DocwnenJ 302 community, but the founding of which . diet , not.

Filipino Version of the Cavite Mutiny of tally with the views of the religious orders ... Governor i
1872 Izquierdo believed that the establishment of th� new
school was merely a pretext for the organization of · a
political club, and he not only did not allow it to be
By Dr. T.R Pardo de Tavera
opened but made a public statement accusing the Filipinos
The Filipino version of the bloody incident of Cavite in 1872 who had charge of the movement. All of those who had
was written by Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, Filipino scholar, offered their support to ex-Governor La Torre were
scientist, and historical. researcher) According· to him, t!lis incident· classed .· as personas sospechosas (suspects), a term that
was.merely a mutiny by the. native Filipino. soldiers and laborers of since thpt ·. time has been · used . in the. Philippine Islands ·. to
the Cavite arsenal against the harsh policy of despotic Governor designate any person who refused· to servilely obey tlte
and . Captain-General Rafael de Izquierdo . (1871-1873). which wishes and whims of the authorities. The conservative
abohshed their old-time privileges of exemption from paying the element in the isla nds now directed the governmental
annual tribute. and from rendering the polo (forced labor). The loss policy, and the educated Filipinos. fell more. and more
of these privileges was naturally resented by the soldiers and under the displeasme and suspicion of the governor.
laborers. Some of them, impelled by volcanic wrath, rose in arms
on the night of January 20, 1872, and killed the commanding The peace of· the colony was �roken by a certain
officer of the Cavite arsenal and other Spanish otficers. This was incident which, . though unimportant m itself, was
easHy suppressed by the Spanish troops which were rushed. from
Manila. This turbulent Cavite incident, which was magnified by the probably the origin of the political agitation which,
Spanish officials and friars into a revolt for Philippine constantly · growing . for . thirty years, culminated in the
independence, is narrated by Pardo de Tavera, as follows:* · overthrow of the Spanish sovereignty in the Philippine
Islands. From time immemorial the workmen in the
arsen�l at Cavite and in the barracks of the artillery· and
The arrival of General Izquierdo (1871-1873) was the
engineer corps had been exempt from the payment of the
signal for a complete change in the aspect of affairs. · The
new governor soon made it clear that his · views were tribute tax and from obligation to work certain days· each
different from those ofl.a Torre - that there would be no year on public improvements. General Izquierdo believed
the time opporhlne for abolishing these privileges and ·
change in the established form of government - and he
ordered that in the future all such workmen should pay
at once announced that he intended tcr govern the people
tribute and labor on public improvements. This produced
"with a crucifix in one hand and a sword in the .other."
great dissatisfaction among the workmen affected and the
men employed. in the arsenal at �avite went on a strike,
His first official act was to prohibit the founding of a but, yielding to pressure and threats· made by the autho­
school of arts and trades, which was· being organized by rities, they subsequently returned to their labors.
the efforts and funds raised by natives of standing in the
The workmen in the Cavite arsenal were all natives
. 1 Tri.Itidad H�enegildo Pardo de Tavera was born in Manila on April 13
of that town and of the neighboring town of San Roque.
1857, of parents belonging to the Spanish nobility. His father, Felix Pardo d� In a short while the dissatisfaction and discontent with
Tavera, was a lawyer and a brother of the patriot Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, a Jaw the government spread all over that section and even the
professor and g overnment official. During th e early years of the American rule he
served as a member of Taft's Ph ilippine Commission and founded. the Federal entire troops became disaffected. On the night -of January
Party. He died in Manila on March 26, 1925, aged 68. 20, 1872, there was an uprising among the soldiers in the
• �ardo de Taver.i '1-f:ist?rical Account dI the Philippines from Its Discovery San .Felipe fort, in .Cavite, and the commanding officer
��903, Census of thE Phifrppme Is/aruis:I903 (Washington, D.C, 1905), pp. 376- and" other Spanish. officers in charge of the fort were
 assassinated. Forty marines attached to the arsenal and 22 The mutiny in Cavite gave the conservative element
artillerymen ·under· Sergeant La . Madrid took part in this that is, those who favored a continuation of the
uprising, and it was believe that the entire garrison in colonial modus vivendi - an opportunity to represent to
Cavite was disaffected and probably implicated.· But if the the Spanish Government. that a vast · conspiracy was afoot
few soldiers who precipitated the attack believed they and organized throughout the archip(:!lago with the object
would be supported by the bulk of the army and that a of destroying the Spanish sovereignty. They stated that _ .
general rebellion against Spain would be declared in the the Spanish Government in Madrid was to blame for the
islands, they were deceived.. When the news of the up­ propagation of pernicious docqines and for the hopes that
rising was received in ManHa, General Izquierdo sent the had been . held out from Madrid .. to the Filipino people,
--·commanding general to Cavite,-who reinforced the native and· also because of the Jeanings. of .ex-Governor. La Tom�
troops, took possession of the fort, and put the rebels to and of other public functionaries who had been sent to the
the_ sword; Sergeant La Madrid has been blinded and badly Philippine Islands · by' the . Government that succeeded
burned by the explosion of a sack of powder and, being Queen Isabella. Thefall of the new rulers inSpain within
unable to escape, was also cut down: _ A few of the rebels a few days, as well as other occurrences, seemed - to
were captured and taken to Manila and there was no accentuate the claims made by the conservative element
furtqer disturbance of the peace or insubordination of any in the Philippine Islands -regarding the peril which
kind.- threatened Spanish sovereignty in the islands; it appeared
as though the prophecies were about to be fulfilled. The
This uprising among . the soldiers · in Cavite was used Madrid authorities were not able to combat public . opinion
as a powerful lever by the Spanish residents and by the _ in that country;· no opportunity was given nor time taken
friars. During the time that General La Torre was cltjef .
to · make a thorough·.• investigation of the real facts or
executive in the Philippine Islands the influential , extent of the alleged revolution; the conservativ� element
Filipinos did not hesitate to. announce lheir hostµity to in_ the Philippine Islands painted the local condition of
the religious orders, and the Central Government in affairs in somber tints; and the Madrid Government came
Madrid had announced its intention to deprive the friars to believe, or at least to suspect, that a scheme was being
in these islands of all powers of intervention in matters of concocted throughout the islands to shake off Spanish
civil government · and of the direction and management of sovereignty. Consistent with the precedents of their
the management of the university. Moret, the colonial colonial rule, the repressive measures adopted to quell the
minister, had drawn up a scheme of refonns by which he supposed insurrection were strict and sudden. No
proposed to make a radical change in. the colonial system attempt appears to have been made to ascertain whether
of government which was to harmonize with the or not the innocent suffered with the guilty, and the· only
principles for which the revolution_ 3 in Spain had · been end sought appeared to be to inspire terror in the minds of
fought. It was due to these facts and promises that the all by making examples of a certain number, so that none
Filipinos had great hopes of an improvement in the in the future should attempt, nor even dream of any
affairs of their country, while the friars,_ on the other _hand, attempt at secession.
feared· that their power in the colony would soon be
completely a thing of the past. Many of the best known Filipinos were denounced to
the military . authorities, and they, the sons of Spaniards
born in the islands and men of mixed blood (Spanish and
Chinese), as well as the Indians of pure blood, as the
Philippine0 Malays were called, were persecuted _ and
punishe� w ithout distinction by the military authorities.