Wednesday, May 20, 2015

May 22-23, 1899: Filipinos negotiate Peace with the American Schurman Commission.

On May 22-23, 1899 during the early periods of the Philippine-American War (1899-1902); with the Philippine army unable to contain the American offensive, President Emilio Aguinaldo created a Peace Commission to negotiate an armistice- a formal agreement of warring parties for a possible cessation of hostilities while attempting to negotiate a lasting peace . He appointed 23-year-old General Gregorio del Pilar to head the Filipino panel, with Captain Lorenzo Zialcita, Alberto Barretto and Gracio Gonzaga as members.


                                             May 22-23, 1899:   Filipinos conferred with the U.S. First Philippine                                              Commission (Schurman Commission),  in Malate district, Manila.
The Philippine government was represented by, left to right:  Captain Lorenzo ZialcitaAlberto BarrettoGeneral Gregorio del Pilar, and Gracio Gonzaga.  [Captain Zialcita, who had taken a business course in Hong Kong, spoke English].
TheSchurman Commission, left to right:  Jacob Schurman (Chairman), Charles Denby, Dean C. Worcester, and John MacArthur (Secretary).
The armistice sought by the Filipinos was rejected since the American panel insisted on the recognition of United States sovereignty which the Filipinos understood to mean the unconditional surrender of the Filipino arm. 



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