On October 2, 1899, Aguinaldo approved the result of a new election held there because four of the five high officials of the province had absented themselves, while one of them had died.

Of the men who had so absented themselves one had gone abroad, while the other three had remained in Manila or Cavite under the government of the United States.

[367] The people of the provinces obeyed the men who had arms in their hands.

It is not probable that many of them had any conviction concerning the form of government which would be best for the Philippines.

There were no signs of a spontaneous desire for a republic.