Pact of Biak-na-Bato

The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed in December 14, 1897, created a truce between Spanish Colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries were given amnesty and monetary indemnity of by the Spanish government in return for which the rebel Government would go into voluntary exile in Hong Kong. Aguinaldo would later use the money to purchase firearms.

Provisions

According to Historian Teodoro Agoncillo, the pact was made up of three documents which together came to be known as the Truce of Biak-na-Bató and which provided, among other things: [Harvnb|Agoncillo|1990|p=184]
*That Aguinaldo and his companions would go into voluntary exile abroad;
*that Governor-General Primo de Rivera would pay the sum of P800,000 to the rebels in three installments::#P400,000 to Aguinaldo upon his departure from Biak-na-Bató,:#P200,000 when the arms surrendered by the revolutionists exceeded 700, and:#the remaining P200,000 when the "Te Deum" was sung and general amnesty was proclaimed by the governor;
*that Primo de Rivera would pay the additional sum of P900,000 to the families of the non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during the armed conflict.

According to Aguinaldo, writing in 1899, the the principal conditions of the pact were: [Harvnb|Aguinaldo|1899-Ch. II]

:(1) That I would, and any of my associates who desired to go with me, be free to live in any foreign country. Having fixed upon Hongkong as my place of residence, it was agreed that payment of the indemnity of $800,000 (Mexican [The Mexican dollar at the time was worth about 50 U.S. cents, according to Harvnb|Halstead|1898|p= [http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=58428&pageno=126 126] ] ) should be made in three installments, namely, $400,000 when all the arms in Biak-na-bató were delivered to the Spanish authorities; $200,000 when the arms surrendered amounted to eight hundred stand; the final payment to be made when one thousand stand of arms shall have been handed over to the authorities and the Te Deum sung in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace. The latter part of February was fixed as the limit of time wherein the surrender of arms should be completed.

:(2) The whole of the money was to be paid to me personally, leaving the disposal of the money to my discretion and knowledge of the understanding with my associates and other insurgents.

:(3) Prior to evacuating Biak-na-bató the remainder of the insurgent forces under Captain-General Primo de Rivera should send to Biak-na-bató two General of the Spanish Army to be held as hostages by my associates who remained there until I and a few of my compatriots arrived in Hongkong and the first installment of the money payment (namely, four hundred thousand dollars) was paid to me.

:(4) It was also agreed that the religious corporations in the Philippines be expelled and an autonomous system of government, political and administrative, be established, though by special request of General Primo de Rivera these conditions were not insisted on in the drawing up of the Treaty, the General contending that such concessions would subject the Spanish Government to severe criticism and even ridicule.

Results

In accordance with the first clause, Aguinaldo and twenty five other top officials of the revolution were banished to Hong Kong with $400,000 (Mexican) in their possession. The rest of the men received $200,000 (Mexican), while the third installment was never received. General amnesty was never declared because sporadic skirmishes continued.

Notes

References

*Citation
last=Agoncillo
first=Teodoro
authorlink=Teodoro Agoncillo
title= History of the Filipino People
year=1990
edition=Eighth edition
origyear=1960
publisher=R.P. Garcia Publishing Company
isbn=971-1024-15-2
*Citation
url=http://www.authorama.com/true-version-of-the-philippine-revolution-1.html
title=True Version of the Philippine Revolution
author=Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy
last=Aguinaldo
year=1899
chapter-url=http://www.authorama.com/true-version-of-the-philippine-revolution-3.html
chapter=Chapter II. The Treaty of Biak-na-bató
date=23 September 1899
publisher=Authorama: Public Domain Books
accessdate=2008-009-23
*Citation
last=Halstead
first=Murat
title= The Story of the Philippines and Our New Possessions
url=http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=58428&pageno=1
chapter=XII. The American Army in Manila
chapter-url=http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=58428&pageno=122
year=1898
publication-date=22 May 2004