The Misrepresented Hero

The Misrepresented Hero

 

Last November 30, the Philippines celebrate again what they call “Bonifacio day” commemorating the heroism of Andres Bonifacio and labeling him the “Hero of the Filipino Mass”. But some adept historians persistently ask “Where are the Filipino masses?”, signifying that the title “Hero of the Filipino Mass” is amiss depiction of the real Andres Bonifacio. Moreover, the dress get up depiction of Andres Bonifacio which most Filipinos were accustomed to depict Andres Bonifacio wearing a white camisa de chino with red neckerchief and red drawstring pants, as well as holding a bolo knife in an angry mood shouting “Sugod mga kapatid!”(Charge!) just like the statue we saw formerly at Balintawak and now relocated at UP Diliman ground, is absolutely wrong and that the real Andres Bonifacio depicted on historical photos and documents like the one in the July 14, 1911 issue of “Renacimiento Filipino”, wherein the Andres Bonifacio there is wearing a coat and tie, just like the other Filipino heroes like Jose Rizal, Antonio Luna, Juan Luna, and others.

Andres Bonifacio is not seem to be the illiterate poor guy as the mainstream Philippine history try to convince and indoctrinate Filipino masses. He has some wealth, and if he will fight an enemy he will use a gun instead, rather than a bolo knife. Therefore, he is not really the “Hero of the Filipino Mass”.

Actually, the statue which we formerly saw at Balintawak which erroneously presented by some to the public as Andres Bonifacio himself have a plaque on it saying “Ala-ala ng Bayang Pilipino sa mga Bayani ng ‘96”(A memorial of the Filipino People to the Heroes of 1896) and not “Andres Bonifacio”; which clearly says that the statue is and was not Andres Bonifacio. Moreover, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas never depicts Andres Bonifacio with what the Filipinos have accustomed represent Andres rather they depict Andres in a more dignified one. However the UP Diliman has dubiously re-labeled the plaque on its relocation on its compound saying the statue is and was Andres Bonifacio himself which only intensifies confusion among the Filipino masses. But as we all know the UP Diliman is a Christian school, so expect Christian’s erroneous way of depicting history.

Actually, the statue which was misrepresented to be Andres Bonifacio was the work of the Filipino artist Ramon Martinez.

Therefore, the man holding a bolo knife shouting “sugod mga kapatid!”(Charge!) wearing a white camiso de chino with red neckerchief and red drawstring pants was just a mere boner or silly blunder to depict Andres Bonifacio and it is just mere work of fiction by the creative mind of Guillermo E. Tolentino. Yes, it was Guillermo E. Tolentino who has coined this image, however, he is now changing what he have coined he now suggesting Andres Bonifacio to be wearing a barong tagalong instead.

There are actually two type of Andres Bonifacio that Filipino people knew but the one that marks into the public consciousness among Filipinos and the one considered to be the real Andres Bonifacio is the one holding a bolo wearing a white camisa de chino with red neckerchief and red drawstring pants and shouting “Charge!” than the one who is dignitary in attire which most of the Spaniards depict Andres Bonifacio then. The one most Filipino people aware of about Andres Bonifacio is actually wrong historically and logically and was just a mere imagination of graphic artists which never knew historical facts. For if the real Andres Bonifacio is the one who wears a white camisa de chino with red neckerchief and red drawstring pants and shouting “Charge!” holding a big Knife or bolo knife, why would the Spaniards depict Andres Bonificio as a dignitary person wearing a coat and tie than wearing a white camisa de chino with red neckerchief and red drawstring pants and shouting “Charge!” holding a big knife or bolo knife?