Tarlac City – – Then a rebel, now a hero.
This came as top officials of the province, the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army (PA) remembered Tarlac hero, General Francisco Soliman Macabulos, during his 146th birthday last week at the Tarlac Police Provincial Office (TPPO) grounds here.
Macabulos, the rebel during the Filipino-Spanish war who is now the celebrated hero of Tarlac, and fittingly, the TPPO was named after him – Camp Macabulos .
Leading the Macabulos day celebration were 3rd Dist. Congressman Noel Villanueva Gov. Susan Yap-Sulit, former PNP Chief Nicanor Bartolome, PNP Region 3 Director PCSupt Amador Corpus, PA Northern Luzon Commander (NOLCOM) commander MGen. Emmanuel Salamat, Vice Gov. Carlito David, former PNP Region 3 Director Rudy Lacadin, former Customs Police chief and provincial director (PD) ret. CSupt. Angel Sunglao, former DILG undersecretary Alex Sintin, the 16 mayors of Tarlac, Senior Board Member Tootsie Cruz, among others.
Police Provincial Director SSupt Ritchie Medardo Posadas hosted the celebration.In his speech, Bartolome extolled the rebel-turned-hero Macabulos as a “man of character worth emulating”.
Macabulos was born in Lapaz on September 17, 1871, and lived till April 30, 1922.
He was inducted into the secret rebel society Katipunan by Ladislao Diwa in 1896. When the revolution broke out in 1898, he liberated Tarlac and established town councils.
Macabulos refused to honor the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which called for a truce with the Spanish colonial government, and continued operations in Central Luzon.
But on January 14, 1898, he disbanded his troops and accepted amnesty after receiving P14,000 as part of the Spanish reparations to Filipino revolutionaries. Macabulos distributed the money to his men.
However, he resumed operations against the Spanish and on April 17, 1898, an assembly of citizens representing the town councils Macabulos established, calling themselves representatives of Central Luzon, met and drafted a provisional constitution.
Macabulos’ group created a government that was to exist until the revolutionary government was established by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Macabulos’ government was headed by a general executive committee, consisting of a president, vice president, secretary of interior, secretary of war and a secretary of the treasury.
Macabulos dissolved his government when the First Philippine Republic was established by Aguinaldo. He signed the Malolos Constitution which paved the way for the declaration of the Philippine independence.
He is credited for his contribution in the liberation of nearby provinces like Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and some parts of Pampanga and Bulacan.
Because of Macabulos’ heroic contribution in the Filipino war against the “abusive Spanish government”, Tarlac became one of the 8 rays of the sun embossed in the Philippine flag – which represent the first 8 provinces which declared independence from Spain.
Gov. Yap-Sulit, who set aside her prepared speech, said, “we are very proud of having a fellow Tarlaqueno in the person of General Macabulos. We owe to him our place in Philippine history”.
For his part, Posadas said, “as we, your policemen, strive to be your dependable protector and (public) servants, we also always strive to emulate the leadership and character of General Macabulos”.
The half day celebration included a wreath laying before the bust of Macabulos. The event was highlighted by a more-than-an-hour silent drill of the NOLCOM army recruits./Nelson Bolos