Cavite Mutiny

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
TAGUIG CITY UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Gen. Santos Ave. Central Bicutan Taguig City
Cavite
Mutiny
By: Nel Mike Tanqui-on
BSCRIM B2022
Submitted to:
Professor Rhodora Herras
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Body 4
The Two Faces of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny 5
(By Chris Antonette Piedad-Pugay)
The Cavite Mutiny: Spanish Perspective 5
A Response to Injustice: The Filipino Version of the Incident 8

Unraveling the Truth 11
The 1872 Cavite Mutiny 13
(From Filipino Journal: The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987)
The Seedbed of Revolution 17

(From the City Government of Cavite)
Conclusion 20
References 21
Introduction
Spanish colonialism in the Philippines is the longest foreign rule it
experienced as it lasted for 333 years. In that span of time, Filipino people
suffered from the Spanish Empire. It brought poverty, violence and misery.
Its inhuman behavior towards Filipinos led to uprising. Hoping that the
suffering in the whole archipelago will end and Philippines will gain its
independence from foreign rule. This leads us to the Cavite Mutiny, which is
known as the start of the Filipino Nationalism.
The Cavity Mutiny is one of the lessons we learn and study at early age
in elementary school. Mutiny simply means an open rebellion against
authorities. The mutiny happened on January 20, 1872. Due to Spanish harsh
ruling in the Philippine Archipelago, Filipinos seeks to correct this unjust
treatment. As a result, Filipino military personnel decided to plan for an
uprising. They started recruited local farmers and colonial troops in belief that
the uprising would be successful and will result in national uprising.

Body
Since 1898, the 12th of June has been a significant date for all Filipinos.
On this day, the whole Filipino country, as well as Filipino communities all
around the world, comes together to commemorate the Philippines'
Independence Day. 1898 became a very momentous year for all of us—as
significant as 1896, when the Philippine Revolution erupted due to the
Filipinos' yearning to be free of the atrocities of the Spanish colonial rule. But
we should remember that another year, 1872, is just as momentous as the
previous two.
There are two big events that happened in 1872. First was the Cavite
Mutiny and the other one was the martyrdom of the priests namely as Fr. Jose
Burgos, Fr. Jacinto Zamora and Fr. Mariano Gomez. The Three Martyrs were
also known for the acronym “GOMBURZA”. Yet, not everyone of us was
aware that several stories of the related occurrence existed. Since this incident
resulted in the tragic yet significant execution of GOMBURZA, which in turn

played a significant role in the emergence of nationalism among the Filipinos,
all Filipinos need to be aware of both sides of the story.
The two faces of Cavite Mutiny

by Chris Antonette Piedad-Pugay
There are two faces of Cavite Mutiny: The Spanish Perspective and the
Filipino Incident. I personally believe that we need to know the two sides of
the coin in order to understand furthermore what really happened in the Cavite
Mutiny.
The Cavite Mutiny: Spanish Perspective
Jose Montero y Vidal, a well-documented Spanish historian, recorded
the event and emphasized it as an Indios attempt to overthrow the Spanish
government in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the official report of Governor-
General Rafael Izquierdo exaggerated the event and used it to appeal to
indigenous clerics, who then actively called for secularization. The two
accounts compliment and endorse each other, only the general’s report makes
more sense. Initially, Montero and Izquierdo both noted that the abolition of
privileges enjoyed by the workers of the Cavite armory, such as no tribute and
exemption from forced labor, were the main reasons for "the revolution" as
they
called it., other causes were listed by them, including the Spanish Revolution
that overthrew the secular throne, dirty propaganda disseminated by the
rampant press, democrats, liberals and republic to the Philippines, and above
all the presence of native clerics, outsider’s hostile to the Spanish Friars,
"conspiring and supporting" the rebels and enemies of Spain. In particular,
Izquierdo accused the unruly Spanish press of "stocking up" with malicious
propaganda that the Filipinos seized. It is said that he reported to the King of
Spain that the "rebels" desires to overthrow the Spanish government in order
to establish a new "hari" between Father Burgos and Father Zamora. The
general even added that the native clerics engaged the other participants by
giving them the charismatic assurance that their fight would not be lost
because God is with them. Beautiful promises of rewards like jobs, wealth,
and military ranks. Izquierdo, in his report, criticized the Indios for being
gullible and innate theft.

The two Spaniards believed that the events of 1872 had been previously
planned, and that a grand conspiracy between educated leaders, mestizo,
abogadillo or native lawyers, residents of Manila and Cavite, and native
clergy.
They implied that the Manila and Cavite conspirators planned to
liquidate the Spanish dignitaries and subsequently massacre the monks. An
allegedly prearranged signal between the Manila and Cavite conspirators was
the firing of rockets from the walls of Intramuros.
According to their accounts, on January 20, 1872, the Sampaloc district
celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Loreto, but unfortunately the feast-goers
celebrated the occasion with the usual fireworks. Presumably, the Cavite
people mistook the fireworks for a signal to attack, and as agreed, a contingent
of 200 men led by Sergeant Ramadorid launched an attack on the Spanish
officers within sight and seized the arsenal. When the news reached the
impregnable Governor Izquierdo, he immediately ordered Spanish
reinforcements at Cavite to put down the rebellion. The "Revolution" was

easily crushed when the expected reinforcements from Manila failed to land.
The key agitators, including Sergeant Ramadrid, were killed in the skirmish,
and Gomburza was court-martialed and sentenced to death by strangulation.
Patriots like Joaquín Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma Residor, Jose, Pio Basa
and other Avogadillos
were suspended from legal practice by the Audencia (Supreme Court),
arrested
and sentenced to life imprisonment on Mariana Island. In addition, Governor
Izquierdo ordered the dissolution of the indigenous artillery regiments and the
creation of an artillery unit composed exclusively of the Peninsulares.
On February 17, 1872, the Spanish government and his Frailocracia
executed GOMBURZA in an attempt to instill fear in the Filipinos and
prevent them from committing such a daring act again. The event, though
tragic, was one of the driving forces that shaped Filipino nationalism.
A Response to Injustice: Filipino Version of the Mutiny

Dr Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino scholar and
researcher, wrote the Filipino version of the bloody events in Cavite. In his
view, the incident was simply a rebellion by local Filipino soldiers and Cavite
Arsenal workers, who were dissatisfied with the abolition of their privileges.
He denounced Izquierdo's ruthless policies, including removing privileges
granted to local military personnel and banning the establishment of arts and
crafts
schools for Filipinos.
On January 20, 1872, about 200 soldiers, led by Sergeant Ramadrid,
armory workers, and Cavite residents, armed themselves and killed the
commander and a Spanish officer before their eyes. The militants expected
support from most of the army, but unfortunately this did not materialize.
News of the mutiny reached the authorities in Manila, and General Izquierdo
immediately ordered reinforcements of the Spanish forces in Cavite. Two days
later, the rebellion was declared officially crushed.

Tabera believed that the Spanish brothers and Izquierdo used the Cavite
Rebellion as a powerful lever, portraying it as a full-blown conspiracy
involving not only the indigenous forces but also the people of Cavite and
Manila to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines. It is
noteworthy that the central government of Madrid has announced its intention
to deprive the brothers of all powers to intervene in matters of leadership and
administration of civil governments and educational institutions. Tabera
believed that the consequences of this event prompted the brothers to do
something drastic with
the fearsome desire to maintain power in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the reform-enthusiastic central government of Spain
welcomed an education decree drafted by Segismundo Mollet encouraging the
consolidation of friar-run sectarian schools into a school called Philippine
Institute. The decree proposed raising the standard of education in the
Philippines by requiring apprenticeship positions in such schools to be filled
through competition. This improvement was warmly welcomed by most

Filipinos, despite the enthusiasm of the local clergy for secularization. Fearing
that their influence in the Philippines would be a thing of the past, the brothers
used the incident to present to the Spanish government a monstrous
conspiracy organized throughout the archipelago to undermine Spanish
sovereignty did. Tabera sadly led the Madrid government to believe that this
plan was true, without even trying to investigate the true facts and scope of the
alleged "revolution" reported by Izquierdo and his brother. It was confirmed.
Convicted and educated men who participated in the rebellion were
sentenced to life imprisonment, and members of the local clergy, led by
Gomburza, were tied and hanged. This episode leads to the awakening of
nationalism and ultimately to the outbreak of his 1896 Philippine Revolution.
The French writer Edmund in his Plowshat account supplemented
Tabera's account by confirming that the events took place in the Cavite
fortress due to the discontent of the workers and soldiers of the armory.
However, the French detailed the execution of his three martyr priests, which
he actually witnessed.
Unraveling the Truth
Given the two accounts of the 1872 revolt, some facts remain the same:
first, the workers in the arsenal, as well as members of the local army, were
outraged that General Izquierdo revoked their privileges; secondly, the
general. Given the four accounts of the 1872 rebellion, some basic facts
remain constant. First, arsenal employees and members of the local military
were outraged that veterans were being stripped of their privileges. There may
be different versions of this event, but it is clear that the Cavite Mutiny of
1872 paved the way for
the momentous year of 1898.
The road to independence was rocky and countless patriots, famous and
not, sacrificed their blood for reform and independence. June 12, 1898 may be
a wonderful day for us, but we must remember that our forefathers preceded
our victory. There was enough suffering. May we be more aware of our past
historically, may it bring us a brighter future while we enjoy our freedom.

The 1872 Cavite Mutiny

By Filipino Journal: The Pulse of the Filipino Community Since 1987
One hundred and forty years ago, on January 20, 1872, about 200
Filipino military personnel staged a mutiny at the San Felipe Arsenal in
Cavite, Philippines, which led in part to the Philippine Revolution of 1896.
The Cavite Rebellion of 1872 was instigated by Governor Rafael. de

Izquierdo's order to abolish longstanding personal benefits for workers, such
as taxes (fees) and exemptions from forced labor. A few months earlier, in
1871, Izquierdo had replaced Governor Carlos María de la Torre, immediately
reversing Torre's liberal measures and imposing his iron rule. He protested
against any sign of a reformist or nationalist movement in the Philippines. He
has been in office for less than two years, but he will be remembered for his
brutal and brutal execution of three priests who were killed because of their
rebellion: Father Mariano Gómez, Father José Burgos and Father Cinto
Zamora, they later gathered known. as "Gombuza".
The rebels were led by Sgt. Fernando La Madrid; they captured the fort
and killed the Spanish officers. Fearing a general uprising, the Spanish
government in Manila sent a regiment under General Felipe Genovese to
retake
the fort. The siege mutiny was put down, many mutineers including Sgt. La
Madrid was killed. Others were later sentenced to death or hard labor.
Izquierdo
used the move to blame Gomburza and other prominent Filipinos known for
their liberal views. Prominent Filipinos such as clergy, professionals, and
businessmen were arrested on flimsy and false charges and sentenced to
prison, death, or exile. Herunders Joakins Pardo de Tavera, Hosē Basa un–
Antonio M. Councilors. Cavite rebels are said to have taken their cue from
Manila when they saw and heard fireworks in Manila Bay that were actually
celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Loreto in Sampaloc.
When the Archbishop of Manila, Fr. Melitón Martínez refused to
cooperate and fired the priest, and on February 15, a Spanish military tribunal
proceeded maliciously to find Fathers Gómez, Burgos, and Zamora guilty of
treason for inciting a mutiny in Cavite. Two days later, three priests were
hanged in Bagumbayan (now known as Luneta). (The garrote was a barbaric
Spanish form of execution in which an iron collar was placed around the
prisoner's neck until death.)
Father Burgos is Spanish and was born in the Philippines. He is the
Vicar of the Manila Cathedral and is known to be close to the liberal Governor
de la Torre. He was 35 years old at the time and was an active and outspoken
advocate for the Filipinoization of the clergy. He is quoted as saying, "Why
should a young man try to advance in the profession of a lawyer or a
theologian, if he sees no future for himself but only darkness?"
Father Zamora, 37, is also Spanish and was born in the Philippines. He
is a priest in Marikina and is known to be unfriendly to Spaniards from Spain
and will not tolerate any arrogance or authority. He once rejected a Spanish
governor who was visiting Marikina.
Father Gomez is an old man in his 70s, Chinese of Filipino descent,
born in Cavite. He holds the highest position of the three, serving as Chaplain
to the Archbishop of Cavite. A true nationalist, he took his execution as if it
were his
confession to the Filipinos.
After the verdict was pronounced, the three priests were stripped of
their white robes and brought to the cells, hand and foot in chains. They have
received
several visits from people from Cavite, Bulacan and other places. Forty
thousand Filipinos came to Luneta to witness and silently denounce the
execution, and Gomburza became the oppressed Filipinos seeking justice and
freedom from Spain. In the dedication page of his second book, El
Filibusterismo, published in 1891, Dr. Jose Rizal: "I dedicate my work to you
as a sacrifice to the evil against which I am determined to fight..."
It should be remembered that the seeds of nationalism planted in Cavite
blossomed in the Philippine Revolution and later the declaration of
independence of Emilio Aguinaldo also took place in Cavite. In my view, the
1872 Cavite Rebellion reinforced the stereotype that Caviteño’s were the
bravest of my fellow Filipinos.

The Seedbed of Revolution

By Government of Cavite
Before the outbreak of the revolution, the monks from Spain acquired
extensive properties in Cavite, which constituted more than a quarter of all
monastic land in the Philippines. These properties became the cause of bitter
land disputes between the brothers and Filipino farmers, forcing some Cavitne
to live outside the law. This opposition to the monastic order was an important
factor in the country's subsequent independence. Luis Parang led an agrarian
revolt in 1828 and Eduardo Camerino led an agricultural revolt in 1869.
Palanga and Camerino, notorious bandits in the eyes of the government but
patriots in the eyes of their people, became the first foundation of the
Philippine Revolution under the leadership of Father Mariano Gomez in
Cavite.
In 1872, disaffected sailors rioted in Cavite, leading to massive
repression against reformers and liberals. Three Filipino priests - Jose Burgos,
Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora - were executed for their alleged
involvement in a mutiny of about 200 Filipino soldiers and workers of Cavite

Arsenal. It has been described as a “judicial assassination… that shocked the
Filipino founding
fathers like no other event in the 19th century. In fact, February 17, 1872 is
known as the birthday of the Philippine nation. "
Famous Caviteños were victims of the 1872 Cavite Revolt. Mariano
Alvarez, founder of the Katipunan Magdiwang Council in Cavite; José Basa
and Enriquez, great lawyers, educators, writers and reformers; Silvestre
Legazpi, Minister of Finance of the revolutionary government; and Emily
Aguinaldo. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896 with Cavite at the center
as thousands of Katipuneros liberated most of Cavite's towns. On September
12, 1896, 13 prominent Caviteños, 10 Freemasons, and 3 Katipuneros were
executed by a Spanish firing squad at Fort San Felipe in Cavite for allegedly
aiding the rebellion. Execution of barracks of thirteen influential miles in
length at Corregidor, Cavite Nios, for the purpose of preventing the spread of
the riots which had begun at Noveleta. Instead, all the towns in Cavite took up
arms. After the Battle of Binakayan and Calero on 9-11 November 1, 1896,
Spanish
sovereignty over the province ended, except for the Cavite Arsenal,
headquarters of the Spanish Far Eastern Fleet. The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was
a prologue to the Philippine Liberation Struggle. However, the execution of
the Thirteen Martyrs brought down the curtain on the Spanish regime in the
Philippines.
Conclusion
The Cavite Mutiny was been the catalyst for the Philippine Revolution.
And it also triggered the nationalism within the hearts of the Filipino. It is
always important to remember the history about our independence. It is deeply
rooted in ourselves. It reflects on us as a Filipino. We must never forget the
sacrifices of those who came before us as they worked hard, really hard for
this freedom we enjoy today.

References
Pugay, C. A. (2012, September 5). The Two Faces of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny.
https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-two-faces-of-the-1872-cavite-mutiny/
Koh, E. (2016, January 20). The 1872 Cavite Mutiny. Filipino Journal.
https://filipinojournal.com/the-1872-cavite-mutiny/
History of Cavite | Cavite. (n.d.). The Seedbed of Revolution.
https://cavite.gov.ph/home/history-of-cavite/

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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

TAGUIG CITY UNIVERSITY

The Cavite Mutiny: Spanish Perspective 5

A Response to Injustice: The Filipino Version of the Incident 8

The Seedbed of Revolution 17

Spanish colonialism in the Philippines is the longest foreign rule it

known as the start of the Filipino Nationalism.

in elementary school. Mutiny simply means an open rebellion against

ruling in the Philippine Archipelago, Filipinos seeks to correct this unjust

treatment. As a result, Filipino military personnel decided to plan for an

the uprising would be successful and will result in national uprising.

around the world, comes together to commemorate the Philippines'

significant as 1896, when the Philippine Revolution erupted due to the

we should remember that another year, 1872, is just as momentous as the

resulted in the tragic yet significant execution of GOMBURZA, which in turn

all Filipinos need to be aware of both sides of the story.

The two faces of Cavite Mutiny

The Cavite Mutiny: Spanish Perspective

Jose Montero y Vidal, a well-documented Spanish historian, recorded

the event and emphasized it as an Indios attempt to overthrow the Spanish

government in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the official report of Governor-

General Rafael Izquierdo exaggerated the event and used it to appeal to

that overthrew the secular throne, dirty propaganda disseminated by the

"conspiring and supporting" the rebels and enemies of Spain. In particular,

gullible and innate theft.

planned, and that a grand conspiracy between educated leaders, mestizo,

abogadillo or native lawyers, residents of Manila and Cavite, and native

They implied that the Manila and Cavite conspirators planned to

liquidate the Spanish dignitaries and subsequently massacre the monks. An

the firing of rockets from the walls of Intramuros.

According to their accounts, on January 20, 1872, the Sampaloc district

of 200 men led by Sergeant Ramadorid launched an attack on the Spanish

impregnable Governor Izquierdo, he immediately ordered Spanish

reinforcements at Cavite to put down the rebellion. The "Revolution" was

and Gomburza was court-martialed and sentenced to death by strangulation.

and other Avogadillos

were suspended from legal practice by the Audencia (Supreme Court),

and sentenced to life imprisonment on Mariana Island. In addition, Governor

creation of an artillery unit composed exclusively of the Peninsulares.

On February 17, 1872, the Spanish government and his Frailocracia

executed GOMBURZA in an attempt to instill fear in the Filipinos and

A Response to Injustice: Filipino Version of the Mutiny

He denounced Izquierdo's ruthless policies, including removing privileges

schools for Filipinos.

On January 20, 1872, about 200 soldiers, led by Sergeant Ramadrid,

immediately ordered reinforcements of the Spanish forces in Cavite. Two days

later, the rebellion was declared officially crushed.

Rebellion as a powerful lever, portraying it as a full-blown conspiracy

Manila to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines. It is

to deprive the brothers of all powers to intervene in matters of leadership and

administration of civil governments and educational institutions. Tabera

believed that the consequences of this event prompted the brothers to do

something drastic with

the fearsome desire to maintain power in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the reform-enthusiastic central government of Spain

welcomed an education decree drafted by Segismundo Mollet encouraging the

consolidation of friar-run sectarian schools into a school called Philippine

Institute. The decree proposed raising the standard of education in the

Philippines by requiring apprenticeship positions in such schools to be filled

through competition. This improvement was warmly welcomed by most