In October of 1898, while the Philippine government was established in Malolos, and before congress had promulgated a Philippine constitution, Messrs.

Arellano and Pardo [96] still more earnestly advocated union with America, the first as secretary of foreign affairs and the latter as chief diplomat.

Their plan consisted in asking the United States to acknowledge the independence of the country under a protectorate through the mediation of General Otis, and this plan was accepted at a cabinet meeting by Don Emilio Aguinaldo.

But on the following day Sandico came and told Aguinaldo that he had had a conference with the Japanese consul and had been told by him: 'that if Aguinaldo would support absolute independence the Japanese Government would help.' Aguinaldo believed Sandico's story (which turned out to be absolutely false) and did not carry out the resolution adopted by the cabinet.Messrs.Arellano and Pardo, after this affront, separated themselves from the Malolos government.

Aguinaldo told me afterwards that he had received a letter from Agoncillo, dated Washington, assuring him that a majority of the American people were inclined to acknowledge the independence of the Philippines and of Cuba." [97] But annexationists were not confined, in the Philippines, to the vicinity of Manila.
As late as September 6 Consul Williams reported that a delegation from four thousand Visayan soldiers, a delegation which also represented southern business interests, had come to him and pledged loyalty to annexation.