"On the relevance of Antonio Luna
in asserting self reliance and independence"
(or: Notes after 4th of July)
Despite being a hotheaded man when it comes to leadership, Antonio Luna was a man of many parts. Prior to his soldiering, he was known to be a scientist, a writer, and an athlete, making his colleagues amazed by his talent through his accomplishments bearing an imprint of an orginal and meticulous mind.
However, despite his contributions be it the quality of carabao's milk to those of his fencing skills, Antonio Luna will be remembered for his military accomplishments. It was as a soldier that Luna made him known; it was as a commander that he towered above his contemporaries; it was in the field of battle that he able to express his persona, hence, making by his admirers a military genius.
And regardless of how critics equated him with his hotheadedness and stiff discipline towards his soldiers, of sometime opposing fellow patriots whose interests prevailed than those of his countrymen, even those of Aguinaldo and his circle of interest seekers, Antonio Luna wished unity, cohesion, and coordination amongst his forces being its commander. In the movie "Heneral Luna" he rallied his men not just chiding them for their insubordination or disobedience even brought by his fellow generals, but the drivel to impose discipline was his desire for showing to the enemies that they were facing an army, not a ragtag group of militiamen in uniform.
In fact, according to a speech made by the Dictator Ferdinand Marcos, he stated that in the battle of Santo Tomas in 1899, Antonio Luna was wounded in the leg. He was given a medal and on this medal was engraved the legend:
5 de Febrero 1899—La Loma
10 de Febrero 1899—Caloocan
25 de Febrero 1899—Caloocan
24 de Abril 1899—Pulilan
25 de Abril 1899—Calumpit, Bagbag
27 de Abril 1899—Apalit, Rio Grande
4 de Mayo 1899—Sto. Tomas
Imagine, with all these seven battles, marred by the deaths of his men and the disagreements amongst officers, Luna's actions fought all these battles with skill, cunning, and gallantry that even his enemies admired him, if not amazed by his contributions that made itself in par with the west from those standards:
- Luna Defense Line- Supposedly ranging from Caloocan to Angeles, Pampanga, this three-tiered Defence Line was described by American military observers as consisting of numerous bamboo trenches stretching from town to town. The series of trenches allowed Filipino troops to withdraw gradually, firing from cover at the advancing Americans; but as the American troops occupied each new position, they were subjected to a series of traps that had been set in the trenches, which included bamboo spikes and poisonous reptiles.
Furthermore, this Defence Line was created while the Republic was also constructing a guerrilla base in the Mountain Province. The base was supposedly planned to be the last stand headquarters of the Republic in the case the Americans broke through the Defense Line, alongside the use of guerilla warfare taking its place. - Luna Sharpshooters- Known for being a special unit of then revolutionary forces, the "tiradores" became famous for their fierce fighting and proved their worth by being the usual spearheading unit in every major battle in the Philippine–American War. It was from the unit where a Filipino sharpshooter, Private Bonifacio Mariano, under the command of General Licerio Gerónimo killed General Henry Ware Lawton, making the latter the highest ranking casualty during the course of the war.
Antonio Luna also favored the use of Guerilla warfare, that according to Apolinaro Mabini in his "La Revolucion Filipina", he saidth:
“After the capture of Calumpit bridge by the American forces, due principally to the scarcity of munitions, Luna came to see me in San Isidro and entreated me to aid him in convincing Aguinaldo that the time had come to adopt the system of guerrilla warfare.”
Or even earlier, when Luna tried to convince Aguinaldo in engaging the American forces with guerilla tactics, only to be opposed by the president himself, insisting that as an independent country the Armed Forces should face to face with its enemies. The latter, which actually meant conventional warfare, did cost numerous lives and defeats, which ironically, made Aguinaldo forced to conduct guerilla warfare year after.
***
With this kind of memory one would say that Antonio Luna has inspired Filipinos to fight for its sovereignty be it at the war and at the home front. Like Mao Zedong, Vo Nguyen Giap, Kim Il Sung, or Che Guevara, Antonio Luna sought a country whose terrain be suitable for a tactic others tend to call it a "stab on the back" or "traitorous" in its description; yet with that kind of action, even in this modern times, remains well appreciated- that even Marcos himself admitted that in the case of another war would compel Filipinos to resort ultimately towards guerilla warfare- which ironically, used by his enemies to harass his own troops, including those of the "special forces" he taketh proud of- like all others in the armed forces being targeted during ambushes and sniping operations. But again, this action still continues to be called "traitorous" given its tactics, if not insisting that it is "outdated" in today's standards wherein modern warfare involves machines, technology, all to support intelligence, strategy, and tactics; but remember, as what Saddam Hussein saidth that "the valiant Iraqi peasant and how he shot down an American Apache with an old weapon." So was the use of caves, of forests not just to hide the forces from the enemy but to beat them without confronting. Or as what they say "One versus Ten" in terms of tactics, "Ten versus one" in strategy.
It was also through Luna, who like all other revolutionaries and patriots with their expertise in the sciences, has cultivated Filipinos the need for self reliance if not the thirst for knowledge. How come? Given his studies in Europe comes the need to address the situations Filipinos faced ranging from Health to those of Military sciences. He was once commissioned by the Spanish government to study tropical and communicable diseases, on analysing purity of carabao milk and water from the Pasig, as well as a study on mosquitoes and its spread of disease; what more that during the early years of the republic when he founded the "Academia Militar" where instilled soldiers the need for discipline, patriotism, and self reliance as opposed to his contemporaries' territorial loyalties, favouritism, even misplaced views which marred the development of the republic's armed forces if not the survival of the republic in itself.
The Philippine-American war and the Second World War have thought the Filipino that self reliance can bring back a nation's confidence. This writer may have sought articles how Filipinos had to dealt with both survival and the will to resist as one would make bullets, create trenches, melting bells for guns, to those of making ambushes to get the badly-needed weapons from that war of resistance. It was also from both wars that thought the Filipino that an organised effort, conducted by a properly motivated and ably-led population can fight a powerful enemy to a standstill or can easily defeat them.
Quite idealistic if to intepret in this today's setting, knowing that the present order opted to be meek than to appear strong especially in the recent events surrounding tensions with a strong country as its neighbor. Will Juan again run towards its Uncle Sam and be a little brown brother in his presence? What a stupid suggestion if that's case especially all after watching movies featuring Antonio Luna, Andres Bonifacio, Gregorio del Pilar, and the likes that encourage Filipinos like Juan to stand up as a Nation, while downplaying the need for self reliance which includes revisiting the lessons of these two wars that made the Filipino known for regardless of this modern day scenario. After all, this is an era where words like independence and patriotism been downplayed in favor of globalisation and its vassalage to the global market, treating a country as a demographic.
If Filipinos would again be involved in another war, expect a people willing to fight against its occupier. The order, with or without the government cares about its own interests that most of which are at the expense of the people's welfare that not all soldiers would take an active resistance as they lie low waiting for hand outs from a foreign 'liberator'. Cannot explain further tho but regardless of how powerful an aggressor would appear, to see an aroused, organised, and mobilised citizenry can beat them.
Anyway, why is this note being posted in the day Americans celebrating its independence day? For sure from 1898-1902 as Americans celebrated their independence day at its home front and in their occupied zones, Filipinos were struggling in its war for its independence, thinking that like the Americans themselves in 1776 they deserve the same independence that's being fought regardless of life and limb. And men like Antonio Luna did a contribution to show that his country has its will to resist even at the expense of their lives.
And with these lessons would say that the country's history of resistance will always be relevant no matter what. The country may have lack of modern weapons, but it is the people who decide not the weapons in this kind of resistance if taking, and like Luna, the people must be capable of saying:
“The Filipino people want independence. I will defend it until I die, thus complying with the oath to my flag.”
Source:
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1968/10/29/speech-of-president-marcos-the-contemporary-relevance-of-antonio-lunas-military-doctrines-october-29-1968/
***
The Philippine-American war and the Second World War have thought the Filipino that self reliance can bring back a nation's confidence. This writer may have sought articles how Filipinos had to dealt with both survival and the will to resist as one would make bullets, create trenches, melting bells for guns, to those of making ambushes to get the badly-needed weapons from that war of resistance. It was also from both wars that thought the Filipino that an organised effort, conducted by a properly motivated and ably-led population can fight a powerful enemy to a standstill or can easily defeat them.
Quite idealistic if to intepret in this today's setting, knowing that the present order opted to be meek than to appear strong especially in the recent events surrounding tensions with a strong country as its neighbor. Will Juan again run towards its Uncle Sam and be a little brown brother in his presence? What a stupid suggestion if that's case especially all after watching movies featuring Antonio Luna, Andres Bonifacio, Gregorio del Pilar, and the likes that encourage Filipinos like Juan to stand up as a Nation, while downplaying the need for self reliance which includes revisiting the lessons of these two wars that made the Filipino known for regardless of this modern day scenario. After all, this is an era where words like independence and patriotism been downplayed in favor of globalisation and its vassalage to the global market, treating a country as a demographic.
If Filipinos would again be involved in another war, expect a people willing to fight against its occupier. The order, with or without the government cares about its own interests that most of which are at the expense of the people's welfare that not all soldiers would take an active resistance as they lie low waiting for hand outs from a foreign 'liberator'. Cannot explain further tho but regardless of how powerful an aggressor would appear, to see an aroused, organised, and mobilised citizenry can beat them.
***
Anyway, why is this note being posted in the day Americans celebrating its independence day? For sure from 1898-1902 as Americans celebrated their independence day at its home front and in their occupied zones, Filipinos were struggling in its war for its independence, thinking that like the Americans themselves in 1776 they deserve the same independence that's being fought regardless of life and limb. And men like Antonio Luna did a contribution to show that his country has its will to resist even at the expense of their lives.
And with these lessons would say that the country's history of resistance will always be relevant no matter what. The country may have lack of modern weapons, but it is the people who decide not the weapons in this kind of resistance if taking, and like Luna, the people must be capable of saying:
“The Filipino people want independence. I will defend it until I die, thus complying with the oath to my flag.”
Source:
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1968/10/29/speech-of-president-marcos-the-contemporary-relevance-of-antonio-lunas-military-doctrines-october-29-1968/