First Philippine Republic in Palanan, Isabela: Aguinaldo's Flight

THE FALL OF BONIFACIO'S KATIPUNAN
At the height of the Philippine revolution in March 22,1897; Magdalo followers of Emilio Aguinaldo overthrew the supreme leadership of Andres Bonifacio in the Katipunan through a well orchestrated convention in Barrio, Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon (now General Mariano Trias) Cavite.
Bonifacio was invited in his capacity as Supremo supposedly to unify the Magdalo and Magdiwang factions of the Katipunan. However, an instant election among Representatives of the supposedly two opposing groups ensued in a snap. The aim was to elect through the electoral representatives, the President of the Katipunan which was then already considered a shadow government ready to devour at anytime the Spanish regime.

Among the leading Magdiwang men on Bonifacio's side were Mariano Alvarez, Pascual Alvarez, Santiago Alvarez, Luciano San Miguel, Mariano Trias, Santos Nocom and Severino de las Alas.
Among the Magdalos were Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, Cayetano Topacio, and Antonio Montenegro.
The electorate of the two Katipunan factions chose Aguinaldo in absentia.
Bonifacio on the other hand successively lost the next positions.
The delegates elected the Magdiwang members to the cabinet namely: Mariano Trias, Vice President; Artemio Ricarte, Captain-General and Emiliano Riego de Dios, Director of War.
Finally, Andres Bonifacio held the last position being elected as Director for the Interior.
At first, Bonifacio was tight-lipped after the “election” though all the elected cabinet members belong to his Magdiwang faction.
It was however fishy that the elected Magdiwang members did not vote their leader and instead supported Aguinaldo who was not present during the convention.
The elected Magdiwangs in the cabinet were however, all Cavitenos except for Ricarte who is an Ilocano but married to a native of Cavite. Furthermore, both Magdalo and Magdiwang politicians figured in the so-called electoral college were Freemason allies of Aguinaldo.
Bonifacio was reluctant to preside the convention in the first place on suspicion that the proceedings were already “cooked”. The concluded exercise could have been settled when an Aguinaldo henchman- Colonel Daniel Tirona questioned and contested Bonifacio's election as Director for the Interior.
Tirona was soon to take his place in Isabela history being the Military Governor of the province under Aguinaldo's short-lived regime.
The ploy was Tirona's last ditch effort to embarrass and remove Bonifacio from the face of the revolutionary government.
It was not the first time Tirona and Bonifacio crossed paths.
Upon Bonifacio's arrival in Cavite, Tirona led the welcoming party shouting to his heart with his sword raised: “Mabuhay ang Supremo.” Tirona on his horse accompanied the carriage bearing Bonifacio in a parade held in honor of his arrival. Because of this fervent welcome, Tirona was said to have been reprimanded by his Magdalo superiors and on the next day made clandestine moves to somehow degrade Bonifacio's stature.
Bonifacio nearly pulled the trigger when he tried to shoot Tirona had not for cooler heads who prevailed and prevented him from doing. This was after confronting Tirona for circulating leaflets stating among others that only God and not Bonifacio deserves to be called Supremo, that Bonifacio was unschooled and that his sister was a spy and concubine of a friar leaking secrets of the Katipunan to Spanish authorities.
In the Tejeros convention, Tirona was different from his personality that earlier welcomed Bonifacio to his turf in Cavite. He argued that Bonifacio had no education and that the position of Director for the Interior should possess a diploma in Law. He further endorsed Cavite lawyer Jose del Rosario in Bonifacio's place.
A furious Bonifacio stood up and demanded apology. He reminded Tirona of the agreement to abide by the majority vote and “accept its choice no matter what the station in life of the person elected.” Aiming his revolver, Bonifacio said: “I demand from you, Mr. Daniel Tirona, an apology. You must restore to the voters and the one they elected the honor you have only now besmirched.”
Instead of replying, Tirona quickly squeezed his way out of the crowd. Ricarte pacified Bonifacio and the latter furiously declared the concluded proceedings null and void.
Eminent historian Ambeth Ocampo viewed that the Supremo's heated tirade with Tirona was not enough reason to make him walk out from the convention. Bonifacio's misgivings was the electoral fraud.
On April 15, 1897 Aguinaldo ordered the arrest of Bonifacio for rebellion, captured with a brother- Ciriaco killed, tried before the Magdalo court martial for one day, executed the next day with another brother- Procopio and the rest is history.(Picture:Blogtext.Org,Daan Patungo sa Kalayaan)