The Cuerpo de Vigilancia Version

The report of Moreno (NAP Manuscript A-6, Doc. 1) presents another eyewitness account of what
transpired in Rizal’s prison cell before he was executed. It contains several details that could be used for
and against the claim that Rizal returned to the Catholic fold and renounced Masonry. The account may
be considered more objective than earlier ones because Moreno was neither a member of the Catholic
hierarchy nor a known Mason. He was in Fort Santiago not to serve a particular interest group but
simply to perform a function connected with his work. Moreover, the fact that his report was written a
day after the event lessened the possibility that it was edited to please a particular group. Since the
report is not very long, a translation of it will be presented first before analyzing it:

Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia stationed in Fort Santiago to report on the
events during the [illegible] day in prison of the accused Jose Rizal, informs me on this date of the
following:

At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his counsel, Señor Taviel de
Andrade, and the Jesuit priest [Jose] Vilaclara. At the urgings of the former and moments after entering,
he was served a light breakfast. At approximately 9, the Adjutant of the Garrison, Señor [Eloy] Maure,
asked Rizal if he wanted anything. He replied that at the moment he only wanted a prayer book which
was brought to him shortly by Father [Estanislao] March.

Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with the Jesuit fathers, March and
Vilaclara, regarding religious matters, it seems. It appears that these two presented him with a prepared
retraction on his life and deeds that he refused to sign. They argued about the matter until 12:30 when
Rizal ate some poached egg and a little chicken. Afterwards he asked to leave to write and wrote for a
long time by himself.

At 3 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed him what he had written.
Immediately the chief of the firing squad, Señor [Juan] del Fresno and the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor
Maure, were informed. They entered death row and together with Rizal signed the document that the
accused had written. It seems this was the retraction.
From 3 to 5:30 in the afternoon, Rizal read his prayer book several times, prayed kneeling before the
altar and in the company of Fathers Vilaclara and March, read the Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity
repeatedly as well as the Prayers for the Departing Soul.

At 6 in the afternoon the following persons arrived and entered the chapel; Teodora Alonzo, mother of
Rizal, and his sisters, Lucia, Maria, Olimpia, Josefa, Trinidad and Dolores. Embracing them, the accused
bade them farewell with great strength of character and without shedding a tear. The mother of Rizal
left the chapel weeping and carrying two bundles of several utensils belonging to her son who had used
them while in prison.

A little after 8 in the evening, at the urgings of Señor Andrade, the accused was served a plate of tinola,
his last meal on earth. The Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure and Fathers March and Vilaclara visited
him at 9 in the evening. He rested until 4 in the morning and again resumed praying before the altar.

At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison accompanied by his sister Pilar,
both dressed in mourning. Only the former entered the chapel, followed by a military chaplain whose
name I cannot ascertain. Donning his formal clothes and aided by a soldier of the artillery, the nuptials
of Rizal and the woman who had been his lover were performed at the point of death (in articulo
mortis). After embracing him she left, flooded with tears.

Rizal heard mass and confessed to Father March. Afterwards he heard another mass where he received
communion. At 7:30, a European artilleryman handcuffed him and he left for the place of execution
accompanied by various Jesuits, his counsel and the Assistant of the Plaza. Father March gave him a holy
picture of the Virgin that Rizal kissed repeatedly.

When the accused left, I noticed he was very pale but I am very certain that all the time he was
imprisoned he demonstrated great strength of character and composure.

God grant Your Excellency.

Manila 30 December 1896.

Chief Inspector Federico Moreno (Harper 1997)

Moreno’s report contains details that are not consistent with Fr. Balaguer’s affidavit. The most serious
and obvious discrepancy is that Moreno never mentioned Fr. Balaguer in his report. All throughout the
history of the retraction controversy, Fr. Balaguer consistently claimed that he was present in Rizal’s
prison cell and actively involved in convincing him to retract. All other pro-retraction advocates who
came after Fr. Balaguer took his account as historical fact and argued their case using him as their
primary source. The Masons attacked Fr. Balaguer’s narrative, but they never questioned his claim that
he was a witness to this event. However, in Moreno’s account only two Jesuits are identified: Fr. Jose
Vilaclara and Fr. Estanislao March.

In his affidavit, Fr. Balaguer declared that he talked to Rizal three times on December 29, 1896. The first
time was in the morning, from 10 to 12:30. It was during this meeting that he presented the retraction
template to Rizal but the latter did not sign. Moreno confirmed this meeting, including the presentation
of the draft retraction. But he reported that Rizal was talking not to Fr. Balaguer but to Frs. March and
Vilaclara. Moreno also confirmed that Frs. March and Vilaclara returned to Rizal around 3 o’clock in the
afternoon. Fr. Balaguer claimed in his affidavit that he was one of Rizal’s afternoon visitors. Fr. Balaguer
continued that the third time he talked to Rizal was around 10 in the evening. He had another lengthy
and passionate discussion with him for more than an hour. It was on this occasion that Rizal finally
signed his retraction letter. Moreno confirmed that Rizal had visitors after dinner, but the persons he
identified were Señor Andrade, Señor Maure, and Frs. March and Vilaclara. Again, Fr. Balaguer was not
mentioned, and the time of the meeting was 9 o’clock and not shortly before midnight. Neither did
Moreno’s report mention that they discussed issues concerning faith and the retraction. The narrative is
short and ends with Rizal going to bed.

Moreno’s report is a big blow to the credibility of Fr. Balaguer. The fact that Moreno never mentioned
him in his report casts a cloud of doubt on the veracity and accuracy of the affidavit that he executed. If
we are to believe Moreno, Fr. Balaguer did not have personal knowledge of what happened to Rizal the
day before he died. If his affidavit contains accurate historical details, he might have gotten them from
those who were with Rizal on December 29, 1896. If Fr. Balaguer was the chief negotiator who
convinced Rizal to recant, and if he talked to Rizal three times that day, Moreno would surely have
inquired who he was. There is a remote possibility that Moreno did not know Fr. Balaguer because he
was a priest and not an ordinary visitor. Since Moreno was able to identify the names of Rizal’s relatives
and the other visitors who talked to him, there is no reason why Moreno would not mention Fr.
Balaguer in his report if indeed he talked to Rizal three times.

Moreno’s report may have damaged the credibility of Fr. Balanguer, but it did not refute the claim that
Rizal retracted. It mentions that when Fr. March returned at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Rizal handed him
a document. Then it says that Rizal, together with Juan del Fresno and Señor Maure, signed the
document. In the retraction document that Fr. Gracia found in 1935, one sees that the three persons
Moreno identified were signatories of the document. Moreno did not provide details on the contents of
the document, probably because he was witnessing the event from a distance. But that did not prevent
him from presupposing that the document was Rizal’s retraction letter. He simply wrote, “It seems this
was the retraction [parece que el escrito era la retractación].”

The latter part of Moreno’s report confirmed a few other controversial events that occurred before Rizal
was executed. Moreno reported that right after Rizal signed the alleged retraction letter, he read the
Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity as well as the Prayers for the Departing Soul. While kneeling in front of
the altar, he also read his prayer book in the company of Frs. Vilaclara and March. Moreno also reported
that in the early morning of the following day, Rizal and Josephine Bracken got married. The ceremony
was done in articulo mortis (at the point of death), and there were no sponsors or witnesses present.
Moreover, Moreno did not mention that the couple signed a marriage contract. This should explain why
this document remains unaccounted for until today, and therefore people should stop looking for it. All
these details in Moreno’s report are indirect forms of proof that Rizal retracted. Archbishop Nozaleda
and Fr. Pio Pi’s instructions were clear that Rizal should not be given the sacraments unless he retracted
his anti-Catholic beliefs. The fact that the marriage took place is a confirmation that Rizal re-embraced
his Catholic faith. Lastly, Moreno also reported that minutes before Rizal was brought to Luneta, he
heard Mass, confessed to Fr. March, received Holy Communion, and kissed the image of the Blessed
Mother. All these acts suggest, and may be considered evidence supporting the claim, that Rizal died a
Catholic.

There is another thing Rizal did that is recorded in many history books and also confirmed by Moreno.
He handed his family members his personal belongings when they visited him the day before he died.
Unfortunately, Moreno did not specify the person to whom Rizal gave his personal belongings.
Specifically, he did not mention to whom he gave the stove (others say lamp) where Rizal put his Mi
Ultimo Adios. A number of biographies state that Rizal gave it to his sister Trinidad with the message
“there is something inside” (Craig 1913, 240; Guerrero 1971, 480). Moreno simply wrote that his
weeping mother left the chapel carrying “two bundles of several utensils belonging to her son.” One can
easily assume that the stove was one of the utensils that Teodora Alonzo brought home.

Aside from Federico Moreno’s report, there are other documents in the collection that can enrich
further the narrative of Rizal’s final 24 hours. For instance, the collection has several newspaper
clippings of what happened to him before and after his death. One is the account of La Voz Española,
dated December 26, 1896, which reports the meeting of the Consejo de Guerra on the trial of Jose Rizal
(NAP Manuscript A-1, Doc. 25). El Diario de Manila has a similar account of this topic and event (NAP
Manuscript A-1, Doc. 26). On the day of his execution, the newspaper La Voz Española reported what
happened in Luneta, and it also printed the text of the retraction letter that Rizal allegedly signed (NAP
Manuscript A-1, Doc. 27). The Cuerpo collection also has a photograph of Rizal and the members of the
execution squad (NAP Manuscript A-1 [9], Doc. 307). Finally, the collection has a three-page letter
written by Juan Ferrer to a person he simply calls “Apolinario,” dated two weeks after Rizal died. The
writer states that Rizal was very brave during his execution. He also asks Apolinario to inform his friends
in Imus that they will not stop fighting the Spaniards until Manila is independent. The author claims that
he was tasked to monitor Manila and buy clothes and arms. Moreover, he offers his help to Apolinario in
case he organizes meetings in Vigan. He ends his letter warning Apolinario not to tell his parents about
his involvement in the revolution and that he accepts that he will be arrested one day (NAP A-12, Doc.
9).
Various accounts give differing dates and places for the Cry. An officer of the Spanish guardia civil, Lt.
Olegario Diaz, stated that the Cry took place in Balintawak on August 25, 1896. Historian Teodoro Kalaw
in his 1925 book The Filipino Revolution wrote that the event took place during the last week of August
1896 at Kangkong, Balintawak. Santiago Alvarez, a Katipunero and son of Mariano Alvarez, the leader of
the Magdiwang faction in Cavite, stated in 1927 that the Cry took place in Bahay Toro, now in Quezon
City on August 24, 1896. Pío Valenzuela, a close associate of Andrés Bonifacio, declared in 1948 that it
happened in Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896. Historian Gregorio Zaide stated in his books in 1954 that
the "Cry" happened in Balintawak on August 26, 1896. Fellow historian Teodoro Agoncillo wrote in 1956
that it took place in Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896, based on Pío Valenzuela's statement. Accounts by
historians Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion and Ramon Villegas claim the event to have taken
place in Tandang Sora's barn in Gulod, Barangay Banlat, Quezon City.[5][6]

Some of the apparent confusion is in part due to the double meanings of the terms "Balintawak" and
"Caloocan" at the turn of the century. Balintawak referred both to a specific place in modern Caloocan
City and a wider area which included parts of modern Quezon City. Similarly, Caloocan referred to
modern Caloocan City and also a wider area which included modern Quezon City and part of modern
Pasig. Pugad Lawin, Pasong Tamo, Kangkong and other specific places were all in "greater Balintawak",
which was in turn part of "greater Caloocan".

Accounts of the Cry

GUILLERMO MASANGKAY

On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio Samson, then cabeza of
that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who attended, I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto,
Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro 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, Cabanatuan, Cavite, and Morong 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, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the revolution
too early...Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose 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... I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be a sign that all of us have declared our
severance from the Spaniards.[7]

The Cry of Balintawak occurred on August 26, 1896. The Cry, defined as that turning point when the
Filipinos finally refused Spanish colonial dominion over the Philippine Islands. With tears in their eyes,
the people as one man, pulled out their cedulas and tore them into pieces. It was the beginning of the
formal declaration of the separation from Spanish rule."Long Live the Philippine Republic!", the cry of
the people. An article from The Sunday Tribune Magazine on August 21, 1932 featured the statements
of the eyewitness account by Katipunan General Guillermo Masangkay, "A Katipunero Speaks".
Masangkay recounts the "Cry of Balintawak", stating that on August 26,1896, a big meeting was held in
Balintawak at the house of Apolonio Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. 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. In August 1896, after the Katipunan was discovered, Masangkay joined
Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and others in a clandestine meeting held on the 26th 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 towards Spain and, together, raised the cry of “Revolt". [4]

PIO VALENZUELA
In 1935, Pio Valenzuela, along with Briccio Pantas and Enrique Pacheco said (in English translation) "The
first Cry of the revolution did not happen in Balintawak where the monument is, but in a place called
Pugad Lawin." In 1940, a research team of a forerunner of the National Historical Institute (NHI) which
included Valenzuela, identified the location as part of sitio Gulod, Banlat, Kalookan City. IN 1964, the NHI
described this location as the house of Tandang Sora.[8]

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, 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, 1896.
The discussion was on whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be started
on August 29, 1896... After the tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedula certificates
and shouted "Long live the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!"[9]

SANTIAGO ALVAREZ

The account of Santiago Alvarez regarding the Cry of Balintawak flaunted specific endeavors, as stated:

We started our trek to Kangkong at about eleven that night. We walked through the rain over dark
expanses of muddy meadows and fields. Our clothes drenched and our bodies numbed by the cold
wind, we plodded wordlessly. It was nearly two in the morning when we reached the house of Brother
Apolonio Samson in Kangkong. We crowded into the house to rest and warm ourselves. We were so
tired that, after hanging our clothes out to dry, we soon feel asleep. The Supremo began assigning
guards at five o'clock the following morning, Saturday 22 August 1896. He placed a detachment at the
Balintawak boundary and another at the backyard to the north of the house where we were gathered.
No less than three hundred men assembled at the bidding of the Supremo Andres Bonifacio. Altogether,
they carried assorted weapons, bolos, spears, daggers, a dozen small revolvers and a rifle used by its
owner, one Lieutenant Manuel, for hunting birds. The Supremo Bonifacio was restless because of fear of
sudden attack by the enemy. He was worried over the thought that any of the couriers carrying the
letter sent by Emilio Jacinto could have been intercepted; and in that eventuality, the enemy would
surely know their whereabouts and attack them on the sly. He decided that it was better to move to a
site called Bahay Toro. At ten o'clock that Sunday morning, 23 August 1896 we arrived at Bahay Toro.
Our member had grown to more than 500 and the house, yard, and warehouse of Cabesang Melchora
was getting crowded with us Katipuneros. The generous hospitality of Cabesang Melchora was no less
than that of Apolonio Samson. Like him, she also opened her granary and had plenty of rice pounded
and animals slaughtered to feed us. The following day, Monday, 24 August, more Katipuneros came and
increased our number to more than a thousand. The Supremo called a meeting at ten o'clock that
morning inside Cabesang Melchora's barn. Flanking him on both sides at the head of the table were Dr.
Pio Valenzuela, Emilio Jacinto, Briccio Pantas, Enrique Pacheco, Ramon Bernardo, Pantelaon Torres,
Francisco Carreon, Vicente Fernandez, Teodoro Plata, and others. We were so crowded that some stood
outside the barn. The following matters were approved at the meeting:

An uprising to defend the people's freedom was to be started at midnight of Saturday, 29 August 1896;

To be on a state of alert so that the Katipunan forces could strike should the situation arise where the
enemy was at a disadvantage. Thus, the uprising could be started earlier than the agreed time of
midnight of 29 August 1896 should a favorable opportunity arise at that date. Everyone should steel
himself and be resolute in the struggle that was imminent; and

He immediate objective was the capture of Manila.

After the adjournment of the meeting at twelve noon, there were tumultuous shouts of "Long live the
Sons of the People!"[10]

Asserted dates and locations

DIFFERENT DATES AND PLACES OF CRY[11][12]

Person Place Date

L.T. Olegario Diaz Balintawak August 25, 1896

Teodoro Kalaw Kangkong, Balintawak Last week of August

Santiago Alvarez Bahay Toro, Quezon City August 24, 1896

Pio Valenzuela Pugad Lawin August 23, 1896

Gregorio Zaide Balintawak August 26, 1896

Teodoro Agoncillo (according to statements of Valenzuela) Pugad Lawin August 23, 1896

Research (Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion, Ramon Villegas) Tandang Sora's barn in Gulod,
Barangay Banlat, Quezon City August 24, 1896

Events Prior to the Cry of Pugad Lawin

These events vitalized the unity of the Filipino People and brought "thirst" for independence. The Cry of
the Rebellion in Pugad Lawin, marked the start of the Philippine Revolution in 1896 which eventually led
to Independence of the country in 1898.

Cavite Mutiny

On January 20, 1872, about 200 Filipino military personnel of Fort San Felipe Arsenal in Cavite,
Philippines, staged a mutiny which in a way led to the Philippine Revolution in 1896. The 1872 Cavite
Mutiny was precipitated by the removal of long-standing personal benefits to the workers such as tax
(tribute) and forced labor exemptions on order from the Governor General Rafael de Izquierdo.

Izquierdo replaced Governor General Carlos Maria de la Torre some months before in 1871 and
immediately rescinded Torre’s liberal measures and imposed his iron-fist rule. He was opposed to any
hint of reformist or nationalistic movements in the Philippines. He was in office for less than two years,
but he will be remembered for his cruelty to the Filipinos and the barbaric execution of the three
martyr-priests blamed for the mutiny: Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, later
collectively called “Gomburza.”

Izquierdo used the mutiny to implicate Gomburza and other notable Filipinos known for their liberal
leanings.

The three priests were stripped of their albs, and with chained hands and feet were brought to their
cells after their sentence. Gomburza became a rallying catchword for the down-trodden Filipinos
seeking justice and freedom from Spain.

It is well to remember that the seeds of nationalism that was sown in Cavite blossomed to the Philippine
Revolution and later to the Declaration of Independence by Emilio Aguinaldo which took place also in
Cavite. 1872 Cavite Mutiny paved way for a momentous 1898, it was a glorious event before we came
across to victory.

[13]

Martyrdom of the GOMBURZA

The execution of the three Filipino priest, Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were
linked by the Spanish friars as the masterminds of the Filipino insurgency in Cavite. They were
prominent Filipino priests charged with treason and sedition. The Spanish clergy connected the priest to
the mutiny as part of a conspiracy to stifle the movement of secular priests who desired to have their
own parishes instead of being assistants to the regular friars.

FATHER MARIANO GOMEZ, an old man in his mid-‘70, Chinese-Filipino, born in Cavite. He held the most
senior position of the three as Archbishop’s Vicar in Cavite. He was truly nationalistic and accepted the
death penalty calmly as though it were his penance for being pro-Filipinos.

FATHER JOSE BURGOS is a Spanish descent, born in the Philippines. He was a parish priest of the Manila
Cathedral and had been known to be close to the liberal Governor General de la Torre. He was 35 years
old at that time and was active and outspoken in advocating the Filipinization of the clergy.

FATHER JACINTO ZAMORA is a 37 years old, was also Spanish, born in the Philippines. He was the parish
priest pf Marikina and was known to be unfriendly to and would not countenance any arrogance or
authoritative behavior from Spaniards coming from Spain. February 17,1872 in an attempt of the
Spanish government 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.

[14][15][16]

Propaganda Movements and other Peaceful Campaign for Reforms

For more than three centuries the Spanish colonizers became too abusive of their power, force labor,
unjustifiable collection of taxes, and deprivation of education brought about centralised idea of
independence to the majority of Filipinos. Political and social reforms then were sought through
writings themed on liberalism, honoring rights of the Filipinos, defense against violence and injustices,
and sovereignty for the aspirations of the people.

From 1880 to 1896 propaganda movements became expansive, though it didn't achieve its purpose for
reforms it fostered a sense of nationalism among Filipinos.

Noli Me Tangere and El filibusterismo are some of the literary works wrote by Jose Rizal, who is one of
the many ilustrados, together with the other prominent reformist Graciano López Jaena, Mariano Ponce
and Marcelo H. del Pilar who aimed on uniting the whole country, and eventually to achieve
independence. It was until the latter part of the 1890's when the peaceful movement was shifted to
bloody revolts led by Andres Bonifacio who believe that peaceful reforms won't make any change to the
corrupt Spaniards, thus initiating the first phase of revolution after the tearing of cedulas at the Cry of
Pugadlawin.

Jose P. Rizal's Exile in Dapitan

In the 26th day of June, 1892 causing very excitement among to the Filipinos. His popularity feared the
Spaniards, and as they notice to his every moves - all houses where he had been were searched and the
Filipinos seen in his company were suspected. As he had planned, on July 3, 1892 he founded the La Liga
Filipina in the house of Doroteo Ongjunco in Tondo, Manila. Four days after the civic organization's
foundation, Jose Rizal was arrested by the Spanish authorities on four grounds: First, he published an
anti-Catholic and anti-friar books and articles. Second, having in possession a bundle of handbills, the
Pobres Frailes, in which violates the advocacies of the Spanish orders. Third for dedicating his novel, El
Filibusterismo to the three “traitors” (Gomez, Burgos and Zamora) and for giving an highlights to the
novel's title page that “the only salvation for the Philippines was separation from the Spain". And last,
had a simply criticizing the religion and aiming for its exclusion from the Filipino culture.

[17]

Foundation and the Discovery of the KKK

After the disbandment of the La Liga FILIPINA, some of its former members, spearheaded by Andres
Bonifacio established the Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga anak bayan (KKK), with
its goal of independence from Spain, the Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio started the revolution
preceded by the Cry of Pugad Lawin.

The KKK was revealed by Father Mariano Gil who was disgusted over the governor's attitude, next ran to
the military governor of Manila, General Echaluce, and revealed what he knew about the Katipunan. But
Echaluce, did not believe him, instead he took precautions to make Manila safe from any disturbances.
At almost the same time, an unfortunate event incident happened between two Katipuneros that are
working in the Spanish-owned Diario de Manila. Apolonio de la Cruz and Teodoro Patiño had a
misunderstanding, and Patiño took his revenge to Apolonio by revealing the secrets of the society to his
sister, Honoria. The latter was reported to have cried. The madre portera, Sor Teresa, suggested that
Teodoro Patiño tell all he knew to Father Mariano. Afternoon of August 19, Patiño told Father Mariano
of what he knew about the secret society. The friar immediately hurried to the printing shop, Diario de
Manila and searched the premises for the hidden proofs of the existence of the Katipunan with the
accompaniment of the owner of the periodical. The lithographic stone used to print the Katipunan
receipts was found and when it was shown to Patiño, he confirmed that it was true. At midnight, the
locker of Policarpio Turla, whose signature appeared in the receipts, was forced open and the rules of
the society and other pertinent documents were found. These proofs were turned over to the police and
were now convinced to the existence of a vast underground society whose purpose is to overthrow
Spanish sovereignty in the Philippines.[18]

Legal Document

The introduction to the original Tagalog text of the Biak-na-Bato Constitution states:

Ang paghiwalay ng Filipinas sa kahariang España sa patatag ng isang bayang may sariling pamamahala’t
kapangyarihan na pangangalang “Republika ng Filipinas” ay siyang layong inadhika niyaring
Paghihimagsik na kasalukuyan, simula pa ng ika- 24 ng Agosto ng taong 1896… (English: The separation
of the Philippines from the Spanish empire by the establishment of a self-governing nation called the
"Republic of the Philippines" has been the aim of the current Revolution, starting on August 24, 1896.

The Spanish text also states:

a separacion de Filipinas de la Monarquia Española, constituyendose en Estado Independiente y

soberano con Gobierno propuio, con el nombre de Repulica de Filipinas, es en su Guerra actual, iniciada
en 24 de Agosto de 1896… (English: The separation of the Philippines from the Spanish Monarchu,
constituting an independent state and with a proper sovereign government, named the Republic of the
Philippines, was the end pursued by the revolution through the present hostilities, initiated on 24
August 1896…)

These lines indicate that in so far as the leaders of the revolution are concerned, revolution began on 24
August 1896.[citation needed] The document was written only one and a half years after the event and
signed by over 50 Katipunan members, among them Emilio Aguinaldo , Artemio Ricarte and Valentin
Diaz.

Emilio Aguinaldo’s memoirs, Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan (1964, English title:Memories of War), refer to
two letters from Andres Bonifacio dated 22 and 24 August that pinpoint the date and place of the crucial
Cry meeting when the decision to attack Manila was made.[19]

Tearing of cédulas
Not all accounts relate the tearing of cédulas in the last days of August. Of the accounts that do, older
ones identify the place where this occurred as Kangkong in Balintawak/Kalookan. Most also give the
date of the cédula-tearing as August 26, in close proximity to the first encounter. One Katipunero,
Guillermo Masangkay, claimed cédulas were torn more than once – on the 24th as well as the 26th.[4]

For his 1956 book The Revolt of the Masses Teodoro Agoncillo defined "the Cry" as the tearing of
cedulas, departing from precedent which had then defined it as the first skirmish of the revolution. His
version was based on the later testimonies of Pío Valenzuela and others who claimed the cry took place
in Pugad Lawin instead of Balintawak. Valenzuela's version, through Agoncillo's influence, became the
basis of the current stance of the Philippine government. In 1963, President Diosdado Macapagal
ordered the official commemorations shifted to Pugad ng uwak, Quezon City on August 23.[4]

Formation of an insurgent government

An alternative definition of the Cry as the "birth of the Filipino nation state" involves the setting up of a
national insurgent government through the Katipunan with Bonifacio as President in Banlat, Pasong
Tamo on August 24, 1896 – after the tearing of cedulas but before the first skirmish. This was called the
Haring Bayang Katagalugan (Sovereign Tagalog Nation).[3]

Why Balintawak?

The Cry of Rebellion in the Philippines happened in August 1896. There are lot of controversies puzzling
the minds of the readers regarding the real place and date of this event.[citation needed] Some
accounts pointing directly to Balintawak are associated with the ‘cry’. Lt. Olegario Diaz states in he
account of a guardia civil,[citation needed] that the event happened in Balintawak, which corroborates
the accounts of the historian Gregorio Zaide and Teodoro Kalaw.[citation needed] On the other hand,
Teodoro Agoncillo based his account from that of Pio Valenzuela that emphasized Pugad Lawin as the
place where the ‘cry’ happened.[citation needed]

Here are some reasons why Pugad Lawin is not considered as the place of the ‘cry’. (1) People of
Balintawak initiated the revolution against the Spaniards that is why it is not appropriate to call it ‘Cry of
Pugad Lawin’. (2) The place Pugad Lawin only existed in 1935 after the rebellion happened in 1896.
Lastly, (3) The term ‘Pugad Lawin’ was only made up because of the hawk’s nest at the top of a tall tree
at the backyard of Tandang Sora in Banlat, Gulod, Kaloocan where it is said to be one of the hiding
places of the revolutionary group led by Andres Bonifacio.[20][failed verification]
Other cries

In 1895, Bonifacio, Masangkay, Emilio Jacinto and other Katipuneros spent Good Friday in the caves of
Mt. Pamitinan in Montalban (now part of Rizal province). They wrote "long live Philippine
independence" on the cave walls, which some Filipino historians consider the "first cry" (el primer grito).
[4]