Where the One Who Reigns is God: A Philippine History Timeline

Red Horse

This is my first attempt at writing a TL. So forgive me for any errors you may find. This TL is mostly Philippine-centric, so don't expect massive butterfly coverage across the globe. Though I might try it for some selected places.

Updates will be short, and constructive criticisms are welcome.




*****


Prologue


"I go where there are no slaves, hangmen or
oppressors; where faith does not kill; where the one who reigns is God."


José Rizal​




Riding in a carriage through the town, Camilo can't help but observe the townspeople gathering near the streets. They were all looking at him disdainfully, yelling and throwing papers, stones, and other stuffs at his convoy. In the midst of the noises, Camilo manage to make out three words...

Butcher.

Tyrant.

Devil.

Those are the most frequent ones that Camilo heard from them. This made him feel irritated.

The marching column suddenly screeched to a halt.

Apparently, some people had the bright idea to block the marching convoy's path. As the guards apprehended the protesters, commotion ensued, as more people flocked the convoy. Or particularly, Camilo's carriage. His personal escorts tried to shoo them away, to no avail. The people continued to scream out profanities at Camilo. But what exactly made him more irritated was those papers they were showing (and throwing) at him. It was a newspaper piece, with the image of that man. Written along with was some sort of letter. A farewell letter, to be exact. So this is what's all about.

Well, the one who's responsible for that man's death is him. Camilo can't deny that. But in his defense, he's doing it for his motherland. Heck, most of Camilo's life he dedicated to his god, king and country. So in his opinion, these people don't have the right to judge him.

As the chaos continues, Camilo's carriage was approached by a cloaked man. Closing in on the target, the man pulls out a pistol from his coat and aimed at Camilo, much to the latter's horror. The last words he heard before the gunshot was...

"Death for tyrants!"
 

Red Horse

27 December 1896
Manila, Philippines


Camilo opened his eyes and jolted out from his desk. It was that dream again.

'It's been the third time this week' he thought. On his desk lay some stacks of papers. After some rummaging through it, Camilo found what he was looking for. It was the execution orders for that man. The one that was supposed to be the root of all the problems he's facing. The so-called undisputed leader of the rebellion against Her Majesty's government.

The man named José Rizal.

Camilo knew that even before the trial started, Rizal's fate is already set in stone... or so it was perceived, since his signature is still needed to actually put the order into effect. Camilo wasn't sure if the rebellion would actually end with that man's death. Heck, it might even produce the opposite result. One thing he learned from his years in the battlefield was that morale is an important aspect of war. Even a mediocre army has a chance to win, as long as they are prepared to put everything at stake. Applying it to the current situation, Camilo thought that despite the public execution of rebels, the Katipunan showed resilience.

After some more minutes of reflection, Camilo finally made his decision; but as a general, not a politician. He won't give the rebels any chances of victory. And that includes denying them a martyr.

"Simón!" he called his aide. "Bring this back to the tribunal tomorrow morning. Tell them I will not sign this. And I will answer all their questions."

So he, Camilo García de Polavieja, Governor General of the Spanish East Indies, resolved to spare the life of a suspected rebel, not knowing that this rare act of benevolence on his part would yield a far reaching consequence that he never, ever, imagined.
 
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Red Horse

Looks interesting and promising for a first timeline. Subbed.

Thank you for your patronage. :D

I can't promise anything, though. But I'll do my best to make this decent... and plausible (even though some ideas of mine might turn out to be ASB).
 
I'll tell you this right now. The POD you chose is quite tricky. But the window of opportunity is still there. It just needs the right people in the right place, and at the right time.

Let's see how it goes.

Long live Filipinas-wank! :p
 
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