EVELYN S.

PACATANG

Analysis

Chapter 11: The Rulers

This chapter illustrates the powerful rulers in the Philippines in the days
of Jose Rizal. At first, there are speculations as to who are the most powerful
persons in San Diego. It was tossed between Don Rafael or Kapitan Tiyago or
was it Padre Salvi.
Who were the cacique? The rulers of the town were parish priest or
servant of the church and the government in the form of Alferez – they are the
cacique. It seems that the tension between the church and the government
manifested what kind of relationship they had. Although they are both
powerful rulers but still they are in the state of competition. They are always at
odds with each other. Instead of spending their time in serving the town of San
Diego rather uses their institutional powers to interfere with one another. They
are too concentrated spiting one another to the extent the townspeople are the
one who suffered their actions. At the end the Alferez and Padre Salvi have a
disagreement among them but when they meet in public places, they hide it
and greet each other as if there is nothing going on between them. 
This chapter implies us that the cacique of the town can do whatever
they want. Rizal wanted to show his readers 1 that these cacique do not care the
people they govern instead they just care about themselves, for their own sake.
People would compete with one another for power. No wonder, it had been
carried up to the present.

1
Theme: Colonialism