How our Independence was stolen, nurtured, regained

An American was among the 98 signatories of the Philippine Declaration of Independence, June 12, 1898. The presence  of artillery colonel L.M. Johnson has not been fully explained. The Declaration merely described him as “the only stranger (extranjero) who attended those proceedings.”

Strange events ensued in America. Policymakers and influencers debated what to do with the islands they had just taken from Spain. The imperialists chest-thumped national destiny and interest, but were themselves split on colonizing only Manila as a coaling station or including the whole archipelago. The anti-imperialists also subdivided: some invoked their Bill of Rights to encompass even non-Americans; others abhorred co-citizenship with “barbarians” across the Pacific.

A new book details those early sentiments and the subsequence. In Stories from the Other Side, historian Augusto de Viana presents in split-screen goings-on in America and the Philippines from Independence Day 1898, to the American and Japanese Occupations and the first two Post-War presidencies up to 1953. Following is the foreword I had the honor of writing:

“’News is the first rough draft of history’. That quote by writer-civil libertarian Alan Barth in the 1940s has since taken on many meanings. Journalists file reports on the run, under deadline pressure, day in and day out. Put together into an edition, the newspaper provides a snapshot of the day or week’s noteworthy events, places and people. And when reviewed sometime later, the many editions offer a wealth of first-hand information on a given period.

“That is what historian and prolific book author Augusto V. de Viana, PhD, does with back issues of The San Francisco Call. Digging up the American newspaper’s archives from 1898 to 1953, he recollects a unique period of Philippine history.

“Those 55 years were most turbulent. They span such events as the exoneration of the assassins of General Antonio Luna, the US military buildup to take Manila, the opposition of prominent Americans to imperialism, the atrocities during the Filipino-American War and the Japanese Occupation, and post-Liberation reconstruction and diplomacy. Aside from the Philippine capital, places covered were surrounding and far-flung Philippine provinces, North Borneo (Sabah), Washington DC and The Call’s California home state. Persons featured included Filipino and American political leaders, United States and Japanese army generals, their supporters and critics.

“The San Francisco Call is itself a unique source of historical tidbits. Based in the City by the Bay, it looked at two crucial directions. First, east across the United States mainland towards the policymakers in Washington DC. Then west, across the Pacific towards the Philippine islands targeted for colonization. The point of view naturally is American. For a time the newspaper’s editor was the fierce anti-corruption crusader Fremont Older. Correspondents and commentators of the period of coverage included anti-imperialist Mark Twain. The articles presented the reasons behind and the actions forwarded from the American side. Hence, in compiling them into a book, Professor de Viana aptly entitles it Stories from the Other Side and Other Narratives. For context he provides factual background and scholarly insights to each selected news report.

“This latest book complements Professor de Viana’s other compilations of first-hand historical accounts. Notable are The I-Stories: The Philippine Revolution and the Filipino-American War as Told by its Eyewitnesses and Participants; and Stories Rarely Told: The Hidden Stories and Essays on Philippine History, Volumes 1 and 2. From his personal interviews with the characters came Kulaboretor!: The Issue of Political Collaboration During World War II. Readers of Philippine history, depending on the period, can rely on Filipino, Spanish, Japanese and other sources. On the American Rule, learning from American news accounts help complete the picture. In Stories from the Other Side Professor de Viana facilitates that education.”

(Stories from the Other Side and Other Narratives is available at Solidaridad, New Day, Libreria Filipiniana, and Books Atbp.)

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