UniTeam then and now

When the former “UniTeam” went their separate ways, I could not help but think of similar splits in Philippine history. In 1897, Katipunan leaders met to iron out issues between the Magdalo and Magdiwang, but ended up holding a snap election for a revolutionary government to replace the Katipunan. Elections are meant to unify, but sometimes achieve the opposite. With the election of Emilio Aguinaldo as president, disunity was not resolved, it worsened. Andres Bonifacio, who initially presided over the meeting declared the election null and void. The next day, Bonifacio and his supporters issued what was probably the first election protest in our history. Aguinaldo was the lone Magdalo elected and he was not even physically present in a room dominated by Magdiwang. Was this a trap? Was Bonifacio betrayed by Magdiwang leaders related to his wife?

Reflecting on this, we must go back to an election in 1891 to choose the leader of the Filipino community, which was split between Jose Rizal “Rizalistas” and Marcelo H. del Pilar “Pilaristas.” With the memory of Rizal’s boorish behavior at a New Year’s Eve party, Eduardo de Lete proposed a showdown, probably meant to formally challenge Rizal’s leadership. We only have one account of this election in Plaridel’s letter to his brother-in-law, dated March 31, 1891, when he stated this was a trap Lete prepped for Rizal. Lete actually got Rizal’s support for the election; they arrived at Plaridel’s place together.

Plaridel raised a point of order: why have an election to unite what was already united? I addressed the group: “Every institution, every organization, has a reason for being only when it fills a felt need. What need does this new organization meet? For political purposes, within the limits of the law, we have the Spanish-Philippine Association; for purposes of propaganda, we have another circle at our disposal with valuable connections.

“In short, all were against me and I was defeated as the only opponent of the plan. Naning (Mariano Ponce) shared my opinion but he did not think it advisable to insist and kept his mouth shut.”

When Rizal was chosen to draft the rules, Plaridel intended to accept the rules without even reading them, but was struck by a provision that placed the newspaper La Solidaridad under the control of the elected leader. As editor of the paper, Plaridel objected, but Rizal assured him not to worry as he would be elected leader.

After further clarifications, they cast their ballots, but didn’t meet the required majority of a two-thirds vote. Ballots were cast three more times with the same result neither for Rizal nor Plaridel so they decided to resume the next day. Before they parted, Rizal and Plaridel agreed to vote for a third candidate to avoid factions. Plaridel did not attend the elections, and when he returned home, heard that the first ballot was again inconclusive. Ponce, acting as Plaridel’s proxy, conferred with Rizal to field a third candidate acceptable to both parties but: “Rizal, without accepting or rejecting the proposal, replied that he was going abroad to work by himself because there was no unity possible where there were two Filipinos.”

A second balloting, (the sixth since the previous day) was again inconclusive prompting Rizal to get all the ballots. He then separated all his votes and counted them for everyone in the room to see, before declaring: “Well, I see that I have 19 friends in the colony; goodbye, gentlemen, I am going to pack my bags, see you later,” and seizing his hat, went off. Ponce, who was under Plaridel’s instructions to block his election, then spoke to the Pilaristas to get them to swing their votes for Rizal and preserve harmony. Only then was Rizal elected, on the seventh ballot.

Two advisers to Rizal were then proposed. Lete was elected but the second spot could not gain a majority for neither Mariano Ponce nor Galicano Apacible. Ponce was associated with Plaridel, while Apacible was seen as a Rizalista because he was Rizal’s cousin. Ponce then advised the Pilaristas to vote for a third person instead, but Rizal made it clear he would reject leadership if the third candidate was elected. How could Rizal work with two Pilarista advisers? To cut a long story short, a compromise candidate, Modesto Reyes, was elected.

On the day of assumption of office, Rizal took the floor and, according to Plaridel “gave a long recriminatory speech, hit at Lete, and added that Mr. Del Pilar should have withdrawn his candidature immediately, with all the more reason since he himself (that is to say, I myself) had considered his victory inopportune (I really had said this): that in Manila the news of his (Rizal’s) defeat would have been badly received, since he was recognized there as the leader, and it would be very irregular if he were not also the leader in Madrid.”

Rizal declined the election, and Plaridel, weeks later, filled the vacancy. Rizal then licked his wounds far away from Madrid telling a friend: “A scratch from a friend is worse than a blow from an enemy.” How come K-12 history class forgot these details?

——————

Comments are welcome at aocampo@ateneo.edu