Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”

(August 23, 1896)

This controversial version of the “Cry of the Pugad Lawin” has been authorized by no
other than Dr. Pio Valenzuela, who happened to be 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 held this account when the happenings or events
are still vivid in his memory. On the other hand, later in his life and with a fading
memory, he wrote his Memoirs of the Revolution without consulting the written
documents of the Philippine revolution and claimed that the “Cry” took place at Pugad
Lawin on August 23, 1896. Below is his account on this topic:

“The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio,
Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving
there on August 19 and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where some 500
members of the Katipunan met on August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of
Apolonio Samson at Kangkong. Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those
who were there were Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio
Samson, and others. Here, views were only exchanged, and no resolution was debated
or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, in the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos,
son of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried
out considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1986. The discussion was on
whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be started on
August 29, 1986. Only one man protested and fought against a war, and that was
Teodora Plata [Bonifacio’s brother-in-law-Z]. Besides the persons named above, among
those present at this meeting were Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio,
Sinforoso San Pedro, and others. After the tumultuous meeting, many of those present
tore their cedula certificates and shouted “Long live the Philippines! Long live the
Philippines!”

(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine
History. Vol. 5. Manila: National Book Store.)