The laws of the first Philippine Republic (the laws of Malolos) 1898-1899. / Compiled & edited by Sulpicio Guevara.

2

THE LAWS OF THE FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

On August 24,1 1896, the revolution against the abuses of the Spanish
government in the Philippines was sparked by a plebeian named Andres
Bonifacio. The revolution spread so rapidly and so successfully that on
June 12, 1898, in the town of Cavite-Viejo, the revolutionists under the
leadership of General Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (who later succeeded
Bonifacio as the new leader) proclaimed to the world the independence
of the Philippines.2
On June 18, 1898, because of the exigencies of the war, Generai
Aguinaldo issued a Decree establishing a Dictatorial Government, but
at the same time called for the election of Representatives to a Revolutionary Congress in Malolos, known in Philippine history as the Malolos
Congress. These representatives of the people
"shall safeguard the general interests of the Archipelago and of the
peculiar needs of their respective provinces and shall constitute the
Revolutionary Congress which shall propose to this Government (Revolutionary) all measures concerning the preservation of internal peace and
external security of these Islands, and shall be heard by the same in all
important and transcendental matters whose resolution admit of delay
or waiting."
On July 23, 1898, General Aguinaldo issued another Decree establishing the Revolutionary Government which substituted the Dictatorial Government, with further provisions on the Congress as follows:
"OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
"ART. 11. The Revolutionary Congress is the assembly of the
Representatives of the provinces of the Philippine Archipelago, elected
in the manner provided for in the Decree of June 18th.
"However, if any province cannot yet elect representatives, because
the greater portion of the towns of said province has not as yet been
freed from Spanish domination, the Government may appoint provisionally representatives for the same from among the persons most fitted
by their education and social position in such number pursuant to the
Decree, provided they are natives and residents for a long time of the
province.
"ART. 12. Once assembled in the town where the Revolutionary
Government is located, and in the building which the latter may designate,
they shall proceed to preliminary work, designating by plurality vote a
Commission composed of five members, charged of examining the qualifications of each representative and another Commission of three members which shall examine the documents presented by the five members
of the first Commission.
"ART. 13. On the following day, the said representatives shall assemble again and the two commissions shall read their respective reports
1 This is the date of the actual start of the Revolution, according to the
Preamble to the Biak-na-Bato Constitution of 1897.
2See facsimile of original document of the Declaration of Independence,
Appendix A. See also Apolinario Mabini's Second Declaration of Independence
proclaimed on August 1, 1898 at Bakoor, Cavite, signed by town presidents instead
of by the military chiefs.