Hotel Delfino siege
Siege at Hotel Delfino | |||||||
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| |||||||
Government-Insurgents | |||||||
Philippine government | Reform the Armed Forces Movement | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Oscar Florendo † | Rodolfo Aguinaldo | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Armed Forces of the Philippines | Aguinaldo loyalists | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
About 1,000 soldiers[1] | 200[2][3][4] - 300[1][5] followers | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
14 killed (including civilians) 20 wounded |
The Siege at Hotel Delfino (
Background
Aguinaldo
Rodolfo E. Aguinaldo | |
---|---|
Governor of Cagayan | |
In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1998 | |
Preceded by | David Puzon Jr. |
Succeeded by | Florencio Vargas |
In office 1988–1990 | |
Preceded by | Domingo de Leon |
Succeeded by | Melvin Vargas |
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Cagayan's 3rd district | |
In office June 30, 1998 – June 12, 2001 | |
Preceded by | Manuel Mamba |
Succeeded by | Manuel Mamba |
Personal details | |
Born | Rodolfo Espejo Aguinaldo September 12, 1946 Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, Philippines |
Died | June 12, 2001 Tuguegarao, Cagayan, Philippines | (aged 54)
Alma mater | Philippine Military Academy |
Military service | |
Branch/service | Philippine Constabulary |
Years of service | 1968-1987 |
Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Rodolfo Espejo Aguinaldo was born in
Anti-government activity
Aguinaldo later joined the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), a dissident faction within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that was founded by alumni of the Philippine Military Academy such as Colonel Gringo Honasan, Eduardo Kapunan and Victor Batac in the early 1980s, citing disillusionment with the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos for its handling of the communist rebellion. Aguinaldo was deemed responsible for disclosing the names of 14 key RAM officers to a CIA contact at the U.S. Embassy, which was believed to have contributed to the Marcos' discovery of RAM's plot to overthrow the government, which forced the coup plotters to launch their revolt earlier than scheduled.[11] When the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution broke out, Aguinaldo led RAM forces in seizing control of government media outlets in Quezon City, paving the way for the overthrow of Marcos and the assumption of power by his rival, Corazon Aquino. As a reward, he was promoted to become provincial PC commander of Cagayan.[9]
Following the revolution, Aguinaldo and other RAM members grew disillusioned by the Aquino government's emphasis on opening negotiations with the communists and the release of Sison and other party members and dissidents. As a result, Aguinaldo joined attempts by the RAM to overthrow President Aquino, starting with the
Governor of Cagayan
Following the 1987 coup, Aguinaldo was stripped of his command and placed under investigation but resigned with the rank of lieutenant colonel before any significant action could be taken against him. He then ran for
1989 Coup Attempt
On December 1, 1989, RAM launched its
Events
Advance on Tuguegarao
Disputing both his suspension as governor and the rebellion charges, Aguinaldo refused to surrender to authorities. Along with hundreds of armed followers, he went into hiding in the village of Dakel
Capture of Hotel Delfino
Brigadier General Oscar Florendo, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of Civil Military Relations, and Interior Secretary Luis Santos were dispatched to Tuguegarao by President Aquino to serve Aguinaldo with an arrest warrant,[19] but were caught off-guard by the speedy arrival of Aguinaldo's forces, which were estimated to be between 200 and 300.[17] Santos, along with the Archbishop of Tuguegarao, Diosdado Talamayan, had previously been involved with unsuccessful negotiations for Aguinaldo's surrender in January 1990.[16]
After Aguinaldo's men, led by defecting Scout Ranger captain Feliciano Sabite,[17] seized control of Hotel Delfino where the general was staying and cut off water and electricity supplies, Florendo and two of his aides were taken hostage along with more than 50 other hotel guests[20] while Santos, two army colonels and a navy commodore barricaded themselves on the second floor[18] before being rescued along with two mayors. Thirty others were held hostage by Aguinaldo's forces in a pawn shop.[21] About 2,000 of Aguinaldo's civilian supporters arrived in front of the hotel chanting his name, while Aguinaldo’s forces set up checkpoints near the hotel and slashed the tires of nearby vehicles.[18] Soldiers blocked a bridge south of Tuguegarao which connected the town with Manila.[21]
Clashes
Aguinaldo was initially receptive, holding a press conference with Florendo in the hotel lobby despite claiming to have been wounded in an ambush by government forces outside Tuguegarao that killed one person.[18] He gave an interview in which he claimed to be a "victim of injustice" and said he would not mind dying "as a villain".[18] However, gunfire erupted a few hours later at the nearby Balzain Bridge, sparking heavy fighting across the town that culminated with government troops dispersing civilian demonstrators outside the hotel with teargas before storming the building at 03:00 pm. Florendo was then killed in the ensuing crossfire, while Aguinaldo fled to the mountains with a militia three hundred strong, reportedly on an ambulance.[22][17] More than 200 of Aguinaldo's followers surrendered to government authorities, while most hostages were released by the following day.[21]
The fighting left 14 people dead and wounded twenty.[17] Aside from Florendo, ten people were killed at the Balzain Bridge, while three others were killed in clashes near a gas station.[21]
Aftermath
Florendo's body was returned to Manila after the incident and was buried with full military honors at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on March 10.[23] President Aquino condemned his killing as an "act of treachery and cowardice." General Renato de Villa, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, ordered Aguinaldo to be taken "dead or alive."[22]
Aguinaldo spent the next three months in hiding until he finally surrendered at the Cagayan provincial capitol but was later released on bail. While on the run, he took responsibility for Florendo's death, calling it a ″terrible mistake″,[23] although the actual killer of Florendo was never definitively identified. He later won reelection by a landslide[17] in the 1992 elections, despite attempts to disqualify him from running. He was eventually acquitted of wrongdoing by the Supreme Court, which adopted a legal doctrine, later named after him, that a public official cannot be removed for administrative misconduct committed during a prior term since his re-election to office operates as a condonation of his past misconduct.[24] The ruling was subsequently applied to similar cases involving elected officials until it was reversed by the Supreme Court in 2016.
In 1993, Aguinaldo availed of an amnesty offered by the government of President
The Hotel Delfino remains a functioning hotel run by the Ting family, members of which have served as mayors of Tuguegarao for several decades, including at the time of the siege.
In popular culture
The incident is featured, albeit with some inaccuracies, in the climax of Aguinaldo's 1993 biopic Aguinaldo: The True-to-Life Story of Gov. Rodolfo Aguinaldo of Cagayan, starring Lito Lapid as Aguinaldo[27] and Ramil Rodriguez as an unnamed Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary who serves as a composite of Florendo. Aguinaldo himself appears at the beginning of the film to make an opening statement and is shown taking the oath of office at the ending of the film. Some scenes were shot in Tuguegarao itself, including at the Hotel Delfino and Balzain Bridge.
See also
References
- ^ a b Yabes, Criselba (March 5, 1990). "Manila Ends Hostage Standoff". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ Bautista, Nona (March 4, 1990). "Government troops beat back rebel attack". United Press International. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ Drogin, Bob (March 5, 1990). "Rebel Clash Puts Aquino in New Crisis". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ Johnson, Bryan (March 5, 1990). "Governor creates new crisis for Aquino". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ Schmetzer, Uli (March 5, 1990). "Ousted governor declares war with Aquino". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ Lagasca, Charlie. "Thousands mourn as Aguinaldo is laid to rest". philstar.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ Esguerra, Christian. "Marcos victims retell torture stories vs Enrile 'revisionism'". news.abscbn.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ a b c d McCoy, Alfred. "Impunity". Closer than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy. Anvil Publishing. p. 304-308.
- ^ Branigin, William (3 June 1986). "Communist Rebels Battle On In Luzon". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "The Final Report of the Fact-Finding Commission: IV: Military Intervention in the Philippines: 1986 – 1987". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. 3 October 1990. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ^ Le Vine, Steve. "PHILIPPINE RENEGADE OFFICER SAYS U.S. SHOULD `LET US STRUGGLE`". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ Drogin, Bob (1990-03-05). "Rebel Clash Puts Aquino in New Crisis : Philippines: The battle leaves a dozen dead, including a general. The renegade governor who supported December coup attempt escapes arrest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ Yabes, Criselda (1990-03-05). "MANILA ENDS HOSTAGE STANDOFF". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "The Final Report of the Fact-Finding Commission: V: The Failed December 1989 Coup: Pre-Coup Events and Battle Zone Narratives". officialgazette.gov.ph. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ a b c "MILITARY ASSAULT LEAVES GENERAL, OTHERS DEAD, IMMOBILIZES CHURCH". UCA News. 4 March 1990.
- ^ a b c d e f McCoy, Alfred. "Impunity". Closer than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy. Anvil Publishing. p. 306.
- ^ a b c d e Guerrero, Eileen (1990-03-04). "Forces of Governor Charged With Rebellion Seize Hostages; Military Alert". apnews.com. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ Schmetzer, Uli. "OUSTED GOVERNOR THREATENS AQUINO". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ a b c d Reid, Robert (1990-03-05). "Attempt to Arrest Governor Tied to Coup Attempt Leaves 14 Dead". Associated Press. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ a b Bautista, Nona (1990-03-05). "Government troops beat back rebel attack". UPI. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ a b "General Killed Trying to Arrest Coup Suspect Buried". AP News. March 11, 1990. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ "SC Clarifies Effectivity of Abandonment of "Condonation Doctrine"". sc.judiciary.gov.ph. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ McCoy, Alfred. "Impunity". Closer than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy. Anvil Publishing. p. 314.
- ^ "Cagayan solon slain in ambush". Philstar.com. June 13, 2001. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ McCoy, Alfred. "Impunity". Closer than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy. Anvil Publishing. p. 308.