READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

03 ONE PAST, YET VARIOUS HISTORIES: THE CONTROVERSIES

KATIPUNAN’S FIRST CRY: THE CRY OF BALINTAWAK

(Guillermo Masangkay)
Katipunan General

POSITION PAPER

BSCM 101

Submitted by:
Hernandez, John
Loren, Marius Christian
Montemayor, Martin
Paracha, John Mark
Pariscal, James Ryan
Sorino, Jayne An
Queri, Julie Mae
Ricalde, Jheiame Keith
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Title

II. Introduction of the Controversy

III. Sides and/or Evidences of the Controversy

IV. The Stands

V. Final Stand

VI. Bibliography

KATIPUNAN’S FIRST CRY: THE CRY OF BALINTAWAK

(Guillermo Masangkay)
Katipunan General

I. THE FIRST CRY OF REVOLUTION 1896

● The first cry was a historical incident in which the Filipinos started the era of revolution and the seek
of independence against the enslavement of the Spanish regime. Tackling the history of The Katipunan
(Kataastaasang Kagalang-kagalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan) a secret organization of
Filipinos, following Masonic rites and principles to organize armed resistance and terrorist assassinations
within a context of total secrecy, which was exposed to the Spaniards, leading to the 1896 Philippine
Revolution, which saw many of its members imprisoned. In relation to this situation, the Supremo,
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro started to worry about his allies and their ultimate objective of becoming
promised. In order to choose when to carry out their plot to assault the Spanish government, Bonifacio
made the decision to hold a meeting outside of the city on the day of August 26, 1896, when the first cry
occurred in the ruslic barrio of Balintawak, a few kilometers north of the city of manila, where the
Katipuneros assembled and tore their cedula’s personales, A community tax certificate which, according
to Andres Bonifacio, The leader who led the revolution, was a sign of the enslavement of the Spaniards,
amidst in despite their alleged retaliation against Spain coupled with screams of patriotism.
Demonstrating that they are a people that deserve to be considered truly free. The cry, which referred
to the first confrontation between Spanish and Katipuneros is an essential vital aspect and therefore,
will assist in locating the exact place of the event. Although several versions claim their own precise
location, saying that Pugad Lawin and other places—rather than Balintawak—are where the initial cry
occurred. However, Guillermo Masangkay, who is responsible for the written statement and is regarded
as the last Katipunero of Tondo, is of the opinion that it is indeed the Balintawak.

III. THE EVIDENCE OF CONTROVERSY

One of the first KKK members, General Guillermo Masangkay was a dependable friend and advisor to
Supremo Andres Bonifacio. He was a general who actively battled against the Spaniards and a member
of the Katipunan's Supreme Council. An eyewitness to the Revolution led by the Supremo and the owner
of the account depicting the first cry in Balintawak, which was viewed as the most credible sources in
regards of the event. As one of the first board member of the council presiding with the other members
Emilio Jacinto, Teodoro Plata, Agueldo del Rosario, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, Francisco Carreon
and the Supremo himself. His account of the first revolution was a credible source since it was proven
and backed up by a number of other eyewitness accounts of the meeting that took place on August 26,
1896 in Balintawak, Which according to Masangkay was held at the house of Apolonio Samson, the
captain of the revolution and one of the people who funded the revolution at his suggestion. Thus,
portrayed as the first evidence to be distinguished.
The second evidence was Pio Valenzuela authorizing the controversial version of The first cry who, he
happened to be one of the eyewitness himself of the event. In his first version, he told that the prime
staging point of the Cry was in Balintawak on Wednesday of August 26, 1896. He made this statement
while the incidents or occurrences were still clearly in his memory although in his latest version later in
his life and with a fading memory, He claimed that the "Cry" occurred at Pugad Lawin on August 23,
1896 in his Memoirs of the Revolution, which he composed without consulting any recorded records of
the Philippine revolution which later on became a controversy, as his first statement was different from
what he wrote in his Memoirs of the Revolution. It is inconsistent on his part, which is further
demonstrated by the hearing that was held in 1896, during which he repeatedly lied to the court before
claiming the exact opposition of what Masangkay stated. Unusual to consider but during the meeting of
the council presided over by the Supreme Andres Bonifacio among his fellow citizens regarding the
revolution, Pio Valenzuela, one of the "three leaders"—the other two being Teodoro Plata and Briccio
Pantas—opposed the choice of an early revolution. Surprisingly to learn that each of these characters
has a unique rendition of the first cry. Claiming that Pugad-lawin is where the incident happened. But do
states contradictory claims. Which furtherly proven as the court also established that Valenzuela joined
the Katipunan sometime in March 1894, contradicting his claim to have done so in July 1892, during the
1917 judicial proceeding.

The third evidence is the book written by Soledad Borromeo-Buehler, the granddaughter of Guillermo
Masangkay. Titled as “The Cry of Balintawak: A Contrived Controversy” Which states that the Philippine
revolution started on 26 August 1896, in Balintawak which is generally agreed upon by the survivors of
the Katipunan uprising. However, some suspicion was occasionally expressed as earlier historians and
writers came up with a bewildering array of dates, locations, not to mention differences in
interpretation of the term "Cry." The resulting "Cry of Balintawak" controversy that lasted for decades.
Some of the mistakes made by earlier historians on the subject were honest mistakes, but the
circumstance lent itself to manipulation of historical facts, for what appear to have been self-serving
purposes. Thus, three of those who left Balintawak just before the first encounter took place—Pio
Valenzuela, Briccio Pantas, and Cipriano Pacheco—made public a signed statement that the Unang
Sigaw occurred on an earlier date and in a different location in the early 1930s, around the time the
Bonifacio monument was to be inaugurated which is contradictory to their first statements. Maintaining
the facts regarding the date and venue of the "Cry" as described in this study - the event(s) that
definitively initiated the revolution in 1896- were twisted as a result of four tragic circumstances.

The first was Agoncillo's use of a seriously flawed methodology that disregarded all documentary
evidence in favor of a single source that many eminent historians had deemed to be of questionable
credibility—the so-called Pio Valenzuela memoirs, which is actually only seventeen pages—and
completely ignored all other historical evidence. Second, Agoncillo's sudden decision to alter the
meaning of the phrase "Unang Sigaw" in an apparent attempt to align it to the Valenzuela memoirs. By
interpreting the phrase in his work as the tearing of katipuneros' cedulas, Agoncillo unintentionally
rejected the conventional understanding based on the first encounter.Third, an interview conducted by
Agoncillo with Masangkay on October 11, 1947, appears to have been misused and misrepresented.
Fourth, when the monument to the "Cry" from 1911 was moved from Balintawak to the University of
the Philippines in Diliman in 1968, an important historical artifact was removed from the site. Its original
inscription, "A los héroes del 96," along with two smaller tablets with the dates 26 August 1896 and 3
September 1911, were taken out and a "Cry of Pugad Lawin" inscription was added in their stead.

Statements based on hearsay and/or lacking in relevant detail were disregarded such as Gregoria de
Jesús y Álvarez version of the First cry, also known by her nickname Oriang. The founder and vice-
president of the women's chapter of the Katipunan of the Philippines and the wife of Andres Bonifacio.

IV. THE STAND

The version of Guillermo Masangkay’s the Cry of Balintawak, were written as being one of the
eyewitnesses of the event, stated in his account the date and site of the uprising happened on August
26, 1896 at barrio Balintawak, specifically at Caloocan’s cabeza Apolonio Samson’s house. Where there a
meeting took place and a discussion about when to start the uprising was debated by Katipunan leaders
including Bonifacio himself as the lead. Stated in his memoir what really happened during that meeting
up to how Katipuneros tore their cedulas and ended up shouting for revolt. Pio Velenzuela who’s a
friend of Masangkay stated on his account that the barrio Balintawak is the first staging point of
Philippine revolution. Fled to Biñan after the outbreak of revolution cause, but then surrendered when
an amnesty to the revolutionist proclamation, upon investigation stated that the “cry” took place at
 Balintawak on August 26, 1896. in an interview the Sunday tribute magazine Masangkay said that the
first cry happened in balintawak on Aug 23,1896. in the first decade of American rule, it was his account
that was used by the government and civic officials to fix the date and place of the first cry which was
capped with the erection of the monument to the heroes of 1896 in the place. an interview in the
newspaper Bagong Buhay on August 26, 1957, Masangkay changed his narrative stating that the
revolution began. August 23 1896, Valenzuela. but Masangkay date was later changed again when his
granddaughter, Soledad Buehler-Borromeo, cited sources, including the Masangkay Papers, that the
original date was August 26, 1896.

● Gregoria De Jesus version of first Cry where she stated at the time of uprising, the cry happened on
August 25, 1896. She was a keeper of secret documents and weapons of Katipunan and wife of
Katipunan’s leader Andres Bonifacio. After the outbreak of the revolution, lived with her parents in
Caloocan while her husband was then the leader of the uprising Andres Bonifacio and his men are in the
hills of Balintawak. Fled to Manila and joined her husband there when the Katipunan was discovered
and then returned together to Caloocan, then Bonifacio and Katipuneros left the town, as they are being
watched by the Spaniards’ agents. De Jesus stated she was with her parents at the time when uprising
began and claimed that the cry happened on August 25, 1896. Trying to return to Manila, De Jesus
stayed and visited every houses that she passed by to get a little rest, but then treated badly by people
and later on she discovered people on those houses she stayed on were punished and died in exile by
the Spaniards who wanted to arrest her, including her uncle whom she visited also.
It conflicts with the testimony of Gregoria de Jesus because she was only in charge of keeping the
assembly's weapons and secret documents sealed, and she was not present for the meeting on August
26, 1896, which took place at Apolonio Samson's home in Balintawak.
V. FINAL STAND

It is concluded that the First Cry of Revolution happened in Balintawak in the year 1896 on the
26th of August. The account of Masangkay was backed by eyewitnesses of the said event and
was distinguished as the most credible source to prove the true date and place of the historical
'Cry'. The varying and inconstant statements from Pio Valenzuela and contradicting claims of
other leaders, which leads to the controversial version of the 'Cry', gives their arguments less
credibility. Save for the pieces of evidence provided, this proves Guillermo Masangkay's
accounts' authenticity. It is important to learn history, yet it's more important to prove its
reliability, especially, when we are learning about one of the most important events in the
Philippines' history, The First Cry of Revolution, that ignited the Filipino's desire for our
Independence against Spanish colonialism.

we stand that in Balintawak, August 26, 1896 the first cry of rebellion. we support the streams
and proof that Guillermo Masangkay is serving that he was the general of the assembly that
night. and the story of Guillermo Masangkay almost matches the story of the civil guards.

VI. REFERENCES:

INQUIRER.net. (2016, June 24). Did You Know: Guillermo

Masangkay. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/792169/did-you-know-guillermo-

masangkay
Roster of Katipuneros at Balintawak, August 1896 - Katipunan: Documents and Studies.

(n.d.). http://www.kasaysayan-kkk.info/kamaynilaan-and-morong-august-1896-

september-1897/roster-of-katipuneros-at-balintawak-august-1896
Andres Bonifacio, Draft notice of appointment, August 26, 1896 - Katipunan: Documents and
Studies. (n.d.). http://www.kasaysayan-kkk.info/kamaynilaan-and-morong-august-1896-
september-1897/andres-bonifacio-draft-notice-of-appointment-august-26-1896

https://loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/katipunan.html

https://books.google.com.ph/books?
id=RJnMSmXLvr4C&printsec=copyright#v=onepage&q&f=false