Goyo: The Boy General 2018

Following the shocking assassination of General Antonio Luna, the young and impetuous brigadier general, Gregorio “Goyo” del Pilar, finds himself under the orders of President Emilio Aguinaldo. Goyo is assigned the precarious task of hunting down Luna’s loyalists accused of treason. One of the captured soldiers, Major Manuel Bernal, meets a cruel fate at the home of Mariano Nable Jose in Dagupan, where he endures torture in an attempt to lure him back into the army. Despite the torment, Bernal defiantly refuses and insults Goyo, calling him a “dog” for his unwavering loyalty to Aguinaldo, leading to his brutal execution. Following this, Aguinaldo promotes Goyo to major general of Pangasinan.

With the fighting subsiding temporarily, Goyo spends a carefree summer in Dagupan alongside his older brother Julian, Colonel Vicente Enriquez, and friend Joven Hernando, participating in local festivals and trying to win over Remedios, Mariano’s enchanting daughter. In the meantime, Aguinaldo reaches out to the former prime minister Apolinario Mabini in an attempt to fetch him back into the government as chief justice, but Mabini, although reluctant, finds himself under Aguinaldo’s influence (though his appointment never comes to fruition).

Uncertain about Luna’s assassination, Mabini seeks clarity from Aguinaldo, who skillfully dodges the inquiry. In another part of the country, General José Alejandrino, one of Luna’s allies spared from execution, ventures to Manila to negotiate with American generals Elwell Stephen Otis and Arthur MacArthur Jr. However, the negotiations fall flat when the Americans insist on the Filipinos surrendering before recognizing their sovereignty over the First Philippine Republic. The war escalates, leading Aguinaldo to order a retreat to the Cordillera Range, with Goyo leading the charge.

As the exhausted army traverses the harsh mountains, they face relentless American assaults, internal strife from Luna’s former brigade, as well as the nagging issues of food scarcity and disease. Goyo finds himself in a difficult situation, especially with Aguinaldo’s family members being held captive. Eventually, they reach Mount Tirad, where Goyo concocts a plan to delay the Americans, allowing Aguinaldo and the rest of the army to escape. Together with Luna’s former troops, including Lieutenant García, they prepare the defenses by digging trenches along the slope overlooking the critical mountain pass.

On December 2, the anticipated Battle of Tirad Pass commences with the arrival of American troops led by Major Peyton C. March. Initially, the Americans struggle to break through Filipino defenses, but a local guide reveals a hidden route, allowing them to flank Goyo’s men. As Goyo, having finally overcome his PTSD from previous battles, desperately fights to turn the tide, he is tragically shot dead by an American sniper. This devastating loss shatters the morale of the Filipino forces, resulting in them being easily outmatched. Joven and Kiko, García’s son, attempt to escape but fall victim to the chaos, with Joven perishing after a dire encounter with an American soldier. In the aftermath, Goyo’s body is desecrated by American soldiers as they strip him of valuables, and he is later interred at the very site of the battle, with Vicente and Lieutenant Telesforo Carrasco, among the survivors, visiting the grave along with Felicidad, Goyo’s former love interest and Aguinaldo’s younger sister.

Two years later, Aguinaldo finds himself captured by the Americans in Palanan, marking a significant turning point in the war’s narrative. As a prisoner in Malacañang Palace, he is confronted by his former aide-de-camp, Manuel L. Quezon, who has surrendered under orders from General Tomás Mascardo. Consulted on whether Mascardo should also yield, Aguinaldo asserts that it is a decision for Mascardo alone to make. Shortly thereafter, Mabini too falls into American hands and is exiled to Guam, where he pens his account of the war, titled La Revolución Filipina (‘The Philippine Revolution’), critiquing Aguinaldo’s leadership and decisions.

In a mid-credits scene, an unexpected twist reveals that Joven is rescued by Kiko and Eduardo Rusca, Luna’s former aide. As decades pass, both Aguinaldo and Quezon vie for the presidency in the upcoming 1935 election, while an older Rusca and Joven mockingly salute Aguinaldo in a moment of grim irony.