CASE STUDY 2: WHAT

HAPPENED IN THE
CAVITE MUTINY?
• (1872) – It is a historic year of two events: the Cavite Mutiny and
the martyrdom of three priests: Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA). * This events are very important
milestones in the Philippine history and have caused ripples
throughout time, directly influencing the decisive events of the
Philippines Revolution toward the end of the century. *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 MUNITY

• 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.
• The Cavite mutiny (Spanish: El Mótin de Cavite) of 1872 was an
uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort San Felipe, the Spanish
arsenal in Cavite, 107 Philippine Islands (then also known as part of
the Spanish East Indies) on 20 January 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 believed that the Cavite Mutiny of 1872
was the beginning of Filipino nationalism that would eventually lead
to the Philippine Revolution of 1896.
 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.
"ANG PAG-AAKLAS SA KABITE NG 1872" HISTORICAL MARKER FOR
THE CAVITE MUTINY AT FORT SAN FELIPE IN CAVITE CITY, 1872
CAUSES OF THE CAVITE MUTINY

The causes of the Cavite Mutiny

can be identified through
examining the different accounts
in this historic event.
 BEHIND THE STORY OF CAVITE MUTINY

• During the short trial, the captured mutineers testified against José Burgos. The
state witness, Francisco Zaldua, declared that he had been told by one of the
Basa brothers that the government of Father Burgos would bring a navy fleet of
the United States to assist a revolution with which Ramón Maurente, the
supposed field marshal, was financing with 50,000 pesos. The heads of the friar
orders held a conference and decided to get rid of Burgos by implicating him to a
plot.
• One Franciscan friar disguised as Burgos and suggested a mutiny to the
mutineers. The senior friars used an una fuerte suma de dinero or a banquet to
convince Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo that Burgos was the mastermind of
the coup. Gómez and Zamora were close associates of Burgos, so they too were
included in the allegations. Also, Francisco Zaldua had been the principal
informer against the three priests. His statement had been the main basis for the
convictions and he had been promised pardon in exchange for his testimony,
however, he was condemned along with the three. He was the first to be executed
among them on February 17, 1872.
• The Central Government of Madrid proclaimed that they want to
deprive the friars of all the power of intervention in matters of civil
government and direction and management of educational
institutions. The friars feared that their dominance in the country
would become a thing of the past, and that they needed something
to justify their perpetuation, with the mutiny providing such an
opportunity.
• However, the Philippine Institute was introduced by the Spanish
government as an educational decree fusing sectarian schools
once ran by the friars. This 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 important step
welcomed by most Filipinos.
•That’s All Thankyou