The Founding of the

Katipunan
GE-RPH
 Lesson Objectives

To know more about the KKK

To understand the KKK’s ideals
OBJECTIVES To assess the implications of KKK during the Spanish times

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 July 7, 1892
• Upon learning that Dr. Jose P. Rizal was to be deported and that his works were to be
banned in the country, a secret council was convened in No. 72 Azcarraga Street.

• In attendance were Andres Bonifacio, Deodato Arellano, Valentin Diaz, Teodoro Plata,
Ladislao Diwa, Jose Dizon, and a few others, all members of La Liga Filipina, a
progressive organization founded by Rizal.

• The men assembled came to the agreement that a revolutionary secret society must be
founded, and thus the Kataastaasang Kagalang-Kagalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak
ng Bayan was born.

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 The Objectives of the Katipunan

• The objectives of KKK, as popularly known, were threefold: political, moral, and civic.

• They advocated for freedom from the yoke of Spain, to be achieved through armed
struggle. They also saw it as their personal responsibility to help the poor and the
oppressed, and to teach them good manners, hygiene, and morality.

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 Membership

• New recruits to the secret society underwent a rigorous initiation process, similar to
Masonic practices.

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• A neophyte, dressed in black and accompanied by his sponsor, was brought to a small room decorated
with patriotic posters (1), in front of a cabinet draped in black. He was then seated at a dimly-lit table, on
which rested a bolo (2), a revolver (3), and a set of questions which he must answer to the satisfaction of
the members assembled:

• What was the condition of the Philippines in the early times? What is the condition today? What will be
the condition in the future?
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 Membership
• The candidate was expected to respond that the Filipinos were once independent, and
that the Spaniard colonizers had not improved the conditions of the Philippines, but that
soon the Philippines would be free once more.

• The master of ceremonies would once more try to discourage him by telling him to back
down if he does not have enough courage; should he persist, he is led blindfolded into
another room for a physical test.

• The final rites involved the neophyte signing the oath of membership in his own blood,
usually drawn from a cut made by a scalpel to the left forearm.

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 Membership

• Though the organizational structure of the Katipunan was constantly in flux, it is generally
believed that they formed small branches, governed by the sangguniang balangay, and these
small branches would form larger provincial councils, governed by the sangguniang bayan.

• All these would be overseen by the Supreme Council of the Katipunan (Kataastasang
Sanggunian), which was composed of a president (pangulo), secretary (kalihim), fiscal
(tagausig), treasurer (tagaingat yaman), and six councilors (kasanguni).

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 Membership

• The legislative body of the Katipunan was known as the Katipunan Assembly, and it was
composed of the members of the Supreme Council, along with the presidents of the popular
and provincial councils.

• Judicial power rested in the sangguniang hukuman, which were provincial courts that decided
on internal matters; however, judgement on grave matters (such as betraying the Katipunan or
committing acts penalized by the organization’s laws) were meted by the “Secret Chamber,”
composed of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and Dr. Pio Valenzuela.

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 Branches
• Contrary to popular belief, Andres Bonifacio—though undoubtedly one of the more prominent
founders of the Katipunan—was not its first Supremo or the President of the Supreme Council.

• On July 15, 1892, the members of the Supreme Council were Deodato Arellano (Supremo),
Bonifacio (Comptroller), Ladislao Diwa (Fiscal), Teodoro Plata (Secretary), and Valentin Diaz
(Treasurer).

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 Branches

• Unsatisfied with Arellano’s performance as Supremo, Bonifacio later had him deposed, and
supported the election of Roman Basa as Supremo on February 1, 1893. The Supreme Council
was then composed of Basa, Jose Turiano Santiago (Secretary), Bonifacio (Fiscal), and Vicente
Molina (Treasurer).

• Bonifacio would only become Supremo on January 5, 1894, with Santiago (Secretary), Emilio
Jacinto (Fiscal), and Molina (Treasurer). Further reorganization in 1896 led to Jacinto becoming
Secretary, and Pio Valenzuela becoming Fiscal.

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 Branches
• The Supreme Council in August 1896, prior to the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, was
led by Bonifacio as the Supremo, with Jacinto as Secretary of State, Teodoro Plata as Secretary
of War, Briccio Pantas as Secretary of Justice, Aguedo del Rosario as Secretary of Interior, and
Enrique Pacheco as Secretary of Finance.

• Much discussion surrounds who was actually in Balintawak at the outbreak of the Philippine
Revolution in August 1896. Perhaps the closest one can come to a definitive list is based on an
interview given by Guillermo Masangkay to the newspaper Bagong Buhay in 1952, almost 60
years after. This was reproduced in Jim Richardson’s site (you may access it here: Katipunan:
Documents and Studies) and have been translated into English from the original mix of Tagalog
and Spanish.

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 Sources

• http://malacanang.gov.ph/4304-the-founding-of-the-katipunan/

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What you need to know about the Katipunan

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 1. Katipunan had a ‘secret chamber’ for
those who disobey orders
• The Katipunan operated just like a normal government except for the fact that its
existence is a secret. It has its own legislative, executive and judiciary functions but
the latter one was more concealed.

• History says that the secret society had a so-called Camara Secreta or Secret
Chamber which is a council composed of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and Dr.
Pio Valenzuela.

• The council was also called as Camara Reina or Supreme Chamber and Camara
Negra or Black Chamber.

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• The function of the council was to punish the members of the secret
society who broke the rules set by the Katipunan, or worse, betrayed
the Katipunan.

• The member who broke the rule or betrayed the Katipunan faced death
through a cup where a serpent is curled. It was said that five members
of the Katipunero faced this tragic death.

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2. Katipunan created the first-ever Philippine
Republic

• Ithas been debated for years whether Katipunan was a de facto

government or not. But, it does not change the fact that it has
successfully organized and established its own republic way before
the Malolos Republic.

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 3. They chose the letter K because it is a
Filipino adaptation of the C /k/ sound

• No letter in the alphabet is as controversial as the letter K. This

unfortunate letter was oftentimes associated with mutineers, militant
groups, and modern revolutionaries.

• But the truth is the creation of a new orthography was already

proposed by Jose Rizal to help simplify and systematize the Tagalog
dialect, Philippine’s national language.

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• It has been favored that letter C will be replaced with letter K since
letter K was already used by the Filipinos even before Spaniards
colonized them.

• When Andres Bonifacio established the Katipunan, he used KKK

instead of CCC as a symbol of liberty and independence.

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 4. Bonifacio is not the only Supremo

• Many Filipinos would say that there is only one Supremo. But little do
they know that there were actually three Supremos – Deodato
Arellano, Roman Basa, and Andres Bonifacio.

• The first Supremo was Deodato Arellano, who is also one of the
founders of Katipunan. But Bonifacio deposed him because of his
inefficiency.

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• Another round of elections resulted in Roman Basa becoming
Supremo but was also deposed by Bonifacio when the former
criticized the latter over the recruitment process and his handling of
the organization’s funds.

• Bonifacio became the last Supremo of the KKK movement.

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 5. Katipunan has its own National Anthem

• Juan Felipe’s “Lupang Hinirang” is not actually the country’s first

National Anthem. The first one is titled “Marangal na Dalit ng
Katagalugan” which was composed by Julio Nakpil in 1896.

• Nakpil composed it since Bonifacio requested him to do so. When

Bonifacio died, Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan was overlooked by
the composition of Felipe.

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 6. Rizal was called a coward by the
Katipunan Supremo

• Rizal’s writings became the guiding force for other patriots to rally for
the country’s cause. But Rizal, Philippine’s national hero, was
religiously held aloof from all politics since his deportation.

• Bonifacio sent a messenger to Dapitan to ask for Rizal’s advice. But

the Katipunan plan was denounced as a premature move. Upon
hearing the reply, Bonifacio called Rizal a coward.

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• This fact led Filipino professor, Renato Constantino, claim that Rizal
was not a leader of the Philippine Revolution, but a leading opponent
of it.

• In the manifesto of 15 December 1896 written by Rizal himself, he

said:

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• “I had no notice at all of what was being planned until the first or second of
July, in 1896, when Pio Valenzuela came to see me, saying that an uprising
was being arranged. I told him that it was absurd, etc., etc., and he
answered me that they could bear no more.

• I advised him that they should have patience, etc., etc. He added then that
he had been sent because they had compassion on my life and that probably
it would compromise me. I replied that they should have patience and that if
anything happened to me I would then prove my innocence.

• Besides, said I, don’t consider me, but our country, which is the one that will
suffer. I went on to show how absurd was the movement. Then later, Pio
Valenzuela testified. -He did not tell me that my name was being used,
neither did he suggest that I was its chief, or anything of that sort.”

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• “Those who testify that I am the chief (which I do not know, nor do I know of
having ever treated with them), what proofs do they present of my having
accepted this chiefship or that I was in relations with them or with their
society?

• Either they have made use of my name for their own purposes or they have
been deceived by others who have. Where is the chief who dictates no order
and makes no arrangement, who is not consulted in anything about so
important an enterprise until the last moment, and then when he decides
against it is disobeyed?

• Since the seventh of July of 1892 I have entirely ceased political activity. It
seems some have wished to avail themselves of my name for their own
ends.”

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• The revolution ensued and even Rizal disagreed with it because of the
discovery of the Katipunan.

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 Source:

• https://ideapod.com/how-katipunan-became-the-catalyst-that-sparked-
the-philippine-revolution/

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