Apolinario Mabini

July 23, 1864 to May 13, 1903

Born in Tanauan, Batangas on July 23, 1864 of poor parents, and later hampered for life by paralysis. Apolinario Mabini nevertheless grew up to be a good writer, lawyer and patriot. He is known as the Sublime Paralytic and Brains of the Revolution. He was the second of the eight children of Inocencio Mabini and Dionisia Maranan.

Inspite of poverty, Mabini obtained a teaching certificate in March 1887 and finished law in 1894, He was admitted to the bar in 1895.

His misfortune came in 1896 when he contracted fever which permanently paralyzed him. Still, he did notarial work in his invalid’s chair and supported the reform movement as a result, he was imprisoned until June 1897.

Mabini served as General Emilio Aguinaldo’s adviser. He advice Aguinaldo to change the dictatorial form of government to revolutionary. He organized the municipalities and provinces, and the judiciary and police forces, and formulated army regulations. When the Revolutionary Congress convened at Barasoain, Malolos, Bulacan, he was Aguinaldo’s prime minister. He help outlined the Malolos Constitution. Hence, he was aptly called the “Brains of the Revolution.” He continued writing articles advocating the reforms while in hiding, but he was captured by the Americans on September 10, 1899. after his release on September 23, 1900, he lived in Nagtahan, Manila where he wrote for local newspapers. On January 5, 1901 he was exiled to Guam because of his articles, notably “El Semil de Alejandro” and “El Liberal.”

Believing that he had no other choice and that he could better serve his countrymen by returning to the Philippines, Mabini took his oath of allegiance to the United States on February 26, 1903. He died in Nagtahan, Manila on May 13, at the age of 39.

---

---

Si Apolinario Mabini ay ipinanganak sa Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas noong Hulyo 23, 1864 sa mahirap na magulang pero siya ay lumaking magaling na manunulat, abogado at makabayan. Siya ay kinilala bilang kinikilalang Paralitiko at Utak ng Rebolusyon. Siya ay pangalawa saw along magkakapatid ng mag-asawang Inocencio Mabini at Dionisia Maranan. Sa kabila ng kahirapan, si Mabini ay nabigyan ng katunayan sa pagtuturo noong Marso 1887 at nagtapos ng abogasya noong 1884 at pumasa sa bar noong 1885.

Noong 1896 siya ay dinapuan ng lagnat na siyang kanyang tuluyang pagkaparalisa. Sa kanyang pagka-imbalido siya ay nagnotaryo na lamang at sumuporta sa mga kilos reporma na siyang kanyang pagkabilanggo hanggang Hunyo 1897.

Siya ay nagsilbi bilang tagapayo ni Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo. Isinangguni niya na palitan ang diktatoryang gobyerno sa gobyernong rebolusyonaryo. Inorganisa niya ang mga bayan at probinsya gayon din sa hukuman at pulisya at ang hukbong sandatahan. Siya ang kasalukuyan primero ministro ni Aguinaldo noong magtipon ang kongresong Rebolusyonaryo sa Barasoain, Malolos, Bulacan. Tumulong siya sa pagbalangkas sa Konstitusyon ng Malolos. Dahil dito, kinilala siya bilang “Utak ng Rebolusyon.” Ipinagpatuloy niya ang pagsusulat ng mga artikulo para itaguyod ang mga reporma habang siya ay nagtatago, pero siya ay naaresto ng mga Amerikano noong Setyembre 10, 1899. Pagkatapos siyang pakawalan noong Setyembre 23, 1900, siya ay tumira sa Nagtahan, Maynila at nagsulat para sa mga local ng dyaryo. Noong Enero 5, 1901 siya ay ipinatapon sa Guam dahil sa kanyang mga artikulo na pinamagatang “El Semil de Alejandro” at “El Liberal.”

Dahil sa wala siyang pagpipilian kung saan pwede siyang tumulong sa kanyang mga kababayan, siya ay bumalik sa Pilipinas sa bias ng panunumpa sa katapatan niya sa Estados Unidos noong Pebrero 26, 1903. Siya ay namatay sa Nagtahan, Maynila noong Mayo 13, sa edad na 39.