Case Study 2: What Happened in the

Cavite Mutiny?
Two major events happened in 1872, First was the 1872 Cavite
Mutiny and the other was the martyrdom of the three martyr
priest in the persons of Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA). However, not all of us knew that
there were different accounts in reference to the said event. All
Filipinos must know the different side of the story since this event
led to another tragic yet meaningful part of our history, The
execution of GOMBURZA, which in effect a major factor in the
awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos.

The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was an uprising of military personnel of

Fort San Felipe, The Spanish arsenal in Cavite, Philippines on
January 20, 1872. Around 200 soldiers and laborers rose up in the
belief that it would elevate to a national uprising. Many scholars
Believe that the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was the beginning of Filipino
nationalism that would eventually lead to the Philippines
Revolution of 1896.
Jose Montero Y Vidal, A prolific Spanish Historian
documented the event highlighted it as an attempt
of the indios to overthrow the Spanish Government
in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Gov. Gen. Rafael
Izquiero’s official report magnified the event and
made use of it to implicate the native clergy, which
was then active in the call for secularization.
The two accounts complimented and corroborated with one
another, only that the general’s report was more spiteful.
Initially both Montero and Izquierdo scored out that the
abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of Cavite arsenal
such as non payment of tributes and exemption from force
labor were the main reasons of the “Revolution” as how they
called it, However, other causes were enumerated by them
including the Spanish Revolution which overthrew the secular
throne, dirty propagandas proliferated by unrestrained press,
democratic, liberal and republican books and pamphlets
reaching the Philippines and most important, the presence of
the native clergy who out of animosity against the Spanish
friars, “Conspired and supported” the rebels and enemies of
Spain.
Izquierdo blamed the unruly Spanish press
“Stockpiling” malicious propagandas grasped by the
Filipinos. He reported to the king of spain that the
“Rebels” wanted to overthrow the Spanish
government to install a new “Hari” in the likes of
Father Burgos and Zamora. The General even added
that the native clergy enticed other participants by
giving them charismatic assurance that their fight will
not fail because god is with them coupled with
handsome promises of rewards such an employment,
wealth, and ranks in the army.
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 planned to
liquidate high ranking Spanish officers to be followed by the massacre of the
friars. The alleged preconcerted signal among the conspirators of Manila and
Cavite was the firing of rockets from the walls of Intramuros.

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.
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.
Furthermore, Gov. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of artillery and ordered
the creation of artillery force to be composed exclusively of the Peninsulares.
In 17 February 1872 in an attempt of the Spanish government
and Frailocracia to instill fear among the Filipinos so that they
may never commit such daring act again, the GOMBURZA were
executed. This event was tragic but served as one of the
moving forces that shaped Filipino nationalism.
Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino scholar and researcher,
wrote the Filipino version of the bloody incident in Cavite. 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. Indirectly, Tavera blamed Gov. Izquierdo’s cold-blooded policies such
as the abolition of privileges of the workers and native army members of the
arsenal and the prohibition of the founding of school of arts and trades for the
Filipinos, which the general believed as a cover-up for the organization of a
political club.
On 20 January 1872, about 200 men comprised of soldiers, laborers of the
arsenal, and residents of Cavite headed by Sergeant Lamadrid rose in arms and
assassinated the commanding officer and Spanish officers in sight. The
insurgents were expecting support from the bulk of the army unfortunately,
that didn’t happen. The news about the mutiny reached authorities in Manila
and Gen. Izquierdo immediately ordered the reinforcement of Spanish troops in
Cavite. After two days, the mutiny was officially declared subdued.
Tavera 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. It is noteworthy that during the time, the Central Government in
Madrid announced its intention to deprive the friars of all the powers of
intervention in matters of civil government and the direction and management
of educational institutions. This turnout of events was believed by Tavera,
prompted the friars to do something drastic in their dire sedire to maintain
power in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, 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 run by the friars into a school called
Philippine Institute. The decree proposed to improve the standard of education
in the Philippines by requiring teaching positions in such schools to be filled by
competitive examinations. This improvement was warmly received by most
Filipinos in spite of the native clergy’s zest for secularization.
The friars, fearing that their influence in the Philippines would be a thing of
the past, took advantage of the incident and presented it 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 believe that the scheme was true without any
attempt to investigate the real facts or extent of the alleged “revolution”
reported by Izquierdo and the friars.
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 discontentment of the arsenal workers and soldiers in Cavite fort. The
Frenchman, however, dwelt more on the execution of the three martyr
priests which he actually witnessed.
According to Edmund Plauchut, a French journalist, General La Tore created a group
of higher officials called the junta, which consists of six Spanish officials and some
friars. At the same time, followed by the investigative committee the government
created to look into the same problems that was sent to the Manila committee. Both
committees find out that both parties ended up with the same conclusion and
decided to come up with reforms and unfortunately had to be stopped because of
the arrival of General Izquierdo in Manila.
After the execution of the planned reform, it was followed by the sudden
prosecutions led by Izquierdo as a result of the bitter conflicts between the friars
and the Filipino clerics. Izquierdo suspended the day before the opening of a school
that was scheduled for inauguration in March of 1871 in Manila, a Society of Arts
and Trades. The Filipinos had a duty to provide service on public roads construction
and pay the taxes every year. But those who were employed at the maestranza of
the artillery, the engineering shops and the weaponry of Cavite, were exempted
from this obligation from time immemorial. Without further announcements, this
privilege for retirement employees got revoked and declassified them into the ranks
of those people who work on public roads
 The name GOMBURZA refers to the surnames of the three Filipino Catholic
priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were executed for
being the masterminds of the Cavite Mutiny. It is believed that the Spanish clergy
linked the Filipino priests to the mutiny as part of a conspiracy to restrict the
movement of non-religious priests who wanted a parish of their own instead of being
assistants to the regular friars. The three priests were publicly executed by garrote, a
scene witnessed by a young Jose Rizal.
Their martyrdom is widely accepted as the beginning of Philippine nationalism in
the 19th century. Where Rizal dedicated his 2nd novel, the “El Filibusterismo”, to their
memory.
“The Government, by enshrouding your trial in mystery and pardoning your co-
accused, has suggested that some mistake was committed when your fate was
decided; and the whole of the Philippines, in paying homage to your memory and
calling you martyrs, totally rejects your guilt. The Church, by refusing to degrade you,
has put in doubt the crime charged against you.”