CRY OF BALINTAWAK (PUGAD LAWIN)

The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan

or KKK is a secret organization founded in the Philippines by Andres Bonifacio
with the aim of liberating the country under the Spanish occupation. On July 3,
1892, Dr. Jose Rizal established La Liga Filipina and Andres Bonifacio became
part of this propaganda movement. It is made up of middle class intellectuals or
ilustrados who advocate peaceful reform. The obstruction of La Liga Filipina by
the Spanish regime of Camilo Garcia, Fernando de Rivera and Ramon Blanco
proves to Andres Bonifacio that peaceful reforms under Spanish rule are futile. So
when Dr. Jose Rizal was caught, on July 7, 1892, Andres Bonifacio along with two
leaders Deodaro Arellano and Roman Basa formed a secret organization to liberate
the Philippines from Spanish slavery and this was the KKK.
Its members are given comprehensive training and are expected to follow
the policies set upon by the organization. At first, only Filipino men were accepted
but later they also joined women, even Andres Bonifacio's wife Gregoria
“Oryang” De Jesus also became a member of the Katipunan. She became the
custodian of the documents, but the secret of this group was revealed when a
member of the congregation, Teodoro Patiño, confessed. Just because he was
jealous of Apolonio Dela Cruz for increasing his salary by two pesos, he revealed
the secret organization formed by Andres Bonifacio in the Kabisera. He confessed
to Padre Mallari and he said anything he knew about the secret organization
formed in the Town. Lieutenant Manuel Sityar sent a letter to the civil government
to pass on what they knew to the secret organization. The letter noted the Spanish
government's brutal enslavement of Filipinos in the Philippines and also said that
the group had raised enough money to supply the weapons they would use in the
uprising. And because of this, it was finally revealed and reached the Spanish
government. This resulted in the imprisonment and murder of other members of
the congregation. Because of this, Andres Bonifacio ordered the other leaders of
the organization to attend a gathering to be held in Balintawak and here they will
discuss how to start the revolution against the Spanish government.
On August 19, 1896, Andres Bonifacio and his brother Pricopio Bonifacio
and other leaders of the congregation, Emilio Jacinto, Teodoro Plata and Aguedo
Del Rosario, traveled to Balintawak. August 20, 1896, other katipunan led by Pio
Valenzuela also joined and after gathering with five hundred (500) Katipuneros,
they traveled again to the town of Kangkong, Caloocan on August 21, 1896 and
here they rested at the house of Apolonio Samson. On the afternoon of August 22,
1896, they passed Pugad Lawin. August 23, 1896 when they reached the home that
they considered the mother of the Katipunan Melchora Aquino and here in the yard
of her house under the leadership of Supreme Andres Bonifacio bravely and
fearlessly tore the five hundred (500) members of the katipunan their cedulas at the
same time and at this point the Katipuneros shouted “Mabuhay ang Kalayaan!”.
The tearing of the cedula meant that the Filipinos escaped from the Spanish
government and the Katipunan was the first government of the Philippines, so
Supreme Andres Bonifacio was named the First President. And on the night of
August 29, 1896 they had already started the revolution, in this battle they would
risk their lives against the Spaniards and their goal was to end the more than 300
years of Spanish occupation and this is where the Philippine revolution against the
Spanish government. This proves that we were once defended by our first
generation and our ancestors to achieve the independence of the Philippines and
end the more than 300 years of enslavement of foreigners in our country.