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What Happened in the Cavite Mutiny

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CASE STUDY 2: WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CAVITE MUTINY?(1872) – It is a historic year of two events: the
Cavite Mutiny and the martyrdom of three priests:Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora
(GOMBURZA).SPANISH ACCOUNTS OF THE CAVITE MUNITYThe documentation of Spanish historian Jose
Montero y Vidal centered on how the eventwas event was an attempt in overthrowing the Spanish
government in the Philippines. Althoughregarded as a historian, his account of the mutiny was criticized
as woefully biased and rabid fora scholar. Another account from the official report written by the
Governor General RafaelIzquierdo implicated the native clergy, who were then. Active in the
movement towardsecularization of parishes. These two accounts corroborated each other.PRIMARY
SOURCE: EXCERPT FROM MONTERO’S ACCOUNT OF THE CAVITEMUTINYSource: Jose Montero y Vidal,
“Spanish Version of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872” in GregorioZaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources
of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: NationalBook Store, 1990), 269-273.The abolition of privileges
enjoyed by the laborers of the Cavite arsenal of exemptionfrom the tribute was, according to some, the
cause of the insurrection. There were, however,other causes.The Spanish revolution which overthrew a
secular throne; the propaganda carried on byan unbridled press against monarchical principles,
attentatory [sic] of the most sacred respectstowards the dethroned majesty; the democratic and
republican books and pamphlets; thespeeches and preachings of the apostles of these new
ideas in Spain; the outbursts of theAmerican publicists and the criminal policy of the senseless
Governor whom the Revolutionarygovernment sent to govern the Philippines, and who put into
practice these ideas were thedetermining circumstances which gave rise, among certain Filipinos, to
the idea of attaining thetheir independence. It was towards this goal that they started to
work, with the powerfulassistance of a certain section of the native clergy, who out of spite towards
friars, made commoncause with the enemies of the mother country.At various times but especially in
the beginning of year 1872, the authorities receivedanonymous communication with the information
that a great uprising would break out againstthe Spaniards, the minute the fleet at Cavite left for the
South, and that all would be assassinated,conspiracy had been going on since the days of La Torre with
utmost secrecy. At times, theprincipal leaders met either in the house of Filipino Spaniard, D. Joaquin
Pardo de Tavera, or inthat of the native curate of Bacoor, the soul of the movement, whose energetic
character andimmense wealth enabled him to exercise a strong influence.
PRIMARY SOURCES: EXCERPTS FROM THE OFFICIAL REPOST OF GOVERNORIZQUIERDO ON THE CAVITE
MUTINY OF 1872Source: Rafael Izquirdo, “Official Report on the Cavite Mutiny,” in Gregorio Zaide and
SoniaZaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store,1990),
281-286.It seems definite that the insurrection was motivated and prepared by the native clergy, bythe
mestizos and native lawyers, and by those known here as abogadillos.The instigators, to carry out
their criminal project, protested against the injustice of thegovernment in not paying the
provinces for their tobacco crop, and against the usury that somepractice in documents that the Finance
department gives crop owners who have to sell them at aloss. They encouraged the rebellion by
pretesting what they called the injustice of having obligedthe workers in the Cavite arsenal to pay
tribute starting January 1 and render personal service,from which they were formerly exempted. Up to
now it has not been clearly determined if theyplanned to establish a monarchy or a republic, because
the Indios have no word in their languageto describe this different form of government, whose head in
Filipino would be called hari; but itturns out that they would place at the head of the government a
priest that the head selectedwould be D. Jose Burgos, or D. Jacinto ZamoraSuch is the plan of the rebels,
those who guided them, and the means they counted uponfor its realization.It is apparent that the
accounts underscore the reason for the “revolution”: the abolition ofprivileges enjoyed by the workers
of the Cavite arsenal such as exemption from the payment oftribute and being employed in polos y
servicios, or force labor. They also identified other reasonswhich seemingly made the issue a lot more
serious, which include the presence of the nativeclergy, who, out of spite against the Spanish
friars, “conspired and supported” the rebels.Izquierdo, in an obviously biased report,
highlighted that attempt to overthrow the Spanishgovernment in the Philippines to install a new
“hari” in the persons of Fathers Burgors andZamora. According to him, native clergy attracted
supporters by giving them charismaticassurance that their fight would not fail because they had
God’s support, aside from promises oflofty rewards such as employment, wealth, and ranks in the
army.In the Spaniard’s accounts, the event of 1872 was premeditated, and was part of a bigconspiracy
among the educated leaders, mestizos, lawyers, and residents of Manila and Cavite.They allegedly plan
to liquidate high- ranking Spanish officers, then kill the friars. The signalthey identified among these
conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the rockets fired fromIntramuros.The accounts detail
that on 20 January 1872, the district of Sampaloc celebrated the feastof the Virgin of Loreto, and came
with it were some fireworks display. The Cavitenos allegedlymistook this as the signal to commence with
the attack. The 200-men contigent led by SergeantLamadrid attacked Spanish officers at sight and seized
the arsenal. Izquierdo, upon learning ofthe attack, ordered the reinforcement of the Spanish forces in
Cavite to quell the revolt. The

“revolution” was easily crushed, when the Manilenos who were expected to aid the Cavitenosdid not
arrive. Leaders of the plot were killed in the resulting skirmish, while Fathers Gomez,Burgos, and Zamora
were tried by a court-martial and sentenced to be executed. Others whowere implicated such as Joaquin
de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose and Pio Basa, and otherFilipino lawyers were suspended from
the practice of law, arrested and sentenced to lifeimprisonment at the Marianas Island.
Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of artillery andordered the creation of an artillery force
composed exclusively by Peninsulares.On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to serve as
a threat to Filipinosnever to attempt to fight the Spaniards again.DIFFERING ACCOUNTS OF THE EVENTS
OF 1872Two other primary accounts that seems to counter the accounts of Izquierdo and Montero.First,
the account of Dr. Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino scholar
andresearcher, who wrote a Filipino version of the bloody incident in Cavite.PRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPT
FROM PARDO DE TAVERA’S ACCOUNT OF THECAVITE MUTINYSource: Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, “Filipino
Version of Cavite Mutiny,” in Gregorio Zaide andSonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine
History, Volume 7 (Manila; National BookStore, 1990),274—280.This uprising among soldiers in
Cavite was used a powerful level by the Spanishresidents and by the friars. The General
Government in Madrid had announced its intention todeprive the friars in these islands of powers of
intervention in the matters of civil governmentand of the direction and management of the university. It
was due to these facts and promises thatthe Filipinos had great hopes of an improvement in the affairs
of their country, while the friars,on the other hand, feared that their power in the colony would soon be
complete a thing of thepast. Up to that time there had been no intention of secession from Spain, and
the only aspirationof the people was to secure the material and education advancement of the
country.According to this account, the incident was merely a multiply by Filipino soldiers andlaborers of
the Cavite arsenal to the dissatisfaction arising from the draconian policies ofIzquiedor, such
as the abolition of privileges and the prohibition of the founding of the school ofarts and trades of
Filipinos, which the General saw as a smokescreen to creating a political club.Tavera is of the opinion
that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as away to address other issues by blowing
out proportion the isolated mutiny attempt. During thistime, the Central Government in Madrid was
planning to deprive the friars of all the powers ofintervention in the matters of civil government and
direction and management of educationalinstitutions. The friars needed something to justify their
continuing dominance in the country,and the mutiny provided such opportunity.

However, the Central Spaniards Government introduced an educational decree fusingsectarian

schools run by the friars into a school called the Philippine Institute. The decree aimedto improve the
standard of education in the Philippines by requiring teaching positions in theseschools to be filled by
competitive examinations, an improvement welcomed by most Filipinos.Another account, this time by
French writer Edmund Plauchut, complemented Tavera’saccount and analyzed the motivations of the
1872 Cavite MutinyPRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPTS FROM PLAUCHUT’S ACCOUNT OF THE
CAVITEMUTINYSource: Edmund Plauchut, “The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 and the Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-
Za,” inthe Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume
7(Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 251-268.General La Torre created a junta composed of high
officials including some friars and sixSpanish officials. At the same time there was created by the
government in Madrid a committeeto investigate the same problems submitted to the Manila
committee. When the two finishedwork, it was found that they came to the same conclusions. Here is
the summary of the reformsthey considered necessary to introduced:1. Changes in tariff rates at
customs, and the methods of collection.2. Removal of surcharges on foreign importations.3. Reduction
of export fees.4. Permission for foreigners to reside in the Philippines, buy real state, enjoy freedom
ofworship, and operate commercial transports flying the Spanish flag.5. Establishment of an advisory
council to inform the Minister of Overseas Affairs inMadrid on the necessary reforms to be
implemented.6. Changes in primary and secondary education.7. Establishment of an Institute of
Civil Administration in the Philippines, renderingunnecessary the sending home of short-term civil
officials every time there is a change ofministry.8. Study of direct-tax system.9. Abolition of the tobacco
monopoly.The arrival in Manila of General Izquierdo put a sudden end to all dreams of reforms
theprosecutions instituted by the now Governor General were probably expected as a result of thebitter
disputes between the Filipino clerics and the friars. Such a policy must really end in astrong desire on
the part of the other to repress cruelly.
In regard to schools, it was previously decreed that there should be in Manila a Society of Artsand
Trades to be opened in March of 1871 to repress the growth of liberal teachings, GeneralIzquierdo
suspended the opening of the school the day previous to the scheduled inauguration.The Filipinos had a
duty to render service on public roads construction and pay taxesevery year. But those who were
employed at the maestranza of the artillery, in the engineeringshops and arsenal of Cavite, were
exempted from this obligation from time immemorial Withoutpreliminaries of any kind, a decree by the
Governor withdrew from such old employees theirretirement privileges and declassified them into the
ranks of those who worked on public roads.The friars used the incident as a part of a larger conspiracy
to cement their dominance,which had started to show cracks because of the discontent of the Filipinos.
They showcased themutiny as part of a greater conspiracy in the Philippines by Filipinos to overthrow
the SpanishGovernment. Unintentionally, and more so, prophetically, the Cavite Mutiny of 1872
resulted inthe martyrdom of GOMBUZA, paved the way to the revolution culminating in 1898.These
events are significant highlights in the Philippine history and have caused ripplesright through time,
directly influencing the decisive events of the Philippines Revolution towardthe end of the century.
These are considered a major factor in the awakening of nationalismamong the Filipinos of that time
and will continue to serve as one up until this preset times.

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