Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

144 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

the battle of Tila Pass. Aguinaldo and the few faithful followers that were left, almost overtaken by their persecutors,
wanted to penetrate into the great mountains of the North to
find a safe refuge. But they had to check in the meanwhile
the advance of the enemy. How? Close the way, and check
its onward march. The place of Tila, located among high
gorges and precipices, was chosen for this last stand. Aguinaldo designated the man of his greatest confidence, the young
and valiant General Gregorio H. del Pilar, to defend Tila Pass.
Del Pilar realized that his was a dangerous task, but bravely
accepted the trust committed to him. Upon him depended
the capture or salvation of the President of the Republic. He
chose his best men and put them in their respective places, and
waited for the advancing enemy horde. After going through
a hard-fought battle, a group of the enemy succeeded in climbing to the top of a high mountain from which they were able
to dominate Del Pilar. Del Pilar saw that he and his men
were already defeated. However, he harrangued his soldiers
so that they would sustain the fight to the finish. Del Pilar
fell as a hero, and with him all the soldiers around him. When
his conquerors carried his body to give it honored interment,
they found in his diary a note in pencil, written a few moments
before he died, in which he said that his enemies had the
advantage over him in number and position, that he lacked the
resources to continue the fight, but in spite of all this, he
preferred to die at his post, for he thus defended the life and
honor of his chief. A glorious death of a Filipino soldier, and
a glorious end of a short-lived Republic!
The last speaker in the second session was the
Honorable Teodoro Sandiko, Member of the Philippine
Senate. He spoke on the subject of "Our Campaign
for Independence in the United States:"
"The chieftains of the first Independence Mission to the
United States deceived the people and for this reason the people
are now indifferent to any campaign to raise funds to finance
the present fight for independence," Senator Teodoro Sandiko,
declared.