Did Emilio Aguinaldo proclaim the independence of the Philippines from Spain on June 12, 1898?

Looking back, he did not say anything while looking out of the window—yes, window and not a balcony—of their home in Kawit (or Cavite Viejo as it used to be called) on that fateful day.

Contrary to what seems to be engraved in the collective memory of many Filipinos, it was not the battle-hardened Caviteño general who read the Proclamation of Independence but a lawyer from Laguna who did so. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, an adviser to Aguinaldo, wrote and read the Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino in Spanish. Incidentally, Bautista is also said to have been a distant relative of both the Rizals and Bonifacios.

Consider what the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has to say about June 12, 1898. The historical marker on the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, installed in 1998 as part of the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, states:

“On June 12, 1898, Philippine independence was proclaimed from the center window of the original house of the family of General Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy, President of the First Philippine Republic and leader of the revolution against Spain and America, through the reading of the Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista. During this occasion, the Philippine flag made in [Hong Kong] by Doña Marcela Marino De Agoncillo was officially unfurled as the band of San Francisco De Malabon proudly played the Marcha Nacional Filipina (now the Philippine National Anthem) composed by Julian Felipe.”

So, yes, Aguinaldo did not read the Proclamation of Independence. Nor, in fact, did he actually sign the document—not out of disagreement but, historians seem to agree, more out of having forgotten to.

On the actual document, a copy of which is preserved at the National Library of the Philippines, 99 signatures can be found. Among these is by one American, a certain artillery colonel identified as L.M. Johnson, described as “un unico extranjero” or the only stranger present during the signing of the Acta.

Of the 98 Filipinos whose signatures appeared on the Acta, some of the more notable ones were Katipunan founder Ladislao Diwa, Felix Ferrer (who, together with Isabelo Artacho drafted the 1897 Biak-Na-Bato Constitution), Felipe Buencamino (later co-authored the Malolos Constitution of 1899), Daniel Tirona (the same one infamous for his supposed role at the Tejeros Convention, where he challenged Andres Bonifacio’s election to secretary of interior), and Jose del Rosario (presumably the same one Tirona proposed to replace Bonifacio as interior secretary).

Although Aguinaldo did not exactly play the part most people thought he did during the proclamation of independence, he occupied a prominent role during that moment because of his preeminence among the revolutionaries present. He was, at that point, undoubtedly considered the leader of the revolution and the budding Philippine nation. As President of the first Philippine republic, it can be said that Aguinaldo proclaimed the country’s independence, by virtue of his recognized authority.

One other interesting detail about the June 12 declaration of independence is on the flag. Originally, the colors and symbols of the Philippine flag meant something else, save for the rays of the sun, which represent the first eight provinces that revolted against Spain.

The declaration reads, “…[T]he white triangle represents the distinctive emblem of the famous Society of the ‘Katipunan,’ which by means of its blood compact inspired the masses to rise in revolution; the three stars, signifying the three principal Islands of this Archipelago: Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay, where this revolutionary movement started; the sun representing the gigantic steps made by the sons of the country along the path of progress and civilization…”

Even the flag’s colors of red, blue, and white did not signify war, peace, and purity, respectively. Instead, according to the Acta, these were “commemorating the flag of the United States of North America, as a manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this Great Nation for its disinterested protection which it lent us and continues to lend us.”

These, of course, should not change the meaning behind why June 12 is celebrated as the country’s Independence Day. While it is true that this holiday was made official only on May 20, 1963 by then President Diosdado Macapagal, the moment it commemorates is beyond symbolic. Celebrating Independence Day serves as a reminder that there were Filipinos who fought for the liberties many enjoy (and, perhaps, even take for granted) today.