13 Facts That Prove Antonio Luna Was An All-Around

Badass
By FilipiKnow |

Facebook28kEmailTwitter
Undoubtedly one of the most admired heroes in our history, Antonio Luna will forever be
remembered as the fiery general who met his ignominious end at the hands of Emilio
Aguinaldos men.
Other than his untimely demise, we should also not forget that Luna was a man who had
many impressive achievements during his lifetime. In fact, reading about his life gives us
the impression of a very human hero who initially refused to use his talent for the
Revolution.
Conspiracy Theory: Antonio Luna allegedly gave the countrys gold to the
Cojuangco matriarch
In the end, Luna realized his mistake and dedicated himself totally to the cause of
freedom and independence. Maybe thats why Luna was so gung-ho about fightinghe
was actually making up for lost time.

1. He was a scientist.

Antonio Luna poses with a microscope at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France (1890). Photo credit: Arnaldo Dumindin
via philippineamericanwar.webs.com

Aside from his military prowess, Luna was also a very learned man. His paper on
chemistry won him top prize while he was studying literature and chemistry at the
University of Sto. Tomas. After moving to Spain, he earned his license and a doctorate
in pharmacy at the Universidad de Barcelona and Universidad Central de Madrid
respectively.
READ: A Look Into The Life of Paco Roman, That Other Guy Who Died With
Antonio Luna
Moreover, Lunas scientific paper on malaria was very well-received and he was even
given a commission by the Spanish to study tropical and communicable diseases. When
he went back to the Philippines, he won the contest to become the chief chemist of the
Municipal Laboratory of Manila.

2. He was a brilliant writer.

Source: The Official Gazette

Aside from being a scientist, Luna was also an excellent writer. In fact, he wrote under
the pen name Taga-ilog which he used to publish his articles in La Solidaridad while
staying in Spain.
One of his works, Madrid Impressions, generated controversy after it criticized the
Spaniards for looking down on the Filipinos. It also nearly resulted in Luna duelling the
Spanish journalist Celso Mir Deas after the latter issued a racist-filled rebuttal
againstImpressions. However, Mir Deas did not accept the challenge even when Luna
spat and slapped him in the face.
Related Article: Inside Antonio Lunas Secret Love Affair With Ysidra Cojuangco
Prior to the outbreak of the Philippine-American War, he also founded the newspaper La
Independencia and became its editor and a regular contributor. One of his fiery articles
denounced the Treaty of Paris, wherein he wrote that people are not to be bought and
sold like horses and houses.
3. He was an expert marksman and martial artist.

Antonio Luna as a fencing teacher at the Sala de Armas, a school which he and his brother, Juan, opened on Calle
Alix (now Legarda St.), in Sampaloc district, Manila. Photo credit: Arnaldo Dumindin via
philippineamericanwar.webs.com

Of course, Luna was no armchair general who barked orders in the safety of his office.
He was an avid student of martial arts and military tactics, having practiced the art of
arnis, fencing, and shooting since his college days. It is said that Luna was prolific with
the gun and rifle that he could put out a candle in one shot.
Trivia: Juan Luna killed his wife and mother-in-law.
Upon his return to the country, Antonio and his brother Juan set up a fencing club
calledSala de Armas which was located in Sampaloc, Manila. Incidentally, one of his
students happened to be none other than Apolinario Mabini.

4. He and Rizal almost had a duel.

Alas, we could only imagine what would have happened to the country if these two great
patriots killed each other, and for a love triangle of all reasons.
Also Read: The Time Antonio Luna and Jose Rizal Nearly Killed Each Other
While in Spain, both men courted the half-French half-Filipina beauty Nelly Boustead,
although it was soon clear that she favored Rizal. Embittered, a drunken Luna made
some unsavory remarks towards her in a Filipino party where Rizal was also a guest.
The two friends exchanged heated words, with one of them (it wasnt clear who) issuing
a challenge to a duel. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and Luna apologized to Rizal
as soon as he sobered up.

5. He had a badass teacher in the art of war.

Belgian General Grard Leman. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Like his fellow immigrants, Luna originally favored reforms rather than revolution.
Nevertheless, he and Juan were imprisoned by the Spanish but were later freed. Upon
his release, Lunarepentant for rejecting an earlier offer to join the Revolutionwent to
Belgium and studied the art of war under General Gerard Leman.
READ: General Goyo as Antonio Lunas almost-assassin
Under Lemans tutelage, Luna soaked up guerrilla warfare, fortifications and everything
else under the subject of military science before coming back to the Philippines. Leman
himself outlived his pupil and became the first hero of World War I after his forces
stubbornly resisted what would have been a swift German victory and allowed the Allies
precious time to mobilize their own forces.

6. He wanted a pre-emptive strike on the Americans.

Via Wikimedia Commons.

Like Mabini, Luna correctly suspected that the Americans were not there as liberators,
but as substitutes for the Spanish. He deduced that the only way to win against the
Americans was to execute a pre-emptive attack on their troops before more could land
in Manila.
Also Read: 7 Un-Heroic Deeds of Emilio Aguinaldo
However, his plan was rejected by Aguinaldo and his associates who continued to
believe in the Americans good intentions. This very unwise decision allowed the
Americans to start and dictate the war on their own terms.

7. He helped establish the first military academy for Filipinos.

A company of Filipino soldiers originally in the Spanish service (1898). Photo credit: Arnaldo Dumindin via
philippineamericanwar.webs.com

A precursor to todays Philippine Military Academy, the Academia Militar was Lunas
brainchild.
Due to his desire to build a professional army, he gained permission from Aguinaldo to
set up a military academy in Malolos. He recruited veteran officers of the FilipinoSpanish War as instructors and instilled a strong sense of discipline among the recruits
which also included soldiers from the same war. He wanted the men to discard their clan
loyalties and look beyond their regional ties. During this time, he also stockpiled arms
and weapons and improved the logistics of the Filipino forces.
Also Read: Col. Manuel Sityar, director of Academia Militar

8. He had his own elite group of soldiers.

Although Antonio Luna wanted to turn the Philippine Armyat the time composed
mostly of untrained volunteersinto a real professional fighting force, the outbreak of
the Philippine-American War prevented him from training everyone.
Instead, he took to instructing a small group of soldiers into becoming his own personal
professional sharpshooters. Known as the Luna Sharpshooters, this group of deadly
marksmen achieved a reputation for fighting fiercer than the rest of their compatriots.
Luna also formed similar units under his different commanders. One of them,
theTiradores de la Muerte (Riflemen of Death) under General Licerio Geronimo, was
responsible for killing General Henry Ware Lawton, the highest-ranking American
casualty of the war.
9. He created the Luna Line.

Group showing General Manuel Tinio (seated, center), General Benito Natividad (seated, 2nd from right), Lt. Col.
Jose Alejandrino (seated, 2nd from left) and their aides-de-camp. Photo credit: Arnaldo Dumindin via
philippineamericanwar.webs.com

With the help of his aide, the Chief of the Army Engineers General Jose Alejandrino,
Luna constructed a series of three-layered bamboo trenches which came to be known
as the Luna Line.
American soldiers who came upon the trenches were amazed at the constructions,
which stretched for several miles from town to town. And even when they finally took the
trenches, they still had to contend with the trapswhich included bamboo spikes and
poisonous snakeswhich the wily Filipinos had carefully hidden.

10. He planned to build a guerrilla fortress in the Mountain Province.

Insurgent (Filipino) soldiers in the Philippines, 1899. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Of course, the defensive lines were just a precursor to Lunas grand plan: an
impenetrable guerrilla fortress in the elevated terrains of the Mountain Province. This
fortress would be self-sufficient and serve as the rebels base of operations with which
to attack Manila and other American-occupied areas.
Also Read: 8 Epic Battles in History Where Filipinos Kicked Ass
With the rebels safely protected in the mountains, Luna could wage a protracted
guerrilla war which he hoped would persuade the American public to recall their
soldiers. Again, this was rejected by Aguinaldo. Chief engineer Alejandrino remarked
that if they had built it, then El Presidente would not have been running for his life in the
mountains.

11. A bag of coins stopped a bullet from killing him.

Via Wikimedia Commons.

One of the most fortuitous events in Lunas life happened during the Battle of Sto.
Tomas. Charging with his horse against the American lines, Luna fell to the ground
when he was hit by an American bullet to the stomach. Seeing that the Americans were
advancing, he prepared to kill himself with a revolver to avoid capture.
Luckily, he was saved by the horse-riding Colonel Alejandro Avecilla who took him to
safety. Upon reaching friendly lines, he checked his wound one more time and realized
that the bag of coins he had been carrying stopped the bullet from completely
penetrating his stomach.

12. He was frightening even in death.

Ang pabalat ng pananaliksik ni Antonio Abad, Ang Mahiwagang Pagkamatay ni Hen. Antonio Luna. Mula kay Dr. Vic
Torres (via Its XiaoTime!).

Luna was right to call his murderers Assassins and cowards. Ganging up on him, they
inflicted more than 40 bullet and stab wounds on the hapless general, causing his
intestines to hang out of his abdomen. Through it all, Luna fought back and tried to aim
his revolver at his assailants. In defiance, he continued gritting his teeth and clenching
his fist in anger even when he slumped to the ground.
Also Read: The Assassination of Gen. Antonio Luna
Before he finally died, he instinctively turned to his right side. The reflex scared his
attackerswho thought that Luna might get upthat those in the front quickly stepped
back, causing those behind them to fall down. If anything, the incident shows not just
how cowardly his assassins were, but also how fearsome Luna was to the very end.

13. Even the Americans admired him.

Major General Frederick Funston

Even though the Americans had a low regard for the Filipino rebels, their generals still
held a begrudging respect for Luna.
After hearing of his untimely death, many paid tribute to the fallen general. General
Frederick Funston, the man who planned the capture of President Emilio Aguinaldo,
remarked that he was the ablest and most aggressive leader of the Filipino Republic.
Trivia: The former military captain in the Philippines who died in the sinking
of Titanic

Another, General James Franklin Bell, said that he was the only general the Filipino
army had. Perhaps the most fitting statement of all would come from General
Hughes: The Filipinos only had one general, and they have killed him.

First Look: Heneral Luna, The Movie

Pinoy history buffs now have something to look forward to: Heneral Luna, described by
the Philippine Daily Inquirer as one of the best Filipino films in years, is set to be shown
in theaters nationwide on September 9, 2015.

Logline: Set during the Philippine-American war of 1899, a brilliant and fiery Filipino general faces an enemy more
treacherous than the American army: his own countrymen.

Disclaimer: This is not a paid advertisement. FilipiKnow supports the film for one
reason: We love history!
In the movie, General Antonio Luna (John Arcilla), commander of the revolutionary
army, is spoiling for a fight. After three hundred years as a Spanish colony, the
Philippines must endure a new foreign power: the United States of America. General
Luna wants to fight for freedom but members of the elite want to strike a deal with the
Americans.

The infighting is fierce in the new cabinet but General Luna and his loyal men forge
ahead as his military decisions are met with resistance from soldiers who are loyal only
toPresident Aguinaldo (Mon Confiado).
Ultimately, it is the generals legendary temper and pride that bring him to his death
when a pack of presidential guards assassinate him in broad daylight. While American
newspapers blame Aguinaldo, the mystery of General Lunas assassination was never
completely solved and his killers never put to justice.
Watch the full movie trailer here:
About the Author: When he isnt deploring the sad state of Philippine politics, Marc V.
likes to skulk around the Internet for new bits of information which he can weave into a
somewhat-average list you might still enjoy. For comments on this article, contact him
at: vaflormarcus@yahoo.com

Want more amazing Pinoy trivia?

Join 6,125 Pinoys who learn something new every week. It's free. And you'll be a little
bit smarter. (No spam, I promise!)