Scripting debating

Trish: A very cheerful afternoon to all of us. To our respected teacher and to my fellow classmates, welcome to this
debate. The motion for the debate today is about the 1872 Cavite Mutiny, which is generally seen as a mutiny of
Filipino soldiers and arsenal workers over local grievances, often portraying it as instigated by the friars with the
intention of eliminating the priests and lawyers agitating for reforms. 

By the way, I am Trisha Joanne S. Galang, your moderator.

Now, let me introduce to you our debaters. Representing the proposition side is Reinier Gener and the opposition side
is Cyrus De Leon. 

So, for the rules of the debate. The proposition side will start the discussion to be followed by the opposition side. After
the opening statements of each side, rebuttal will start. There will be given time to ask and defend their respective stand. 

At this juncture, may I call on Reinier Gener, to deliver his speech.

Reinier:
Before I proceed to my arguments, let me first define terms that are included in this debate. First is Conspiracy;
according to Webster’s dictionary, conspiracy is a secret plan made by two or more people to do something harmful or
illegal. Next is Mutiny, as per the definition of Oxford dictionary, Mutiny is an open rebellion against the proper
authorities, especially by soldiers and/or sailors against their officers. Cavite Mutiny was an uprising among the natives
and some laborers in San Felipe fort, Cavite. Wherein the commanding officer and other Spanish officers in charge of
the fort were assassinated. This debate will talk about the premise of the mutiny and the event itself. Let me now state
my arguments.

 The first argument is that the abolition of exemption from paying tribute tax and forced labor is the only possible
reason why the mutiny happened in the first place. On January 1, 1872, Rafael Izquierdo abolished the exemption of
the laborers to pay tribute tax and force them to render personal labor. This abolishment resulted in the wrath of the
workers that led them to do what they have actually done. Come to think of it, if we students react relentlessly if we are
bombarded with academic requirements, how much more those who are involved in the mutiny, who were denied their
exemption to pay tribute tax and were forced to provide forced labor even on days they weren’t supposed to. Cavite
mutiny is merely a labor issue because it is only natural for them to go on a strike after the abolishment of their
privileges.

 The second argument is that Gomburza weren’t the real instigators of the said mutiny. In Izquierdo’s account, he claimed
that Gomburza was behind the mutiny. When in fact, they were only active in the secularization of the church. This means
secularization is the separation of the church from the state or the government. My third argument is that the Philippine
revolution really started only after Gomburza’s death. …That’s all.

Cyrus : Good afternoon, Before I proceed in my speech, I would like to first define the terms I am going to use in my
arguments. For the information of everyone, the term conspiracy according to the definition of Merriam Webster is a
secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful and illegal. Therefore, a secret plan was made
with the purpose to abolish the Spanish government in the form of a revolution. Cavite mutiny happened during the year
1872. This was believed to happen because of the said labor issue. The labor issue happened during the time of
Gobernador Izquierdo when he removed the privileges of exemption from annual tribute and from rendering labor. But
the affirmative statement believes that it is not. With this, I would like to defend my stand that Cavite mutiny is a grand
conspiracy and not a labor issue by presenting my arguments.

 According to the account of Jose Montero Vidal, the conspiracy had been going since the days of Governor Latorre with
utmost secrecy. Therefore, at the time of Governor Izquierdo’s success before Governor Latorre, there had been
suspicious acts that information on great uprising would break the Spanish rule even before the abolition of privileges
enjoyed by the laborers of Cavite. It is also stated that the labor issue was not only the cause of this revolution, because of
the mere fact that there is a revolution with the purpose to overthrow the Spaniards, then there is an existing conspiracy.

The Spanish revolution was planned to overthrow the secular throne. Here are some causes. The propaganda was carried
on by an uncontrolled press against Spaniards. The democratic and republic books and pamphlets. The speeches and
preachings of the apostles of the new ideas in Spain. The outburst of the American publicist and the criminal policy of the
senseless Governor. It was towards their goal that they started to work with the powerful assistance of a certain section to
achieve their independence. It was also suspected that the principal leaders met either in the house of the Filipino-
Spaniard Joaquin Pardo de Tavera or the native priest Jacinto Zamora. This meeting was usually amended by the curate of
Bacoor, the soul of the movement to plan the revolution. The garrison of Manila composed mostly of the native soldiers
was involved in this conspiracy as well as a multitude of civilians. The plan was for the soldiers to assassinate their
officers, their servants, their masters, and the escort of the general at Malacanang to dispose of the Governor himself. This
explains that the revolution was already planned carefully. According to Dr. Trinidad de Tavera, Morette, the Colonial
Minister, had drawn up a scheme by which he proposed to make a radical change in the colonial system of government
which was to harmonize with the principles for which the revolution in Cavite has been fought. Due to the facts and
promises, the Filipinos had great hopes of an improvement in the affairs of the country. SO, Do you have a question Mr.
Reiner?

REINER;
 How did it become a conspiracy if Gomburza and Joaquin were only suspected? There is no confirmation because it
was only a suspicion.

CYRUS : 
Come to think of it. 1521 Spaniard reached Manila. And the Cavite Mutiny was in the year 1872. Hundreds of
years have passed. Don’t you think that the Filipinos have grudges and sufferings from Spaniards?
This uprising has roots and with them are affiliated to a great extent the soldiers of infantry, artillery, many
civilians, and a large number of Mestizo, Indiyo, and some Illustrados from the provinces. And it explains that it was not
only laborers that made the revolution. And with that, I rest my case.
, 

REINER:
Before I proceed with my arguments, allow me first to rebut the faulty arguments made by the opposition. The
opposition made mention that they were only suspected but it was not really proven that they did what they did and
then if they really had grudges in earlier times, then how come the suspected conspiracy didn’t happen in earlier times.
Also, let me just inform you that according to John M. Schumacher, Jose Montero’s account is only reliable when it
comes to the actual course of the revolt and not the reasons of the mutiny. With that let me now lay my arguments.
  Cavite mutiny is only a labor issue for the reasons that; Firstly, the only possible reasons why the soldiers'
uprising was because of the abolishment of the exemption to pay tribute tax and forced labor. From time immemorial, the
workmen in the arsenal at Cavite in the barracks of artillery and engineer corps have been exempted from payment of
tribute tax and from the obligation to work for certain days each year on public improvements. However, on January 1,
1872, Rafael Izquierdo, the then General of the Philippines abolished these privileges and ordered that all workmen
should pay tribute and labor for public improvements. This produced great dissatisfaction among the workmen affected
and the men employed in the arsenal of Cavite went on a strike. It was because of their volcanic wrath regarding the issue
that they were able to do such acts and not because it has been long planned for the reasons mentioned by Montero which
he assumed pushed the involved people to execute the mutiny to attain independence. Also, with the definition of
conspiracy laid out by both teams, it was said that a conspiracy entails a plan. However, it was never mentioned that there
was a plan or it was planned by the laborers or workers. How about you mr. Cyrus, do you have any question?

cYRUS : Do you think that the laborers were the only people who joined in the uprising or in the revolution?

REINER: Yes.

 REINER:

The second argument is that Father Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora weren’t really the instigators of the said mutiny. The
national commission of the Philippines mentioned that the native clergies then were active participants in the
secularization movement of the church. In order to allow Filipino priests to take hold of the parishes in the country and
not actually to convince people to overthrow the Spanish government through the said mutiny.

 Lastly, how can the Cavite Mutiny become a conspiracy to overthrow the Spanish government when in fact, it was only
after the Gomburza’s execution that the nationalism of the Filipinos

was awakened which led to the foundation of secret organizations and movements to overthrow the Spanish rule in the
Philippines. So, with this, I rest my case.

cYRUS: I will present a few arguments and will also refute the arguments that you present. So the proposition has tried
to say that there are only laborers who are involved in the revolution of the mutiny wherein there are also native
soldiers, Filipino-Spaniards, native clergy that are involved in the Cavite mutiny. And he also said that the start of the
revolution began after the death of Gomburza, which is wrong. Part of the revolution was before the death of Gomburza,
and it was stated that this plan was secretly planned before the ruling of the ex-Governor de La Torre. So as I had
already stated that the conspiracy had already been going on with utmost secrecy and also, it was stated that the labor
issue was not the only cause of this revolution because there were other causes of the insurrection. So to support my
claims, may I present to you my arguments.

My first point to you is that in the account of Dr. Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera, according to him, this
incident was merely a mutiny by the native Filipino soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal against the harsh policy
of the governor and captain-general Rafael Izquierdo which abolished their old-time privilege of exemption from
paying amount tribute and rendering the forced labor. However, it was stated by Schumacher that the account of Pardo
de Tavera prescinding from the emotional anti-friar tone that pervades it gives evidence of being the most reliable even
though fairly general, except for its failure to recognize that de La Torre had been suspicious of the Filipino reformist
that Montero, apart from his anti-Filipino tone and supposition of a revolutionary conspiracy contains the most details,
 and all the appearances, most reliable account of the actual course of the revolt itself as well as the execution of these
priests. In here the account of Tavera was obviously biased because he speaks subjectively. 

REINER: Can you please define for us what is the meaning of prescinding?

CYRUS: Based on Merriam Webster, prescinding means withdrawal to the emotional anti-friar. But I also said that
“However, it was stated in the account of Schumacher that the most reliable account was the actual course of the
Montero.”

Now for my second point, the mutiny Cavite gives the conservative element which means this favored the continuation
of the colonial modest vivendi which means an opportunity to represent the Spanish government. The vast conspiracy
was a footer organized throughout the archipelago with the object of destroying Spanish sovereignty. This stated that
the Spanish government in Madrid was to blame for the propagation of the permissious doctrines and for the hopes that
had been held out by Madrid for the Filipino people.

REINER: How can you say or defend that they already planned the conspiracy even in the time of De La Torre?

CYRUS: I will answer your question by stating the fact that the principal leaders of the Cavite revolution are the
Filipino-Spaniards, native priests involved are Dr. Joaquin de la Tavera, and the priests, Gomburza, have attended the
meeting in their house.

So for my third and final point, Izquierdo’s official report on the Cavite Mutiny corroboration and compliments the
accounts of Jose Montero. For Izquierdo, the revolt was aimed at overthrowing the Spanish government with the end
goal of installing a new “Hari” Placing at the head of the government a priest in the persons of Jose Burgos, Jacinto
Zamora, and Mariano Gomez. So my question is if you will be in this situation, do you think that you can immediately
plan the revolution without preparing a certain plan if your supreme goal is to execute the plan successfully which
takes time in order to overthrow the Spanish government. And this basically shows that the mere fact of executing the
overthrown Spanish government justifies that what happened in the mutiny is a grand conspiracy and not a labor issue.

reiner: How can you say that it is a fact that Gomburza is behind the mutiny when it is said in the account of Montero
Vidal that they were only suspected.

cyrus: No, I didn’t say that they were behind

REiner: Yes, you said that they were the leaders, isn’t it also stating that they were behind?

CYRUS: Since the account of Trinidad Pardo de Tavera said that they were emotionally anti-friar tone. And I think that
during that time, the priests want to increase the powers of the priests. It’s like..

 So in conclusion, the Cavite mutiny of 1872 was planned earlier with the utmost secrecy since the days of Governor-
General de La Torre. And that Cavite mutiny is a big conspiracy among the native clergy, Filipino-Spaniard, native
soldiers and mestizos, native lawyers, and residents of Manila and Cavite. And with that, I rest my case. Thank you.
Trisha: Alright, the open rebuttal will now begin. Throw all your questions and defend your side alternately.
Cyrus, you may now ask your questions.

Open Rebuttal

Team B questions Team A

CYRUS: So for the first question, do you think that executing a revolution doesn’t need a concrete plan?

REINER: No.

CYREUS: Why?
 REINER: When you do a revolution, you are to overthrow someone from a position. You have to really plan for you to
succeed.

CYRUS: Do you think that the labor issue that they will succeed without that concrete plan? Since the Spaniards back
then were too powerful for the Filipinos.

 SREINER: It doesn’t really revolution because they did that to express their wrath regarding the issue.

 CYRUS: Then why is there a need for them to kill the Spaniard officials, these people from the Spanish government.
Don’t you think that itself is a revolution?

 riener: The topic here isn’t really about questioning the revolt of the laborers. The question we should be answering is if
the mutiny is a labor issue or a grand conspiracy. You can’t really control your emotions if you’re angry. Anger can drive
you to do the worst things. They didn’t do that to resolve the problem. They did that out of anger.

TRISH: Okay, Renier it is now your turn to throw questions.

Team A questions Team B

REINER2: You mentioned the increasing power of the priest, what specific account did you get that? If that’s the case
if priests want to increase their power, does that signify that it’s already a conspiracy?

CYRUS; I think for clarification, that increase of the power of the friars was after the Cavite mutiny because it
strengthened the government of the Spaniards to strictly govern the people in order for them to still have their control
in the lands.

 REINER: Friars are Spanish right? Why do they need to increase their power? 

CYRUS: Because that is after the Cavite mutiny.

REINER  Then why are you talking about the Cavite mutiny when our topic only revolved around…

 
 CYRUS: Uhh, I’m just clarifying.
REINER: Ohh you’re just clarifying.. 

REINER: You said a while ago that there were not only laborers that took part in the mutiny when they said there
were soldiers and natives who joined the mutiny. Mind you soldiers are also considered laborers right?

CYRUS: No.

REINER: Why not?

CYRUS: It was stated that it was a large number of mestizos and indios.

 REINER: Whose account is that?

 CYRUS: The official report of Governor Izquierdo.

 TRISH: Now, for their final statement let us hear from the proposition side to be followed by the opposition side.

REINER: To the listener and to my worthy opponent, a pleasant afternoon. I strongly believe that the Cavite mutiny
which happened during the year 1872 is a labor issue and not a conspiracy. The only reason behind the Cavite mutiny
is the laborer’s disaffection towards the abolition of tax exemption and forced labor. It is not because they want to
overthrow the Spaniards from their position in the government, rather just to be separated from the Spaniards. The
Cavite mutiny isn’t a conspiracy due to the fact that secret groups before were formed just after the execution of the 3
priests, namely the Gomburza, which also awakened the sense of nationalism of Filipinos. In addition, there is no
detailed narration of Indiyo's plan of the said mutiny. If they planned something, how come that those who took part in
the mutiny were immediately killed without further investigations. If they have established a plan, then why would
they not plan an escape. If it is a conspiracy then would not just simply accuse someone as a mastermind of the
incident.

Ladies and gentlemen, my opponents failed to recognize that the account of Rafael Izquierdo regarding the Cavite
mutiny was exaggerated. It is biased and could be a way of washing off their hands to give a reason for the execution
of the 3 priests. The 3 priests acted for the movements of the church, which is the secularization from the government
which Izquierdo denied. Father Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora were falsely accused as the mastermind of the Cavite
mutiny that’s why they were ruthlessly killed. But in fact, they just made use of the Cavite mutiny to cover up the real
reason why they were executed. The reason why Father Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora were executed is that Izquierdo
was threatened by the capability and ability of Filipinos to stand alone once the church is separated from the state or
government since the 3 priests are asking for secularization.

 Ladies and gentlemen, there may be different versions of the events but one thing is certain. The 1872 Cavite mutiny
paved way for a momentous 1898 and with that, I rest my case.
CYRUS:

 Before I start my speech, I would just like to say a statement. “There is no warrior who comes to war before being
prepared.”

 Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, to all present here in this meeting, my dear opponent, and to my classmates. For
clarifications from the questions earlier, I explain here that the Cavite mutiny happened before the death of Gomburza.
And with the accounts of the official report and even the account of Jose Vidal, he explains not only the positive side but
also what really happened in that Cavite mutiny.

 So for me to have a smooth flow on this debate. I would like to summarize my arguments. I, the affirmative side, believe
that Cavite mutiny is not a labor issue, but a grand conspiracy. The Cavite mutiny happened during the year 1872 in the
account of Jose Montero Vidal, who stated that after the reign of governor Izquedero. Information regarding conspiracy
was happening before his governance and he didn’t mind it until such time he ordered to remove the privileges enjoyed by
the laborers in Cavite, which for me is too shallow to be a reason to start a revolution. It is very ironic that during the
establishment of the Spanish government, do you think that the Filipinos liked it, or do you think that the grudges to the
unjust treatment of us by the Spaniards let us come up and think for a revolution before that labor thing happened? How
come that there were events in which the Spanish officials were attacked and these Filipino soldiers planned to assassinate
their officers, their servants, their masters, and the escorts of the captain-general in Malacanang to dispose of the governor
himself.

This basically means that there was a conspiracy that happened because it was only a labor issue, then why is there a
need for us to have a revolution to kill people when we could just express their opinions just like what the proposition
said earlier. If you say that the Cavite mutiny was only a labor issue. Then why is there a need for us to revolt? If you
come to think of it, maybe the revolution started because of other causes, and these causes might be the unjust
treatment of us by the Spaniard government. There is no revolution that takes place without planning it because the
primary purpose is to change something to get away with the rule.

 Trisha: Wow, that was intense! We all hear the statements and arguments of each side.