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Top Rivalries in the Philippines

 

Filipinos are hot blooded people. They have a lot of fire in their belly so to speak. They are very passionate in everything they do and this goes for both good things and bad things. It’s very hard to make an enemy out of a Filipino as they will tooth and nail for what they believe in. You may think that this totally changes everything that I have told you before about Filipinos in which I have stated that they are very fun-loving and friendly people. They are. Believe me they are. But things do not always call for friendly relations and sometimes the friendliness can only go so far.

 

Filipinos can fight and they would fight with anyone including other Filipinos. As long as they believe they are in the correct side, it doesn’t matter who you are. Here are some examples of the most fiery rivalries in Philippine History.

 

1)      Emilio Aguinaldo vs. Andres Bonifacio

 

These are two of the most beloved national heroes of the Philippines and their effort against the Spaniards was also fueled by their desire to upend one another. Andres Bonifacio was known as the Supremo of the Katipunan, or the Supreme Leader of the Katipunan. The Katipunan was the prime revolutionary group whose sole aim was to free the country from its colonizers. It had two groups, Magdalo, which was led by Emilio Aguinaldo and the Magdiwang group, led by Andres Bonifacio. While Bonifacio was the charismatic leader of the Katipunan, in most battles with the Spaniards, it was Aguinaldo’s Magdalo group that usually won against them while the Magdiwang group suffered several losses against the colonizers.

 

This fact did was not lost on the Filipinos when they held their first election as to who will lead the group. Aguinaldo won the Presidency while Bonifacio was elected to a much lower position that was also taken away from him due to his being a non-lawyer. Bonifacio, visibly humiliated, denounced the elections. He was then tried and convicted for treason and was executed with his brother in Bundok Buntis.

 

In contemporary times, however, Bonifacio has remained the prime symbol of struggling against oppression. Aguinaldo’s face is seen in the Five Peso Coin while Bonifacio is one of two heroes, the other being Apolinario Mabini, in the ten peso coin and therefore representing five pesos out of the ten. The rivalry lives on.

 

2)      Ferdinand E. Marcos vs. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino

 

These politicians are practically attached to one another. One cannot mention one without eventually getting into the topic of the other. President Ferdinand Marcos ruled the country for twenty years and was never really challenged politically until a harsh critic of his emerged in the late 70s. Marcos had him jailed for his effort as Ninoy was just as charismatic as Marcos and was seen as a suitable replacement if given a chance to run. Coming back from the US was a tough decision for Ninoy knowing the dangers that await him. He was proven right when he was shot down in 1983 upon his arrival with many suspecting the dictator. His death however fueled what is known as People Power Revolution and it ousted the strongman as well as installed Cory Aquino, Ninoy’s wife, as the new President.