The Book Of Yesterday | May 13
APOLINARIO MABINI DIED
May 13, 1903
Exactly 118 years ago today. One of the victims of the cholera epidemic in Manila was the former Prime Minister of President Emilio Aguinaldo and the so -called "Great Paralytic" and "Brain of the Revolution" Apolinario Mabini. Mabini died at his property in the Pandacan district, Manila at the age of 38, not because of his perceived disability, but because of drinking sour buffalo milk. According to his brother Alejandro, he himself gave the bottle of buffalo milk, the day before it died. His brother complained that the milk he was given was sour. The next day, Mabini complained of severe pain in his abdomen and soon lost his life.
His body was first buried in the Chinese Cemetery in Manila, and later his remains were moved to his musoleum in Tanauan, Batangas. Prior to this, his bones were autopsied and it was determined that polio was the cause of his paralysis, and not syphilis which had been spread by his political opponents.
Apolinario Maranan Mabini was born into a poor family in Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas on July 23, 1864 and the second of eight children of Inocencio Mabinia and Dionisia Maranan. Although poor, a priest gave him the opportunity to study free of charge, and seeing his potential as a gifted student, Mabini became a scholar at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, where he graduated with a Bachiller en Arts. As a child, his mother wanted him to settle down. Instead, Mabini became more interested in studying law, so that was the course he took when he studied at the University of Santo Tomas, and as expected he had high grades and obtained his law degree in 1894. .
Mabini worked for a law firm, and later joined organizations such as Freamasonry, and Jose Rizal's La Liga Filipina. He is also a member of Antonio Luna's fencing club Sala de Armas. But soon, his body became weaker and he suddenly could not walk and stand. Even before the revolution, Mabini wanted change in our country through reform, but when the Filipino Revolution broke out, some of his friends and fellow intellectuals were arrested and killed by the Spaniards for their involvement in the rebellion. Even Mabini himself was involved and arrested, but in his paralysis Mabini was saved by the lead of the firing squad. He was house arrested and also released, and later went to the powder of General Emilio Aguinaldo, to serve as an adviser on the political aspects of Aguinaldo's leadership. Later, he became the first President of Aguinaldo's Cabinet, and while he was admired for his political advice he was also slandered in front of President Aguinaldo by his political opponents. Mabini retired in May 1899 and returned to his private life. He was captured by the Americans in December 1899 and after being imprisoned he was exiled to Guam along with other Filipinos who did not want to swear allegiance to America. On the condition that he agree to swear allegiance to America, Mabini was sent back to our country in 1903, and lived in Manila until the cholera epidemic hit there.
Envy is one of the cause of our disunity. In his book La Revolucion Filipina, Mabini said, "Instead of helping the people who are more useful to the people, he made them useless out of envy".
Return to this language of the so-called 'Brain of the Revolution' and 'Great Cripple' now commemorating the 118th anniversary of his death.
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