Apolinario Mabini is also known as the Sublime Paralytic and the Brains of the Revolution.
He came from a family who could barely make both ends meet. Even as a young boy, Mabini showed signs of a promising future. His mother initially wanted the young Apolinario to become a priest, but his real love was the pen and paper. He studied at San Juan de Letran and later on transferred to the University of Sto. Tomas where he received his law degree in 1894.
He contracted a disease sometime in 1896. Unfortunately, the disease left him paralyzed from waste down, thus he got the moniker Sublime Paralytic. Unknown to many, historians believed Mabini became paraplegic because he contracted syphilis, a dreaded sexually transmitted disease during his time. It was only in 1984 that historians were able to prove that he indeed suffered from polio and not syphilis.
Mabini became known to the public because of his articles in La Liga Filipina. He wanted reforms in the government. He later served as Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s adviser and became instrumental in the government’s transfer from dictatorial to revolutionary. He made the revolutionary troops’ rules and regulations, thus getting the moniker Brains of the Revolution.
He drafted the first constitution of the Philippine republic when the revolutionary congress was organized at Barasoain, Malolos, Bulacan.
When the Filipino – American War broke-out, he was captured and exiled to Guam because of his alleged subversive articles. But he was able to return to the Philippines after he agreed to the terms and conditions offered by the United States.
