One Past but Many

Histories
Prepared by: Ezekiel Mesina
THE CAVITE MUTINY OF
1872
The Cavite Mutiny
◦ An uprising of Filipino military personnel
of Fort San Felipe, the Spanish arsenal in
Cavite, Philippine Islands (then also known
as part of the Spanish East Indies) on
January 20, 1872.
◦ Around 200 locally recruited colonial
troops and laborers rose up in the belief that
it would elevate to a national uprising.
◦ The mutiny was unsuccessful, and government soldiers executed
many of the participants and began to crack down on a burgeoning
Philippines nationalist movement. Many scholars believe that the
Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was the beginning of Filipino nationalism
that would eventually lead to the Philippine Revolution of 1896.
The Battle
◦ Their leader was Fernando La Madrid, a mestizo sergeant with his
second in command Jaerel Brent Senior, a moreno. They seized
Fort San Felipe and killed eleven Spanish officers. The mutineers
thought that fellow Filipino indigenous soldiers in Manila would
join them in a concerted uprising, the signal being the firing of
rockets from the city walls on that night
◦ Unfortunately, what they thought to be the signal was actually a
burst of fireworks in celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Loreto,
the patron of Sampaloc. The plan was to set fires in Tondo in order
to distract the authorities while the artillery regiment and infantry in
Manila could take control of Fort Santiago and use cannon shots as
signals to Cavite. All Spaniards were to be killed, except for the
women.
◦ News of the mutiny reached Manila, supposedly through the lover
of a Spanish sergeant, who then informed his superiors, and the
Spanish authorities feared for a massive Filipino uprising. The next
day, a regiment led by General Felipe Ginovés besieged the fort
until the mutineers surrendered. Ginovés then ordered his troops to
fire at those who surrendered, including La Madrid. The rebels
were formed in a line, when Colonel Sabas asked who would not
cry out, "Viva España", and shot the one man who stepped forward.
The rest were imprisoned.
GENERAL
FELIPE
GINOVÉS
Aftermath
◦ In the immediate aftermath of the mutiny, some Filipino soldiers were
disarmed and later sent into exile on the southern island of Mindanao.
Those suspected of directly supporting the mutineers were arrested and
executed. The mutiny was used by the colonial government and
Spanish friars to implicate three secular priests, Mariano Gómez, José
Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, collectively known as Gomburza.
◦ They were executed by garrote in Luneta, also known in Tagalog as
Bagumbayan, on February 17, 1872.
Two Faces of the Mutiny
Spanish Perspective
◦ The account of José Montero y Vidal, a Spanish official in
Manila at the time, is the fullest account of the mutiny
itself. It embodies the official interpretation of the mutiny in
Cavite as part of a general revolt directed by the three
priests and their lay and clerical colleagues in Manila and
Cavite, having as its aim the assassination of the Governor-
General and a general massacre of all Spaniards.
Published only in 1895, at the height of the Filipino
nationalist campaign, Montero's account is strongly hostile
to Filipino reformist aspirations, has no doubt of the guilt of
those executed or exiled, and places much of the blame for
the revolt of 1872 on the alleged tolerance of Governor-
General Carlos Maria de la Torre in the period 1869-1871.
The Filipino Version of the
Incident
◦ The account of Pardo de Tavera was originally written for the
official report of the census of 1903, as part of a general survey of
Philippine history. Pardo denies that there was any plot to
overthrow Spanish rule, and sees the Cavite Mutiny simply as an
uprising due to the disaffection of the arsenal workers who had
been deprived of their traditional exemption from tribute and the
Filipino troops who sympathized with them. This event the
conservative elements in Manila, including the friars, took as proof
that those who had expressed reformist or anti-friar sentiments
under the governorship of De la Torre were plotting to overthrow
Spanish sovereignty.
Hence they persuaded the government to inflict severe and
exemplary punishments on all kinds of people without inquiring
carefully into their guilt. Though Pardo makes no direct mention of
any friar conspiracy to bring about the Cavite affair after the fashion
of Regidor, he sees the punishments meted out as the result of a false
conviction on the part of the government.
Unraveling the Truth
◦ Considering the 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
◦ 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.
◦ 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.
Final Thoughts
◦ 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 we enjoy our freedom, 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.”