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The First Cry of Rebellion: Balintawak

During Spanish colonization, several rebellions erupted in various parts of

the Philippines, shaking the Spaniards' feet. The Katipunan (Kataas-taasang,
Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or what we commonly
known as KKK) is one of the most powerful groups. The Katipunan takes the
lead in the fight against the Spanish dictatorship for democracy and
independence. The revolution starts as a result of the Filipinos' call for
peaceful and just society which they never experienced in the hands of the
Spaniards. But when did the Philippine’s First Cry of Rebellion begin, and
where did it take place?

Many scholars have addressed these sensitive questions about Philippine

history. The first confrontation between the Katipuneros and the Civil Guards
was referred to as the scream (Guardia Civil). The tearing up of community tax
certificates (cdulas personales) in violation of their allegiance to Spain may
also be alluded to by the cry. "Viva la Independencia Filipina" inscriptions may
also be used as a term for the cry. Perhaps the phrase “PUNITIN ANG
CEDULA” might be familiar with you from movies featuring historical event like
“Unli Life" (2018) - a movie starring Jhong Hilario as Andres Bonifacio. This
was followed by patriotic yells in the literal sense. These meanings of cry are
also critical in deciding the position of the aforementioned occurrence. There
are accounts that tell us where the scream starts.

Many historians believe it happened in Balintawak, but others argue it

happened in Pugad-lawin and other locations. However, we are unanimous in
our conviction that the first cry of Rebellion originated in Balintawak. The
account was published by Tondo Guillermo Masangkay's last katipunero.
Guillermo Masangkay is the Supremo Andres Bonifacio's friend and adviser.
He was one of the Katipunan's founding members. According to Masangkay,
on August 26, 1896, the Supremo summons all katipuneros to a meeting to
discuss the early rebellion of revolt against the Spanish colonizers on August
29, 1896. On his account, Lt. Olegario Diaz (a Spanish guardia civil officer)
reported that the cry occurred in Balintawak on August 25, 1896. It was
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mentioned in Teodoro Kalaw's 1925 book "The Filipino Revolution" that the
event occurred in Kangkong, Balintawak during the last week of August 1896.
In 1954, historian Gregorio Zaide wrote in his books that the "Cry" occurred on
August 26, 1896 in Balintawak.

These sources from these personas corroborated the Masangkay's

version of cry. According to Masangkay, the first clash between the
katipuneros and the civil guards occurred on August 26, 1896, and it is widely
believed that this "first clash" is the definitive meaning of the word cry.
Meanwhile, three revolutionaries, Pio Valenzuela, Teodoro Plata, and Briccio
Pantas, were against the early rebellion during the Supremo Andres
Bonifacio's meeting with his fellow men about the revolution. Surprisingly, each
of these characters has their own rendition of the scream. According to them,
the incident occurred in Pugad-lawin.
However, their arguments are contradictory. Valenzuela's court testimony
in 1896 did not match his memoirs (which he writes years after the
investigation of the controversial issue in Philippine history). Valenzuela lied
how many times in court during the 1896 trial and later denied that he did.
Valenzuela made the following inconsistencies (volatile) remarks in 1896
hearings: 1He claimed that the civil guards attacked on August 25, 1896, but
later revised it to August 26, 1896. He first told the court that he left Balintawak
with two guides on the night of August 25, 1896, traveled to Manila via
Sampaloc, then to Quiapo, where he boarded a steamer bound for Biang at
the Ayala Bridge.

After being told of Gov. Ramon Blanco's amnesty proclamation, he

allegedly returned to Manila from that town and surrendered to authorities on
September 1, 1896. Valenzuela later corrected himself in front of the same
judge, stating that he left Balintawak on the night of August 25, 1896, on
Bonifacio's orders, and went to Montalban to persuade its people to rise up in
arms. Valenzuela joined the Katipunan around March 1894, despite claiming
to have joined in July 1892, according to the court (1917 court hearing). He
went back to his original argument that the incident with the civil guards took
place on August 25, and fabricated a narrative around it. Guillermo Masangkay,
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on the other hand, revealed to the public that Pantas and Valenzuela had
already fled in order to surrender to Spaniards before the civil guards' attack.
Masangkay asked Valenzuela about his version of events, provided that he
was not present during the tearing of the cedula and clash with the civil guard,
or simply the "Supreme Scream." Valenzuela's conduct in court has an effect
on the integrity of his testimony. Due to his habit of lying in front of the media,
his assertion cannot be believed.

As a result, the version of the Pugad-lawin Cry is not the full truth of what
happened during the revolution's cry. Some historians, however, continue to
believe Valenzuela's version. Historian Teodoro Agoncillo is a firm believer in
what Valenzuela wrote in his memoir, despite Valenzuela's behavior during the
court hearing. The 1896 court statements were not useful or compatible,
according to Agoncillo. For him, Valenzuela's memoirs are a better source for
this subject. It is clear that Agoncillo became biased as a result of his reliance
on a single source for his results. The cry is characterized by Agoncillo as the
tearing of cedula.

The First Cry of the Philippine Revolution is a critical issue to which we

should be mindful. We must be cautious in our approach to this issue. How can
we trust someone whose claims are based on his inability to provide clear
testimonies? Why should we neglect the court investigation, which showed
that the other side has made several false declarations? The 1986 court
hearing demonstrates that Masangkay's version of the cry, "The First Cry of
the Philippine Revolution was in Balintawak," is the utter truth that should be
recorded in Philippine history rather than the other.