura Toribio Don Catalino Ramon
Don Gabriel Reyes Don Juan Bordador
Don Hugo Lim Don Jose del Rosario
Don Emiliano Lim Don Proceso Pulido
Don Fausto Tinorio Don Jose Maria del Rosario
Don Rosendo Simon Don Ramon Magcamco
Don Leon Tanjanque Don Antonio Calingo
Don Gregorio Bonifacio Don Pedro Mendiola
Don Manuel Salafranca Don Estanislao Galinco
Don Simon Villareal Don Numeriano Castillo
Don Calixto Lara Don Federico Tomacruz
Don Buenaventura Toribio Don Teodoro Yatco
Don Zacarias Fajardo Don Ladislao Diwa.
Don Florencio Manalo
Who solemnly swear to recognize and defend it unto the last drop of their blood.

In witness thereof, I certify that this Act of Declaration of Independence was signed by me and by all those
here assembled including the only stranger who attended those proceedings, a citizen of the U.S.A., Mr.
L.M. Johnson, a Colonel of Artillery.

Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista

War Counsellor and Special Delegate-Designate.