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By Maricel V. Cruz, Reporter
For a Southern Tagalog lawmaker, history is
wrong in naming Manuel L. Quezon as the second President of the
Philippine Republic serving after Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
In House Bill 2594, Rep. Rodolfo Valencia of
Oriental Mindoro is pushing to declare General Miguel Malvar—a
prominent revolutionary hero—as the second Philippine President in
an effort to rectify his place in the succession of the country’s
heads of state.
Historical records validate Malvar’s ascension
to the presidency, Valencia said.
“General Malvar took over the revolutionary
government after General Emilio Aguinaldo, first President of the
Republic, was captured on March 23, 1901, and [was] exiled in Hong
Kong by the American colonial government—since he was next in
command,” the Mindoro congressman explained.
The Philippine revolutionary junta legitimized
Malvar’s ascendancy to the position, Valencia said, citing
historical accounts.
He added that the distinguished Filipino
historian, Teodoro Agoncillo, had written that Malvar “took over
the leadership of the Filipino government, or what remained of it,
and harassed the Americans by his guerilla tactics.” Malvar served
as President of the revolutionary government from the time of
Aguinaldo’s capture on March 23, 1901, to April 16, 1902,
historical records show.
The book Army of First Philippine Republic by
Professor Luis Camara Dery of the De La Salle University’s History
Department gives further credence to Malvar’s rightful place in
history, Valencia said.
He added that Malvar’s distinguished
achievements and indispensable contributions need no further
enumeration, but it is necessary for surviving generations to
preserve his legacies and correct history.
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