THE TWO FACES OF THE 1872 CAVITY MUTINY

One hundred and forty seven years ago, two major events happened in our country
that awakened the nationalism among Filipinos. First was the 1872 Cavite Mutiny and the
other was the barbaric execution of the three martyr priest in the persons of Fathers Mariano
Gomes, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora, and later collectively known “Gomburza”. All
Filipino must know the different sides of the story.

1872 Cavite Mutiny: Spanish Perspective

Jose Montero y Vidal, a prolific Spanish historian documented the event and highlighted it as
an attempt of the Indios to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines. The two
accounts complimented and corroborated with one other, only that the general’s report was
more spiteful. 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.

According to the accounts of the two, on 20 January 1872, the district of Sampaloc celebrated
the feast of the Virgin of Loreto, unfortunately participants to the feast celebrated the
occasion with the usual fireworks displays. 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. On 17
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
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 Hermenigildo 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.

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.

Meanwhile, in the intention of installing reforms, the Central Government of Spain welcomed
an educational decree authored by Segismundo Moret promoted the fusion of sectarian
schools run by the friars into a school called Philippine Institute. The decree proposed to
improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring teaching positions in such
schools to be filled by competitive examinations. This improvement was warmly received by
most Filipinos in spite of the native clergy’s zest for secularization. This episode leads to the
awakening of nationalism and eventually to the outbreak of Philippine Revolution of 1896.

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 execution of the three
martyr priests which he actually witnessed.
UNRAVELING THE TRUTH

Facts the remained to be unvarying

1. Izquierdo introduced rigid and strict policies that made the Filipinos move and
turn away from Spanish government out of disgust
2. The Central Government failed to conduct an investigation on what truly
transpired but relied on reports of Izquierdo and the friars and the opinion of the
public
3. The happy days of the friars were already numbered in 1872 when the Central
Government in Spain decided to deprive them of the power to intervene in
government affairs as well as in the direction and management of schools
prompting them to commit frantic moves to extend their stay and power
4. The Filipino clergy members actively participated in the secularization movement
in order to allow Filipino priests to take hold of the parishes in the country making
them prey to the rage of the friars
5. Filipinos during the time were active participants, and responded to what they
deemed as injustices;
6. The execution of GOMBURZA was a blunder on the part of the Spanish
government, for the action severed the ill-feelings of the Filipinos and the event
inspired Filipino patriots to call for reforms and eventually independence

GOMBURZA EXECUTION

On January 20, 1872, two hundred Filipinos employed at the Cavite arsenal staged a revolt
against the Spanish government’s voiding of their exemption from the payment of
tributes. The GomBurZa were publicly executed, by garrote, on the early morning of
February 17, 1872 at Bagumbayan. The Church, by refusing to degrade you, has put in doubt
the crime charged against you.

THE REVOLUTIONARY GENERATION ON GOMBURZA

Without 1872 there would not now be a Plaridel, a Jaena, a Sanciangco, nor would the brave
and generous Filipino colonies exist in Europe. Without 1872 Rizal would now be a Jesuit
and instead of writing the Noli Me Tangere, would have written the contrary. At the sight of
those injustices and cruelties, though still a child, my imagination awoke, and I swore to
dedicate myself to avenge one day so many victims. With this idea I have gone on
studying, and this can be read in all my works and writings.
Though the lives of the three priests had been extinguished that day, their legacy would
endure forever. Their compatriots would honor their memory, and would seek to emulate
their pursuit of truth and justice. As yet, Jacinto acknowledges, some were not fully ready to
embrace those ideals, either because they failed to appreciate the need for solidarity and
unity or because their minds were still clouded by the smoke of a mendacious Church. But
those who could no longer tolerate oppression were now looking forward to a different way
of life, to a splendid new dawn.

RECALLING THE GOMBURZA

Late in the night of the 15th of February 1872, a Spanish court martial found three secular
priests, Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, guilty of treason as the instigators
of a mutiny in the Kabite navy-yard a month before, and sentenced them to death. He was
next to die. Since He wills that I should die here, His holy will be done. Burgos was the last, a
refinement of cruelty that compelled him to watch the death of his companions.

So was Jesus Christ,’ said one of the friars. At this Burgos resigned himself. The executioner
knelt at his feet and asked his forgiveness. «Montero deserves a hearing because he had
access to the official records. His account, in brief, is that the condemned men, in civilian
clothes, were taken to the headquarters of the corps of engineers outside the city
walls, where a death-cell had been improvised.

Members of their families were allowed to visit them.

 Executive Order No.75, 1993 National Heroes Committee Rizal as a National Hero

There is no law, executive order or proclamation stating any Filipino historical figure as the
country’s national hero. However, instead of proclaiming a national hero what we have now
is a law and proclamation that honors Filipino historical figures for their significant roles in
the process of nation-building and contribution to history.

In 1901, less than five years after he was executed by firing squad on Dec. 30, 1896, Rizal
"had become Philippine National Hero" under the United States colonial government of Civil
Governor William Howard Taft "regardless of whether any legislature, Filipino or foreign,
had declared him as such.

Rizal’s reputation as "national hero" was further strengthened when RA 1425 was enacted
in 1956, requiring his life, writings and works be taught in all levels of public and private
schools in the country.

Despites the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming them as national heroes,
they remain admired and revered for their roles in Philippine history. Heroes according to
historian, should not be legislated. That appreciation should better be left to academics.
Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough.

SELECTION AND PROCLAMATION OF NATIONAL HEROES

On March 28, 1993, President Fidel Ramos issued Executive Order No.75 creating the
National Heroes Committee under the Office of the President.

In due recognition of their sterling character and remarkable achievements for the country,
the committee was tasked with studying, evaluating and recommending Filipino nation
al heroes

Criteria of a National Hero:

 Has a concept of nation and aspires and struggles for the nation’s freedom;
 Defines and contributes to a system or life of freedom and order for a nation; and
 Contributes to the quality of life and destiny of a nation.
 Must be part of the people’s expression;
 Thinks of the future, especially the future generations; and
 The choice should involve not only the recounting of a particular episode or events
in history, but of the “entire process that made [the] particular person a hero.