Alternate History: 1898 Philippine presidential election

An imaginary alternate history election result map as of May 1898.

Nominee: Emilio Aguinaldo	Nominee: Andrés Bonifacio
Party: Magdalo	Party: Magdiwang
Running mate: Edilberto Evangelista	Running mate: Lorenzo Fenoy
Popular vote: 5,193,026	Popular vote: 2,308, 370
Percentage: 69.23%	Percentage: 30.77%

The 1898 Philippine presidential election were held on May 9, 1898. This was the first nationwide election since the Katipunan captured several territories of Spanish Philippines from the Spaniards. Commanding General Emilio Aguinaldo won against revolutionary leader and Katipunan founder Andrés Bonifacio. His election victory was largely due to its more military victories in leading revolutionaries compared to Andrés Bonifacio which won the revolts of Panay, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Misamis, Surigao, Davao, and Cotabato.

Magdalo Party

In this time, Commanding General of the Katipunan Army Emilio Aguinaldo won several military victories against the Spaniards most in Luzon, Palawan, Masbate, Marinduque, Negros, and Cebu. In effect, he was nominated by the Magdalo Party together with his running mate Edilberto Evangelista. In addition to Aguinaldo's electoral victory was his political achievement which he recognized the Negros Republic which it was created by Negrense revolutionaries led by Aniceto Lacson. The ideology of Magdalo Party was classical conservatism and clericalism. Aside from that, Cebu Province was won by Aguinaldo because of its bloc voting vote by the conservative Catholic friars and residents which they feared more radical Bonifacio towards its religion rather than its moderate opponent. Rich elites also played a big role in Aguinaldo's electoral victory believing that their possessions would be protected notably the Cojuangcos of Tarlac and Zóbel de Ayalas of Manila. Emilio Aguinaldo won the presidential votes of 5,193,026 with a percentage of 69.23% of the Philippine voter population of 7,501,396.

Figure 1. Flag of Magdalo Party

Magdiwang Party

On the other side, the Magdiwang Party nominated Andrés Bonifacio and Lorenzo Fenoy who championed the rights of the poor lower class, farmers, and original revolutionaries of Katipunan. The ideology of the Magdiwang Party was anti-clericalism, classical liberalism, and agrarianism. Although Aguinaldo won the election, Bonifacio won the provinces of Antique, Capiz, Ilo-Ilo, Bohol, Samar, Leyte, Surigao, Misamis, Cotabato, and Davao. Although Bonifacio was defeated in the 1898 Philippine presidential election, he was assigned by Aguinaldo as Director of the Interior in the Philippine Republican Government. Bonifacio won the presidential votes of 2,308,370 in an equivalent percentage of 30.77% of the voter population.

Figure 2. Flag of Magdiwang Party