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1.

Jose Rizals Real Final Words

Everyone knows Rizal took a page from Jesus Christ, saying as his last words consummatum est (It is finished in
Latin). Yet thats not the whole story. The British author of Rizal: Philippine Nationalist and Martyr Austin Coates
wrote: With a normal pulse, Rizal quietly uttered Consummatum est, o tempora o mores! Quo usque tandem
abutere, cives, patientia nostra!

In other words, Rizal also quoted the famous orator Cicero: It is finished. O the times, o the morals! How long shall
you abuse our patience, citizens! Coates later commented that the complete final words of Jose Rizal signalled his
despair over how his fellow Filipinos lacked passion for the revolutionary cause.

2. There Really Is No Yamashita Treasure

For over 50 years, treasure hunters from all over the world have scoured the Philippines to look for the fabled war loot
hidden by Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita. Its said that the treasure was or is hidden in a series of
underground tunnels somewhere in the country, that the American military officials found and used it to finance Cold
War operations in the Asia Pacific, or whatever fanciful story cooked up by conspiracy theorists.

The reality is less exciting, as suggested by American military historian Alfred E. Nueman: For if so much hidden gold
was available to it, the United States would not have been so desperate to close the gold pool as its reserves were
depleted. Nor would the U.S. government through the years since World War II been so insistent on preventing a free
gold market from developing. Indeed, if gold was actually as common as the Yamashita stories maintain, the Federal
Reserve, Treasury Department, and Bank of England already would have arranged for [prizes made of gold] to be
inserted as prizes in Cracker Jack and childrens cereal boxes.

3. Andres Bonifacio Fell Asleep Prior to the Cry of Pugad Lawin

If you ever wondered why the revolutionary Bonifacio is not our national hero, then wonder no more.

The so-called Cry of Balintawak was renamed in 1968 to the Cry of Pugad Lawin solely because Andres Bonifacio
screwed up, big time. According to multiple members in the Katipunan during the early 1900s, that fateful night in
August 26, 1896 in Balintawak was usurped three days earlier in Pugad Lawin because Andres Bonifacio mistook the
dry run in the latter as the actual event, depleting the numbers once the former finally happened.

This was because a weary Bonifacio, exhausted from planning and mapping out the revolution, ended up falling
asleep during the dry run of the revolution in Pugad Lawin, and woke up thinking it was already the real thing.
Because Bonifacios actions were so convincing, in no small part due to his indefatigable charisma, majority of those
who were there in Pugad Lawin during the dry run did not actually show up in Balintawak, for when they were all fully
armed to fend off the Spanish guards.

This resulted in disaster, as the Katipuneros were soundly trounced in Balintawak because of Bonifacios mistake.
From this point on, the revolution was demoralized, and it took a two-pronged attack from Filipinos and the Americans
before Spain decided to relinquish its three-century long rule on the Philippines.

4. Prisoners of war during World War II drowned in the dungeons of Fort Santiago

Hoax: We all know what the soldiers, as well as the prisoners, went through during the war. There were also
testimonies saying that hundreds of American prisoners of war drowned in the bottom of Fort Santiago called the
Hole of Death.

Truth: Yes, it was found out that there were hundreds of prisoners died in the said dungeon but the cause of death
was really suffocation and not drowning. According to Dr. Victor Torres, Base sa mga archeological research na
ginawa noong 1980s, hindi naman tumataas ang tubig sa mga kulungan na ito. Malamang nabanggit sa ilang
dokumento yung El Tambo na sa Ingles ay devils drum which is a chamber flood na napupuno ng tubig sa ilalim ng
lupa ng Fort Santiago.

Now, how did the story about drowning spread? Description din ng mga nakulong doon at sinasabing those who
survived the Fort Santiago tortures. Plus, nahalo rin ito sa kuwento ng isang Amerikano who travelled the Philippines
noong early 1900s at inilarawan ang chamber na ito. Kaya lang, ang chamber na kaniyang itinuro ay hindi naman
talaga yon, Torres said.

5. The colors of the flag are red for bravery, white for purity and blue for peace.
Truth: According to the Act of Declaration of Independence, the colors of the flag commemorate the US Flag.

6. The floor of the grand hall of the Aguinaldo mansion is a waxed-and-polished jigsaw puzzle of flags.

7. Apolinario Mabini upon return from his exile, enthusiastically consumed large amounts of unpasteurized carabao's
milk, and consequently died of cholera.

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