Bilang parangal kay Jose Diokno, idineklara ni Pangulong Arroyo ang Pebrero 27, ika-17 anibersaryo ng kamatayan ni dating Senador Jose W. Diokno, na “a day of national remembering.”

“In Proclamation 558 signed Tuesday by Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, the President cited the late jurist, nationalist and statesman for his steadfast struggle against the Marcos dictatorship and his valiant fight for the preservation of the country’s democratic institutions,” ayon sa ulat ng Gov.ph, ang opisyal na portal ng Republika ng Pilipinas.

Ayon naman sa INQ7, nilagdaan ngayon ni Arroyo ang isang batas na nagdedeklara kay Benigno Aquino bilang isang pambansang bayani.
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Sa kaarawan ng Supremo, nais kong ibahagi sa inyo itong article na sinulat ng kaibigang kong si Alexander Martin Remollino para sa Bulatlat.com:

Martyrdom of a People’s Leader

To his last breath, Bonifacio was devoted to the main objective of the KKK, which was separation from Spain. Aguinaldo and his clique, in contrast, would not long after yield their arms in exchange for P400,000 and accept exile to Hong Kong and the continuation of Spanish sovereignty in accordance with the Pact of Biak na Bato, in which Pedro Paterno negotiated for the Spanish colonial government.

By Alexander Martin Remollino
Bulatlat.com
http://www.bulatlat.com/news/3-13/3-13-martyrdom.html

Among the more tragic chapters in the history of the Filipino people is the execution of Andres Bonifacio, founder of the Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK), which began to wage a revolutionary struggle against Spanish colonial rule in 1896, on Mt. Buntis, Maragondon, Cavite on May 10, 1897.

Unlike Jose Rizal and Macario Sakay, who were executed by soldiers of occupying powers, Bonifacio died in the hands of fellow Katipuneros. This makes his death doubly tragic.

But why did the Supremo, as Bonifacio came to be known among his fellow Katipuneros, have to die — and in such a manner?
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From the book “Supremo: the Story of Andres Bonifacio” by Sylvia Mendez Ventura:

A soldier under Lazaro Makapagal revealed to Bonifacio’s boyhood friend and fellow Katipunero, Guillermo Masangkay, that the Supremo was hacked to death with bolos and bayonets. A farmer said he saw five men hacking a man in a hammock.

On May 10, 1897, Emilio Aguinaldo’s men murdered the founder of the Katipunan. Patriot Apolinario Mabini described the assassination of Bonifacio as “the first triumph of personal ambition over true patriotism…”

Mabuhay si Gat Andres Bonifacio!

Today is the birthday of Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution. Born on November 30, 1863 to a poor couple in Tondo, Manila, the young Andres, together with his siblings, worked hard and struggled to survive, especially after the death of their parents.

Later in his life, the Great Plebeian led a bigger struggle not just for his family, but for the entire Filipino nation then under the oppressive Spanish colonial government. He became a member of the peaceful group La Liga Filipina with Jose Rizal, among other propagandists. He read and was inspired by Rizal’s novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The execution of Rizal showed Bonifacio that a peaceful struggle for change was useless at that time.

He led the forming of the Kataas-taasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng manga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) or Katipunan, a secret society aimed at gaining independence (kalayaan) from the colonial rule even through violent means, if neccessary. The Filipino masses embraced the organization that also proclaimed the equality (pagkakapantay-pantay) of men and women–whether rich or poor–and taught them to care for each other (pagdadamayan). Katipunan’s membership increased and it has managed to win many fights.

However, as the organization gained strength and number, factionalism occurred. A certain faction, particularly from the elite, eventually dislodged the Supremo from his leadership. Even as they snatched from him, denied him of his rightful claim to the leadership of a new revolutionary government, his worth as a person and a leader was also insulted. After he lost the presidency to Emilio Aguinaldo at the Tejeros Convention, he was elected secretary of interior. An asshole, however, questioned his capability to handle that post. How was the Supreme Leader of the Katipunan supposed to respond to such indignity? In the end, the Supremo was tried and sentenced to death for not recognizing the new elite-led revolutionary government.

On May 10, 1897, a general named Lazaro Makapagal and his men brought him to Mt. Nagpatong in the Maragondon provinces where he met his death. The Father of the Revolution died in not in the hands of the enemy. Ironic, isn’t it? The Supremo was killed by soldiers of a government that was a result of his leadership.

His death signaled the seemingly unending cycle of betrayal of the Filipino masses.