Aguinaldo 1899: Ang pagpatay kay Antonio Luna

Part 3 of a trilogy of musicals.

Synopsis:

Ang Pagpatay kay Luna transpires during the Philippine-American War in 1899. It starts with Emilio Aguinaldo, President of the Philippine Republic, refusing to accept Antonio Luna's resignation because Aguinaldo believes only the pugnacious Luna can obstruct the aggressive advances of the American troops. Luna wishes to resign as Commanding General because of the mounting insubordination among the troops toward his despotic leadership. The first act culminates in more Filipino defeats arising from the internal conflicts among the leaders, namely, Luna's ordering the arrest of Tomas Mascardo, a prominent general from Cavite. In the middle act, Antonio Luna is wounded in battle. The ensuing scenes depict the seething animosity against him. By the end of the act, Aguinaldo decides to remove him from his post. The opposition against Luna is triggered by his apparent unwarranted order for the arrest of suspected autonomistas, or those in favor of capitulating to American occupation. Luna's actions against other leaders are construed as being driven by his ambition to replace Aguinaldo as President. Aguinaldo's mother herself warns her son of the danger Luna poses to his position and life. By the third act, Luna's desire for independence is patently deemed by his enemies to be nothing more than blind personal ambition. A consensus is reached to remove Luna from the Philippine government. In Cabanatuan, events escalate quickly, and Caviteño soldiers brutally kill him. At the play's denouement, Aguinaldo's men torture Luna's allies to wrest a confession of Luna's alleged plot to stage a coup and seize the presidency.

Allegory and historical realism coalesce in this historical drama, which Dumol, also a historian, meticulously based on historical documents. His sources include Juan Villamor's General Antonio Luna y Novicio, a biography and collection of documents related to Luna's career and death; Vivencio R. Jose's The Rise and Fall of Antonio Luna; John R. M. Taylor's five-volume The Philippine Insurrection Against the United States, published by the Eugenio Lopez Foundation in 1971; and La Senda del Sacrificio by Jose Alejandrino. The play adheres closely to Villamor's conclusion that Luna's death could be blamed on Aguinaldo, Aguinaldo's mother, and Pedro Paterno. The musical play goes against the general tendency among American historians to mute and excise the violence of the Philippine-American War. In this narrative, the violence is perpetrated by Filipinos against one another.

One of the play's notable elements is the figure of Matandang Babae (Old Woman), who first appears in Act 1 led by the soldiers from the Kawit Battalion, with her hands tied and wearing the colors of the Philippine flag. The script specifies that this role be played by the actor portraying Aguinaldo's mother. In Act 3, Dumol has Aguinaldo's mother appear from a window on the upper floor of a house after the assassination of Antonio Luna. She speaks the famous words: "Ano ba? Nagalaw pa iyan?" ("What? Is he still alive?"). Her strong and cruel personality, which has been the formidable support of Aguinaldo, stands in sharp contrast to the figure of Inang Bayan (Mother Country), whom the play depicts as being destroyed by her leaders, soldiers, and government. Another thought-provoking aspect is the depiction of the Americans, who open Act 2 waving the American flag. The looming presence of the invaders has fueled internal conflicts among the prominent figures of the Philippine army.

Synopsis written by Jovino Miroy (2025)

This article is from the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art: Digital Edition.

Theatre Productions:

First produced in 2002 at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines by Tanghalang Pilipino.

Directed by Nonon Padilla

Music by Jesse Lucas

Not published.