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DOCUMENTS
OF THE Katipunan |
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Artemio Ricarte Declaration dated March 24, 1897 Sources: Photograph of the first page of the
original document in Adrian E. Cristobal, The
Tragedy of the Revolution (Makati City: Studio 5 Publishing Inc., 1997),
p.131; photograph of the final four lines of the original document in Carlos Ronquillo, Ilang talata tungkol sa paghihimagsik nang 1896-1897, [1898] edited by Isagani
R. Medina, (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1996), p.89;
and transcription by Medina of the document in the same volume, pp. 88; 90;
91. |
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Introduction In this declaration Artemio
Ricarte recounts how, “with great reluctance”, he had taken his oath of
office as General-in-Chief (Pangulong Hukbo) of the revolutionary army, the position to which
he had been elected at the Tejeros convention. The
document was first brought to light by the historian Epifanio
de los Bonifacio sent this declaration to Emilio Jacinto
together with his letter dated April 24, 1897. |
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Tagalog text |
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Ako si Artemio Ricarte “Vibora” may katampatang
taong, taga bayan ng Batak, lalauigan ng Hukuman ng Ilocos Norte, kapatid sa
K.K.K. ng mga A.N.B., at tumatahan dito sa Mapagtiis o Malabon sakop ng S.B. Magdiuang
o Noveleta, ay nagsasaysay ng boong katotohanan at hanggang sa labi ng hukay
ay aking haharapan. Na sa oras na ikaanim ng hapon kahapon alinsunod sa
isang liham sarinlan na kalakip nito, ay sumapit ako sa Convento ng bayan ng
Tanza o Panguagui, at nadatnan ko ang Kgg. na Dakilang G. Emiliano Riego de
Dios, Ministro de Fomento, at Kgg. na Dakilang G. Mariano Trias, Ministro de
Gracia y Justicia ng S.B. Magdiuang, pati G. Santiago Rillo, Vicente Riego de
Dios, at iba’t iba pang Guinoo sa bayan bayang nasasakupan nitong nasabing
S.B.; at gayon din na nadatnan ko ang ilang Matataas na G. Pinuno sa S.B.
Magdalo, at sa pagdating ko, ay namasdang kong nakahanda ang isang Crucifijo
sa guitna ng Antesala ng nasabing Convento; at ang mga G. Pinunong nabangguit
na, ay kapagkaraka’y nagsabi ng kadahilanan ng pagkahiling nila na ako’y
humarap doon, at ualang ibang dahil, kundi ang pagtanggap sa pamamagitan ng
isang panunumpa sa harapan ng Crucifijo at sa masid ng kalahatan o ilang
bayan, ng katungkulang pagka Pangulong Digma ng Katagalugan, ayon sa
kinalabasan ng pagkapulong ng arao na ika 22 nitong lumalakad na buan; sa
bagay na ito, ay ipinakita ko muli sa kalahatang naroroon, ang malaking[3]
kaayaoan kong tumanggap ng naturang katungkulan sa mga kadahilanang sumusunod: Una- Aking pinasasalamatan ang paglabas ko sa
paghalal na ito, na maging Pangulong Hukbo ng buong Katagalugan; datapua
kinikilala kong may karumihan o kalabuan ang pagkaparaan ng pagkahalal sa
akin; sapagkat napaguari ko na hindi nasunod ang tunay na kalooban ng mga
taong bayan at; Ikalaua – Iginagalang ko ang naturang katungkulan,
at natatalastas ko ang kaniyang kalakhan at kapangyarihan; at gayon din na
natatakot ako ang buong aking nakakayanan sa lahat ng bagay, na lubhang
kulang na kulang at maliit na maliit sa dahilang ito, natalos at napagkilala
ko ang di ko karapatan; sa lahat ng ito, at hindi maaamin ng konsiyensiya ko
ang pagtanggap ng nasabing katungkulan: Gayon ang unang isinagot ko sa mga G.
at mga taong bayang naroroon na sari saring pinagbuhatan, na aking nakaharap
sa Convento at nagpatalastas sa akin ng pagsumpa sa pagtanggap sa gabing yaon
ng nasabing katungkulan. Ako’y nagsabi rin na kung sa gabing ito’y
maghahandog ng panunumpa sa pagtanggap na nasabi ng katungkulan, ay hindi ako
makakaayon, dahil Una -- Sa
uala sa Kapulungan ang mga karamihang pinunong humarap sa paghahalal, lalung
lalo na ang President ng pagkapulong sa nasabing oras na ika 22 nitong
lumalakad na buan; Ikalaua --
Sa pagkatanto ko na kung ito’y gagauin, siya ang pagmumulan ng
malaking kaguluhan at hindi ipagkakaisa ng mga bayan bayan, anupa’t
ipinahalata ko sa kalahatan ang totoong hindi pag ayon, hanggang sa ako’y
humingi sa kaginoohan at sa taong bayan, ng dalauang bagay: Patayin ako sa oras ng gabing yaon, sa kadahilanang
nasasabi sa itaas na ito o bigyan ako ng tatlong oras na pahintulot o isang
oras kaya at ng mapag isip ko ang mga bagay bagay na nararapat sa pagtanggap
ng nasabing katungkulan; itong ikalauang bagay na hiniling ko, ay ginagaua
kong paraan lamang, upang makaalis ako sa Kapulungang yaon. Ang lahat na aking hiniling, ay ualang
nangyari, sapagka’t ualang umayon ni kahit isa man lamang; sa madaling
salita, sa himok at pag amu amo’y kalahatan sa pamamagitan ng Kgg. na
Dakilang G. Emilio Aguinaldo, Pangulong Digma ng S.B. Magdalo, na sa oras ng
ikaualo ng gabi, ay naghandog ng panunumpa, ang Kgg. na Dakilang G. Mariano
Trias, Ministro de Gracia y Justicia ng S.B. Magdiuang bagaman, aking
mauulit, na hindi maaamin ng aking kalooban, sa oras na ikaisa ng
hatinggabing yaon, ay naghandog din ako ng panunumpa ng pagtanggap ng
katungkulang pagka Pangulong Hukbo ng buong Katagalugan. Ito ang buong katotohanan na kailanma’y hindi ko
matatalikdan kaya’t sa arao na ito ika 24 ng buan ng Marzo ng taong isang
libo, ualong daan, siam na put pito, ay linagdaan ko ng tunay kong pangalan,
apellido at pamagat na tinataglay. G. Artemio Ricarte Vibora › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › |
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English translation[4] I, Artemio Ricarte “Vibora”, of legal age,
of the town of Batak in the provincial jurisdiction
of Ilocos Norte, a
brother of the K.K.K.ng mga A.N.B. and residing
here at Mapagtiis or Malabon,
under the jurisdiction of the S.B. Magdiwang or Noveleta, declare the following to be the whole truth
that I shall maintain to the grave. That
at six o’clock yesterday afternoon, in conformity with the attached letter
[see below], I went to the convento of the town of Tanza or
Panguagui and there I found the Honorable
Don Emiliano Riego de Dios,
Minister of Finance, and the Honorable Don Mariano Trias, Minister of Grace and Justice of the S.B. Magdiwang, together with Srs.
Santiago Rillo, Vicente Riego
de Dios, and other gentlemen from the towns under the jurisdiction of the
said S.B., and likewise I found various high chiefs of S.B. Magdalo. Upon my
arrival I noticed that a crucifix had been prepared in the center of the hall of the said convento; and the
aforementioned chiefs thereupon informed me of the reason why they had
requested my presence there, which was none other than that I should take an
oath of office, before the crucifix and watched by people from all or some of
the towns, as President of War of Katagalugan, in
conformity with the outcome of the convention held on the 22nd of the current
month. In this regard I again stated
to all those present there my great reluctance to accept said office for the
following reasons:- First
- That I appreciated having been elected President of War of all Katagalugan in this election, but that I recognized there
had been dirty or shady practices in the manner of my election, because I
understood that it had not been in conformity with the true will of the
people. Second
- That I respected the said office and realized its importance and authority;
and that I was fearful in all respects about my abilities. I considered myself very deficient and
inadequate, and recognized that I did not have the necessary competence, and
that on account of all this I could not in good conscience accept the said
office. This was my first reply to the
gentlemen and other people present there, from various places, whom I met at the convento, and who advised me that I must take the oath of
office that very night. I
also stated that if the oath of said office was to be administered that very
same night I could not agree, because: First
- The majority of the chiefs present at the election, and especially the
President of the convention held at the said time, the 22nd of the present
month, were absent from the Assembly. Second
- I knew that if this was done, it would cause much disturbance and discord
in the towns; in short, I gave them all to understand that I strongly
disagreed, to the extent that I requested of the gentlemen and the
townspeople two things: That
they kill me that same night, for the reasons above cited, or that they give
me three hours, or at least one hour, to think over what I must necessarily
do in order to accept said office; this second request was but a mere
pretext, in order to enable me to absent myself from that Assembly. I obtained nothing of what I requested,
because not even one of them gave me his assent. To be brief, at the request and
supplication of all, His Excellency Don Emilio Aguinaldo, President of War of
S.B. Magdalo, took the oath at about eight o’clock
in the evening, together with His Excellency Mariano Trias,
Minister of Grace and Justice of S.B. Magdiwang,
and though, I again repeat, I could not in good conscience accept it, I also
took the oath as President of War of all Katagalugan,
at about one o’clock that night. This is the whole truth
which I shall never be able to retract, hence, on
this day the 24th of the month of March, of the year one thousand, eight
hundred and ninety-seven, I sign my real name, surname and the alias I bear. Don Artemio
Ricarte Vibora ---------------------------------------------- The attached letter[5],
written in Spanish, reads as follows:- SR. D. ARTEMIO RICARTE. Mi querido amigo y hermano: - Suplicamos todos á su
persona se sirva honrar en esta invitación en honor de la República qe. formamos en esta casa
convento de este pueblo. Asi esperamos en el mismo momento, qe.
V. se entere de esta venga pronto. Sin más y reciba nuestros aftos.
recuerdos. s.s.q.b.l.m. [abbreviation for seguro servidor que besa la mano]. E. RIEGO DE DIOS ------------------------------------------ English translation of the attached letter[6] SR. D. ARTEMIO RICARTE My
dear friend and brother: - We all pray you to deign to respond to this
invitation in honor of the Republic that we are
organizing here in the parochial house of this town. We therefore hope that you will come
immediately after this comes to your attention. Without
anything further, receive our affectionate regards. Your
constant servant, who kisses the hand, E. RIEGO DE DIOS |
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