Battle of Pateros

Strategically located along the Pasig River, Pateros and other cities in the area were ideal for controlling trade in and out of Laguna, as Emilio Aguinaldo slowly advanced on Pateros, the generals of Laguna planned to liberate the rest of the province as well. Just before these incidents, an unofficial ceasefire was being observed in Cavite. Upon hearing of the execution of Rizal, Aguinaldo and several other generals ordered for the renewed struggle for independence. The first major target for the revolutionaries was Pateros and its surrounding towns. The advance began on land with the Aguinaldo forces marching towards Pateros, after noticing rebel activities in the area, Spanish troops pleaded for reinforcements as Aguinaldo moved forward, the reinforcements would arrive one day too late.

On December 31, Aguinaldo engaged the Spanish loyalist garrison at Pateros, the Spanish forces was caught completely by surprise and surrendered immediately, meanwhile, Mariano Noriel advanced on Taguig and Pio del Pilar on Las Piñas and Silang respectively. By nightfall of the 31st, Pateros, Taguig, Las Piñas and Silang were under rebel control.

Starting on January 1 until January 2, a large contingency of Spanish reinforcement troops from Laguna arrived.

General Aguinaldo, after sustaining heavy casualties from the previous engagement, was forced to order a tactical withdrawal out of Pateros and Noriel, out of Taguig to avoid unnecessary casualties. Spanish troops began to probe rebel activities in Pateros, while the revolutionary forces shifted their attention to Las Piñas.

On January 3, rebel forces under General Pio Del Pilar skirmished with Spanish fortified strongholds put up by Governor-general Ramon Blanco in Las Piñas, Perez Dasmariñas and Silang in an attempt to disrupt Spanish forces, by the afternoon of the 3rd, General del Pilar had withdrawn his forces from Las Piñas into Cavite.

Though successful in the initial part of the battle, the Filipinos took crippling losses in this battle, and with such loss, this meant that they are not going to hold their positions near Manila for long. They retreated in the nearby provinces to avoid further rout by the Spanish. For the latter, their advances after the battle meant that the road to the Katipunan faction of Magdalo's capital of Imus is now open for the taking. To grasp the opportunity, the Spanish general Jose de Lachambre ordered quick assault on Cavite province to finally pacify the rebels there and retake the province for the Spanish Crown.

• Breaking news renewed fighting in Pateros Taguig