CAVITE MUTINY

(CASE STUDY 2)

I. INTRODUCTION
The Cavite Mutiny, a small insurrection of 200 Filipino soldiers and laborers at the
Cavite arsenal on January 20, 1872, served as justification for Spanish persecution of
the fledgling Philippine nationalist movement. Ironically, the nationalist cause was
ultimately advanced by the strong response of the Spanish government.

The rebellion was put down fast, but the reactionary governor Rafael de Izquierdo's
Spanish rule exaggerated the events and utilized them as justification to repress
Filipinos who had been advocating for political change. Intellectuals from the
Philippines were apprehended and charged with collaboration with the rebels. Three
priests, José Burgos, Jacinto Zamora, and Mariano Gómez, were put to death in front
of the public following a brief trial. Following that, the three died as martyrs for the
cause of Philippine independence.

An organized, typically violent act of revolt or rebellion by a group of a nation-state's

citizens or subjects against its established government or governing authority is
known as an insurrection; it also refers to the act of engaging in such a revolt. Acts of
sedition, which are acts that instigate revolt or rebellion, can start or encourage an
insurrection. An insurrection can also lead to a revolution, which is a drastic change in
a state's political system or mode of government. The Cavite Mutiny played a crucial
role in shaping Philippine history, leading to increased nationalism and resistance
against Spanish colonial rule. It highlighted the Filipinos' growing desire for freedom
and ultimately paved the way for the Philippine Revolution in 1896, which aimed to
establish an independent nation.

II. BODY

The order to impose personal taxes on the troops of the Engineering and Artillery
Corps, who had previously been exempt, is thought to have been the main reason of
the mutiny, according to Governor-General Rafael de Izquierdo. The mutiny began on
January 20, when the laborers realized that their salaries had been withheld for taxes
and falla (the fine one had to pay to be exempt from forced labor), and that they were
also required to pay a monetary amount in addition to performing forced labor known
as "polo y servicio." Fernando La Madrid, a mestizo Sergeant, was their leader.
Eleven Spanish officers were slain as they took control of Fort San Felipe. The rebels
believed that the firing of rockets from the city walls that evening would signal the
arrival of soldiers in Manila and lead to a coordinated uprising. Sadly, the signal they
mistook for a fireworks display honoring Our Lady of Loreto, Sampaloc's patroness.
Once Manila learned of the mutiny, the Spanish authorities began to fear a widespread
Filipino insurrection. General Felipe Ginoves' regiment besieged the fort the
following day until the rebels gave up. Ginoves then gave the order for his soldiers to
open fire on La Madrid and other surrendering parties. After gathering the rebels in a
line, Col. Sabas shot the one man who dared to shout "Viva Espana" and questioned
who would not. The others received prison sentences.
Following the uprising, every soldier from the Philippines was stripped of their
weapons and exiled to Mindanao. Arrested and put to death were those thought to be
aiding the mutineers. The three Filipino priests known as Gomburza Mariano Gómez,
José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora were put to death on the Luneta on February 28,
1872, as a result of their mutiny, which was used as justification by the Spanish
colonial government and friars. The mysterious nature of the trials surrounding the
Gomburza executions was to have a profound impact on the public. To the priests
who were put to death, Jose Rizal dedicated his book El Filibusterismo. The death
sentences for 41 of the mutineers were approved by Governor-General Rafael
Izquierdo on January 27, 1872. On February 6, eleven more people received death
sentences, but they were later reduced to life in prison. The most significant group
established a colony of Filipino expatriates in Europe, primarily in Madrid and
Barcelona, where they were able to form small associations and print publications that
were to advance the claims of the Philippine Revolution. Others, including the father
of Pedro Paterno, Maximo Paterno, Dr. Antonio M. Regidor y Jurado, and Jose Maria
Basa, were exiled to Guam, Mariana Islands. Ultimately, a decision was made that
said no more Filipinos could be appointed as parish priests.

The arrested mutineers testified against Father José Burgos during the brief trial.
Francisco Saldua, the state witness, testified that he had been informed by one of the
Basa brothers that Father Burgos's government planned to send a US fleet to support a
revolution that Ramon Maurente, the purported field marshal, was funding with
50,000 pesos. Following a discussion, the leaders of the friar orders resolved to
remove Burgos by accusing him of being part of a plan. A Franciscan friar posed as
Father Burgos and advised the rebels to stage a coup. Una fuerte suma de dinero, or a
"large sum of money," was used by the senior friars to persuade Governor-General
Rafael de Izquierdo that Burgos is the coup's architect.

The events of the Cavite Mutiny also paved the way for the formation of
revolutionary organizations, such as the Katipunan, which spearheaded the Philippine
Revolution in 1896. The revolution aimed to establish an independent nation, free
from the shackles of colonialism.

III. CONCLUSION

The Cavite Mutiny of 1872, in summary, was a momentous occasion that represented
the Filipino people's mounting dissatisfaction and yearning for change during the
Spanish colonial era. In addition to drawing attention to the terrible circumstances that
Filipinos endured, it acted as a spur for the establishment of revolutionary groups that
eventually waged wars for the country's freedom.

The impact of the mutiny was extensive, even though it was put down promptly.
Future movements and uprisings were made possible by the manner it brought the
Filipino people together in their fight against Spanish domination. Filipino history and
the struggle for freedom and equality were significantly shaped by the Cavite Mutiny.
He linked the immediate reason to a peremptory decree from the governor, Izquierdo,
compelling the Filipino workers in the engineering and artillery corps to pay personal
taxes and subject them to compulsory labor like common slaves. These employees of
the arsenal had previously been exempt from paying taxes and being subject to
compulsory labor. On January 20, the day of the uprising, the workers discovered that
taxes and a charge in lieu of forced labor had been withheld from their pay envelopes.
The last straw was that. They revolted that night. The order from Governor-General
Carlos to subject the soldiers of the Structural and Artillery Corps to personal taxes,
from which they had previously been exempt, required them to pay a sum of money
as well as to perform forced labor known as polo y servicio. The mutiny was sparked
on January 20, 1872, when the laborers earned their pay and realized the taxes as well
as the falla, the fine one paid. The Central Government in Madrid proclaimed that
they want to deprive the friars of all the power of intervention in matters of civil
government and direction and management of educational institutions. The friars
feared that their dominance in the country would become a thing of the past, and that
they needed something to justify their perpetuation, with the mutiny providing such
an opportunity. However, the Philippine Institute was introduced by the Spanish
government as an educational decree fusing sectarian schools once ran by the friars.
This decree aimed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by
requiring teaching positions in these schools to be filled by competitive examinations,
an important step welcomed by most Filipinos.

IV. REFERENCES

1. Foreman, J., 1906, The Philippine Islands, A Political, Geographical,

Ethnographical, Social, and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons
2. Chandler, David P. In search of Southeast Asia: a modern history. University of
Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-1110-0.
3. Joaquin, Nick (1990). Manila,My Manila. Vera-Reyes, Inc.
4. Chandler, David P. In search of Southeast Asia: a modern history. University of
Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-1110-0.
5. "The Two Faces of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny". Archived from the original on
November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
6. Piedad-Pugay, Chris Antonette (April 10, 2013). "THE TWO FACES OF THE
1872 CAVITE MUTINY". National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
Archived from the original on October 10, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
7. Schumacher, John (March 2011). "The Cavite Mutiny Toward a Definitive
History". Philippine Studies. 59: 58 – via JSTOR.
8. Field, Ron (1998). Spanish–American War 1898. pp. 98–99. ISBN 1-85753-272-4.
9. https://www.britannica.com/topic/insurrection-politics
10. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/1872_Cavite_mutiny
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1872_Cavite_mutiny#:~:text=Around
%20200%20locally%20recruited%20colonial,a%20burgeoning%20Philippines
%20nationalist%20movement.