The enigma of Emilio Aguinaldo: A new book on hero’s contentious life and legacy

CAVITE CITY, Metro Manila – Vibal Foundation Inc., in cooperation with the De La Salle University-Dasmarinas Cavite Studies Center and Museo de la Salle, is proud to announce the official launch of 𝙀𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙤 𝘼𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙤: 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 (1901-1963) by Dr. Jose Victor Z. Torres. The launch was held on June 27, 2025 at the Aklatang Emilio Aguinaldo of the De La Salle University Dasmarinas-Cavite.

This groundbreaking biography offers a comprehensive and fresh perspective on the life of Aguinaldo, the first President of the Philippine Republic, focusing on the often-overlooked period after his capture in 1901 until his death in 1964, and emerging as one of the greatest and most controversial heroes of Philippine history.

For over a century, Aguinaldo has been a polarizing figure in Philippine history, frequently misunderstood and maligned. 𝙀𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙤 𝘼𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙤: 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 (1901-1963) aims to address these historical controversies, providing readers with a more complete understanding of Aguinaldo’s multifaceted roles: the revolutionary leader, the president, the civilian, the presidential candidate, the alleged collaborator, and the honored figure of Philippine independence.

Dr. Torres meticulously delves into Aguinaldo’s later years, a period rarely explored in previous biographies. The book navigates his civilian life during the American and Commonwealth periods, his experiences during World War II and the Japanese occupation, his service in the Third Republic as an adviser, and the final decade of his life. By drawing on a wealth of existing documents, previously unavailable information, and oral histories, Torres provides new insights that challenge existing narratives and shed light on Aguinaldo’s own perspective on historical events.

As noted in the book’s foreword by Dr. Emmanuel Franco Calairo, former chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines: “This new work provides new direction, insight, and perspective on the accusations against the president of the First Philippine Republic. Finally, this book deserves the public’s attention because it provides Emilio Aguinaldo’s perspective on some aspects of our history, a vantage point rarely read by the general public. Because of this book, Emilio Aguinaldo will no longer be misunderstood in the pages of Philippine history.”

𝙀𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙤 𝘼𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙤: 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 (1901-1963) is being hailed as a significant contribution to Philippine historiography, offering a vital and long-awaited comprehensive biography that will undoubtedly reshape public understanding of one of the nation’s most complex historical figures.

Jeffrey Alfaro Lubang, PhD, an associate professor of De La Salle University–Dasmariñas and former curator of the Aguinaldo Shrine, in his review, said that Aguinaldo continues to be “one of the nation’s most debated historical figures. Accusations of betrayal and personal interests during the revolution and his links to the untimely deaths of the Bonifacio brothers and Luna have cast a shadow over his legacy as a revolutionary leader. While monuments commemorate him today, controversy still surrounds his name. Having lived a long life, Aguinaldo remains under constant examination—his legacy caught between truth, legend, and the nation’s lingering uncertainty.”