On May 19, 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines two days after setting sail from Hong Kong aboard the USS McCulloch. Before landing on Cavite, Aguinaldo conferred with Commodore George Dewey at the latter's flagship, USS Olympia, where the Filipino leader supposedly received Dewey's assurances that no war would ensue between Filipinos and the United States should Spain's governance weaken in the Philippines and the archipelago took the path of independence. Aguinaldo would also recall that Dewey advised to have the Filipino flag ready to be raised. Dewey, however, cabled later that he or any ship under his command never saluted the Filipino flag.
At this time, there were concerns from Filipino ranks that the Americans might annex the Philippines instead, since it appeared that none of the American officials Aguinaldo conferred with were actually committed to support their aspirations of freedom. In fact, the joint resolution authorizing the war with Spain only indicated an assurance for Cuban independence, but spoke nothing of the Philippines and other Spanish possessions.
General Mariano Noriel, for one, cautioned Aguinaldo: "Look, General, if we don't watch out, they will be replacing our flags with their own all over the country!"
General Artemio Ricarte, whose anti-American sentiments were quite known, also warned Aguinaldo "to be careful because it seems the Americans want to fool us."
On May 4, 1898, Spanish Governor General Basilio Agustin formed a Filipino militia upon the recommendation of the Board of Authorities to aid in the war against the Americans. In a semblance of Filipino representation, although merely advisory in nature, Augustin also created a consultative assembly on the same day. Aguinaldo's return from exile, however, energized Filipinos to turn away from the colonial government and shift their loyalties to the Revolution, which victories led Aguinaldo to organize a new government by May 23. The peace brought by the Pact of Biak-na-Bato lasted only six months.
Learn more about the peace negotiations that led to Aguinaldo's exile in the first place:
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