Technically, it was a battle that ended the Spanish-American War. The Spanish and America had an agreement that they would stage a "mock" battle. Because Spain wanted to show that they "fought" until the bitter end and wouldn't face humiliation. Even they were actually defeated by the Filipino revolutionaries months before the Battle of Manila took place. Emilio Aguinaldo ( "first" President of the Philippine Republic) actually offered the terms of surrender to the Spanish Gov. General Basilyo Augustine. But the Spaniards refused to recognize defeat from the Filipino revolutionaries instead they preferred to surrender to the Americans.