The American Colonial Period

The Assassination of General Antonio Luna

In June 4, General Antonio Luna was at his headquarters at Bayambang, Pangasinan, discussing with General Makabulos on their next moves and strategies when he received a telegram from Aguinaldo, summoning him to Cabanatuan for a conference. General Makabulos was unable to go with him because he had to to go Tarlac to check on his troops. Before they parted ways, General Makabulos told Gen. Luna to be careful.

General Luna departed immediately with Francisco Roman and a few soldiers, and arrived at Cabanatuan the following day. He entered the Cabanatuan convent that Aguinaldo made his home and office. He was surprised when he saw the sentry who is one of the soldiers of the Kawit battalion whom he disarmed and tried to punish four months ago. The sentry didn't salute or present arms and ignored the general when he entered the convent. General Luna got mad and slapped him across the face, shouting, "Don't you have respect to your superior officer?" Grumbling, he proceeded upstairs to Aguinaldo's office.

Upon entering Aguinaldo's office, he didn't see el presidente there, instead he saw Felipe Buencamino, which filled him with hatred and rage. The two began arguing when Buencamino informed the general that el presidente had already left to inspect the troops in San Isidro and Tarlac. "Why call me when he could not keep his appointment?" Luna shouted and began to berate Buencamino and insult el presidente.

They were still arguing when they heard a rifle shot outside. General Luna turned his back on Buencamino and rushed down to investigate. On his way out, he encountered Captain Pedro Janolino, the Kawit Battalion officer who refused to obey Gen. Luna when the Filipinos tried to retake Caloocan from the Americans. The memory of Janolino's escape from punishment had made Luna froth with anger. "You fools, don't you know how to handle a rifle?" he screamed at Janolino.

Fearing that the general would hurt him, Janolino pulled out his bolo and slashed him across the head. Soon other soldiers from Kawit battalion appeared. They crowded him, stabbed and fired at him. General Luna staggered outside, hissing "Coward! Assassins!" and fell at the convent yard. General Luna's aide ran toward him, but he too, was stabbed and shot down. General Luna still mumbling his defiance died, having received about forty wounds.

Felipe Buencamino ran outside, looking over at eh bloodied body of the general whom he hated and despised. He spoke: "At last they are dead." He ordered the men to get all the papers in the general's pocket, especially the telegram. Buencamino saw something in the soldiers' faces as they realized what they had done. Buencamino told them not to worry because he will take of them.

Aguinaldo immediately ordered an investigation upon learning the death of General Luna. And when the investigation was finished, the report blamed General Luna for instigating the attack and absolved the Kawit soldiers of any wrongdoing. Aguinaldo accepted the verdict without comment, and betrayed his regional bias and his naivete. Felipe Buencamino, who became Luna's blood enemy, and many illustrados who might have helped him with the assassination, escape any blame. The report also cleared Aguinaldo because there is no evidence that he had anything to do with Luna's death. However, the confiscating of the general's papers, and especially the mysterious telegram in his pocket by Buencamino had removed the damning piece of evidence that would have linked Aguinaldo to the assassination.

Upon learning the death of their commanding officer, Gen. Luna's soldiers, composed of Kapampangan and Ilocano soldiers conspired to ambush Aguinaldo's convoy once Aguinaldo entered Pangasinan province. But when Gregorio Aglipay learned about their plans, he talked them out of it. Many of General Luna's loyal soldiers beginning to lose faith in the cause, and started to surrender to the Americans. The Kapampangan soldiers who served under Luna had switched side to the Americans because they don't like Aguinaldo and despised the Tagalogs.

Source: "Sitting in Darkness: Americans in the Philippines" by David Howard Bain

Logged"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignoranace and conscientious stupididty."--Martin Luther King Jr.