Hong Kong Junta facts for kids
Emilio Aguinaldo with the other revolutionaries after the Pact of Biak-na-Bato
|
|
| Formation | 27 December 1897 |
|---|---|
| Founding document | Pact of Biak-na-Bato |
| Country | Philippines |
| Meeting place | Hong Kong |
The Hong Kong Junta was a group of Filipino revolutionaries. They formed a government-in-exile in Hong Kong. This happened after the Pact of Biak-na-Bato was signed on December 15, 1897.
Emilio Aguinaldo led the Junta. Many important leaders of the Philippine Revolution joined him. They had to leave the Philippines after making a peace agreement with Spain.
Contents
Forming the Hong Kong Junta
Filipinos who were against Spanish rule often went to Hong Kong. British law protected people seeking safety there. This had been happening since the 1872 Cavite mutiny.
The Pact of Biak-na-Bato was an agreement signed on December 15, 1897. As part of this deal, Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of the Philippine Revolution, agreed to leave the Philippines. On December 27, 1897, Aguinaldo and other revolutionary officers sailed to Hong Kong.
When they arrived, Aguinaldo put $400,000 into a bank account. This money came from the Spanish government as part of the Pact. Aguinaldo made sure the exiles in Hong Kong lived simply and spent money carefully.
Money Problems and Ending the Pact
Revolutionaries who stayed in the Philippines were not happy. They felt the exiles had money while they had none. So, they made a deal with the Spanish for a second payment of $400,000. This money was given to leaders in the Philippines.
Pedro Paterno, who helped make the Pact, told Aguinaldo about this. Aguinaldo then called a meeting. He shared news that Spain would not give more money. This was because the revolution was still going on.
The exiles decided to cancel the Pact and restart the revolution. They replaced the old government officials with their own members. One leader, Isabelo Artacho, sued Aguinaldo for money. This caused a temporary freeze on the funds in the bank.
Aguinaldo then secretly left Hong Kong for Singapore. He took $50,000 with him. He used a different name to travel.
America Gets Involved
The United States Asiatic Squadron, led by George Dewey, arrived in Hong Kong in February 1898. They were told to get ready for war with Spain.
The Junta first thought the Spanish–American War would only be in the Atlantic Ocean. They hoped the US fleet would stop Spanish ships from reaching the Philippines. Aguinaldo met with U.S. Consul E. Spencer Pratt in Singapore.
Aguinaldo returned to Hong Kong after his meeting. The Junta had been talking with Spain about peace. But Spain was focused on the war with the U.S. So, these talks failed.
On April 25, the U.S. squadron was ordered to go to the Philippines. Aguinaldo arrived back in Hong Kong on May 1. He expected the Americans to help him return to the Philippines. The Junta decided he should go back.
The USS McCulloch took Aguinaldo and thirteen Junta members to Cavite. They arrived two days later, on May 19.
Promises and Misunderstandings
Aguinaldo later wrote that an American naval officer told him to return to the Philippines. The officer supposedly said the U.S. was rich and did not need colonies. Aguinaldo also claimed that Consul Pratt promised U.S. protection for an independent Philippines.
Pratt supposedly said that the word of the Admiral and Consul was like a strong promise. It was not like Spanish promises.
However, Pratt wrote to the U.S. Secretary of State about his meeting. He said he told Aguinaldo he had no authority to speak for the government. He only suggested cooperating with the U.S. fleet.
Pratt also said he did not discuss the future of the Philippines with Aguinaldo. He did not promise anything. The U.S. government later told Pratt not to make unauthorized deals. They said the U.S. saw Filipinos as Spanish subjects.
A Filipino scholar, Maximo Kalaw, wrote in 1927 about this. He said Aguinaldo did not think the U.S. would take over the Philippines. No one at the time believed the war would end with the U.S. keeping the islands.
Aguinaldo Returns to the Philippines
After arriving, Aguinaldo quickly announced a temporary government. He said he would be the leader, or dictator, for a short time. He planned to step down for an elected president later.
On May 28, 1898, Aguinaldo led the Battle of Alapan. His forces defeated the Spanish in Cavite. This battle freed Cavite from Spanish control. It also marked the first time the modern Philippine flag was raised in victory.
Soon after, many other areas were freed by Filipino fighters. These included towns in Cavite, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and provinces like Laguna and Batangas.
On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines. This happened at his house in Cavite El Viejo. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista read the Philippine Declaration of Independence in Spanish.
A few days later, Aguinaldo officially set up his temporary government. On June 23, he changed it to a revolutionary government. He named himself president.
Work in Hong Kong and the Philippines
After Aguinaldo left, some differences appeared within the Junta. Some members wanted full independence. Others, who were wealthy, wanted the Philippines to be annexed by America. Aguinaldo tried to get financial help from this second group.
Before leaving Hong Kong, Aguinaldo arranged to buy weapons. He used $117,000 from the bank funds. An initial shipment of rifles and cartridges arrived in the Philippines. However, a second promised shipment did not.
In June, another shipment of 2,000 rifles and 200,000 rounds arrived. This cost $80,000. The Junta also tried to get weapons from Japan. But problems with payment and the start of fighting between Americans and Filipinos stopped this.
Aguinaldo asked Felipe Agoncillo to go to the United States. He wanted Agoncillo to explain the true situation of the Philippines. He told him to make the U.S. government understand that the Philippines had its own government.
Aguinaldo told Agoncillo not to accept any promises about protection or annexation. He wanted to secure independence first. He trusted Agoncillo to handle these difficult talks.
Aguinaldo also asked those in Hong Kong to work for an alliance with the U.S. They were told to unite Filipinos in Hong Kong.
U.S. Control and War
On December 10, 1898, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris. This treaty ended the Spanish–American War. In the treaty, Spain gave the Philippines to the U.S. for twenty million dollars.
The Junta's money was quickly running out. They often had to pay bribes to get things done. By mid-December 1898, most of the $400,000 from Spain was gone. The Junta asked for more money, but the Filipino government could not provide it.
Differences in ideas and policies grew between the Junta in Hong Kong and Aguinaldo in the Philippines. Internal arguments also wasted a lot of energy.
On January 21, 1899, the First Philippine Republic was declared. Aguinaldo became its president. On June 2, 1899, the First Philippine Republic declared war on the United States. This officially started the Philippine–American War.
Fighting quickly grew between American and Filipino forces. Aguinaldo tried to stop the fighting, saying it began by accident. But the American commander, General Elwell Otis, said the fighting must continue.
By November, U.S. forces had largely defeated organized Filipino resistance. Filipino forces then switched to guerrilla warfare. Aguinaldo began moving from place to place to avoid capture.
The Junta's End
The re-election of McKinley as U.S. president in 1900 ended the Junta's hopes for his defeat. This news, announced by the Junta on November 10, 1900, discouraged Filipino fighters.
Aguinaldo was captured by U.S. forces on March 23, 1901. On April 1, he swore loyalty to the United States. The Junta sent a message to all Filipino commanders on April 8. It told them about Aguinaldo's capture and other leaders surrendering. This was a final blow to most of the guerrillas.
By 1903, the Hong Kong Junta lost its unity and faded away. It was briefly restarted by Artemio Ricarte as the Katipunan Abuluyan. Ricarte returned to the Philippines in December 1903 to try and restart the revolution. He was arrested in April 1904 and imprisoned. He was later sent away from the islands in 1910.
