CHAPTER 2:

CAVITE MUTINY

At the end of the of the lesson, the students should able to:

• Evaluate the historical situation from multiple perspectives;

• Formulate arguments base on the available information; and

• Develop analytical skills in making stand on a certain issue.

Caulte Mutiny January 20, 18721

Throughout Philippine history, Filipinos were confronted with various controversies and issues. Some
were already settled, many are yet to understand. History is subjective. It can be affected by the
availability of resources, interpretation of historians, and the evolution of people's thinking, However,
the conflict that you are about to discover in this module is the contradiction of perspective among the
witnesses of the controversial Cavity mutiny in 1872

This historical controversy has two opposing sides. On one hand was the Spanish perspective
highlighting the mutiny as well-orchestrated and extensive Filipino rebellion to overthrow Spanish
colonial rule in the islands. On the other hand, was the Filipino perspective denying the proposition of
the Spaniards and underscoring that it was just a mere mutiny of selected workers of arsenal who were
rudely affected by the abrupt and preposterous policies of Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquierdo during that time.

1872 Cavite Mutiny: Spanish Perspective

Jose Montero Y Vidal

Jose Montero y Vidal, a prolific Spanish historian documented the event and highlighted it as an attempt
of the Indios or uneducated natives to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquierdo's official report magnified the event and made use of it to
implicate the native clergy, which was then active in the call for secularization. The two accounts
complimented and corroborated with one other, only that the general's report was more spiteful.
Initially, both Montero and Izquierdo scored out that the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers
of Cavite arsenal such as non-payment of tributes and exemption from force labor were the main
reasons of the "revolution" as how they called it, however, other causes were enumerated by them
including the Spanish Revolution which overthrew the secular throne, dirty propagandas proliferated by
unrestrained press, democratic, liberal and republican books and pamphlets reaching the Philippines,
and most importantly, the presence of the native clergy who out of animosity against the Spanish friars,
"conspired and supported the rebels and enemies of Spain. Izquierdo blamed the unruly Spanish Press
for "stockpiling" malicious propagandas grasped by the Filipinos. He reported to the King of Spain that
the "rebels" wanted to overthrow the Spanish government to install a new "hari" in the likes of Fathers
Burgos and Zamora. The governor-general even added that the native clergy enticed other participants
by giving them charismatic assurance that their fight will not fail because God is with them coupled with
handsome promises and ranks in the army. Izquierdo, in his of rewards such as employment, wealth,
sreport lambasted the Indios as gullible and possessed an innate propensity for stealing.

The two Spaniards deemed that the event of 1872 was planned earlier and was thought of it as a big
conspiracy among educated leaders, mestizos, abogadillos or native lawyers, residents of Manila and
Cavite and the native clergy. They insinuated that the conspirators of Manila and Cavite planned to
liquidate high-ranking Spanish officers to be followed by the massacre of the friars. The alleged pre-
concerted signal among the conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the firing of rockets from the walls of
Intramuros.

ding to the accounts of the two, on 20 January 1872, the district of According Sampaloc celebrated the
feast of the Virgin of Loreto, unfortunately participants to the feast celebrated the occasion with the
usual fireworks displays. Allegedly, those in Cavite mistook the fireworks as the sign for the attack, and
just like what was agreed upon, the 200-men contingent headed by Sergeant Fernando Lamadrid
launched an attack targeting Spanish officers at sight and seized the arsenal.

When the news reached the iron-fisted Gov. Izquierdo, he readily ordered the reinforcement of the
Spanish forces in Cavite to quell the revolt. The "revolution" was easily crushed when the expected
reinforcement from Manila did not come ashore. Major instigators including Sergeant Lamadrid were
killed in the skirmish, while the GOMBURZA were tried by a court-martial and were sentenced to die by
strangulation. Patriots like Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose, and Pio Basa and other
abogadillos were suspended by the Royal Audencia (High Court) from the practice of law, arrested and
were sentenced with life imprisonment at the Marianas Island. Furthermore, Gov. Izquierdo dissolved
the native regiments of artillery and ordered the creation of artillery force to be composed exclusively of
the Peninsulares.

On 17th of February 1872 in an attempt of the Spanish government and Frailocracia to instill fear among
the Filipinos so that they may never commit such daring act again, the GOMBURZA (Fathers Mariano
Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora) were executed. This event was tragic but served as one of the
moving forces that shaped Filipino nationalism.

A Response to Injustice: The Filipino Version of the Incident

Trinidad Harmenegido Pardo de Tavo

Dr. Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera, or also known as T. H. Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino scholar
and researcher, wrote the Filipino version of the bloody incident in Cavite. In his point of view, the
incident was a mere mutiny by the native Filipino soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal who turned
out to be dissatisfied with the abolition of their privileges. Indirectly, Tavera blamed Gov. Izquierdo's
cold-blooded policies such as the abolition of privileges of the workers and native army members of the
arsenal and the prohibition of the founding of school of arts and trades for the Filipinos, which the
general believed as a cover-up for the organization of a political club.

On January 20, 1872, about 200 men comprised of soldiers, laborers of the arsenal, and residents of
Cavite headed by Sergeant Lamadrid rose in arms and assassinated the commanding officer and Spanish
officers in sight. The insurgents were expecting support from the bulk of the army unfortunately, that
didn't happen. The news about the mutiny reached authorities in Manila and Gen. Izquierdo
immediately ordered the reinforcement of Spanish troops in Cavite. After two days, the mutiny was
officially declared subdued.

Tavera believed that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as a powerful lever by
magnifying it as a full-blown conspiracy involving not only the native army but also included residents of
Cavite and Manila, and more importantly the native clergy to overthrow the Spanish government in the
Philippines. It is noteworthy that during the time, the Central Government in Madrid announced its
intention to deprive the friars of all the powers of intervention in matters civil government and the
direction and management of civil of educational institutions.This turns of events was believed by
Tavers, prompted the friars to do something domestic in their dire desire to maintain power in the
Philippines.

Meanwhile, in the intention of metalling reforms, the Central Governance of Spain welcomed an
educational decree authored by Segisesurdo Mons promoted the husker of sectarian schools run by the
friats into a school called Philippine Institute. The decree proposed to seprove the standard of education
in the Philippuses by requiring towing positions in such schools to be d by competitive examinations.
This present was warmly received by most Filipinos despite the native clergy's rest for secularization

The friars, learning that their influence is the Philippines would be a thing of the past took advantage of
the incident and presented it to the Sparush Government as a vast conspiracy organized throughout the
archipelagu with the object of destroying Spanish sovereignty. Tevera sadly confirmed that the Madrid
government came to belarve that the scheme was true without any attempt to investigate the real facts
or event of the alleged "revolution" reported by Irepairedo and the friars.

Convicted educated men who participated in the mutiny were sentenced life imprisonment while
esembers of the native clergy headed by the GOMBURZA were tied and executed by garrote. This
episode leads to the awakening of nationalism and eventually to the outbreak of Philippine Revolution
of 1996. The French writer Edmund Plauchut's account complimented Tavera's account by confirming
that the event happened due to discontentment of the arsenal workers and soldiers in Cavite fort. The
Frenchman, however, dwelt more on the executios of the three martys priests which he actually
witnessed.

The Three Martyred Priests IGOMBURZAI

2. Jacinto Zamora, who was next in line to be executed, was born in Pandacan on August 14, 1835. At
the time of his death he was working for a doctorate in canon law at the University of Santo Tomas. In
1860 he headed a small student protest which resulted in his being confined to his quarters for two
months. However, that bit of juvenile subversion did not affect his serving in parishes in Marikina, Pasig,
and Lipa. He was later connected with the Manila Cathedral, where he served as an examiner for new
priests.

Zamora's fatal vice was panguigui, a popular card game. He was implicated in the Cavite Mutiny of 1872
due to an invitation that read in part, "Grand reunion...our friends are well provided with powder and
ammunition. This may have sounded ominous to the military, but this was simply an innocent invitation
to play cards, "powder and ammunition" being panguigui players' code that meant that they were
armed with enough money for an overnight card game.

3. Jose Burgos was the last victim that morning. He had just turned 35 when he died, having been born
on February 9, 1837 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. He was the most distinguished among the three, having earned
two doctorates one in theology and another in canon law. He was a prolific writer (although some of the
writings attributed to him like La Loba Negra on the 1719 murder of Governor-General Bustamante, are
probably not his), and was connected with the Manila Cathedral. He refused a seat in the Commission
on Censorship, and was a good swordsman and boxer. His death was the most dramatic. One arresting
detail in the account of the Frenchman Plauchut has him suddenly standing up from the garrote seat
and shouting, "What crime have I committed to deserve such a death? Is there no justice in the world?"
Twelve friars of different orders restrained him and pushed him back into seat, advising him to accept a
Christian death. Burgos finally gave in to the executioner who broke his neck with one swift and sudden
twist of the garrote handle.

Goesburiza was not only an inspiration for Rizal but for Bonifacio and many Katipteron as well Many
carried, as relics, black cloth nbbons said to have been fashioned out of the soutines worn by the three
priests at death.

It has been said that had the Cavite Mutiny and Gomburza not happened, Jove Risal's life would have
taken a diftervet direction. His dedication of the impact the El Filibusterismo to the three priests
indicates event had on his consciousness "The Church in refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt
the crime imputed to you. the Government, in shevsuding your cause with mystery and obscurities,
creates belief in soune error constrated in crucial moments, and the whole Philippines, in venerating
your memory and calling you martyrs, in no way acknowledges your guilt.

"As long therefore as your participation in the Cavite uprising is not clearly shown, whether or not you
were patriots, whether or not you nourished sentiments of portice and very he the right to dedicate
my work to you, as to anchors of the void that I am trying to fight. And while we wait for Spain to
toistely you and make herod culpable for your death, let these pages serve as belated wreath of dried
loves land on you unknown graves and may your blood be sponte the hands of those proof, ounail
your memory!"

To the present, the Spanish government has not released the court records of the swill military trial that
sent Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora to the garrote.