CRY OF

BALINTAWAK
OR
PUGAD LAWIN
It is surprising that there are different versions on the
dates for the first cry of the revolution as well as the
venue. This controversy up to this time remains
unsolved. It is believed that the so-called Cry took
place in Balintawak; but others would say that it
really happened in Pugad Lawin. Nevertheless, there
are different versions to consider in knowing the real
date and place of the Cry. These include Pio
Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”,
Santiago Alvarez’s “The Cry of Bahay Toro”,
Gregoria de Jesus’ version of the “First Cry”, and
Guillermo Masangkay’s “The Cry if Balintawak”.
 Pio Valenzuela’s
Controversial
“Cry of Pugad Lawin”
 (August 23, 1896)
This controversial version of the “Cry of the Pugad
Lawin” has been authorized by no other than Dr. Pio
Valenzuela, who happened to be the eyewitness
himself of the event. In his first version, he told that
the prime staging point of the Cry was in Balintawak
on Wednesday of August 26, 1896. He held this
account when the happenings or events are still vivid
in his memory. On the other hand, later in his life and
with a fading memory, he wrote his Memoirs of the
Revolution without consulting the written documents
of the Philippine revolution and claimed that the
“Cry” took place at Pugad Lawin on August 23,
1896. Below is his account on this topic:

(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila: National Book
Store.)
 Pío Valenzuela y Alejandrino (July 11, 1869 – April 6, 1956) was a
Filipino physician and revolutionary leader. At the age of 23, he joined
the society of Katipunan, a movement which sought the independence of
the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the
Philippine Revolution. Together with Andrés Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto
, they formed the secret chamber of the society called Camara Reina. He
took charge of the publication of Ang Kalayaan, Katipunan's first and
only official publication.[1][2] He was the one who tried to convince the
exiled José Rizal to join the revolutionary movement. [3]

When the Katipunan was discovered, he fled to Balintawak (now part of

Quezon City) on August 20, 1896, but he later availed of an amnesty that
the Spanish colonial government offered and he surrendered on
September 1, 1896. He was deported to Spain where he was tried and
imprisoned in Madrid. He was later transferred to Málaga, and then to a
Spanish outpost in Africa. He was incarcerated for about two years.

He returned to the Philippines in April 1899 and resumed his medical

practice.[1] He was immediately arrested by the Americans in fear of
inciting insurrection. While still in prison, Valenzuela was elected the
municipal president in his hometown Polo which forced the Americans to
release him. From 1921-1925, he served as the governor of the province
of Bulacan.[4]

(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila: National Book
Store.)
Early years
Pío Valenzuela was born in Polo, Bulacan (now the City of Valenzuela) to Francisco Valenzuela and Lorenza Alejandrino, who both
came from wealthy families.[5] Pío was the third eldest sibling of the Valenzuela family: Agustina (born in 1861), Severo (born in 1865)
and Tomás (born in 1871). His father came from a prominent family of gobernadorcillos of Polo.[6][7]
After he was tutored at home, he was brought to Manila to study at Colegio de San Juan de Letran. In 1888, he enrolled at
University of Santo Tomas and finished his Licenciado en Medicina in 1895. He practiced his profession in Manila and Bulacan.
In July 1892, when he was a medical student and the Katipunan was barely a week old, he joined this secret organization. He became a
close friend of its founder, Andrés Bonifacio, and was godfather to the first child of Bonifacio and Gregoria de Jesús. After their house
burned down, Bonifacio and his family lived with Valenzuela.

The revolutionary life

He was elected fiscal of the secret society in December 1895. He was inducted together with the other elected officials at Bonifacio's
home on New Year's Day in 1896. He used the nom de guerre "Dimas Ayaran" (untouchable) in the movement.
Shortly after his induction, Valenzuela moved to San Nicolas district in Manila so he could supervise the publication of the secret
society's official organ, where he also wrote articles using the nom de plume "Madlang-Away" (Public Conflict). Valenzuela claimed in
his memoirs that he was supposed to be the editor of the publication but Emilio Jacinto would eventually be the one to supervise its
printing.
Valenzuela said he was the one who suggested the name Kalayaan (Freedom) for the publication. To mislead the Spanish authorities, he
also suggested that they place the name of Marcelo H. del Pilar as editor and Yokohama, Japan as the place of publication.
Kalayaan's first number, dated January 18, 1896, came out in March 1896 and consisted of a thousand copies which was distributed to Katipunan members all over the country. However, the
publication only came out with one more issue because the Katipunan had already been uncovered by the Spanish authorities. He considered the publication of Kalayaan as the most important
accomplishment of the secret chamber of the Katipunan, which he claimed consisted of himself, Bonifacio and Jacinto.

In a meeting of the secret chamber in July 1896, they decided to assassinate the Spanish Augustinian friar who uncovered the Katipunan to the authorities, but they failed to accomplish the
mission. Valenzuela also claimed that after the discovery of the Katipunan, he and Bonifacio distributed letters implicating wealthy Filipinos, who refused to extend financial assistance to the
Katipunan.

He was a member of the committee that was tasked to smuggle arms for the Katipunan from Japan. He was also with Bonifacio, Jacinto and Procopio Bonifacio when they organized the
Katipunan council in Cavite.

At the secret general meeting called by Bonifacio on the night of May 1, 1896 at Barrio Ugong in Pasig, Valenzuela presented to the body a proposal to solicit contributions to buy arms and
munitions from Japan. The proposal was approved on condition that it first be approved by José Rizal, who was in exile in Dapitan in Mindanao.

Valenzuela was tasked to discuss the matter with Rizal and he left for Dapitan on June 15, 1896. However, Rizal told him that the revolution should not be started until sufficient arms had been
secured and the support of the wealthy Filipinos had been won over.

When the Katipunan was discovered, he fled to Balintawak on August 20, 1896, but he later availed of an amnesty that the Spanish colonial government offered and he surrendered on September
1, 1896.

He was deported to Spain where he was tried and imprisoned in Madrid. He was later transferred to Málaga, Barcelona and then to a Spanish outpost in Africa. He was incarcerated for about two
years.

Under the Americans

He returned to the Philippines in April 1899. In Manila, he was denounced to the American Military authorities as a radical propagandist and once more imprisoned up to September of the same
year.

To suppress aggressive leadership upon his release, he was made municipal president of Polo. From 1902 to 1919, he served as president of the military division of his district. From 1919 to
1925, he served the people of Bulacan for two terms as provincial executive. As governor, he was uncompromising against graft and corruption in the government.

After he retired from politics, he wrote his memoirs on the revolutionary days. He also practiced his medical profession, but only for philanthropic purposes. He was married to Marciana Castro
by whom he had seven children. Early in the morning of April 6, 1956, he died in his hometown, and was buried at the local cemetery.
“The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio, Teodoro
Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving there on August
19 and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan met on
August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at Kangkong. Aside from the
persons mentioned above, among those who were there were Briccio Pantas, Alejandro
Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only exchanged,
and no resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, in the house, store-house, and
yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met
and carried out considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1986. The discussion was on
whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be started on August 29,
1986. Only one man protested and fought against a war, and that was Teodora Plata [Bonifacio’s
brother-in-law-Z]. Besides the persons named above, among those present at this meeting were
Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso San Pedro, and others. After the
tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedula certificates and shouted “Long live
the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!”
Emilio Jacinto
This biography of Emilio Jacinto begins with his early
life:
 Emilio Jacinto was born in 1875 on the 15th of
December.
 He was the only son of a man named Mariano
Jacinto and a woman named Josefa Dizon.
 Shortly after he was born, his father passed away.
This untimely death forced his mother to send
Emilio to live with his uncle, Don Jose’ Dizon. His
mother believed that his uncle could care for the
young Emilio better then she could after the death
of Mariano.
College and Education
Very little is known about Emilio’s early childhood
up until the point that he went to college. However,
it is known that by the time he went away to college,
he could fluently speak both Spanish and Tagalog,
the language of the Philippine people. However, he
preferred to speak in Spanish a majority of the time.
Emilio attended the San Juan de Latran College
when he first embarked on his college career.
However, he later attended the University of San
Tomas in order to study law. Emilio left college
before completing his law degree.
Politics and Revolution
Perhaps the most interesting part of a biography of Emilio Jacinto are the details about his political life and
contributions:
 After dropping out of college at the age of 20, Emilio joined the Katipunan, a secret revolutionary
society. This was a group whose objective was to gain Philippine independence from Spain in 1892.
 Jacinto became the secretary, directly reporting to the leader of the Katipunan. He also became the chief
advisor on fiscal matters concerning this secret society. In addition to these duties, Emilio also wrote the
society’s newspaper, the Kalayaan.
 Emilio was given a new name when he was part of this group. To the Katipunan, he was often referred
to as Utak ng Katipunan. However, he wrote under the pseudonym Dimasailaw when writing for the
newspaper and he was more commonly referred to in the group as Pingkian. Jacinto was also placed in
charge of writing the guidebook for new members and current members of the Katipunan, which was
called Kartilya ng Katipunan.
 When the leader of the Katipunan passed away, Emilio continued to carry out the wishes of Bonifacio.
The Katipunan at this time had many factions and not all of them operated in the same way in their
efforts to gain their independence from Spain. As with his predecessor before him, Jacinto refused to
join with these factions who had different views. This included refusing to join the Magdalo faction of
the Katipunan under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo.
Emilio Jacinto died on April 16, 1899 at the age of 24. The cause of his death at such a young age was
malaria, which he had contracted while in Majayjay, Laguna. The remains of his body were transferred from
this location to Manila where he was laid to rest in Manila North Cemetery. His name lives on in history for
the Philippine people and he is known as the Brains of the Katipunan.
Procopio Bonifacio y de Castro (1873 – May 10, 1897) was
a Filipino independence activist and revolutionary during the
Philippine Revolution of 1896 against Spain. He was a member
of the secret revolutionary society turned revolutionary
government Katipunan with his other siblings Ciriaco and
Espiridiona. His eldest brother Andrés Bonifacio was one of the
founders and, eventually, president of the Katipunan.

Family background and early life[edit]

Procopio was the third of the six children of Santiago Bonifacio
and Catalina de Castro. His siblings were Andres, Ciriaco,
Troadio, Espiridiona and Maxima.
During childhood he, with his other siblings, sold paper canes
and fans made by their brother Andres for their living.
Eventually, he was employed as a baggage porter in the
government-owned Philippine National Railways until the
revolution broke out.
Marriage[edit]
Procopio was said to have married a woman from Mindoro whom he met while organizing the
Katipunan chapter in the island

Katipunan[edit]
Procopio became a member of Katipunan adopting the name Pisaw. He was responsible for the
founding of Katipunan chapter in the island of Mindoro.

With Andres Bonifacio, Candido Tirona, Emilio Jacinto and Pio Valenzuela they founded the
Council of the Ancient Assignment in Kawit, Cavite. Procopio was led into light, which is a two part
of such council.

He was present during the Cry of Balintawak in August 1896 in Caloocan which signaled the start
of the Philippine Revolution.

Revolution[edit]
Procopio fought the Spanish authorities side-by-side with his brothers Andres and Ciriaco. He was
given the rank of Colonel.

In December 1896, he and Ciriaco accompanied their brother Andres and wife Gregoria to Cavite
through the invitation of Cavite's provincial head of the revolution Mariano Alvarez to mediate
between the growing conflict of the two rival factions of the Katipunan in the province, that of
Magdiwang headed by Alvarez and Magdalo headed by cousins Emilio and Baldomero Aguinaldo.
The mediation turned out to be a lost cause for the Bonifacios. Andres Bonifacio who was
recognized as the over-all leader of the revolution and of the Katipunan, was insulted and
disrespected by a Magdalo officer. The revolutionary leadership of Andres Bonifacio then shifted to
Emilio Aguinaldo who was elected as president through the Tejeros Convention.
Death[edit]
Due to the insults experienced by them from the Cavite revolutionary
leaders, he and other leaders of the Katipunan signed the Acta de
Tejeros, proclaiming that the Tejeros Convention had been disorderly,
that its decisions were illegitimate and invalid. They opted to leave
the province and go back to Manila or Morong. While they were
leaving Cavite, they were the target of a surprise attack (ARREST
ORDER due to Treason as initially evidenced by the ACTA de Tejeros
itself) by Emilio Aguinaldo's men led by Gen. Agapito Bonzon and
Gen. José Ignacio Paua due to some events[clarification needed] while they
were encamped in a village in Indang. Ciriaco was shot and died on
the spot, while Procopio was beaten and Andres was shot in the arm
and stabbed in the neck by Paua.
The two remaining brothers were then brought to Naic for a trial, then
to Maragondon, and were subjected to a court-martial as ordered by
the war council under the new revolutionary government. They were
sentenced to death. The two brothers were taken into the mountains.
Procopio, 24 years old, was shot dead before Andres suffered the
same fate.
Teodoro Plata was a Filipino patriot, and a co-founder of the
Katipunan, the secret society which sparked the Philippine
Revolution against Spanish rule in 1896.
He met Andrés Bonifacio at a boarding house in Manila along with
Ladislao Diwa who was then a law student at the University of Santo
Tomas. Bonifacio, Diwa and Plata were all freemasons who were
inspired by the nationalistic objectives of the Propaganda Movement
in Europe.
Plata was a member of La Liga Filipina, which was founded by José
Rizal to push for reforms in the Spanish colonial administration. But
he agreed with Bonifacio and Diwa who believed that the time was
ripe for an armed uprising.
On July 6, 1892, upon learning of Rizal's exile to Dapitan island in
Mindanao, Plata, Bonifacio and Diwa decided to form a secret
society to prepare for a revolution against Spain. The following day,
they met with their friends and fellow freemasons Deodato Arellano,
Valentin Díaz and José Dizon at a house in Tondo and established
the Katipunan.
In 1892, he served as the secretary of the secret society with
Arellano as president, Bonifacio as comptroller, Diwa as fiscal, and
Díaz as treasurer.
 Aguedo del Rosario (1865 – ?)
Aguedo del Rosario was a native of Boac,
Marinduque and was one of the founders of
the Katipunan.
He was a member of the Supreme Council
in 1895
and later its Interior Secretary in 1896.
He used Tagaisok as his Katipunan name.
He was also the Secretary of the
Sangguniang Bayang Katagalugan in Tondo,
Manila.
He was named as Brigadier General to
attack Intramuros on August 29, 1896.
He surrendered to the Spanish authorities
and accepted the offer of amnesty. He
fought against the
Americans and established the Republic
of Katagalugan with Macario Sakay.
 Briccio Pantas (? – 1930)
Briccio Pantas was a member of the
La Liga Filipina and later of the
Katipunan with the alias of
Bungahan.
He became a member of the
Supreme Council in 1893 and later its
Secretary of Justice in 1896.
He joined the declaration of
revolution against Spain at
Balintawak and the general meeting
of the
Katipunan at the barn of Tandang
Sora on August 23 to 24, 1896.
 Santiago Arvarez
The “Cry of Bahay
Toro”
(August 24, 1896)
This version of the “Cry” was written by Santiago Alvarez, a well-
known Katipunero from Cavite and a son of Mariano Alvarez.
Santiago is a relative of Gregoria de Jesus, who happened to be
the wide of Andres Bonifacio. Unlike the author of the first
version mentioned (Valenzuela), Santiago Alvarez is not an
eyewitness of this event. As a result, this version of him is not
given of equal value as compared with the other versions for
authors of other accounts are actually part of the historic event.
Below is his account:

(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila: National Book Store.)
Sunday, August 23, 1896
As early as 10 o’clock in the morning, at the barn of Kabesang
Melchora [Melchora Aquino-Z.], at a place called Sampalukan, barrio of
Bahay Toro, Katipuneros met together. About 500 of these arrived,
ready and eager to join the “Supremo” Andres Bonifacio and his men ...
Monday, August 24, 1896
There were about 1,000 Katipuneros ... The “Supremo” decided to hold a
meeting inside the big barn. Under his leadership, the meeting began at 10
o’clock in the morning ...
It was 12 o’clock noon when the meeting adjourned amidst loud cries of
“Long live the Sons of the Country” (Mabuhay ang mga anak ng Bayan)!
Gregoria De Jesus
Version of the First
“Cry”
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname
is de Jesús and the second or maternal family name
is Álvarez.

Gregoria de Jesús y Álvarez (9 May 1875 – 15

March 1943), also known by her nickname Oriang,
[1]
was the founder and vice-president of the women
's chapter of the Katipunan of the Philippines.[2] She
was also the custodian of the documents and seal
of the Katipunan.[1] She married Gat
Andrés Bonifacio, the Supremo of the Katipunan
and President of the Katagalugan Revolutionary
Government. She played a major and one of the
important roles in the Philippine Revolution.[1] After
the death of Bonifacio, she married Julio Nakpil, one
of the generals of the revolution. She had one son
from Andrés Bonifacio and five children from Julio
Nakpil.
Early life[edit]
Gregoria de Jesús was born in the town of
Caloocan, Manila to a middle-class, pious
Roman Catholic family.[3] Her father, Nicolás
de Jesús, was a carpenter who later served
as a gobernadorcillo.[1] As a young girl, she
was an exceptional student and a silver
medal recipient in an examination organized
by the Governor-General and the local
parish priest. When she became a
secondary school student, she was induced
by her parents to stay home and look after
her younger sister and the family farm, since
both of her older brothers had moved to
Manila to continue their educations.[1][3]
First marriage and the Philippine Revolution[edit]
Main article: Philippine Revolution

When De Jesús was only 18 years old, Andrés Bonifacio fell in love with her and
wanted to marry her.[4] He revealed his intentions to her parents, but her father
disapproved of the marriage because Bonifacio was a Freemason. Bonifacio
nevertheless continued to pursue De Jesús, and after almost six months of courtship,
she had fallen in love with him. She revealed that to her father and asked for his
approval on their marriage, to which he eventually agreed. [3]

Before they got married in March 1893, she joined the Katipunan adopting the name
Lakambini (Tagalog, "noblewoman", also "goddess" or "Muse"). They had a traditional
religious wedding at the Binondo Church, followed a week later by a ceremony
according to the Katipunan's rites, as the society's members did not approve of their
marriage in the Catholic Church, which was seen as an oppressive colonial force. [3]
On the evening of the same day, the women's chapter of the Katipunan was formed,
and she was appointed its vice-president and the custodian of the society's
documents, swearing fealty to the group's purposes. [3][4] When the Guardia Civil
inspected homes unannounced, De Jesús would gather all the secret society's
documents and drive all night around town in a calesa, returning home only when
assured of safety.

A year later, she returned to her family's house because she was pregnant. She gave
birth to their only son, whom she christened Andrés after her husband. [3] Two months
later, during Holy Week of 1896, Gregoria and her husband returned to Manila to find
their house destroyed by a fire. The couple with their child were then forced to live in
friends' and relatives' houses, but had to move quickly from house to house. A few
months later, their infant son died of smallpox.[4]
On 19 August 1896, the Katipunan was exposed by Teodoro Patino, a
disgruntled member.[4] The Spanish forces reacted quickly to halt the
revolution. Many Filipinos were arrested, jailed, and shot, but Bonifacio and
De Jesús went into hiding. The Spanish government was able to tighten its
surveillance over the Katipunan. The remaining Katipuneros gathered and
planned an attack on a Spanish gunpowder storehouse. With an army of
almost 800, the Katipuneros were successful in their first attack, and were
encouraged to advance to Manila, but Spanish reinforcements arrived,
routing the Katipuneros, hundreds of whom were killed or captured in the
skirmish.[4] Furthermore, an internal conflict in the Katipunan between the
Magdiwang and the Magdalo faction in the province of Cavite—had
weakened the society.

On 28 April 1897, De Jesús, Bonifacio, along with his brother Procopio

were captured by Aguinaldo's men, led by Agapito Bonzón and
José Ignacio Paua, in Indang, Cavite.[5] Andrés was shot in the arm by
Bonzón and Paua, who stabbed him in the neck, was prevented from
striking further by one of Bonifacio's men, who offered to die in the
Supermo's stead. Another Bonifacio brother, Ciriaco was shot dead, while
Procopio was beaten; Bonzón may have even raped De Jesús during the
attack.[6]

The brothers were found guilty and sentenced to death on charges that
included sedition, and later executed on 10 May 1897 in the mountains of
Maragondon, Cavite.[3][4]
Later life and death[edit]
Julio Nakpil, a commander of the Katipunan
forces in northern Philippines loyal to Bonifacio,
took care of the widowed De Jesús. The two fell in
love, and were married at Quiapo Church on 10
December 1898 in Manila.[3] After the end of the
Philippine Revolution, De Jesús lived with Nakpil
and their six children in a house of Nakpil's sister,
Petrona, and her husband, philanthropist Dr.
Ariston Bautista. The childless Bautistas cared for
De Jesús and her children, helped raise and
educate them.
De Jesús later died in 1943 during the
Japanese Occupation of the Philippines.[7]
(August 25, 1896)
This version was written by no other than the “Lakambini of the Katipunan”
and wife of Andres Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus. She has been a participant
of this event and became the keeper of the secret documents of the
Katipunan. After the Revolution in August 1896, she lived with her parents
in Caloocan then fled to Manila when she was told that Spanish authorities
wanted to arrest her. Eventually, she joined her husband in the mountains
and shared adversities with him. In her account, the First “Cry” happened
near Caloocan on August 25, 1896.
the arms and food for the soldiers. Valenzuela used Rizal’s argument about
the rich not siding with the Katipunan organization.
“The activities of the Katipunan had reached nearly all corners of the Philippine
Archipelago, so that when its existence was discovered and some of the members
arrested, we immediately returned to Caloocan. However, as we were closely
watched by the agents of the Spanish authorities, Andres Bonifacio and other
Katipuneros left the town after some days. It was then that the uprising began,
with the first cry for freedom on August 25, 1896. Meanwhile, I was with my
parents. Through my friends, I learned that Spanish were coming to arrest me.
Immediately, I fled town at eleven o’ clock at night, secretly going through the rice
fields to La Lorna, with the intention of returning to Manila. I was treated like an
apparition, for, sad to say, in every house where I tried to get a little rest, I was
driven away as if people therein were frightened for their own lives. Later, I found
out that the occupants of the houses which I had visited were seized and severely
punished – and some even exiled. One of them was an uncle of mine whom I had
visited on that night to kiss his hand, and he died in exile.
The “Cry of
Balintawak”
(August 26, 1896)
This version was written by the Katipunan General
Guillermo Masangkay. He is an eyewitness of the historic
event and a childhood friend of Bonifacio. According to
him, the first rally of the Philippine Revolution happened
on August 26, 1896 at Balintawak. Correspondingly, the
date and site presented were accepted by the preliminary
years of American government. Below is General Guillermo
Masangkay version of The “Cry of Balintawak”

Source: Zaide, Gregorio and Sonia Zaide. (1990). Documentary Source of the Philippine History Vol. 5. Manila: National Book Store.
GUILLERMO R. MASANGKAY
(1867-1963)
Friend and Adviser of Andres Bonifacio
A bosom friend of Andres Bonifacio, the founder of the
Katipunan, Guillermo Masangkay
– who joined that underground society when he was only 17
– was the Supremo’s personal
counselor.
He was born on June 25, 1867 in Meisic, Tondo, Manila. His
parents were Domingo
Masangkay of Batangas and Victoria Rafael of Tanza,
Cavite. He was the youngest of four children.
Masangkay had no formal education. However, he had a
strong intellectual drive. He read
assiduously books borrowed from his neighbors. Thus,
although he was only a bangkero, or
boatman, he became fluent in Spanish and deeply aware of
the political and social conditions of his
Time.
He was plying his trade when he heard about a prominent young man in his
neighborhood that he became friends with – Bonifacio. As they got to know
each other well, they found that they had the same patriotic aspirations.
When Bonifacio founded the Katipunan on July 7, 1892 together with
Ladislao Diwa and Teodoro Plata, he became one of its first members,
along with Restituto Javier, Vicente Molina, Valentin Diaz, Briccio Pantas,
Roman Basa, etc. As his adviser, Bonifacio sought Masangkay for his
approval in transforming the Katipunan into a revolutionary association. It
was Masangkay whom he had designated to organize the Katipunan chapter
in Cavite.
In August 1896, after the Katipunan was discovered, Masangkay joined
Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and others in a clandestine meeting held on the
24th of that month at Apolonio Samson’s house in Caloocan. Initially, the
leaders of the movement quarreled over strategy and tactics, and many of
its members questioned the wisdom of an open rebellion due to the lack of
arms and logistical support. However, after Bonifacio’s intense and
convincing speech, everyone destroyed their cedulas to symbolize their
defiance of Mother Spain and, together, raised the cry of “Revolt.”
Masangkay was with Bonifacio in April 1896 at the Bernardo Carpio Cave
on Mt. Tapusi, San Mateo, Rizal. It was the site originally chosen for the
start of the uprising, not Balintawak.
However, it was abandoned because of its remoteness from the town.
Nonetheless, it was in there that Bonifacio, Masangkay, and Emilio
Jacinto planned the attack in Manila. Newly appointed general,
Masangkay was tasked by Bonifacio to lead one of the groups that
assaulted the city. As a revolutionary general, Masangkay figured
prominently during the Filipino-American War. His competence was
demonstrated in the memorable battle against the American forces on
Zapote Bridge in Las Piñas Rizal. During the initial day of the 72-hour
battle, Masangkay and his troops were winning. They eventually lost
their advantage, however, to the superior arms of the enemy. Gravely
injured in that battle, Masangkay was brought to San Juan de Dios
Hospital for treatment. After being confined there for three days,
Masangkay, dressed as a woman, surreptitiously left the hospital and
went into hiding With the restoration of peace, Masangkay returned home
and was reunited with his wife, Romana Noriel of Cavite, and their 12
children. Since then, he ahs lived a simple life, attending to the growing
family business and his children’s education. When the government
decided to erect Bonifacio’s monument, Masangkay strongly supported
the project and donated P10, 000 from his own funds. He died on May
30, 1963.
“On Agust 26th [1896-Z.], a big meeting was held in
Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio Samson, then the
cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who
attended, I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto,
Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas,
Theodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and
Francisco Carreon. They were all leaders of the
Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the
organization. Delegates from Bulacan, Cavitie and
Morong (now Rizal,) were also present.
 At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the
meeting was opened with Andres Bonifacio presiding and Emilio
Jacinto acting as secretary. The purpose was to discuss when
the uprising was to take place. Teodoro Plata [Bonifacio’s
brother-in-law-Z.], Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all
opposed to starting the revolution too early. They reasoned that
the people would be in distress if the revolution were started
without adequate preparation. Plata was very forceful in his
argument, stating that the uprising could not very well be
started without the arms and food for the soldiers. Valenzuela
used Rizal’s argument about the rich not siding with the
Katipunan organization.
Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion
then, left the session hall and talked to the people, who were
waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the leaders. He
told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting
the revolution early, and appealed to them in a fiery speech in
which he said: “You remember the fate of our countrymen who
were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the towns,
the Spaniards will only shoot us. Our organization has been
discovered and we are all marked men. If we don’t start the
uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What then, do you
say?”
“Revolt!” the people shouted as one.
Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt.
He told them that the sign of slavery of the Filipinos were (sic) the cedula
tax charged each citizen. “If it is true that you are ready to revolt,”
Bonifacio saved, “I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be the
sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.”
With tears in their eyes, the people as one man, pulled out their cedulas
and tore them to pieces. It was the beginning of the formal declaration of
the separation from Spanish rule. With their cedulas destroyed, they
could no longer go back to their homes because the Spaniards would
persecute them, if not for being katipuneros, for having no cedulas. And
people who had no cedulas during those days were severely punished.
When the people’s pledge was obtained by Bonifacio, he
returned to the session hall and informed the leaders of
what took place outside. “The people want to revolt, and
they have destroyed their cedulas,” Bonifacio said. “So
now we have to start the uprising; otherwise the people
by hundreds will be shot.” There was no alternative. The
board of directors, in the spite of the protests of Plata,
Pantas, and Valenzuela, voted for the revolution. And
when this was decided, the people outside shouted:
“Long Live the Philippine Republic!”
I still remember Bonifacio as he appeared that day.
Although a mere bodeguero (warehouseman) and
earning ₱25 (Mex.) a month, he was a cultured man. He
always wore an open coat, with black necktie, and black
hat. He always carried an umbrella. At the meeting that
morning of August 26, Bonifacio took off his coat and
was wearing only his shirt, with collar and tie. Bonifacio’s
hobby was weaving bamboo hats. During his spare time,
he wove dozens of them and sold them in Manila. Thus,
he made extra money.
At about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, while the gathering at Balintawak
was celebrating the decision of the Katipunan leaders to start the
uprising, the guards who were up in trees to
watch for any possible intruders or the approach of the enemy, gave the
warning that the Spaniards were coming.
Led by Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and other leaders of the Katipunan, the
men were distributed in strategic positions and were prepared for attack
of the civil guards. I was with a group stationed on the bank of a small
creek, guarding the places where the Spaniards were to pass in order to
reach the meeting place of the katipuneros. Shots were then fired by the
civil guards, and that was the beginning of the fire which later became
such a huge conflagration.