Antonio Luna
Antonio Luna | |
---|---|
Commanding General of the Philippine Revolutionary Army | |
In office March 28, 1899 – June 5, 1899 | |
President | Emilio Aguinaldo |
Preceded by | Artemio Ricarte |
Succeeded by | Emilio Aguinaldo |
Assistant Secretary of War and Supreme Commander of the Republican Army | |
In office September 28, 1898 – March 1, 1899 | |
President | Emilio Aguinaldo |
Chief of War Operations | |
In office September 26, 1898 – September 28, 1898 | |
President | Emilio Aguinaldo |
Personal details | |
Born | Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta October 29, 1866 San Nicolas, Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire |
Died | June 5, 1899 Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, First Philippine Republic | (aged 32)
Manner of death | Assassination |
Relations |
|
Awards | Philippine Republic Medal |
Nicknames |
|
Military service | |
Allegiance | Teniente Heneral |
Battles/wars | |
Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta (Spanish: [anˈtonjo ˈluna]; October 29, 1866 – June 5, 1899) was a Filipino pharmacist and army general who fought in the Philippine–American War before his assassination on June 5, 1899 at the age of 32.[1][2]
Regarded as one of the fiercest generals of his time, he succeeded
Despite his commitment to discipline the army and serve the Republic which attracted the admiration of the people, his temper and fiery outlashes caused some to abhor him, including people from Aguinaldo's Cabinet.[4] Nevertheless, Luna's efforts were not without recognition during his time, for he was awarded the Philippine Republic Medal in 1899. He was also a member of the Malolos Congress.[5] Besides his military studies, Luna also studied pharmacology, literature, and chemistry.[6]
Family background
Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta was born on October 29, 1866, at their house along Calle Urbiztondo (renamed Barraca Street) in
Siblings
His older brother,
Education
At the age of 6, Luna learned reading, writing, and arithmetic from a teacher known as Maestro Intong.[6] He also memorized the Doctrina Christiana, believed to be the first book printed in the Philippines.[6][14] The book consists of 38 leaves and 74 pages of text in Spanish, Tagalog transliterated into roman letters, and Tagalog.[15][16]
After his education under Maestro Intong, he studied at the
Scientific achievements
Luna was active as a researcher in the scientific community. After receiving his doctorate in 1893, he published a scientific treatise on malaria entitled On Malarial Pathology (El Hematozoario del Paludismo), which was favorably received in the scientific community.[18] He then went to Belgium and France and worked as an assistant to Dr. Latteaux at the Pasteur Institute and to Dr. Laffen. In recognition of his ability, he was commissioned by the Spanish government to study tropical and communicable diseases.[6] In 1894, he returned to the Philippines where he took part in an examination to determine who would become the chief chemist of the Municipal Laboratory of Manila. Luna came in first and won the position.[10]
Propaganda Movement
In Spain, he became one of the Filipino expatriates who mounted the Propaganda Movement and wrote for La Solidaridad, headed by Galicano Apacible. He wrote a piece titled Impressions which dealt with Spanish customs and idiosyncrasies under the pen-name "Taga-ilog". Also, like many of the Filipino liberals in Spain, Luna became a Freemason and rose to the degree of Master Mason.[6]
He and his brother Juan also opened the Sala de Armas, a fencing club, in
His more famous and controversial brother, Juan, who had been pardoned by the Spanish Queen Regent
Personal life
Luna courted Nellie Boustead, a woman who was also courted by José Rizal, between 1889 and 1891.[10] Boustead was reportedly infatuated with Rizal. At a party held by Filipinos, a drunk Antonio Luna made unsavory remarks against Boustead. This prompted Rizal to challenge Luna to a duel. However, Luna apologized to Rizal, thus averting a duel between the compatriots.[22]
Philippine–American War
Prior to the war
Since June 1898, Manila had been surrounded by the revolutionary troops. Colonel Luciano San Miguel occupied Mandaluyong, General Pío del Pilar advanced through Sampaloc and attacked Puente Colgante, causing the enemy to fall back, General Mariano Noriel, Parañaque, Colonel Enrique Pacheco, Navotas, Tambobong and Caloocan. General Gregorio del Pilar took charge of Pantaleon Garcia's force when the latter was wounded, taking Pritil, Tondo, Divisoria, and Paseo de Azcárraga, Noriel cleared Singalong and Paco, and held Ermita and Malate.[23][24] Aguinaldo demanded joint occupation of Intramuros. Which the Americans heeded, But after one month of dual occupation, Aguinaldo withdrew his forces when General Wesley Merritt and Commodore (later Admiral) George Dewey, whose fleet had moored in Manila Bay after being threatened of an unwanted conflict between Filipinos and Americans, plus the telegram from General Elwell Otis that if Aguinaldo did not pull his forces back, he will be obliged to resort to forcible action. When Luna was on the trenches, he ordered his troops to fire on the Americans. After the chaos following the American occupation, at a meeting in Ermita, Luna tried to complain to American officers about the disorderly conduct of their soldiers.[10]
To silence Luna, Aguinaldo appointed him as Chief of War Operations on September 26, 1898, and assigned the rank of brigadier general. In quick succession, he was made the Director or Assistant Secretary of War and Supreme Chief of the Republican Army on September 28,[25] arousing the envy of the other generals who were fighting since the first phase of the Revolution. Meanwhile, Luna felt that bureaucratic placebos were being thrown his way when all he wanted was to organize and discipline the enthusiastic but ill-fed and ill-trained troops into a real army.[10]
On September 15, 1898, the Malolos Congress, the constituent assembly of the First Philippine Republic, was convened in Barasoain Church.[26] Luna would be one of the elected representatives and was narrowly defeated by Pedro Paterno as President of the Congress with a vote of 24–23.[5]
Seeing the need for a military school, in October 1898, Luna established a military academy at Malolos, known as the Academia Militar. He appointed Colonel Manuel Bernal Sityar, a mestizo who was formerly a lieutenant serving the Civil Guard, as superintendent. He recruited other mestizos and Spaniards who had fought in the Spanish army during the 1896 Revolution for training. However, the academy had to be suspended indefinitely by March 1899 due to the outbreak of the Philippine–American War.[10]
A score of veteran officers became teachers at his military school. Luna devised two courses of instruction, planned the reorganization, with a
Convinced that the fate of the infant Republic should be a contest for the minds of Filipinos, Luna turned to journalism to strengthen Filipino minds with the ideas of nationhood and the need to fight the Americans. He decided to publish a newspaper, La Independencia.[29]: 63 This four-page daily was filled with articles, short stories, patriotic songs and poems. The staff was installed in one of the coaches of the train that ran from Manila to Pangasinan. The paper came out in September 1898 and was an instant success. A movable feast of information, humor, and good writing, 4,000 copies were printed, which was more than all the other newspapers in circulation put together.[30]
When the
Outbreak of the war
The Americans gained the time and the opportunity to start hostilities with the Filipinos at the place and time of their choice. On the night of February 4, 1899, when most of the Filipino generals were at a ball in Malolos to celebrate the success of the American anti-imperialists delaying the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, the Americans staged an incident along the concrete blockhouses in Santa Mesa near the Balsahan Bridge.[32] An American patrol fired on Filipino troops, claiming afterward that the Filipinos had started shooting first. The whole Filipino line from Pasay to Caloocan returned fire and the first battle of the Filipino-American War ensued. Two days later, in response to the incident, the US Senate voted for annexation. In doing so, the conflict became the war of conquest, occupation, and annexation that Luna, Mabini, and others had predicted and about which they had warned Aguinaldo and his generals previously.[33]
Luna, after receiving orders from Aguinaldo, rushed to the front lines from his headquarters at Polo (present-day
On February 7, Luna issued a detailed order to the field officers of the territorial militia. Containing five specific objects, it began with "Under the barbarous attack upon our army on February 4", and ended with "...war without quarter to false Americans who wish to enslave us. Independence or death!" The order labeled the US forces "an army of drunkards and thieves"[32] in response to the continued bombardment of the towns around Manila, the burning and looting of whole districts, and the raping of Filipino women by US troops.[35]
When Luna saw that the American advance had halted, mainly to stabilize their lines, he again mobilized his troops to attack
Nevertheless, with their superior firepower and newly arrived reinforcements, the Americans had not expected such resistance. They were so surprised that an urgent cable was sent to General Henry Lawton who was in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), with his troops. Illustrating the concern that the Americans had. The telegram stated, "Situation critical in Manila. Your early arrival great importance."[38]
Luna Sharpshooters and the Black Guard
The
Luna also formed other units similar to the sharpshooters. One was the unit, which would later be named after Bugallón, commanded by Rosendo Simón de Pajarillo. The unit emerged from a group of ten men wanting to volunteer in the regular Filipino army. Luna, still thinking of the defeat at the Battle of Caloocan, sent the men away at first. However, he soon changed his mind and decided to give the men an initiation.[39] After taking breakfast, he ordered a subordinate, Colonel Queri, to prepare arms and ammunition for the ten men. Then, the men boarded a train destined towards Malinta, which was American-held territory. After giving orders to the men, he let them go and watched them with his telescope. The men, succeeding their mission, eventually returned unharmed. Admiring their bravery, he organized them into a guerrilla unit of around 50 members. This unit would see action in the Second Battle of Caloocan.[39]
Another elite unit was the Black Guard, a 25-man guerrilla unit under a certain Lieutenant García. García, one of Luna's favorites, was a modest but brave soldier. His unit was tasked to approach the enemy by surprise and quickly return to camp. Luna had admired García's unit very much that he wanted to increase their size. However, García declined the offer. He believed that a larger force might undermine the efficiency of their work.
Further operations during the war
A
Luna, however, proved to be a strict disciplinarian and his temper alienated many in the ranks of the common soldiers. An example of this occurred during the
Luna resigned on March 1, mainly in resentment for the rearmament of the Kawit Battalion as the Presidential Guard.
The Luna Defense Line was planned to create a series of delaying battles from
Earlier in May 1899, Luna almost fell in the field at the
Assassination and aftermath
On June 2, 1899, Luna received two telegrams (initially four, but he never received the last two) – one asked for help in launching a counterattack in
Both exchanged heated words as he was about to depart. At
Immediately after Luna's death, confusion reigned on both sides. The Americans even thought Luna had taken over to replace Aguinaldo.
The death of Luna, acknowledged to be the most brilliant and capable of the Filipino generals at the time,[20] was a decisive factor in the fight against the American forces. Despite mixed reactions on both the Filipino and American sides on the death of Luna,[60] there are people from both sides who nevertheless developed an admiration for him.[61] General Frederick Funston, who captured Aguinaldo at Palanan, Isabela, stated that Luna was the "ablest and most aggressive leader of the Filipino Republic."[62] For General James Franklin Bell, Luna "was the only general the Filipino army had."[62] General Robert Hughes remarked that "with the death of General Luna, the Filipino army lost the only General it had."[61] Meanwhile, Apolinario Mabini, former Prime Minister and Secretary of Foreign Affairs, had this to say: "If he was sometimes hasty and even cruel in his resolution, it was because the army had been brought to a desperate situation by the demoralization of the soldiers and the lack of ammunitions: nothing but action of rash courage and extraordinary energy could hinder its dissolution."[63] Of the Filipino armed forces organized during Luna's service in the army, Major General Henry Ware Lawton commented, "Filipinos are a very fine set of soldiers, far better than the Indians... Inferior in every particular equipment and supplies, they are the bravest men I have ever seen... I'm very well impressed with the Filipinos!" Lawton later recanted this statement.[64]
Subsequently, Aguinaldo suffered successive, disastrous losses in the field, as he retreated northwards. On November 13, 1899, Aguinaldo decided to disperse his army and begin conducting a guerrilla war.[65] General José Alejandrino, one of Luna's remaining aides, stated in his memoirs that if Luna had been able to finish the planned military camp in the Mountain Province and had shifted to guerrilla warfare earlier as Luna had suggested, Aguinaldo might have avoided having to run for his life in the Cordillera Mountains.[41][61] For historian Teodoro Agoncillo, however, Luna's death did not directly contribute to the resulting fall of the Republic. In his book, Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic, Agoncillo stated that the loss of Luna showed the existence of a lack of discipline among the regular Filipino soldiers and it was a major weakness that was never remedied during the course of the war. Also, soldiers connected with Luna were demoralized and as a result eventually surrendered to the Americans.[32] Despite Aguinaldo denying the allegation of his being involved in Luna's death multiple times, an original copy of the telegram that was sent to Luna was discovered in 2018 showing the order for Luna to visit Cabanatuan, yet in recent studies and research about the telegram only gives more questions rather than answer that led to Luna's death.[66][67]
Commemoration
- The famous Sunken Garden was named General Antonio Luna Parade Grounds.[68]
- The are named after Luna.
- Variants of "General Luna Street", like "Rizal Street", is one of the most common street names in the Philippines:
- General Antonio Luna Avenue, a two-lane national road in San Mateo, Rizal, was named after Luna.
- General Luna Street, stretching from Intramuros to Paco in the Manila, was named after Luna. Formerly Calle Real del Palacio (Intramuros) and Calle Nozaleda (Ermita-Paco), the whole stretch was integrated into one and was renamed Calle Gen. Luna during the American period.[70]
- General Antonio Luna, a barrio in Mayorga, Leyte, is named after Luna.[71]
- Hingoso, a town in the province of Quezon (formerly Tayabas), was renamed to General Luna, in honor of Luna.
- In 1951, the first postwar Philippine fifty peso bill featured a portrait of Luna until it was replaced in 1969 by a portrait of Sergio Osmeña.
- In 1958, a stamp featuring Luna was released on his 92nd birth anniversary.[72][73]
- After the 102nd anniversary of Luna's birth (1968), former President guerrilla tactics preceded that of China's Mao Zedong and Vietnam's Võ Nguyên Giáp and Ho Chi Minh.[3][page needed]
- In 1999, the second and last of the General Emilio Aguinaldo-class patrol vessels was commissioned by the Philippine Navy. It was named BRP General Antonio Luna (PG-141).[74] A second ship of the Jose Rizal-class frigates, acquired from South Korea, is named after Luna, the BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151).
- A monument of Luna was erected at Plaza Lucero in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.[6]
- Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim led a commemorative program on Luna's 144th birth anniversary (2010).[75]
- A Philippine military base, Camp Antonio Luna in Limay, Bataan, was named after the general. It is currently the Office of the Director of the Government Arsenal.[76]
- The defunct Philippine Constabulary Academy had a building known as Luna Hall.
- "General Luna" a march by Julián Felipe in honor of General Luna.
- "Kabanatuan" is a funeral march by Julio Nakpil dedicated to General Luna who was assassinated in Cabanatuan.
In popular culture
- Portrayed by Christopher de Leon in the film El Presidente (2012).[77][78]
- Portrayed by JC Tiuseco in the TV series Ilustrado (2014).
- Portrayed by Marc Abaya and John Arcilla in the film Heneral Luna (2015).
- Arcilla reprised the role for Ogilvy & Mather in 2017.[79]
- Arcilla reprised the role for
References
Citations
- ^ "GENERAL LUNA IS MURDERED BY AGUINALDO". San Francisco Call. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ a b "Declaration of Pantaleon Garcia, 5 June 1921, stating Aguinaldo gave him verbal orders to assassinate Antonio Luna but he was ill and couldn't comply". Filipinas Heritage Library. June 5, 1921.
- ^ a b c Marcos, Ferdinand (1968). The contemporary relevance of Antonio Luna's military doctrines.
- ^ a b c Agoncillo, Teodoro. History of the Filipino People (8th ed.). Quezon City: C & E Publishing.
- ^ a b Jose (1972), pp. 450–452.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Dumindin, Arnaldo. "June 5, 1899: Assassination of Gen. Antonio Luna". Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
- ^ a b Jimenez (2015), p. 9.
- ^ Jose (1972), p. 29.
- ^ "Tobacco History". National Tobacco Administration. Archived from the original on January 18, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Guerrero Nakpil, Carmen (October 27, 2008). "A plot to kill a general". Philippine Star. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- ^ a b Jose (1972), pp. 372–373.
- ^ "History". Province of La Union. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "List of Previous Senators: Fourth Legislature". Senate of the Philippines. Archived from the original on April 23, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Lessing J. Rosenwald (1593). "Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection". Library of Congress. World Digital Library. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- ^ Full text of Doctrina Christiana Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine at Project Gutenberg. Accessed August 22, 2015.
- ^ Doctrina Christiana: The First Book Printed in the Philippines. Manila: National Historical Commission. 1973. pp. iii–xi.
- ^ a b Jimenez (2015), p. 10.
- ^ Jimenez (2015), p. 12.
- ^ a b Jimenez (2015), p. 14.
- ^ a b Agoncillo, Teodoro (1974). Introduction to Filipino History.
- ^ Jose (1972), p. 58.
- ISBN 978-971-27-2336-0.
- ^ Joaquin, Nick (1990). Manila, My Manila: A History for the Young. Vera-Reyes, Inc.
- ^ Aguinaldo, Don Emilio y Famy, True Version of the Philippine Revolution, Project Gutenberg, archived from the original on July 8, 2023, retrieved November 20, 2023
- ISBN 978-1-136-74691-8. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ Kalaw 1927, pp. cc=philamer, idno=afj2233.0001.001, frm=frameset, view=image, seq=140, page=root, size=100 120, cc=philamer, idno=afj2233.0001.001, frm=frameset, view=image, seq=144, page=root, size=100 124–125
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 206–207.
- ^ Berlin, Donald (2008). Before Gringo: History of the Philippine Military 1830–1972. Pasig: Anvil Publishing. p. 21.
- ^ Sonnichsen, A., 1901, Ten Months a Captive Among Filipinos, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons
- ^ a b Jose (1972), pp. 269–271.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 172–177.
- ^ ISBN 978-971-542-096-9. Archivedfrom the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 178–183.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 186–189.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 200–202.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 210–212.
- ^ Linn (2000a), p. 92.
- ^ Jose (1972), p. 213.
- ^ a b c d e Jose (1972), pp. 220–221.
- ISBN 978-971-27-2600-2.
- ^ a b Alejandrino, Jose (1949). La Senda del Sacrificio.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 225–227.
- ^ a b Jose (1972), pp. 229–231.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 241–244.
- ^ Jimenez (2015), p. 16.
- ^ Dumindin, Arnaldo. "Americans Advance To Malolos, March 24–31, 1899". Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ Jose (1972), p. 293.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 280–281.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 318–320.
- ^ a b c Jose (1972), pp. 314–317.
- ^ Bulan, Amierielle Anne (November 20, 2018). "Aguinaldo's deadly telegram to Heneral Luna emerges in auction". Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ a b Jose (1972), p. 377.
- ^ Galang, Armand (June 11, 2019). "In Nueva Ecija, Antonio Luna remembered sans fanfare". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Jose (1972), pp. 429–436.
- ^ "In Nueva Ecija, Antonio Luna remembered sans fanfare". Philippine Daily Inquirer. June 11, 2019. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ Jose (1972), p. 436.
- ^ Jose (1972), p. 375.
- ^ Jose (1972), pp. 388–392.
- ^ Aguinaldo, Emilio. (1964). Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan.
- ^ Jose (1972), p. 401.
- ^ a b c Jose (1972), pp. 409–413.
- ^ a b "Bill seeks to rename Camp Aguinaldo to Camp Antonio Luna". The Philippine Star. August 26, 2019.
- ^ Mabini, Apolinario (1969). The Philippine Revolution. National Historical Commission. p. 50. Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- ^ Jimenez (2015), p. 17.
- ^ Linn (2000b), p. 16.
- ^ "Unearthed: Emilio Aguinaldo's telegram to meet Antonio Luna before his killing". November 26, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ "The Luna telegram: Not so 'deadly' after all". December 2018.
- ^ "General Antonio Luna Parade Grounds". UP ROTC. Archived from the original on July 12, 2010. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ Brief Profile of General Luna, Quezon Province (PDF)
- ^ "Traveler on foot". July 10, 2008. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ^ "An Act Creating Certain Barrios in the Municipality of Mayorga, Province of Leyte". LawPH.com. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ "RP Issues of 1958". Republic of the Philippines – Stamps & Postal History. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
- ^ "General Antonio Luna". Stamps of the world. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
- ^ Wertheim, Eric: The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 15th Edition, page 552. Naval Institute Press, 2007.
- ^ "REMEMBERING GENERAL ANTONIO LUNA". Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- ^ "Department of National Defense". Archived from the original on July 5, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- ^ "El Presidente (2012) Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ Lecaros, Mikhail (January 3, 2013). "Movie Review: 'El Presidente' is a historical disappointment". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ "Campaign Spotlight: Heneral wants to be Colonel in Ogilvy & Mather Philippines' new Christmas ad for KFC". Adobo Magazine. November 16, 2017. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
Books
- Agoncillo, Teodoro. History of the Filipino People (8th ed.). Quezon City: C & E Publishing.
- Agoncillo, Teodoro (1974). Introduction to Filipino History.
- Agoncillo, Teodoro (1960). Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic. University of the Philippines Press. ISBN 978-971-542-096-9.
- Jimenez, Ruby Rosa A. (2015). Heneral Luna: The History Behind the Movie. Mandaluyong: Anvil Publishing.
- Jose, Vivencio R. (1972). The Rise and Fall of Antonio Luna. University of the Philippines. ISBN 978-971-17-0700-2.
- Kalaw, Maximo M. (1927). The development of Philippine politics. Oriental Commercial. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-7006-1225-3.
- Linn, Brian McAllister (2000b). The U.S. Army and Counterinsurgency in the Philippine War, 1899–1902. UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-0-8078-4948-4.
- Ocampo, Ambeth (2010). Looking Back. Anvil Publishing. ISBN 978-971-27-2336-0.
Further reading
- Guerrero, Angel (1933). Biag ni General Antonio Luna. Manila: Service Press.
- Ocampo, Ambeth (2015). Looking Back 10: Two Lunas, Two Mabinis. Pasig: Anvil Press.
External links
- Ambeth Ocampo, "The way Antonio Luna died", Opinion, September 11, 2015, Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- "History: General Antonio Luna, great soldier, scientist". Manila Bulletin. October 29, 2014. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2015.