ZERIMAR A.

DELA CRUZ
BN1E
READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

CAVITY MUTINY
The 12th of June of every year since 1898 is a very important event for all the Filipinos. In this
particular day, the entire Filipino nation as well as Filipino communities all over the world
gathers to celebrate the Philippines’ Independence Day. 1898 came to be a very significant
year for all of us— it is as equally important as 1896—the year when the Philippine Revolution
broke out owing to the Filipinos’ desire to be free from the abuses of the Spanish colonial
regime. But we should be reminded that another year is as historic as the two—1872.
Two major events happened in 1872, first was the 1872 Cavite Mutiny and the other was the
martyrdom of the three martyr priests in the persons of Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos
and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA). However, not all of us knew that there were different
accounts in reference to the said event. All Filipinos must know the different sides of the
story—since this event led to another tragic yet meaningful part of our history—the execution
of GOMBURZA which in effect a major factor in the awakening of nationalism among the
Filipinos.
The Cavity Mutiny of 1872 has two versions coming from two opposing camps namely:
Spanish and Filipino version.
The Spanish version of Cavity mutiny of 1872 is narrated by Jose Montero y Vidal. His account
anchored on the thesis that the fateful event of the 20th century of January 1872 happens due
to the concerted effort of disgruntled native soldiers and laborers of Cavite arsenal who willfully
revolted to overthrow the Spanish rule, and thus guilty of rebellion and sedition. By such acts,
the execution of prominent critics of the Spaniards and friars by the Spanish officials are
justified and the sentence of life imprisonment and deportation of some natives critical of their
incongruous rule is unquestionably legit if not morally blurred. The account of Jose Montero y
Vidal was even made credibly possible by no less than Rafael de Izquierdo, the governor-
general of the time when the revolt of 1872 happened.

The Filipino version is told by Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera. For him, the so-called Cavity Mutiny
is a mere incident of mutiny orchestrated by native soldiers and laborers who reacted to the
harsh policy of the new governor-general, Rafael de Izquierdo, who whimsically terminated the
old-time privelages such as exempting them from paying annual tribute and from rendering
forced labor or polo. As accounted, it is made clear that the mutiny is blown-up by the Spanish
officials and friars into a revolt as a way for Filipinos to gain independence from Spanish
monarchy.