LESSON 7: Controversies in Philippine History

Cavite Mutiny

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

KMJS CONCEPT:
A. Narrate different versions of Cavite Mutiny (INTRO: GARIMBAO, LAGORRA,
GUMAPAC, GENON)
B. Support a particular account or version of a controversial historical event by
providing primary or secondary sources (1. LAGORRA, GENON 2.
GUMAPAC 3. GARIMBAO) : Paano mo mapapatunayan yung sinabi sa
(Assigned Version ng Cavite Munity) using Primary or Secondary Sources.
C. Make a critical analysis of the readings presented in this lesson (GARIMBAO)
D. Develop among the learners, the value of “Nationalism.” (EVERYONE)

Source: Corpuz, Ronald M. & Tabotabo, Claudio V. (2018) – Readings in Philippine History –
MINDSHAPERS CO., INC.

INTRODUCTION:
Ang Pag-aalsa sa Cavite - GARIMBAO

Nang palitan si Gobernador de la Torre ni Rafael de Izquierdo (1871-1873), ibinalik nito

ang mapanikil na pamamahala ng mga Kastila. Lahat ng patakarang liberal ni de la Torre ay
ipinawalang bisa at lahat ng mga hinirang na mga mestizo at Pilipino ay inalis sa tungkulin.
Ibinalik rin ang buwis at polo na dati’y di na nila binabayaran. Dahil dito tumutol ang mga
manggagawa sa arsenal sa Cavite sa pamumuno ni Sarhento La Madrid, kasama ng mga
marino, sundalo at trabahador. Nilusob ang arsenal ng San Felipe at kinubkob nang isang
gabi. Noong Enero 21, 1872 natalo ang mga Pilipino sa tulong din ng mga kapwa Pilipino.
Ang mga lider ay ipinabaril at ang iba ay ipinakulong.
 PATEROS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE
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Ang Pagbitay sa Tatlong Pari - GARIMBAO

Dahil sa paniniwala ng mga Kastila na ang pag-aalsa sa Cavite ay simula ng malakihang

pag-aalsa, sila ay nabahala. Pinagbintangan sina Padre Burgos, Gomez at Zamora na may
kinalaman sa pag-aalsa. Upang matigil ang kampanya sa sekularisasyon sa pangunguna ni
Padre Burgos, nilitis ang tatlo at mabilis na hinatulang ipagarote ni Gobernador Izquierdo sa
Bagumbayan noong Pebrero 17, 1872. Ang upahang testigong si Pedro Zaldua ang unang
binitay. Iniutos na alisan ng sutana ang tatlo subalit hindi pumayag si Arsobispo Martinez
dahil hindi siya naniniwalang may sala ang tatlong pari. Ipinatugtog niya ang kampana sa
simbahan kasabay ng pagbitay. Maraming Pilipino mula sa Cavite, Bulacan, Batangas,
Laguna at Pampanga ang sumaksi sa pagpatay sa tatlong pari. Sa dami ng tao, natakot ang
mga Kastila at naghanda sa maaaring gawing pagsalakay ng mga Pilipino.

Ang pagkamatay ng tatlong pari ang nagsilbing mitsa upang mag-apoy ang umiigting na
damdaming lumaya sa kamay ng mapaniil na mga Kastila. Bagamat naging mapayapa sa loob
ng halos 25 taon, hindi rin nakalimot ang mga Pilipino sa kaapihang dinaranas ng marami.
Higit silang namulat sa katotohanan nang isulat ni Rizal ang Noli at Fili na inihandog niya sa
alaala ng tatlong pari.

Uri ng Nasyonalismong Nalinang sa mga Pilipino - GARIMBAO

Nagdaan sa iba’t ibang yugto ang nasyonalismong nalinang sa mga Pilipino. Nagsimula
sa mapayapang nasyonalismo na iba’t iba ang anyo tungo sa nasyonalismong organisasyonal
at humanga sa nasyonalismong rebolusyonaryo.

Sa unang yugto naisasaloob ang damdamin subalit di naipahahayag sa pamamagitan ng

mga sulatin o aktibong kilusan. Nagsimula ang nasyonalismong kaugnay ng relihiyon sa isyu
ng sekularisasyon. Dahil sa kakulungan ng paring regular, napilitan ang simbahang ilagay
ang mga paring Pilipino sa mga parokya. Hindi naglaon hiningi ng mga ito na ibigay na sa
kanila ang mga parokya. Ang isyu ng sekularisasyon ay naging isyu ng Pilipinisasyon.
 PATEROS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE
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NEXT SCENE:

There are different versions related to the Cavite Mutiny – the Jose Montero y Vidal,
Spanish historian version; the version of Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo; the version of
Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera; and that of the French writer, Edmund Plauchut.

1. The Jose Montero y Vidal and Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo Versions - LAGORRA

The versions of Jose Montero y Vidal and Governor-General Izquierdo were almost the
same except that the Izquierdo version was more biting. In his documentation of this event,
Montero referred to it as a “revolution,” an attempt by the Indios to topple down the Spanish
government of the Philippines. Izquierdo, on the other hand, used this event as a vehicle to
implicate the Filipino priests who were then active in their secularization of Philippine
parishes’ campaign.

In the report submitted by these two Spaniards, they stated that the primary reasons for
the “revolution” were the removal of the privileges which the workers in the arsenal were
enjoying. These privileges included the exemption from the payment of tribute and from
rendering the polo. They also pointed to the following reasons as aggravating factors in the
“revolution”: the revolution in Spain which overthrew what they referred to as “secular
throne”; the black propaganda resorted to by the unrestrained press; books and pamphlets
containing liberal and democratic articles which reached the Philippines; and most
importantly, the native priests who because of their dislike of the friars plotted with and
helped the rebels and enemies of Spain. Izquierdo blamed the “unruly Spanish press for
stockpiling malicious propagandas.”
 PATEROS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE
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Izquierdo, in his report to the Spanish king, pointed to the intention of the rebels to
topple down the Spanish government in order to put in power a new “king” in the persons of
Father Jose Burgos and Father Jacinto Zamora. He stressed in his report that the Filipino
priests urged the natives to support the “revolution,” which they were assured of victory since
God was on their side. He added that the Filipino priests promised the natives that when they
won the “revolution,” those who joined in the “revolution” would be rewarded with job,
wealth, and promotion in the army. Izquierdo mentioned in his report that the Indios were
possessed with the natural tendency of stealing.

Both Montero and Izquierdo believed that the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was planned
earlier; that it was a conspiracy among the educated, the mestizos, the native lawyer,
citizens of Manila and Cavite, and the Filipino priests. They insinuated in their reports
that the conspirators of Manila and Cavite planned to liquidate the top Spanish officials and
to be followed by the murder of the friars.

They stated that the signal of the “revolution” would be the explosion which would
come from Intramuros and that since that date, January 20, 1872 coincided with the feast of
the Our Lady of Loreto, which the district of Sampaloc was observing, the rebels mistook the
explosion coming from the fireworks for the signal they were waiting for to start the
“revolution”. Thus the 200 contingents under the command of Sergeant Lamadrid started the
“revolution” by attacking the Spanish officials they saw and captured the arsenal.

The reports of Montero and Izquierdo further stated that when Izquierdo learned of the
uprising, he immediately dispatched reinforcement to Cavite which made possible the
quelling of the uprising. They also added that the reinforcement from Manila which the rebels
were waiting failed to come, thus those who instigated the “revolution was killed including
Sergeant Lamadrid; the Gomburza was subjected to investigation through a court martial and
were sentenced to death by garrote; Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose
and Pio Basa and other lawyers were suspended from practicing their profession, were
arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Marianas Islands.
 PATEROS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE
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2. 3The Trinidad Pardo de Tavara Version - GUMAPAC

From the point of view of Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, the Cavite event was just a mutiny
of the natives, soldiers and workers in the Cavite arsenal who were disheartened because of
the removal of the privileges which they used to enjoy earlier. He put the blame on Izquierdo
for his policies such as the removal of the privileges of the arsenal soldiers and workers and
the prohibition to put up a school of arts and trades for the Filipinos.

The report of Tavera stated that on 20 January 1872, about 200 men comprised of
soldiers, laborers of the arsenal, and residents of Cavite headed by Sergeant
 PATEROS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE
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Lamadrid rose in arms and assassinated the commanding officer and Spanish
officers in sight. The insurgents were expecting support from the bulk of the
army but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The news about the mutiny reached
authorities in Manila, and Gen. Izquierdo immediately ordered the
reinforcement of Spanish troops in Cavite. After two days, the mutiny was
officially declared subdued.

Tavera was convinced that Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as an

attempt of the Filipinos to topple down the Spanish government and presented
it as a blown-up conspiracy involving not only the local soldiers but also the
natives of Manila and Cavite, most specifically the Filipino priests.

3. The Edmunde/Edmund Plauchut Version - GENON

In 1877, Edmunde Plauchut, a Frenchman who was residing in Manila

at the time the event happened, published in the Revue des Deux Mondes, his
version of the Cavite Mutiny. His account was a dispassionate one, which
reaffirmed the Tavera version. It stated that the Cavite Mutiny happened
because of discontent of the arsenal workers and soldiers in Cavite fort which
originated from the order of the governor (Izquierdo) which exacted taxes from
the Filipino laborers in the engineering and artillery corps in the Cavite
arsenal, and required them to perform forced labor which they had been
exempted from both. On January 20, 1872, when they received their pay, the
workers found the amount of the taxes and the corresponding fee in lieu of the
forced labor deducted from their pay envelopes. That night they mutinied.
Forty infantry soldiers and twenty men from the artillery took over
command of the Fort of San Felipe and fired cannonades to announce their
victory, which was a short-lived one. Apparently, the mutineers had expected
to be joined by their comrades in the 7th infantry company assigned to patrol the
Cavite plaza. But when they beckoned to them, their comrades did not
join them and instead started attacking them. Terror-stricken, the rebels bolted
the gates and decided to wait for morning expecting support from Manila.

Plauchut in his report also focused on the execution of the three priests,
Gomez, Burgos and Zamora which he personally witnessed.
 PATEROS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE
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