The soul of the revolution

Abstract

If Apolinario Mabini, the Sublime Paralytic, was the brains of the revolution and Emilio Jacinto the heart of the Philippine libertarian struggle, then Andres Bonifacio, oftentimes known as the Great Plebeian, was undoubtedly the soul of the resistance movement against Spain. He was the great commoner who breathed life into the revolutionary cause when his companions wavered.

When Dr. Jose Rizal branded the revolution as ill-timed and lacking in preparation because the so-called cultured elements and plutocracy did not support it, the Katipuneros were on the verge of giving up their dream of overthrowing castilan sovereignty in the archipelago. However, Bonifacio urged his comrades in arms to continue fighting. Ina answer to the Great Malayan's contention that the revolution was doomed to failure without arms, ships and the support of the plutocracy and cultured elements Bonifacio countered. "Thunder! Wherever did Dr. Rizal read that for a revolution you must first have arms and ships? Where did he read it?

To say that Bonifacio rose from the ranks to become one of the foremost leaders of the revolution is not to indulge in a vacuous platitude. As a young child he had to overcome poverty in order to obtain an education. Bereft of his parents at the age of 14, the Katipunan founder had to give up his studies in order to support his three younger brothers and two sisters. This he did by making paper fans and wooden canes and selling them on the streets.