On April 20, 1897, Bonifacio repudiated President Aguinaldo's revolutionary government through the Naic Military Agreement that reasserted his leadership of the Katipunan and that drafted a revolutionary army and government independent from President Aguinaldo. Among the 41 signatories were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Artemio Ricarte, Gen Mariano Noriel, and Gen Pio del Pilar as commander in chief. Later, General Noriel and General Del Pilar switched to General Aguinaldo's side.
Bonifacio and his men left Naic for Barrio Limbon in the nearby town of Indang in Cavite. On April 26, 1897, Bonifacio was arrested by Col Agapito Bonson and Maj Jose Ignacio Paua, two loyal officers of President Aguinaldo, the latter being his brother in law. Bonifacio and his men fought back, and Ciriaco, one of his two brothers, was killed. Bonifacio himself was shot in his left arm. Major Paua jumped at Bonifacio and stabbed the left side of his neck with a dagger. From Indang, a wounded and half-starved Bonifacio was carried by hammock to Naic, where President Aguinaldo established his headquarters.
Tried by the Council of War, which was presided by General Noriel, in Maragondon, Cavite, Bonifacio and his brother were found “guilty” of the crimes of treason and sedition, of attempting a counter-revolution, and of trying to overthrow President Aguinaldo and his revolutionary government. On May 8, 1897, Bonifacio and his brother were sentenced to death by execution though they were not given a fair trial to defend themselves. President Aguinaldo changed the sentence from execution to banishment, but General Noriel pressured him to revoke his order and to proceed with the execution. Noriel explained that if Bonifacio and his brother would live, they would disrupt the unity of the revolutionary government.
On May 10, 1897, Gen Lazaro Makapagal and four other soldiers moved Bonifacio and his brother from a jail in Maragondon upon the order of General Noriel who him a sealed letter with strict order to read it only after reaching Mount Nagpatong in Maragondon, Cavite. When the five soldiers and the Bonifacio brothers reached Mount Nagpatong, General Makapagal read the sealed letter, ordering him to execute the two brothers by firing squad. Makapagal complied with General Noriel's command, and the two brothers were shot to death. Using their bolos and bayonets, the soldiers dug a shallow grave, and after covering the corpses with twigs and weeds, they hurriedly left to escape the Spanish troops who were then patrolling nearby.
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