AMBROSIO RIANZARES BAUTISTA
(1830 - 1903)
Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, author of the
Declaration of Philpine Independence of June 12, 18983 was born on December 7,
1830 Biiian, Laguna to Gregorio Enriquez Bautista and Silvestra Altamira.
A distant relative of the Rizal family, he
was often sought after by young Jose for advice during the latter's student
days in Manila.
Although Bautista was not as
eminent as many other great Filipino, he
was often likened to Mahatma Gandhi, author of the Declaration of Indian Independence of January 26, 1930,
and Ho Chi Minh, Father of the
Declaration of Vietnamese Indpendence.
Little is known about Ambrosio's early
education and activities. He must have completed his early education in a
school in his home town, then, he went to the University of Santo Tomas where
he obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree.
His contemporaries in law were
distinguished men like Chief Justice Cayetano S. Arellano, Chief Justice
Florentino Torres, Rafael del Pan, a prominent lawyer, and Dr. Pedro A.
Paterno, "diplomat of the Philippine Revolution."
A generous man, Bautista was popular
among peasants and laborers as he often gave legal advice and services and defended
their cases in court free of charge.
Once Bautista was captured by a group of bandits on his way to
Malolos, Bulacan. When the bandits learned
that he was the famous "Don Bosyong" who had saved many of their
friends from the gallows and defended the poor in court cases against the
greedy Spaniards and rich Filipino caciques they immediately apologized and set
him free.
As a patriot, like many Filipino
intellectuals of the time, Bautista joined the Propaganda Movement spearheaded
by Marcelo H. del Pilar and solicited funds to finance the campaign for reforms
in the Philippines.
He was also elected one of the officers
of the Liga Filipina, a patriotic association founded by Rizal in the house of
Doroteo Ongjunco on Ilaya street, Tondo, Manila on July 3, 1892. This
association did not last long because three days after its foundation, on July
7, 1892, Rizal was arrested on orders of Covemor-General Eulogio Despujol and
exiled to Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte (now Dapitan City).
After the dissolution of the Liga,
Bautista became a leading member of the "Cuerpo de Compromisarios"
subsequently organized by its active and conservative members. He contributed
funds to finance La Solidaridad, the organ of the propaganda movement in Spain,
founded by Graciano Lopez Jaena on February 15, 1889.
It will be recalled that Bautista wrote
articles for La Independencia, a nationalistic and very influential newspaper
of the Revolution whose maiden issue came out on September 3, 1898.
When the Philippine Revolution broke out
in August 1896, was one of those
"most wanted" by the Spanish authorities of his involvement in
various patriotic organizations. He was
and thrown into prison at Fort Santiago. A brilliant lawyer, himself
took up his case with much eloquence and logic. Finally the investigators that the rebellion was
"not actually against Spain but a blind and desperate plea for
reforms" in the Philippines” he
was later released.
After his release from prison,
he immediately went into hiding in Malabon. Later, a second warrant for his
arrest was when the authorities
learned that Bautista was really involved
the Revolution. This time however, the agents of the law could not find
him.
When Governor-General Fernando Prime de
Rivera proclaimed a general amnesty in accordance with the "Pact of
Biyak-na-Bato" of December 14 and 15, 1897, Bautista availed of it and
returned to his hometown Biñan, Laguna.
Upon succeeding Primode Rivera, Governor-General
Basilio Agustin instituted on May 9, 1898 a "policy of attraction"
aimed at dousing the fervor of the Revolution. The policy consisted of giving
positions of responsibility to those who
had been involved in the hostilities. Bautista was appointed to the
twenty-member "Consultative Assembly" with powers to deliberate and
advice the Governor-General on problems that were political, governmental or
administrative in nature.
In Biñan, Laguna, Bautista keenly followed
national events, particularly the impending outbreak of the Spanish-American
hostilities. He was mindful of the
defeat of the Spanish armada by the American Naviy under Commodore George Dewey
during the battle of Manila Bay on May
1, 1898.
When Bautista learned that
Aguinaldo had returned to Cavite from Hongkong on May 19, 1898, he promptly
went to see him and to offer his
service.
Aguinaldo graciously welcomed
him as the former really needed an adviser, especially one who was a lawyer.
Subsequently, he was appointed
auditor-general de guerra and was asked to give advice on proposed constitution prepared by Mariano
Ponce in Hongkong.
After studying the Ponce constitution,
Bautista persuaded
to delay its implementation. Believing
that a constitlitional government would not be viable because of the turbulent
conditions at the time, he advised Aguinaldo to establish a dictator regime instead.
Bautista did not only act as an adviser
to Aguinaldo, but penned several important state documents. One of the most
–famous these documents was the Declaration of Philippine Independence. As
special delegate, he read the paper during the proclamation of independence at
Aguinaldo's residence in Kawit, Cavite in the afternoon of Sunday, June 12,
1898. It was read in the presence of a crowd that also witnessed the unfurling
of the present Filipino flag the playing of the national anthem.
After the independence celebration,
Bautista was replaced by Apolinario Mabini as Aguinaldo's principal adviser. As
a leading member of the Revolutionary Congress in Malolos, Bautista showed his
intelligence during the deliberations on the most significant issues. Before
the Congress elected its officers, he acted as temporary president. Later, on
June 14, 1899, he was elected president of Revolutionary Congress when it
convened in Tarlac, succeeding Pedro A. Paterno who had earlier replaced Mabini
as premier and head of the Cabinet. Thus, Bautista became the second President
of the Malolos Congress.
When the Filipino-American War ended and
peace and order
restored, Bautista cooperated with the
American authorities in the
of rehabilitating and rebuilding his
war-ravaged country. He was appointed judge of the Court of First Instance of
Pangasinan.
He died of a fatal fall from ahorse-drawn
carriage in on December 4, 1903, at the age of 73.