Reaction Paper: Luna’s Assassination Controversy

That dramatic assassination scene in the movie Heneral Luna is hard to watch, but it’s
based on historical accounts. It’s natural to assume that Aguinaldo was behind Luna’s
assassination, after all, the deed was done by his soldiers. Intriguing details surrounding
Aguinaldo’s heroism resurfaced recently thanks to Tarog’s film, which was the first of his
historical trilogy, wherein Aguinaldo was tagged in the killing of Antonio Luna.
Then Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya, a great-grandson of Aguinaldo, countered the claims of
the movie and perceived that Luna was not assassinated. Historian Ambeth Ocampo, meanwhile,
argued that Luna’s temperament may have gotten him and his men killed. Though it is hard to be
certain if Aguinaldo was the one who ordered to kill Heneral Luna, Aguinaldo is not on the clear
either. In my personal perspective, Aguinaldo has something to do with Heneral Luna’s death.
On the afternoon of June 5, 1899, Gen. Antonio Luna arrived in the kumbento of
Cabanatuan for a meeting with Emilio Aguinaldo. Tired from traveling over 100 kilometers from
his base in Bayambang, he was understandably upset to be told that the President had left earlier
in the day. Luna was met by Felipe Buencamino, with whom he had previous disagreements. Then
there was Capt. Pedro Janolino, as well as the Kawit presidential bodyguards reinstated by
Aguinaldo after he had them disarmed.
Luna, together with his aide Col. Paco Roman, was killed. Luna suffered over 30 wounds
from bolos, bayonets and bullets. A lesser man would have died instantly from half of his wounds,
but the general was able to stagger out of the building, cursing his murderers, before falling lifeless
on the church patio.
Luna was exceedingly unpopular among the Filipino troops on account of his stubborn,
dictatorial manners, and very little regret is expressed at his death. Luna and Aguinaldo were
unable to agree as to the manner of conducting the campaign, and it is said the rebel chief was
afraid he would be assassinated by Luna’s orders. The death of General Luna is looked upon by
the majority of the Filipinos as an undisguised blessing.
After Luna's death, Aguinaldo ordered all chiefs of brigades under Luna
arrested. Aguinaldo also ordered the disarming of two companies suspected of being pro-Luna.
With these incidents, this can be conceived that there is definitely something going on with
Aguinaldo and Heneral Luna.
Interestingly, on the very same day that Luna died, Gen. Venancio Concepcion then in
Angeles, received a telegram from President Aguinaldo. It was sent from the Cabanatuan telegraph
office; the transmission time approximated the time of Luna's assassination. Aguinaldo informed
General Concepcion that he had taken charge of the military operations in Central Luzon in
place of General Luna. The President further informed Concepcion that he was on his way to
Bamban; it was going to be Aguinaldo's temporary executive and military general headquarters.
In his diary, General Concepcion wrote that there were instant loyalty checks among the officers
and their respective commands in the headquarters that same night. It was only the next day,
General Concepcion learned about the death of General Luna and Colonel Roman.
 The following incidents that happened after the death of Heneral Luna pointed out that
Aguinaldo has motives in killing Heneral Luna. Though Heneral Luna was killed by Aguinaldo’s
men and he didn’t partake in the killing, there is no definite proof that he was in the clear either
because of his motives.