Mabini architect of the Philippine revolution

Title

Creator

Majul, Cesar A.

Language

English

Source

Volume XV (Issue No.7) July 1963

Year

1963

Subject

Philippines -- History -- Revolution, 1896-1898

Mabini, Apolinario, 1864-1903

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

Mabini played a major and vital role in determining the route the revolution was to take.

Fulltext

■ Mabini played a major and vital role in deter mining the route the revolution was to take. MABINI: ARCHITECT OF THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION Cesar A. Majul All revolutions, as move ments affirming the worth of the individual and at tempting to re-define social relations, have had their pro tagonists. These are the men who either participated inti mately in the determination of the direction of the move ment or who, in retrospect, analyzed the revolutionary events in terms of theoretical principles, making the Rev olution a fact of significance and assuring it a proper pos ition within the perspective of the history of a nation. It was Mibini’s distinct character that he played this dual role in the Philippine Revolution, more specifically in its second phase. His first role refers to his activities as adviser to Aguinaldo in June 1898, and then as prime minister in the first Philip pine Republic from January 1899 to May of the same year. Authoring the electoral and other organic laws of the Revolutionary govern ment, he was responsible for formulating^ the postulates by which the authority of a new-born state came into operation. Determining the broad outlines of foreign po licy from June 1898 to May 1899, he saw to it that the recognition of independence should not suffer any amend ment. All of these mean, in effect, that Mabini played a major and vital role in deter mining the route the Revo lution was to take. It was a direction from which the revolutionary leaders could not deviate without aban doning the primal principles which fed the initial vigor ous step of the Revolution. These were the principles of national independence and for the construction of a new social order in consonance 14 Panorama with “justice and reason,” where social disharmonies were absent. Filipino historians have adequately described Mabini’s participation in the mo mentous events of our his tory. Consequently, an em phasis on his other role is in order. This is his position as a Filipino political philo sopher par excellence. Ap plying categories properly belonging to the philosophy of history, to the events of the Revolution - when the success of American arms be came patent to all, he re flected on its rationale, gains losses, and the eventual un folding of its implications. Thus, as it were, the events of the Revolution began to be coordinated into an in telligible system, and the Re volution itself could now be viewed as an important phase in the march of the Filipinos towards more free dom. As a political philosopher reflecting on the Philippine Revolution, Mabini’s descrip tion as to what the revolu tion actually consisted of must be distinguished from what he prescribed the revo lution ought to have been. He believed that when a people were consistently denied par ticipation in the high offices of a government, when their aspirations for better edu cation and an increase of ci vil rights were shamelessly disregarded, and when they begin to believe that the gov ernment was biased in favor of a special segment of so ciety, a deep resentment among the people would re sult. This situation coupled with circumstances like a weakening of the govern ment and a general disobe dience to the laws would in evitably develop into a rev olution. A revolution is thus described as “the violent means utilized by a people ... to destroy a duly cons tituted authority, substituting for it another more in con sonance with reason and just ice.” And to establish a con nection between positive law and the abstract conception of justice, Mabini leaned heavily on natural law as a corrective or model for hu man law. Adhering to the excellence of the mind as a value, Mabini hoped that July 15 the exercise of reason would lead men to discover solu tions for the settlement of differences, formalize stand ards of justice and lay down the foundations for what was believed to constitute the common and good life. Clearly, it is problematical as to how much reason can serve to diminish social con flicts, but it can be converse ly asserted that it is rather the dissolution of social in equalities that might precise ly make men think or reason better. However, it must be pointed out that Mabini was essentially a product of Eu ropean rationalism and early nineteenth century liberal ism, ideologies that main tained the almost infinite ca pacity of the mind to better things not only in the scien tific field but also in the ethical and political sphere. These influences on Mabi ni led him to assert that the desire for a revolution in the Philippines was derivative from the natural impulses, found among all men, ten ward progress. Or rather, when these impulses were be ing stifled by bad govern ment revolution becomes a necessity. To quote: The tendency for better ment or progress is a ne cessity or law found in all beings, whether indi vidually or collectively. Thus, a political revolu tion, which is generally intended by a people to better their conditions, becomes an irresistable necessity .... A people that has not yet arrived at the fulness of life must grow and develop, otherwise its life would be paralyzed — which means its death. As it is unnatural that a being should resign itself to its own death, the people employ all its energies in order that a gdvernment that impedes its progressive development be destroyed. Mabini’s intense faith in the desire and ability of the Filipinos to better their lives and contribute to the gen eral progress and culture of the world, as well as his be lief that it was natural for a people to do away with the impediments stifling the im pulses toward progress, led him not only to justify- the Philippine revolution but al so to assert that it was both 16 Panorama irresistible and inevitable. Mabini revolted against the notion that the Filipinos were doomed indefinitely to brutalization and colonial and ecclesiastical oppression. However, to bring about a successful termination to the Revolution, it was further believed that the Filipinos had to be united in a single will aiming at the good of all. And once this will was directed to organizing the collective life along national lines, it would ultimately pre vail over the military forces either of Spain or that of the United States. It was hoped, nay wished* that this will was, at bottom, one that reflected love of neighbor and country and could con sequently thrust to the back ground all petty, narrow and sectarian jealousies. Conse quently, a movement that was initiated to serve the in terests of a special class in so ciety, nullified in effect the existence of such a will, and did not deserve the name of “revolution.” To quote: All agitations fostered by a special class in order that its particular in terests be benefited, do not deserve the name [of revolution]. Conversely, Mabini main tained that genuine revolu tions were essentially popular movements. Here, his demo cratic temperament is evi dent. Consequently, a pro blem that presented itself was how social power could be organized such that the most numerous class, that is, the poor, would not be tak en advantage * of by special groups in society. However, it is in vain that we look for a radical economic program by Mabini! It was Mabini’s basic de mocratic temper that also led him to consider the revo lution against the United States unjustified the mo ment the majority of the peo ple desired peace. And he justified this action of the people by appealing to the law of self-preservation which dictated prudence in pursu ing the revolutionary move ment the moment superior forces not only threatened additional misery and deso lation but actually endanger ed the very life of society it self. Thus, Mabini counsel led that the violent and co ercive means to attain inde July 17 pendence should be trans formed into peaceful agita tion. This was still, in any case, a manifestation of the impulse for progress. Yet Mabini feared that the revo lutionary fervor might de cline with piecemeal politi cal concessions granted by the Americans. Consequent ly, he insisted that the revo lution as armed uprising, was simply a technique to bring about the recognition of individual rights and. also independence as the prere quisite to an expansive life and ordered society. And as long as independence was pos sible by peaceful means, all energies ought to be utilized to attain it by such means. Once devoid of political pow er to pursue his ideas, Ma bini contented himself in re minding his compatriots of the ideals of the Revolution and invited them to search into their hearts to discover if it were not really inde pendence that they wanted. Mabini was a supreme ex ample of a man willing to sacrifice personal interest for what he conceived to be the general interest of all. Eman cipating himself from the narrow interests that plague an ordinary man, he was able to exercise, to use Rous seau’s term, the general will, a will not necessarily that of the people, but a will for the good of all the people. Mabini’s legacy is that for patriots and free men. NEGRO EXCEPTED? We preach freedom around the worlds and we cherish our freedom here at home, but are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other that this is a land of the free except for the Negroes; that we have no second-class citizens ex cept Negroes; that we have no class or caste system, no ghettoes, no master race except with respect to Negroes? — John F. Kennedy . 18 Panorama

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