As we welcome the birth sesquicentennial of Andres Bonifacio, we will honor a man whose place in our shrine of heroes can come close to that of Jose Rizal (who celebrated his 150th last year). The Supremo of theKataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) is alive and well in our consciousness. He is that figure garbed in camisa de chino, barefoot, clutching a bolo while the other hand brandishes a revolver as he leads his band of braveKatipuneros to battle. Though we only have one photograph of him in existence, it is always easy to imagine Bonifacio with the constructs we have. But these are only images that don’t always show who the man really is.
Bonifacio continues to be a figure shrouded in mystery. There are still questions, but these inquiries never become sources of division among the majority of Filipinos. The schemers and turncoats of the Philippine Revolution were the ones who fabricated history; they rewrote it with their own fascinations layering what didn’t happen over what actually happened. And we are left with this image of Bonifacio partly painted with lies by those who schemed against him, and some traces of authentic strokes left by those who knew the real deal. Slowly, the image is becoming clear but we still have a lot of restoration work to do.
There were works that came out last year which were valuable additions to the restoration job being undertaken for Andres Bonifacio. The films Supremo, directed by Mark Meilly, set aside flashy special effects and fight scenes to portray Bonifacio as a charismatic leader who led the Katipunan against the Spaniards. Try to look out for special screenings this year or a DVD release and you won’t be dismayed. On the other hand, Ang Pag-ibig sa Bayan ni Andres Bonifacio by National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario is a welcome addition to our library of understanding that we are building for the Supremo. Discussed in intricate detail, Almario skillfully dissects Bonifacio’s greatness as a poet. The book opens up another angle to which we can view the hero as a skillful poet and writer who deserves a revered place among the greats. These two works are just some of the resources we can start with. We need to be thorough, spurred by a sense of interest and duty in plucking the real from the made-up, to be able to look at Bonifacio— finally restored in his authentic glory.
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