Bonifacio, Andres (1863-1897), a Filipino patriot, was one of the founders of Katipunan, a secret revolutionary society, in 1892. The group tried to overthrow Spanish rule in the Philippines in 1896.
Bonifacio was born in a poor area of Manila on Nov. 30, 1863. As a young man, he worked as a messenger and as a clerk. He made up for his lack of formal education by reading widely. On June 26, 1892, José Rizal founded the organization La Liga Filipina (the Philippine League). The League was a partly secret association devoted to promoting unity and reforming the colony. Bonifacio was an early member of the League. On July 6, 1892, Rizal was arrested and exiled. The next day, Bonifacio and his associates founded Katipunan. In 1895, Bonifacio took control of Katipunan, which grew quickly under his leadership. When the Spanish authorities found out about the secret society in 1896, Bonifacio declared open revolt. For this action, some Filipinos consider Bonifacio to be the first president of the Philippines. He lost early battles against Spanish troops and fled to the neighboring province of Cavite.
In March 1897, Bonifacio chaired a meeting between two rival Katipunan factions. Delegates elected Emilio Aguinaldo as president of the revolutionary government, and Bonifacio was elected the director of the interior. After a delegate questioned Bonifacio’s credentials for his position, Bonifacio declared the election results null and void and left the meeting. Forces loyal to Aguinaldo later captured Bonifacio and found him guilty of treason. Bonifacio was executed on May 10, 1897.
See also Aguinaldo, Emilio; Philippines, History of the; Rizal, José.
