Papers of the Trial of Andres Bonifacio
Gat. Andres Bonifacio was charged with treason and sedition and was put on trial by the Consejo de Guerra from April 29 to May 8, 1897. Along with his brother Procopio, Gat. Andres Bonifacio was sentenced to death by gunshot on May 10, 1897, at Mt. Tala in Maragondon, Cavite. These trial documents, along with thousands of letters, correspondence, and other documents related to the Philippine Revolution were taken into custody by the American forces during the Philippine-American War (1899-1901), thus collectively known as the Philippine Insurgent Records (PIR).
Andres Bonifacio, along with his brother Procopio, was executed at Mt. Nagpatong, Maragondon, Cavite based on a death sentence issued by a military court martial led by Gen. Mariano Noriel.
Bonifacio served as the President of the Katipunan since the early days of its foundation and into the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. In March 1897, during a revolutionary convention held at Tejeros, he was elected Director of the Interior under a newly organized revolutionary government. He later renounced the validity of the proceedings after heated disagreements with other delegates who questioned his capacity to occupy the office.
He and his brother Procopio were later arrested by forces of the revolutionary government after charges of sedition, treason, and conspiracy were laid against them for allegedly organizing against the revolutionary government. The death sentence was initially commuted to life in exile by Emilio Aguinaldo but was later reinstated after he was persuaded by his advisers.
Bonifacio’s death demoralized the ranks of Katipunan revolutionaries who continued to resist Spanish forces that were fighting to restore European rule in the liberated provinces. Despite his demise, Andres Bonifacio has since been immortalized the pantheon of Filipino heroes as a symbol of freedom and love of country by future generations.
Reference:
National Library of the Philippines
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