GEN.
LUCIANO SAN MIGUEL HIGHWAY
ni
Jun Panganiban Austria
MATAGAL na panahong itinago sa atin ng
kolonyal na edukasyon ng mga Amerikano ang kabayanihan ng maraming Pilipinong
nagbuwis ng buhay sa ngalan ng kalayaan. Inakala ng maraming Caviteño na si
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo na ang pinakadakilang bayaning naimbag ng lalawigan ng
Cavite sa ngalan ng pakikipaglaban para sa kalayaan. Bukod kay Gen. Julian
Montalan at Col. Cornelio Felizardo, isa sa dapat nating dakilain at bigyan ng
wastong pagkilala at pagdakila ay si Gen. Luciano San Miguel.
Noong Ika-28 ng Marso, 1903, kasama ang
may 200 tauhan ay nagbuwis ng buhay si Gen. Luciano San Miguel sa madugong
sagupaan sa Corral na Bato, Antipolo, Rizal laban sa pwersa ng mga mananakop na
Amerikano na sinuportahan ng mga sundalong Macabebe. Marangal na nakipaglaban
si Gen. San Miguel at pinatunayan ang kanyang pagiging tunay na Katipunero
hanggang sa huling patak ng kanyang dugo (“Bandoleros” ni Ochosa p.45).
Kabaliktaran naman ito nang ginawa ni
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo na matapos mahuli ng mga Amerikano noong Marso 23, 1901 sa
Palanan, Isabela (sa tulong rin ng mga sundalong Macabebe ) ay agad nangampanya
sa mga rebolusyunaryong patuloy na lumalaban na magsisuko na rin sa mga
Amerikano.
Kung multong patuloy na isinusumbat ng
kasaysayan sa pagkatao ni Gen, Emilio Aguinaldo ang pagkamatay nina Andres
Bonifacio noong Mayo 10, 1897 at ni Gen. Antonio Luna noong Hunyo 5, 1899,
kadakilaan naman ang pinatunayan ni Gen. Luciano San Miguel nang buhayin nito
ang Katipunan at magtangkang ipagpatuloy ang rebolusyon laban sa America noong panahong
karamihan sa mga pinuno ng pag-aaklas ay tumalikod na sa paghahangad ng
kalayaan.
Ipinanganak si Gen. Luciano San Miguel
noong Enero 7, 1875 sa Noveleta, Cavite. Siya ang panganay at nag-iisang anak
na lalake ng mag-asawang Regino San Miguel at Gabriela Saklolo. Nakapagtapos
siya sa Ateneo de Manila at nakahanda nang magpakasal sa kasintahan niyang si
Maria Ongcapin nang pumutok ang himagsikan noong 1896 kung kaya sa edad na 21
taong gulang ay sumapi siya sa pangkat ng mga Magdiwang sa Noveleta na
kinabibilangan nina Artemio Ricarte, Diego Mojica at Mariano Alvarez. Nabigyan
ng ranggong Colonel si San Miguel at namuno sa pakikipaglaban ng mga Katipunero
sa Nasugbu, Batangas . Ika-25 ng Marso, 1897 nang sumanib si San Miguel sa
pangkat nina Gen. Artemio Ricarte at Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo sa Imus upang
salakayin ang mga Kastila sa Cavite Viejo at San Francisco Malabon. Hindi
naisakatuparan ang pagsalakay subalit nang sinundang araw ay pinamunuan ni San
Miguel kasama ang mga tauhan ni Andres Bonifacio at Gen Julian Montalan ang mga
sundalong Kastila sa barrio Bacao, San Francisco de Malabon.
Nang isuko ng mga Magdalo ang
pakikipaglaban sa mga Kastila kay Gobernador Heneral Primo de Rivera noong
Disyembre, 1897 ay ipinagpatuloy pa rin ni Gen Luciano San Miguel ang
pakikipaglaban. Pinamunuan niya ang pangkat ng mga rebolusyunaryo sa Gitnang
Luzon hanggang nang muling magbalik si Gen. Aguinaldo upang ipagpatuloy ang
pakikipaglaban sa mga Kastila. Tauhan ni Gen. San Miguel ang unang napatay sa
tulay ng San Juan nang sumiklab ang digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano noong Ika-4 ng
Pebrero, 1899. Ipinagpatuloy ni Gen. Luciano San Miguel ang pakikipaglaban sa
mga Amerikano kahit pa isa-isa nang nagsisuko ang mga pinuno ng rebolusyon gaya
nina Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Gen. Vicente Lukban at Gen. Miguel Malvar.
Binuo ni Gen. San Miguel ang “Bagong
Katipunan” magmula 1902 na naglalayong ipagpatuloy ang pakikipaglaban sa mga
Amerikano hanggang sa makamit ang kalayaan. Bandolero o tulisan ang itinawag sa
kanya ng mga Amerikano. Magiting niyang ipinagpatuloy ang pagpapalaya ng bayan
kahit pa karamihan sa mga datihan niyang kasama ay nagsisuko na at
nakipagsabwatan na sa mga Amerikanong mananakop. Kasabay ng kanyang
pakikipaglaban ang iba pang bayaning itinago ng mga history books na sinulat ng
mga Amerikano gaya ng kabayanihan nina Macario Sakay, Felipe Salvador at ng
dalawa pang Caviteñong sina Gen. Julian Montalan (na taga-Gen. Trias) at si
Col. Cornelio Felizardo (na taga-Aniban, Bacoor. Sumapit ang wakas ng
pakikipaglaban ni Gen. Luciano San Miguel noong Ika-28 ng Marso, 1903.
Habang nagsasalimbayan ang putok ng
baril at isa-isang nanlalagas ang mga tauhan ni Gen. Luciano San Miguel ay
narinig siyang sumisigaw nang “Ialay ang buhay para sa Inang Bayan! Ang
kalayaan ay ang tunay na kaligayahan at karangalan”! Tatlong bala ang
sunud-sunod na tumama sa kanyang katawan at kumitil sa magiting na Caviteñong
heneral. Nang ang punit-punit at tadtad ng balang watawat ng Katipunan ay
natagpuan ng mga sundalong Amerikano ang iba’t ibang kasulatan na nag-uugnay sa
paghihimagsik ni Gen. San Miguel at ng mga taga-suporta niya sa Maynila (“A
Past Revisited”, Constantino p.259)
Marahil, kung tulad ni Gen. San Miguel
ay namatay sa digmaan si Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo ay walang dudang siya na ang kikilalaning
pambansang bayani ng kasalukuyang henerasyon. Subalit ang ginawa ni Gen.
Aguinaldo na pagsuko sa mga Kastila sa Kasunduan sa Biac na Bato noong
Disyembre 14, 1897 na inulit niya sa mga Amerikano noong Marso 23, 1901 ang
nagpapababa sa kanyang pedestal bilang bayani. Ang kanyang pagdalo sa “Araw ng
Kalayaan” noong Oktubre 14, 1943 “kalayaang” ipinagkaloob ng mga Hapones ay ang
pangatlong pagkakataon ng kanyang pakikipagsabwatan sa mga dayuhan. Malayung
malayo ang kabayanihan ni Gen. Luciano San Miguel sa naiambag ng Unang Pangulo
ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Hindi kaya panahon nang kilalanin si Gen Luciano San
Miguel at panahon na ring ipangalan sa kanya ang mahabang kalsadang tumatagos
mula Coastal Road hanggang sa may boundary ng Tagaytay at Nasugbo? Maligayang
paglalakbay sa Gen Luciano San Miguel Highway!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Ang
Kadakilaan ng Bayaning si Hen. Luciano San Miguel
"Ang
isuko ang buhay para sa Inang Bayan at kanyang kalayaan--ito lamang ay tunay
nang kaligayaan at karangalan!"
Isa sa mga pinakadakilang bayani ng
Taga-Ilog/Pilipinas, kahit kulang siguro sa pagkilala, ay si LUCIANO SAN MIGUEL
y SAKLOLO.
Lumaban mula Unang Yugto ng Himagsikan
laban sa Kastila hanggang sa mas madugo, malupit, at nakakadurog-pusong
Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano (1899-1914). Binuhay ang Kagalanggalangang
Katipunan nang manga Anak nang Bayan (KKK) at pinagpatuloy ang pagtatanggol ng
Kalayaan laban sa masamang Kalbong Agila kahit na niyakap na ni Hen. Emilio F.
Aguinaldo, Pangulo ng Republika, ang kaaway.
Bago bawian ng buhay habang nasa labanan
ng Koral-na-Bato sa Antipolo, sinambit niya ang mga katagang ito:
“To give up one’s life for the
Motherland and her freedom – this alone, is true happiness and honor!”
1903 - Gen. Luciano San Miguel y
Saklolo, one of the most valiant, nationalistic, and greatest though underrated
Filipino heroes and revolutionaries, dies fighting the imperialist American
forces and traitorous mercenaries during the Battle of Koral-na-Bato in
Antipolo, Rizal, four years into the bloody and protracted Philippine-American
War (1899-1914); the real last Philippine Republic general who chose to
continue fighting the vile Bald Eagle invaders despite Gen. Emilio F.
Aguinaldo's capture and prompt swearing of allegiance to the enemy flag, a
dying San Miguel will manage to utter the glorious words of heroism: “To give
up one’s life for the Motherland and her freedom – this alone, is true
happiness and honor!; a Caviteno who joined the
underground-society-turned-revolutionary-body Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang
Katipunan nang manga Anak nang Bayan (KKK) in 1896, San Miguel was a bonafide
man of the Supremo Andres C. Bonifacio under the Magdiwang KKK chapter; he received the command of the northern
provinces of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Morong, Batangas, Laguna,
and Manila as colonel during the Second Phase of the Revolution against Spain;
during the Fil-Am War, he led military actions in central and western Luzon as
general in the battles of 1899 and will revive the KKK in his command in
Zambales; at the time of his death, he was the generalissimo in charge of
overall field operations command of the Republic of Katagalugan, the
anti-imperialist revolutionary body that took off from Bonifacio's 1896-1897
Katipunan, which San Miguel co-formed with Gen. Macario Sakay; similar to that
of Bonifacio who died under the hands of his countrymen, Gen. San Miguel's
heroic death in Rizal's Pugad-Babuy district was effected by the imperialist
pawns Philippine Constabulary and mercenary Philippine Scouts forces that
mostly consisted of traitorous, co-opted Filipinos; the (third) Battle of Corral-na-Bato will later be regarded
as the last great anti-imperialist-American battle in the Luzon but following
San Miguel's death, a new phase of the guerrilla struggle of the Filipino
freedom fighters in the Philippine's Luzon island will continue unabated for
four more years with popular support.
LUCIANO
SAN MIGUEL
He was a Katipunero in the Magdiwang
group in Cavite.
During the Filipino-American War, he
rose to become one of General Aguinaldo's best generals.
In 1902, he established the Bagong
Katipunan, a unit of rebels in Rizal and Bulacan which fought the Americans.
He was killed in an encounter with the
Americans on March 28, 1903.
Date of Birth: January 7, 1875
Place of Birth: Noveleta, Cavite
Date of Death: March 28, 1903
Values Exhibited:
Nationalism
Courage
Learning Message:
Wala nang hihigit pang kadakilaan sa pag-alay
ng buhay sa bayan. (Nothing is nobler than offering one's life to the country.
Luciano San Miguel was a Katipunero connected
with the Magdiwang faction (led by Gen. Mariano Alvarez). San Miguel became one
of General Aguinaldo's best generals during the Filipino-American War. In 1902,
he established the Bagong Katipunan--a rebel unit that fought the Americans in
Rizal and Bulacan. Among the three generals, San Miguel was the only active one
during that time.
Contents
1 The Military Leader
2 The Reorganization of Katipunan
3 The Late Message
4 Trivia
5 References
6 Citation
The
Military Leader
San Miguel commanded the sector of San
Juan del Monte in Bulacan. An incident in 1899 led the Americans to be in close
proximity with the troops of San Miguel. This triggered the Americans to
unfairly declare war against the Filipinos.
The American command moved the First
Nebraska Regiment from Manila to the high grounds of Santa Mesa, east of the
walled city on the January 21, 1899. It placed the regiment in the Third
Military Zone of the Filipino forces in Manila. The Filipinos were near the
picket outpost of the Nebraskans at Santol. The native soldiers had occupied
all the Spanish blockhouses after the surrender of Manila in August except for
Blockhouse No. 15 or Fort San Antonio Abad. This was the massive stone fort in
Malate-Pasay that was in the control of the Americans.
The regiment belonged to the Second
Division of Eighth Army Corps under the command of General Douglas MacArthur.
San Miguel's troops would repeatedly exert pressure on the regiment by crossing
their line and entering the American zone. On February 2 of the same year, a
Filipino patrol penetrated 100 yards into the American zone. MacArthur
complained to San Miguel in which the latter responded in a letter assuring him
he did not gave out such orders.
McKinley justified the war against the
Filipinos due to the provocation they received from them. He stated that the
Filipinos started the war by a prepared attack against the American lines on
February 4. This was contradictory to Aguinaldo's records of which relates that
San Miguel was in Mololos during that time. The colonel was called upon the
president and were detained there until the afternoon. He even missed the last
train for Manila. He and General Ricarte got on a special train from Malolos to
Manila by Februay 5.
San Miguel was the principal commander
of Zambales and Pangasinan. He was heavily attacked in Zambales during
mid-December of 1899 to January 1900. But he did not surrender nor was he held
captive by the Americans.
The
Reorganization of Katipunan
He ordered the reorganization of the
Katipunan in his department in December 6, 1899. San Miguel addressed the
civilians of each pueblosto undergo rites if they want to become a member of
the revolution. They were prescribed to kneel before the crucifix, swear their
loyalty to the country and fight to the death. In addition, they had to sign
the oath of membership in their own blood. They would become soldiers fighting
for the freedom of the country.
San Miguel ordered two primary functions
to the members of Katipunan. They were expected to provide information and
furnish provisions to Katipuneros and to the army operation in the vicinity of
enemy held areas. In addition, it was their duty to maintain order in the towns
and to prevent crimes and anarchy. Those who did not comply were to be
considered enemies of the Katipunan. He had extremist view as of the role of
military leadership. It was in his belief that only generals have the sole
right and duty to protect the nation. He considered the leaders of the Federal
party as traitors who settled less for the freedom of the country.
The Americans labeled San Miguel as the
well-known leader of the ladrones, thieves and other criminals. They were
crossed when San Miguel decided not to surrender and take the oath of
allegiance to the [[United States].
The
Late Message
He was killed on March 28, 1903 during
an encounter with the Americans in Pugad-Babuy, Rizal. He is one of only two
generals of the army of the 1st Philippine Republic killed in action during the
Philippine-American War. He was one of only two Filipino revolutionary leaders
who did not accept American rule. Before he went into Battle, San Miguel sent a
letter to Apolinario Mabini in 1903. He requested for an advice should he
attack the Americans head on to achieve freedom. Mabini delayed his reply for
he wanted to fully assess the situation. In his letter addressed to San Miguel
dated 27th of March spoke of the lack of arms of the Filipinos and freedom will
be obtained through peaceful means. Unfortunately, the general did not get it.
The messenger reported to Mabini that he gave the letter to San Miguel's second
in command.
Trivia
He was born in Noveleta, Cavite on
January 7, 1875. Little is known about his childhood and adolescent years.
Records of him only reveal facts on his career as soldier during the
Philippine-American war. He was married to well-known mestiza daughter of the
wealthy Chinese Ong Capin.
References
Calano, Mark. 2007. The Generals of the
Revolution and the Fil-Am War. Ti Similla (March).
http://www.upb.edu.ph/~opa/tisimilla/mar07.pdf
(accessed May 9, 2008).
Corpuz, O.D. 2005. The Roots of the
Filipino Nation. Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press.
Southern Luzon and Bicol, Philippines
Unsung Heroes. From the Centennial Resource Book: Ang mga Pilipino sa Ating Kasaysayan.
LUCIANO
SAN MIGUEL
(1875 – 1903)
Revolutionary Leader
A native of Noveleta, Cavite, Luciano
San Miguel was born on January 7, 1875 to Regino San Miguel and Gabriela
Saklolo. He was the eldest and only son among five children.
After acquiring his early education in
his hometown, he proceeded to the Ateneo de Manila, working while studying for
a degree in agriculture. Upon graduating, he tried to find employment in
Manila, but having found none, he decided to make his living by sewing. After a
while, he found work as an inspector at the hacienda of Pedro Roxas in Nasugbu,
Batangas
It was around this time that he met
Maria Ongcapin who later became his fiancé. They were at the point of marriage
when the Philippine Revolution erupted in August 1896. Despite her entreaties,
he joined the Katipunan in his hometown, affiliating himself with the Magdiwang
Chapter, some of whose more famous members were Mariano Alvarez, Artemio
Ricarte, and Diego Mojica.
San Miguel who rose to the rank of
colonel early in the revolution, led a unit of rebels in garrisoning Nasugbu,
and later, defended it against Spanish forces headed by Colonel Rosas, who had
earlier massacred the town’s civilians. The battle however was lost, with only
San Miguel and a handful of his men surviving.
On March 25, 1897, he joined Generals
Artemio Ricarte and Emilio Aguinaldo in Imus, Cavite for a planned assault on
the Spaniards, who had recaptured the town and were on their way to Cavite
Viejo and San Francisco de Malabon. It did not materialize, however, for he and
General Ricarte were unable to find a strategic position from which to launch
the attack, while General Aguinaldo and his men withdrew to Naik.
On the 26th of the same month, San
Miguel led his men in assaulting, together with the troops of Bonifacio,
Colonels Antonio Virata and Esteban San Juan and Major Julian Montalan, enemy
soldiers coming from Barrio Bacao in San Francisco de Malabon. The Spaniards
were forced to withdraw but, in the process, were able to snare Noveleta, which
had been abandoned, in turn, by Colonel San Miguel’s troops.
Generally, however, the revolutionists
held on to their captured territories, and it became clear to the Spanish
colonial government that it was fast losing the war to the rebels. A truce, intended
to benefit both sides, was proposed. It was formalized in the Pact of
Biak-na-Bato, which was signed in December 1897. The treaty, however, was
short-lived, for infractions against it were committed.
As a result, General Aguinaldo returned
from his exile in Hong Kong early in 1898 and, forthwith issued a new call to
all patriots to resume the struggle against Spain. It was in this context that
on May 20 of that year, Colonel San Miguel appeared before Aguinaldo in order
to receive his command, which was given to him immediately. It was composed of
the northern provinces: Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Morong,
Batangas, Laguna, and Manila.
The following June in Kawit, Cavite,
Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine independence and the establishment of the first
Philippine Republic, with Aguinaldo himself as President. San Miguel was named
“talibang pandangal,” or guardia de honor, and conferred the unofficial title
of “general” by his own followers.
Meanwhile, the revolutionaries had been
befriended by the Americans, who promised them arms in their struggle , in
exchange for their assistance in the United States’ was with Spain.
After the “Battle of Manila Bay,” tension
began to grow between the two “allies” as they squabbled over territories they
had occupied. Soon it became clear to the Filipinos that the Americans were bent
on taking over the Philippines. Early in February 1899, San Miguel received a
letter from General Arthur MacArthur protesting the occupation by some of San
Miguel’s soldiers of a barrio near the American’s command. To prevent the
situation from getting out of hand, he immediately replied to it saying that he
would order the men concerned to leave the place. He executed this promptly.
On February 4, 1899, while San Miguel
was in Malolos, Bulacan, meeting with Generals Aguinaldo and Ricarte, shooting
occurred between the two sides on Balsahan Bridge in San Juan del Monte, which
was part of San Miguel’s command. Thus did the Philippine-American War begin.
Within days of the shooting, and after
attempts by the Philippine government to avert war failed, Aguinaldo mobilized
his forces, this time against the new enemy. San Miguel continued to fight in
the redirected struggle with exemplary leadership, for which he was also
rewarded with promotion as a brigadier-general by Aguinaldo, who also appointed
him representative of Negros Oriental to the revolutionary Congress in June
1899.
Life was hard for the revolutionists,
who were underfed and ill-equipped. Once, General San Miguel was compelled to
go to his superiors to ask for more provisions for his starving men, but was
told that these had run out. As he went on his way with a heavy heart, however,
he saw a veritable banquet being served before the others, some of whom were
generals. He suddenly flared up, and cried out to them, “In these times of
struggle, only bones should be served before you – and not this feast! It is
our men who deserved food such as this, for they are the ones in the front lines,
and we at the rear, who merely give them orders, deserve much less!” One of the
generals felt insulted and challenged him to a duel. Had it not been for the
intervention of cooler heads blood would have been unnecessarily spilled.
Hoping to reverse the trend of the war,
with the revolutionists slowly losing to the enemy, he decided, in late 1899,
to revive the Katipunan. On December 6, he issued a circular to this effect among
his officers and troops in Zambales.
He was in San Fernando, Pampanga, when
news about General Aguinaldo’s capture reached him. Naturally, this dampened
his spirits, but only for a moment. Like many other revolutionaries, he
resolved to continue fighting. Two years later, on January 15, 1903 was elected
supreme commander of the revolutionary army. In spite of the passage of the
Bandolerism Act in 1902, he gathered his forces and embarked on a guerilla
struggle that tested the might of the enemy, thereby becoming one of the most
wanted leaders by the authorities.
It is said that at the height of his
last battle which occurred in Koral-na-Bato in Antipolo,
Rizal, on March 27, 1903, San Miguel -
himself on the very edge of death while his men were being felled one by one by
the enemy’s firepower, was heard uttering these glorious words: “To give up one’s
life for the Motherland and her freedom – this alone, is true happiness and
honor!” He was still wielding his gun and saber when his end finally came.
References:
Alvarez, Santiago. The Katipunan and the
Revolution: Memoirs of a General. Quezon City:
Ateneo de Manila University Press,1992.
Malay, Armando J. Memoirs of General
Artemio Ricarte. Manila: National Historical
Commission, 1963.
Corpuz, Onofre D. Saga and Triumph: The
Philippine Revolution against Spain. Manila:
Philippine Centennial Commission, 1991.
Quirino, Carlos. Filipinos at War.
Manila: Vera – Reyes Incorporated, 1981.
