Cavity mutiny (1872)
gen izquierdo immediately ordered the reinforcement of
One of the factors that ignited the Filipino sense of
nationhood and eventually led to Philippine Revolution in
1896
Remarkable among Filipinos, prompted to the martyrdom of
GomBurZa (Marinao Gomez, Jose Burgos, Jacinto Zamora)
executed on FEBRUARY 17, 1872
2 versions that happened in 1872, from Spaniards and
Filipinos.
SPANIARDS VERSION
Written by Jose Montero y Vidal -Spanish historian who
documented the event and emphasized that the cavite
mutiny is an attempt of the indios to overthrow the Spanish
Government.
There’s also Governor-General RAFAEL IZQUIERDO’S official
report. This official report highlighted the event and used it to
implicate the native clergy. These accounts complemented
and corroborated with one another.
According to them, the event happened because of dirty
propagandas by the unrestrained press, democratic, liberal,
and republican books and pamphlets reaching the Philippines,
and the presence of the native clergy who are not on good
terms with the Spanish friars.
IZQUIERDO pointed out the Spanish Press was to blame
because they kept on “stockpiling” malicious propaganda that
reached the Filipinos.
IZQUERDO also reported that the rebels wanted to overthrow
the Spanish Government so they can replace it with a new
king in the likes of Father Burgos and Zamora.
In his report, he said that the native clergy enticed other
participants by assuring them that God is with them in their
fight and promises them rewards like employment, money,
and ranks in the army.
Izquierdo stated that indios are gullible and are innately
thieves.
The two Spanish perspectives believed that the event was
planned, and it is a part of a big conspiracy among educated
leaders, mestizos, native lawyers, residents of Manila and
Cavite, and native clergy.
According to their reports, the district of Sampaloc celebrated
the fest of the virgin of loreto on JANUARY 20, 1872 and
celebrated it with their usual fireworks as the sign of the
attack. That is why, on that day, Sergeant LAMADRID with 200
men launched an attack against Spanish officers at sight and
seized the arsenal.
Gov.
Spanish forces in Cavite. The revolt was easily stopped.
Sergeant LAMADRID died in the fight and the GOMBURZA
were tried by a court-martial. Native lawyers were
suspended, arrested, and were sentenced to life
imprisonment at MARIANAS ISLAND.
To instill fear among Filipinos, the Spanish government
executed the GOMBURZA publicly by strangulation on feb. 17,
1872. This event served as one of the moving forces that
sparked Filipino nationalism.
FILIPINO VERSION
Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera – a filipino scholar
and researcher wrote the Filipino version of the event.
According to him the event is only a small mutiny by the
native Filipino soldiers and laborers of the cavite arsenal
because they were dissatisfied with the abolition of their
privileges. Tavera implied that the revolt was rooted in gov.
gen. Izquierdo’s unjust policies.
According to Tavera, 200 men headed by sergeant Lamadrid
revolted and assassinated the commanding officer and
Spanish officers on sight on January 20, 1872. These men
were expecting support from the bulk of the army but that
did not happen. The manila authorities were alerted, and gov.
gen. izquierdo immediately ordered reinforcement in cavite.
The mutiny ended after two days.
Tavera stated that Izquierdo and the Spanish friars used the
event to legitimized ther suspicion of a full-blown conspiracy
among the native army, residents of cavite and manila, and
the native clergy to overthrow the Spanish government.
The central government in madrid announced its intention to
deprive the Spanish friars of all the powers of intervention in
civil government matters and the management of educations
institutions.
Tavera believed that this prompted that friars to do
something extreme to maintain their power in the
Philippines.
The friars took advantage of the event and Madrid believed
them even without investigation. Those who were believed
participated in the mutiny were sentenced to life
imprisonment and the native clergy headed by the
GOMBURZA were tried and executed by garrote.