Aguinaldo, Emilio (1869–1964)

Filipino revolutionary leader. He became a militant nationalist on Luzon island during the 1890s and led a year-long insurrection against the Philippines' Spanish colonial rulers in 1896, which ended with his exile to Hong Kong in 1897. After the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in April 1898, Aguinaldo, with assistance from the USA, returned to Luzon to lead an anti-Spanish insurrection, at the same time as US attacks. He established a ‘Visayan Republic’, with its capital at Malolos and himself as president. He opposed the peace treaty that concluded the Spanish-American War in 1899 and led a two-year-long rebellion against US occupying forces, which claimed 4,000 American and 10,000 Filipino lives. In July 1901 Aguinaldo made an oath of allegiance to the USA, in return for an amnesty. In 1935 he ran unsuccessfully for president, being defeated by Manuel Quezon.

Aguinaldo was born near Cavitte, on Luzon island. After 1901 he retired to private life, but continued to call for full independence and became dubbed the ‘Filipino Garibaldi’. During World War II he was charged with cooperating with the Japanese occupying the Philippines, but was subsequently exonerated.