Cavite Mutiny - Arnel

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Arnel B.

Ytac Bs Accountancy

Primary Source: Excerpts from Montero's Account of the Cavity Mutiny


Source: Jose Monteroy Vidal, "Spanish Version of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872," in Gregorio
Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila:
National Book Store, 1990), 269- 273.

The importance of the text


It reflects that the Spanish have not committed a crime and that the Filipinos planned the
revolt and the ones whom started the chaos. He also justified the unjust apprehensions and
merciless executions of the Spanish authorities to the Filipino priests. In his writing, he apparently
empowers the Spaniards to not feel any guilt towards their actions.

The authors background


He was born on January 28, 1851 in the Andalusian town of Gergal. He was a Spanish
writer and politician and held various positions in the Spanish overseas provinces of the
Philippines and Cuba, and wrote extensively about them.

He was one of the most knowledgeable of the Spanish historians on the Philippines. At the
time of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, he was a government official residing in Manila.

The Context of the document


According to him, the event was premeditated and the primary instigator were the three
priests ― GOMBURZA, and its caused was not only just because of the uplifting of the tax
exemptions to the laborers of the Cavite Arsenal but also a revolt to overthrow the Spanish rule
from assassination of the Governor-General to general massacre of all Spaniards including the
friars.

Montero without any doubt emphasized that all Filipinos accused, executed and exiled
were truly guilty and that all deserved their sentenced.

The contribution in the understanding Philippine


This emphasized that all Filipinos accused, executed and exiled were truly guilty and that
all deserved their sentenced because of their attempt to overthrow the Spanish government in the
Philippines.

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Arnel B. Ytac Bs Accountancy

Primary Source: Excerpts from the Official Report of Governor Izquierdo on the Cavite
Mutiny of 1872
Source: Rafael Izquierdo, "Official Report on the Cavite Mutiny,"in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia
Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store,
1990), 281-286.

The importance of the text


He magnified the event and made use of it to implicate the native clergy, which was then
active in the call for secularization.

He wrote an official report to the Spanish Minister of war stating that the Filipinos are
conspiring a revolution to overthrow the Spanish government and general massacre of the Spanish
authorities including the friar which result to massive Filipino apprehension and execution
including the GOMBURZA.

The authors background


He was born on September 30, 1820 and died on November 9, 1883 was a Spanish Military
Officer, politician, and statesman. He served as Governor-General of the Philippines from April 4,
1871 to January 8, 1873 and he was famous for his use of "Iron Fist" type of government,
contradicting the liberal government of his predecessor, Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada.
He was the Governor-General during the 1872.

The context of the document


In the Spaniard’s accounts, the event of 1872 was premeditated, and was part of a big
conspiracy among the educated leaders, mestizos, lawyers, and residents of Manila and Cavite.
They allegedly plan to liquidate high- ranking Spanish officers, then kill the friars. The signal they
identified among these conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the rockets fired from Intramuros.

The accounts detail that on 20 January 1872, the district of Sampaloc celebrated the feast
of the Virgin of Loreto, and came with it were some fireworks display. The Cavitenos allegedly
mistook this as the signal to commence with the attack. The 200-men contigent led by Sergeant
Lamadrid attacked Spanish officers at sight and seized the arsenal. Izquierdo, upon learning of the
attack, ordered the reinforcement of the Spanish forces in Cavite to quell the revolt. The
“revolution” was easily crushed, when the Manilenos who were expected to aid the Cavitenos did
not arrive. Leaders of the plot were killed in the resulting skirmish, while Fathers Gomez, Burgos,
and Zamora were tried by a court-martial and sentenced to be executed. Others who were
implicated such as Joaquin de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose and Pio Basa, and other
Filipino lawyers were suspended from the practice of law, arrested and sentenced to life
imprisonment at the Marianas Island. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of artillery and
ordered the creation of an artillery force composed exclusively by Peninsulares.

On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to serve as a threat to Filipinos


never to attempt to fight the Spaniards again.

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Arnel B. Ytac Bs Accountancy

The contribution in the understanding Philippine


Izquierdo introduced rigid and strict policies that made Filipinos more against the Spanish
government. Also, he is the one who requested to Archbishop Gregorio Meliton Martinez to
defrock the three priests from their respective curates for them to die as a criminal. However, the
Archbishop denied it.

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Arnel B. Ytac Bs Accountancy

Primary Source: Excerpts from Pardo de Tavera’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny
Source: Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, “Filipino Version of the Cavity Mutiny," in Gregorio
Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila:
National Book Store, 1990), 274 280.

The importance of the text


It helped the readers to gather other vital informations rather than to focus on Montero’s
version. It now depends on the readers to measure the credibility and reliability of the authors.

The authors background


Trinidad Hermenegildo José María Juan Francisco Pardo de Tavera y Gorricho (April 13,
1857 – March 26, 1925) was a Filipino physician, historian and politician of Spanish and
Portuguese descent. Trinidad, also known by his name T. H. Pardo de Tavera was known for his
writings about different aspects of Philippine culture.

The Context of the document


According to this account, the incident was merely a multiply by Filipino soldiers and
laborers of the Cavite arsenal to the dissatisfaction arising from the draconian policies of Izquiedor,
such as the abolition of privileges and the prohibition of the founding of the school of arts and
trades of Filipinos, which the General saw as a smokescreen to creating a political club.

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.

During the time, the Central Government in Madrid announced its intention to deprive the
friars of all the powers of intervention in matters of civil government and the direction and
management of educational institutions. This turnout of events was believed by Tavera, prompted
the friars to do something drastic to maintain power in the Philippines. Thus, The Cavite Mutiny
paved way for the Spanish authorities to frame the priests as the instigators mainly D. Jose Burgos

The contribution in the understanding Philippine


Tavera rebutted on the claims and allegations of Montero and Izquierdo into what the main
cause of the revolt. Additionally, with respect to his article, he informed the readers of the
Spanish’s shortcomings that led to the incident and persuade the general people who were able to
read the Spanish historian’s version.

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Arnel B. Ytac Bs Accountancy

Primary Source: Excerpts from Plauchut’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny


Source: Edmund Plauchut, The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 and the Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za,”
in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Souroces of Philippine History,
Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 251-268.

The importance of the text


The way the author related the time of execution of the GOMBURZA was comprehensive.
He even accounted the conversation between the executioner and Father Burgos which for me was
impossible for him to know considering the crowd and the level of tone both were using.

The authors background


He Born on January 7, 1824 and died on January 30, 1909, a French adventurer and a
journalist, vice president of the board of directors of Association Internationale des Philippinistes
in Paris who was then residing in Manila and a witnessed of GOMBURZA execution, wrote an
account in the Parisian periodical Revue des deux mondes (Review of the Two Worlds) about the
event.

The Context of the document


The arrival in Manila of General Izquierdo put a sudden end to all dreams of reforms the
prosecutions instituted by the now Governor General were probably expected as a result of the
bitter disputes between the Filipino clerics and the friars. Such a policy must really end in a strong
desire on the part of the other to repress cruelly.

In regard to schools, it was previously decreed that there should be in Manila a Society of
Arts and Trades to be opened in March of 1871 to repress the growth of liberal teachings, General
Izquierdo suspended the opening of the school the day previous to the scheduled inauguration. The
Filipinos had a duty to render service on public roads construction and pay taxes every year. But
those who were employed at the maestranza of the artillery, in the engineering shops and arsenal
of Cavite, were exempted from this obligation from time immemorial, without preliminaries of
any kind, a decree by the Governor withdrew from such old employees their retirement privileges
and declassified them into the ranks of those who worked on public roads.

The friars used the incident as a part of a larger conspiracy to cement their dominance,
which had started to show cracks because of the discontent of the Filipinos. They showcased the
mutiny as part of a greater conspiracy in the Philippines by Filipinos to overthrow the Spanish
Government. Unintentionally, and more so, prophetically, the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 resulted in
the martyrdom of GOMBUZA, paved the way to the revolution culminating in 1898.

The contribution in the understanding Philippine


These events are significant highlights in the Philippine history and have caused ripples
right through time, directly influencing the decisive events of the Philippines Revolution toward
the end of the century. These are considered a major factor in the awakening of nationalism among
the Filipinos of that time and will continue to serve as one up until this preset times.

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Arnel B. Ytac Bs Accountancy

Case Study 3: Where Did the Cry of Rebellion Happen?

The importance of the text - The Cry of Balintawak was soon changed into Cry of Pugad Lawin.
But there is no controversy about the act of courage of Bonifacio and the Katipuneros and the
significance of their act. They tore their cedulas as an expression of defiance against Spanish rule.

The authors background


Agoncillo used his considerable influenced and campaigned for a change in the recognized
site to Pugad Lawin and the date 23 August 1896. In 1963, the National Heroes Commission (a
forerunner of the NHI), without formal consultations or recommendations to President Macapagal.
Consequently, Macapagal ordered that the Cry of Balintawak be called the “Cry of Pugad Lawin,”
and that it be celebrated on 23 August instead of 26 August. The 1911 monument in Balintawak
was later removed to a highway. Student groups moved to save the discarded monument, and it
was installed in front of Vinzons Hall in the Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines
on 29 November 1968.

In 1962, Teodoro Agoncillo, together with the UP Student Council, placed a marker at the
Pugad Lawin site. According to Agoncillo, the house of Juan Ramos stood there in 1896, while
the house of Tandang Sora was located at Pasong Tamo.

The Context of the document

In the Philippines, this happened in August 1896, northeast of Manila, where they declared
rebellion against the Spanish colonial government. These events are important markers in the
history of colonies that struggled for their independence against their colonizers. The controversy
regarding this event stems from the identification of the date and place where the Cry happened.
Prominent Filipino historian Teodoro Agoncillo emphasizes the event when Bonifacio tore the
cedula or tax receipt before the Katipuneros who also did the same. Some writers identified the
first military event with the Spaniards as the moment of the Cry, for which, Emilio Aguinaldo
commissioned an “Him no de Balintawak to inspire the renewed struggle after the Pact of the
Biak-na-Bato failed. A monument to the Heroes of 1896.

Historian Teodoro Agoncillo wrote in 1956 that it took place in Pugad Lawin on August
23, 1896, based on Pío Valenzuela's statement. Accounts by Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel
Encarnacion and Ramon Villegas claim the event to have taken place in Tandang Sora's barn in
Gulod, Barangay Banlat, Quezon City. Some of the apparent confusion is in part due to the double
meanings of the terms "Balintawak" and "Kalookan" at the turn of the century. Balintawak referred
both to a specific place in modern Caloocan and a wider area which included parts of modern
Quezon City. Similarly, Kalookan referred to modern Caloocan and also a wider area which
included modern Quezon City and part of modern Pasig.
Pugad Lawin, Pasong Tamo, Kangkong and other specific places were all in "greater Balintawak",
which was in turn part of "greater Caloocan".

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Arnel B. Ytac Bs Accountancy

The contribution in the understanding Philippine


Reflecting on this act today, we see the bravery of Filipinos who fought against a foreign
enemy with superior arms. The Katipuneros would match this symbolic act with attacks in
Mandaluyong, Pandacan, and Pasig that prompted the Spaniards to declare a state of war in the
eight provinces—Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Pampanga.
One hundred twenty three years after this historic event, the “Cry” of Filipino revolutionaries,
regardless of the controversies on the dates and venues, should continue to inspire modern
Filipinos.

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