Apolinario Mabini
From Freepedia
Apolinario Mabini (July 23, 1864—May 13, 1903) was a Filipino theoretician who wrote the constitution for the first Philippine republic of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899. He was born in Talaga, Tanauan City, Batangas of poor parents, Inocencio Mabini and Dionisia Maranan.
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Early life
In his young age, Mabini studied at a school in Tanauan City, then conducted by a certain Simplicio Avelino. Much later, he transferred to a school conducted by the famous pedagogue, Father Valerio Malabanan. He continued his studies at the San Juan de Letran where he received his Bachelor of Arts and title Professor of Latin and the University of Santo Tomas where he received his law degree in 1894.
His dream to defend the poor led him to forsake priesthood, which his mother wanted him to take. Early in 1896, he contracted an illness, probably infantile paralysis, that led to the paralysis of his lower limbs. When the revolution broke out the same year, the Spanish authorities, suspecting that he was somehow involved in the disturbance, arrested him. The fact, however, that he could not move his lower limbs showed the Spaniards that they had made a mistake. He was released and sent to the San Juan de Dios Hospital.
Nationalist
Mabini, it must be noted, was not entirely free from nationalistic association, for he was a member of Rizal's La Liga Filipina and worked secretly for the introduction of reforms in the administration of government. In 1898, while vacationing in Los Baños, Laguna, Emilio Aguinaldo sent for him. It took hundreds of men taking turns at carrying the hammock he was in to bring Mabini to Kawit. Aguinaldo, upon seeing Mabini's physical condition, thought that he must have made a mistake in calling for him to help him in this work.
Mabini was most active in the revolution in 1898, when he became the chief adviser of General Aguinaldo. He drafted decrees and created drafts for the first constitution and the framework of the revolutionary government which was implemented in Malolos in 1899. He was also the head of the revolutionary congress and the cabinet.
Prime Minister
Apolinario Mabini was appointed prime minister and was also foreign minister of the newly independent dictatorial government of Emilio Aguinaldo on January 2, 1899. Eventually, the government declared the first Philippine republic with a ceremony in January 23, 1899. Mabini then led the first cabinet of the republic. The cabinet was composed of the following leaders.
- Mariano Trias - Finance
- Apolinario Mabini - Foreign Affairs
- Teodoro Sandico - Interior
- Baldomero Aguinaldo - War
- Gracio Gonzaga - Welfare
Mabini was responsible for handling the country's problems while during his tenure. Most notable of these were his negotiations with the Americans, which began on March 6. The United States and the first Philippine republic were involved in exteremely violent hostilities at the time. During the negotiations for peace, the Americans offered Mabini autonomy for Aguinaldo's new government, but the talks failed because Mabini’s conditions which included a ceasefire was rejected. Later, Mabini negotiated again, seeking for an armistice instead on April 28, but the talks failed again. Eventually, he wrote against the Americans, rallied the people, and supported war. He later resigned though from government on May 7, 1899.
Later life
Later in 1899, he was captured by the Americans but was later set free. In 1901, he was exiled to Guam but returned to the Philippines in 1903 after agreeing to take an oath of allegiance to the United States. He took an oath on February 26, 1903 before the Collector of Customs.
On May 13, 1903 Mabini died of cholera in Manila.
Quotes
In describing his cabinet, he said that it "...belongs to no party, nor does it desire to form one; it stands for nothing save the interest of the fatherland."
External links
| Preceded by: Newly established | Prime Minister of the Philippines January–May, 1899 | Succeeded by: Pedro Paterno |
