Could Aguinaldo have prevented Antonio Luna's death?

(Updated 11:30 a.m., Sept. 26) There is no evidence that Emilio Aguinaldo, the country's first president, was involved in the death of Gen. Antonio Luna, but one historian said he could have prevented it.

Some netizens sharply denounced Aguinaldo after watching "Heneral Luna", the movie based on Luna's life.
 

Dr. Nilo Ocampo of the College of Arts and Letters at UP Diliman told GMA News Online on Friday that Aguinaldo deserves at least some criticism for his handling of the Luna assassination.
 

“Oo. Dahil may kasalanan siya kay Luna. Although pinakita doon [sa pelikula] na pinagisipan pa rin niya,” he said.

 

Ocampo, who specializes in Rizal Studies and Philippine History, said that Aguinaldo had the power as president to prevent Luna's death.

 

“Kinunsinti niya. Hindi siya gumawa ng decisive na action para matulungan si Luna... Pinabayaan niya manaig iyong kanyang loyalties dahil iyong Cavite Battalion, hindi niya pina-imbestigahan,” he said.

 

“Pero walang malinaw na ebidensiya na mag-didiin kay Aguinaldo sa pagplano ng pagpatay kay Luna,” the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature professor added.

 

Filipino historian and history lecturer Xiao Chua agreed with Ocampo on his last point.

 

“[Based sa history] hindi natin ma-establish na may kinalaman si Aquinaldo sa pagkamatay ni Luna [dahil walang solid evidence pointing to him],” he told GMA News Online on the same day.

 

Chua said that though "Heneral Luna" was based on history, it should not be taken as the factual truth since the film took certain liberties in portraying the fiery general's story.

 

“Ang perspective ng kasaysayan, maraming mukha iyan depende sa nagkukuwento. Sa 'Heneral Luna', bida si Luna kaya yun ang perspective ng pelikula,” he said.

 

“Pero sa historical evidence, namatay si Heneral Luna sa conspiracy to assassinate him... Viewers na ang bahala kung may kinalaman si Aquinaldo o wala,” he added.

 

Still, Chua said he was glad that the film roused public interest in Philippine history and historical figures saying that he hopes the nation would learn from the errors of the past.

 

“Kinikilala natin ang papel at contribution sa himagsikan ni Emilio Aguinaldo pero kung may mali man siya, na nakikita ang tao ngayon, ... sana matuto tayo dito,” he said. 

 

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio "Jun" Abaya, a decendant of Aguinaldo, was criticized recently after saying that he does not believe that Luna was assassinated.

 

“I've read enough books, there are other versions. I don't think he was assassinated,” Abaya reportedly said Thursday.

 

He has also said that he has always been ready to defend Aguinaldo, who had ordered the deaths of brothers Andres and Procopio Bonifacio in 1897. — JDS/TJD, GMA News