Cavite Mutiny

What Happened in the Cavite Mutiny?

The year 1872 is a historic year of two events: the Cavite Mutiny and the martyrdom of
the three priests: Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, later on
immortalized as GOMBURZA. These events are very important milestones in Philippine
history and have caused ripples throughout time, directly influencing the decisive events
of the Philippine Revolution toward the end of the century. While the significance I
unquestioned, what made this year controversial are the different sides to the story, a
battle of perspectives supported by primary sources. In this case study, we zoom in to
the events of the Cavite Mutiny, a major factor in the awakening of nationalism among
the Filipinos of that time.
Spanish Accounts of the Cavite Mutiny
The documentation of Spanish historian Jose Montero y Vidal centered on how
the event was event was an attempt in overthrowing the Spanish government in the
Philippines. Although regarded as a historian, his account of the mutiny was criticized
as woefully biased and rabid for a scholar. Another account from the official report
written by the Governor General Rafael Izquierdo implicated the native clergy, who were
then. Active in the movement toward Secularization of parishes. These two accounts
corroborated each other.
PRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPT FROM MONTERO'S ACCOUNT OF THE CAVITE
MUTINY
Source: Jose Montero y Vidal, Spanish Version of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872" in
Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7
(Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 269-273.
The abolition of privileges enjoyed by the laborers of the Cavite arsenal of exemption
from the tribute was, according to some, the cause of the insurrection. There were,
however, other causes.
The Spanish revolution which overthrew a secular throne; the propaganda
carried on by an unbridled press against monarchical principles, attentatory [sic] of the
most sacred respects towards the dethroned majesty: the democratic and republican
books and pamphlets, the speeches and preachings of the apostles of these new ideas
in Spain: the outbursts of the American publicists and the criminal policy of the
senseless Governor whom the Revolutionary government sent to govern the
Philippines, and who put into practice these ideas were the determining circumstances
which gave rise, among certain Filipinos, to the idea of attaining the their independence.
It was towards this goal that they started to work, with the powerful assistance of a
certain section of the native clergy, who out of spite towards friars, made common
cause with the enemies of the mother country.
At various times but especially in the beginning of year 1872, the authorities
received anonymous communication with the information that a great uprising would
break out against the Spaniards, the minute the fleet at Cavite left for the South, and
that all would be assassinated. conspiracy had been going on since the days of La
Torre with utmost secrecy. At times, the principal leaders met either in the house of
Filipino Spaniard, D. Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, or in that of the native curate of Bacoor,
the soul of the movement, whose energetic character and immense wealth enabled him
to exercise a strong influence.
PRIMARY SOURCES: EXCERPTS FROM THE OFFICIAL REPOST OF GOVERNOR
IZQUIERDO ON THE CAVITE MUTINY OF 1872
Source: Rafael Ezquindo, "Official Report on the Cavite Mutiny," in Gregorio
Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila:
National Book Store, 1990), 281-286.
It seems definite that the insurrection was motivated and prepared by the native clergy,
by the mestizos and native lawyers, and by those known here as abogadillos.
The instigators, to carry out their criminal project, protested against the injustice of
the government in not paying the provinces for their tobacco crop, and against the usury
that some practice in documents that the Finance department gives crop owners who
have to sell them at a loss. They encouraged the rebellion by pretesting what they
called the injustice of having obliged the workers in the Cavite arsenal to pay tribute
starting January I and render personal service. from which they were formerly
exempted. Up to now it has not been clearly determined if they planned to establish a
monarchy or a republic, because the Indios have no word in their language to describe
this different form of government, whose head in Filipino would be called hari; but it
turns out that they would place at the head of the government a priest that the head
selected would be D. Jose Burgos, or D. Jacinto Zamoru.
Such is the plan of the rebels, those who guided them, and the means they
counted upon for it’s realization. It is apparent that the accounts underscore the reason
for the "revolution": the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of the Cavite
arsenal such as exemption from the payment of tribute and being employed in polos y
servicios, or force labor. They also identified other reasons which seemingly made the
issue a lot more serious, which include the presence of the native clergy, who, out of
spite against the Spanish friars, "conspired and supported" the rebels. Izquierdo, in an
obviously biased report, highlighted that attempt to overthrow the Spanish government
in the Philippines to install a new "hari" in the persons of Fathers Burgers and Zamora,
According to him, native clergy attracted supporters by giving them charismatic
assurance that their fight would not fail because they had God's support, aside from
promises of lofty rewards such as employment, wealth, and ranks in the army.
 In the Spaniard's accounts, the event of 1872 was premeditated, and was part of
a big conspiracy among the educated leaders, mestizos, lawyers, and residents of
Manila and Cavite. They allegedly plan to liquidate high ranking Spanish officers, then
kill the friars. The signal they identified among these conspirators of Manila and Cavite
was the rockets fired from Intramuros.
The accounts detail that on 20 January 1872. the district of Sampaloc celebrated
the feast of the Virgin of Loreto, and came with it were some fireworks display. The
Cavitenos allegedly mistook this as the signal to commence with the attack. The 200-
men contigent led by Sergeant Lamadrid attacked Spanish officers at sight and seized
the arsenal Izquierdo, upon learning of the attack, ordered the reinforcement of the
Spanish forces in Cavite to quell the revolt. The "revolution" was easily crushed, when
the Manilenos who were expected to aid the Cavitenos did not arrive. Leaders of the
plot were killed in the resulting skirmish, while Fathers Gomez. Burgos, and Zamora
were tried by a court-martial and sentenced to be executed. Others who were implicated
such as Joaquin de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose and Pio Basa, and other
Filipino lawyers were suspended from the practice of law, arrested and sentenced to life
imprisonment at the Marianas Island. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of
artillery and ordered the creation of an artillery force composed exclusively by
Peninsulares. On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to serve as a
threat to Filipinos never to attempt to fight the Spaniards again.
DIFFERING ACCOUNTS OF THE EVENTS OF 1872
Two other primary accounts that seems to counter the accounts of Izquierdo and
Montero, First, the account of Dr. Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino
scholar and researcher, who wrote a Filipino version of the bloody incident in Cavite.
PRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPT FROM PARDO DE TAVERA'S ACCOUNT OF THE
CAVITE MUTINY
Source: Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, "Filipino Version of Cavite Mutiny," in
Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7
(Manila, National Book Store, 1990),274-280.
This uprising among soldiers in Cavite was used a powerful level by the Spanish
residents and by the friars. The General Government in Madrid had announced its
intention to deprive the friars in these islands of powers of intervention in the matters of
civil government and of the direction and management of the university. It was due to
these facts and promises that the Filipinos had great hopes of an improvement in the
affairs of their country, while the friars. on the other hand, feared that their power in the
colony would soon be complete a thing of the past. Up to that time there had been no
intention of secession from Spain, and the only aspiration of the people was to secure
the material and education advancement of the country.
 According to this account, the incident was merely a multiply by Filipino soldiers
and laborers of the Cavite arsenal to the dissatisfaction arising from the draconian
policies of Izquiedor, such as the abolition of privileges and the prohibition of the
founding of the school of arts and trades of Filipinos, which the General saw as a
smokescreen to creating a political club.
Tavera is of the opinion that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite
Mutiny as a way to address other issues by blowing out proportion the isolated mutiny
attempt. During this time, the Central Government in Madrid was planning to deprive the
friars of all the powers of intervention in the matters of civil government and direction
and management of educational institutions. The friars needed something to justify their
continuing dominance in the country, and the mutiny provided such opportunity.
However, the Central Spaniards Government introduced an educational decree
fusing sectarian schools run by the friars into a school called the Philippine Institute.
The decree aimed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring
teaching positions in these schools to be filled by competitive examinations, an
improvement welcomed by most Filipinos.

Another account, this time by French writer Edmund Plauchut, complemented Tavera’s
account and analyzed the motivations of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny.
PRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPTS FROM PLAUCHUT’S ACCOUNT OF THE CAVITE
MUTINY
Source: Edmund Plauchid, “The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 and the Martyrdom of
Gom-Bur-Za.” In the Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide. Documentary Sources of
Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 251-268.
General La Torre created a junta composed of high officials including some friars and
six Spanish officials. At the same time there was created by the government in Madrid a
committee to investigate the same problems submitted to the Manila committee. When
the two finished work, it was found that they came to the same conclusions. Here is the
summary of the reforms they considered necessary to introduced:
1. Changes in tariff rates at customs, and the methods of collection.
2. Removal of surcharges on foreign importations. 3. Reduction of export fees.
4. Permission for foreigners to reside in the Philippines, buy real state, enjoy freedom of
worship, and operate commercial transports flying the Spanish flag 5. Establishment of
an advisory council to inform the Minister of Overseas Affairs in Madrid on the
necessary reforms to be implemented.
6. Changes in primary and secondary education
7. Establishment of an Institute of Civil Administration in the Philippines, rendering
unnecessary the sending home of short-term civil officials every time there is a change
of ministry.
8. Study of direct-tax system.
9. Abolition of the tobacco monopoly.
The arrival in Manila of General Izquierdo put a sudden end to all dreams of
reforms the prosecutions instituted by the now Governor General were probably
expected as a result of the bitter disputes between the Filipino clerics and the friars.
Such a policy must really end in a strong desire on the part of the other to repress
cruelly.
In regard to schools, it was previously decreed that there should be in Manila a
Society of Arts and Trades to be opened in March of 1871 to repress the growth of
liberal teachings, General Izquierdo suspended the opening of the school the day
previous to the scheduled inauguration.
The Filipinos had a duty to render service on public roads construction and pay
taxes every year. But those who were employed at the maestranza of the artillery, in the
engineering shops and arsenal of Cavite, were exempted from this obligation from time
immemorial Without preliminaries of any kind, a decree by the Governor withdrew from
such old employees their retirement privileges and declassified them into the ranks of
those who worked on public roads.
The friars used the incident as a part of a larger conspiracy to cement their
dominance. which had started to show cracks because of the discontent of the Filipinos.
They showcased the mutiny as part of a greater conspiracy in the Philippines by
Filipinos to overthrow the Spanish Government. Unintentionally, and more so,
prophetically, the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 resulted in the martyrdom of GOMBUZA, paved
the way to the revolution culminating in 1898.
These events are significant highlights in the Philippine history and have caused
ripples right through time, directly influencing the decisive events of the Philippines
Revolution toward the end of the century. These are considered a major factor in the
awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos of that time and will continue to serve as
one up until this preset times.