WI Spain, instead of ceding the Philippines to the US in 1898, unilateraly accepts their inependence

The Philippines had declared their independence in 1898. WI Spain, after loosing the war with the US in mid 1898, instead of negotiating the treaty that ceded them (as well as Guam and Puerto Rico) to the US in 1898, quits the negotiating table and unilateraly declares Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines independent once the American demands are made clear? In the case of Cuba and the Philippines, Spain would just be accepting previous declarations of independence made by Cubans and Filipinos.

Is this remotedly possible, or would not?
 

yourworstnightmare

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The Philippines had declared their independence in 1898. WI Spain, after loosing the war with the US in mid 1898, instead of negotiating the treaty that ceded them (as well as Guam and Puerto Rico) to the US in 1898, quits the negotiating table and unilateraly declares Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines independent once the American demands are made clear? In the case of Cuba and the Philippines, Spain would just be accepting previous declarations of independence made by Cubans and Filipinos.

Is this remotedly possible, or would not?
The US would just occupy the Philippines and crush the independence movement anyways.
 
The Japanese and Germans roll in. The Germans had a navy headed that way already and the Japanese told the Americans that, oh of course we don't mind having you as neighbors, but if you ever decide you want to leave the Philippines...
 
Spain sold the Philippines to the US for $20 million.

If they granted the Philippines independence, they wouldn't have got anything. What advantage would they get by doing this?
 
Spain sold the Philippines to the US for $20 million.

If they granted the Philippines independence, they wouldn't have got anything. What advantage would they get by doing this?
Nothing, really. They might also be needing to surrender it to those who had been fighting them two years before the Americans declared war. Still, could mean a Catholic Luzon, even if the rest of the islands break up a bit.

As for Cuba, there was a four hundred million dollar deficit that the Spanish didn't want to have to deal with for the island but were forced to. Too be fair, it might be that the Spanish worked up a debt in Cuba partially be exporting all its stuff. I don't know how colonial management went. Anyways, the Americans are still occupying areas, though might find annexation less practical. They were unable to annex Cuba anyways, due to the Teller Amendment where Congress agreed to finance the war while stating that they WOULD NOT annex Cuba. Hard to get around something like that. Anyone know how Puerto Rico was ding during this time?
 
Nothing, really. They might also be needing to surrender it to those who had been fighting them two years before the Americans declared war. Still, could mean a Catholic Luzon, even if the rest of the islands break up a bit.

As for Cuba, there was a four hundred million dollar deficit that the Spanish didn't want to have to deal with for the island but were forced to. Too be fair, it might be that the Spanish worked up a debt in Cuba partially be exporting all its stuff. I don't know how colonial management went. Anyways, the Americans are still occupying areas, though might find annexation less practical. They were unable to annex Cuba anyways, due to the Teller Amendment where Congress agreed to finance the war while stating that they WOULD NOT annex Cuba. Hard to get around something like that. Anyone know how Puerto Rico was ding during this time?
Actually, if Spanish was forced to make Philippines Independent, Luzon would gradually shift to Protestant and it would be more protestant in the present than otl..due to the anti-friar sentiment.
 
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SRJS

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Actually, if Spanish was forced to make Philippines Independent, Luzon would gradually shift to Protestant and it would be more protestant in the present than otl..due to the anti-friar sentiment.

Yes, I recall that from history lessons.

The friars that time were obviously corrupt(they are still like that right now IOTL) hence execution of Jose Rizal
 
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