Apolinario Mabini

Born of a poor family, Apolinario Mabini was always studious. He was always sad and silent and liked to sit alone to meditate.

Mabini studied at San Juan de Letran where he got his Bachelor of Arts degree and Professor of Latin. He also finished Law. He was a spokesman of the Congress, and a notary public.

In early 1896, he contracted a severe fever which paralyzed him for the rest of his life. He was later called the Sublime Paralytic.

Mabini was most active in the revolution in 1898, when he became the chief adviser of Gen. Aguinaldo during the revolution. He drafted decrees and proposed a constitution for the Philippine Republic. He made the plans for the revolutionary government.

In 1899, he was captured by the Americans but was later set free. In 1901, he was exiled to Guam but returned to the Philippines in 1903 after agreeing to take an oath of allegiance to the US. He took his oath on February 26, 1903 before the Collector of Customs.

On May 13, 1903, he died of cholera in Manila.

Excerpt from Talambuhay ng mga Bayani by Rene Alba