According to Dr. Trinidad H.

Pardo de Tavera, General Rafael de Izquierdo had harsh

policies on the Cavite arsenal of Native Filipino soldiers, such as depriving them of their
privileges of paying tribute annually and doing forced labor. This made Filipino soldiers and
laborers furious. On January 20, 1872, the Cavite arsenal's commanding officer and other
Spanish officers were killed by Filipino laborers and soldiers. This incident was exaggerated by
Spanish officials and friars to overthrow and destroy the power of Philippine independence.

In 1871–1873, when General Izquierdo arrived, he wanted to rule the people "with a
crucifix in one hand and a sword in the other." He prevented the establishment of a school of arts
and trades, which the community's natives are funding and organizing. He made a public
statement accusing the school of being merely a cover-up for the organization of a political club,
and those who supported ex-Governor La Torre are classified as suspects.

The incident became the reason for a political agitation that has been growing for thirty
years because of the Spanish jurisdiction in the Philippine Islands. As time went by, the native
workers of the Cavite arsenal, barracks of the artillery, and engineer cops were free from paying
tribute tax and working on certain days. General Izquierdo removed these privileges and forced
workers to do labor. The workmen in the arsenal were unhappy; they went on strike, but they
eventually got back to work because of the threats from the authorities.

Commanding officers and other Spanish officers were killed on the night of January 20,
1872, by 22 artillerymen and forty Marines under Sergeant La Madrid in the San Felipe fort.
Sergeant La Madrid was blinded by the explosion of a powder sack, severely burned, and unable
to flee; thus, he was also killed.

The best-known Filipinos, sons of Spaniards who were born in the islands with mixed
blood of Spanish, Chinese, and pure-blooded Indians, were criticized, punished, and persecuted
by the military authorities. The priests Zamora, Burgos, and Gomez fought for their rights
against Spanish abuses, vigorously opposed friars, and were severely punished and sentenced to
death. Because of the mutiny, the Spanish government blamed the priest Burgos for the uprising.
Those educated men who took part in the mutiny were sentenced to life imprisonment on the
Islands of Marinas. The Government continued to terrorize Filipinos with their punishments
being cruel and unnecessary.

The Cavite Mutiny was a great tool utilized by the Spanish friars and Izquierdo because
they made it out to be a vast conspiracy including not only the native troops but also Cavite and
Manila residents, and more importantly, the native clergy, to obliterate the Spanish
administration in the Philippines. At that time, the Central Government in Madrid declared its
aim to strip the friars of all their authority over civil affairs and the management and control of
educational institutions. The Spanish were concerned that their power in the Philippines would
eventually fall, so the friars took advantage of the incident and said it was part of a vast
conspiracy to overthrow Spanish rule that had been formed throughout the islands. Without
making any attempt to look into the actual facts of the supposed "revolution", the Madrid
government concluded that the plan was real.