THE TWO

FACES OF THE
1872 CAVITE
MUTINY
Objectives
To interpret historical events using primary source.
To recognize the multiplicity of interpretation that can be
read from a historical text
To identify the advantages and disadvantages of employing
critical tools in interpreting historical events

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THE TWO FACES OF THE 1872 CAVITE MUNITY BY: CHRIS
ANTONETTE PEIDAD

1896
The year when the Philippine Revolution broke out owing to the Filipinos’ desire to be free from the
abuses of the Spanish colonial regime.
1898
Every 12th of June since 1898 is a very important event for all the Filipinos.
In this particular day, the entire Filipino nation as well as Filipino communities all over the world
gathers to celebrate the Philippines’ Independence Day.
Two Major events happened in 1872
1872 Cavite Mutiny
The three martyr priests in the persons of Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora
(GOMBURZA). The execution of GOMBURZA which in effect a major factor in the awakening of
nationalism among the Filipinos.
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A. SPANISH VERSION:PLANNED CONSPIRACY

✣ The Spanish regime under the reactionary governor Rafael de Izquierdo

magnified the incident and used it as an excuse to clamp down on those Filipinos
who had been calling for governmental reform.
✣ . A number of Filipino intellectuals was accused of complicity with the
mutineers. After a brief trial, three priests José Burgos, Jacinto Zamora, and
Mariano Gómez were publicly executed. The three subsequently became martyrs
to the cause of Philippine independence.

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✣ The two Spaniards deemed that the event of 1872 was planned earlier and was
thought of it as a big conspiracy among educated leaders, mestizos,
abogadillos or native lawyers, residents of Manila and Cavite and the native
clergy.
✣ They insinuated that the conspirators of Manila and Cavite planned to liquidate
high-ranking Spanish officers to be followed by the massacre of the friars.
✣ According to the accounts of the two, on 20 January 1872, the district of
Sampaloc celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Loreto, unfortunately
participants to the feast celebrated the occasion with the usual fireworks
displays.
✣ Allegedly, those in Cavite mistook the fireworks as the sign for the attack, and
just like what was agreed upon, the 200-men contingent headed by Sergeant
Lamadrid launched an attack targeting Spanish officers at sight and seized the
arsenal.
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✣ When the news reached the iron-fisted Gov. Izquierdo, he readily ordered
the reinforcement of the Spanish forces in Cavite to quell the revolt. The
“revolution” was easily crushed when the expected reinforcement from
Manila did not come ashore. –
✣ Major instigators including Sergeant Lamadrid were killed in the skirmish,
while the GOMBURZA were tried by a court-martial and were sentenced to
die by strangulation. Patriots like Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma.
Regidor, Jose and Pio Basa and other abogadillos were suspended by the
Audencia (High Court) from the practice of law, arrested and were sentenced
with life imprisonment at the Marianas Island.

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✣ Gov. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of
artillery and ordered the creation of artillery force to be
composed exclusively of the Peninsulares.
✣ On 17 February 1872 in an attempt of Spanish
government and frailocracia to instill fear among the
filipinos so that they may never commit such daring act
again, the GOMBURZA were executed.

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 B. Filipino version : A RESPONSE TO JUSTICE
✣ Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera - a filipino scholar and researcher,
wrote the Filipino version of the bloody incident.
✣ In his point of view, the incident was a mere mutiny by the native Filipino
soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal who turned out to be dissatisfied
with the abolition of their privileges.
✣ On 20 January 1872, 200 men comprised of soldiers, laborers of the arsenal
and residents of Cavite headed be Sergent Ferdinand La Madrid rose in arms
and assassinated the commanding officer and spanish officers in sight.
✣ The news about the mutiny reached the authorities. Gen. Izquierdo
immediately ordered reinforcements of spanish troops in Cavite.
✣ After two days, the mutiny was declared subdued.
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✣ Taverna believed that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite
Mutiny as a powerful lever by magnifying it as a full-blown conspiracy
involving not only the native army but also included residents of Cavite and
Manila, and more importantly the native clergy to overthrow the Spanish
government in the Philippines.
✣ In the Intention of installing reforms , the central Government of Spain
welcomed an educational decree authored by Segismundo Moret promoted
the fusion of sectarian schools rub by the friars into a school called
Philippine Institute .
✣ The decree proposed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines
by requiring teaching postitions in such schools to be filled by competitive
examinations
✣ This improvement was warmly received by most Filipino in spite of the
native clergy's zest for secularization.
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⨳ The friars , fearing that their influence in the Philippines would
be a thing of the past, took advantage of the incident and
presented to the spanish government as a vast conspiracy
organized throughout the archipelago with the object of
destroying spanish sovereignty.
⨳ Tavera sadly confirmed that the madrid government came to
believed that the scheme was true without any attempt to
investigatethe real facts or extent of the alleged 'revolution'
reported by izquierdo and the friars.
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• Convicted educated men who participated in the mutiny were sentenced life
imprisonment while members of the native clergy headed by the "gomburza"
were tried and executed by garrote.
• This episode leads to the awakening of nationalism and eventually to the
outbreak of philippine revolution of 1896.
• The french writer edmund plauchut's account complimented tavera's account
by confirming that the event happened due to discontenment of the arsenal
workers and soldiers in cavite fort.
• the frenchman, however,dwelt more on the execution of three martyr priests
which he actually witnessed. 11
 UNVARYING TRUTH
Considering the four accounts of the 1872 Mutiny, there were some basic facts
that remained to be unvarying:
First, there was dissatisfaction among the workers of the arsenal as well as the
members of the native army after their privileges were drawn back by Gen.
Izquierdo;
Second, Gen. Izquierdo introduced rigid and strict policies that made the
Filipinos move and turn away from Spanish government out of disgust;
Third, the Central Government failed to conduct an investigation on what truly
transpired but relied on reports of Izquierdo and the friars and the opinion of the
public;

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Fourth, the happy days of the friars were already numbered in 1872 when the
Central Government in Spain decided to deprive them of the power to
intervene in government affairs as well as in the direction and management of
schools prompting them to commit frantic moves to extend their stay and
power;
Fifth, the Filipino clergy members actively participated in the secularization
movement in order to allow Filipino priests to take hold of the parishes in the
country making them prey to the rage of the friars;

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Sixth, Filipinos during the time were active participants, and responded to what they
deemed as injustices;
Lastly, the execution of GOMBURZA was a blunder on the part of the Spanish
government, for the action severed the ill-feelings of the Filipinos and the event inspired
Filipino patriots to call for reforms and eventually independence. There may be different
versions of the event, but one thing is certain, the 1872 Cavite Mutiny paved way for a
momentous 1898.
The road to independence was rough and tough to toddle, many patriots named and
unnamed shed their bloods to attain reforms and achieve independence. 12 June 1898
may be a glorious event for us, but we should not forget that before we came across to
victory, our forefathers suffered enough. As weenjoy our freeedom, may we be more
historically aware of our past to have a better future ahead of us. And just like what Elias
said in Noli me Tangere, may we “not forget those who fell during the night.”

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THANK YOU!