CRY OF BALINTAWAK

CRY OF BALINTAWAK
 KANGKONG

• KANGKONGLET US LOOK AGAIN AT WHAT THE VETERANS ACTUALLY SAID,

SPECIFICALLY IN RELATION TO THE "PARA" CLEMENT OF THE"CRY," THE FORMAL
DECISION TAKEN BY THE KATIPUNAN'S SUPREME ASSEMBLY TO LAUNCH THE
REVOLUTION: SOMEVETERANS WHO PLACED THEIR RECOLLECTIONS ON
RECORD, OF COURSE, DID NOT SPECIFY ANY OF THE POSSIBLE "CRY"
SITESMENTIONED IN THESE NOTES. THEY REFERRED IN VAGUER TERMS TO
"CALOOCAN," MEANING "SOMEWHERE IN THEMUNICIPALITY OF CALOOCAN," OR
TO "BALINTAWAK," MEANING "SOME DISTANCE TO THE EAST OF CALOOCAN
POBLACIÓN, INTHE GENERAL AREA WHERE BALINTAWAK IS THE BEST-KNOWN
PLACE."
 CIPRIANO PACHECO

• THE TABULATION BELOW SUMMARIZES THE TESTIMONY OF VETERANS WHO REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO ONE OR MORE OF THE THREE LOCATIONS THAT
HAVE BEEN MENTIONED AS POSSIBLE "CRY" SITES - KANGKONG, BAHAY TORO, AND PASONG TAMO (IN BARRIO BANLAT).SOURCELOCATIONS
MENTIONEDPIO VALENZUELA (1911)KANGKONGPIO VALENZUELA (1917)PASONG TAMONOTESLABI NG KATIPUNAN, MARKER (1917)TOMAS REMIGIO
(1917)KANGKONGPIO VALENZUELA (C.1920S)PUGAD LAWIN LOCATION NOT SPECIFIED]JULIO NAKPIL (1925)KANGKONGRAMON BERNARDO JATTRIB. JRJ IN
ALVAREZ (1927)BAHAY TOROGUILLERMO MASANGKAY (1929-57)KANGKONGSAYS THE "CRY" TOOK PLACE AT KANGKONG ON AUGUST 23. QUOTED IN
GUERRERO ET AL, "BALINTAWAK", SOURCE NOT CITED.SAYS THE DECISION TO REVOLT WAS TAKEN BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AUGUST 23 AT THE
HOUSE OF MELCHORA AQUINO ON DAAN- MALALIM, "IN PASONG TAMO, ALSO KNOWN AS PACPAC-LAWIN." TESTIMONY OF DR PIO VALEUCA IN THE CASE OF
US V VICENTE SOTTO FOR LIBEL" (1917 IN MINANS OF THE KAPANEN, 234SAYS THE DECISION WAS TAKEN AT KANGKONG ON AUGUST 23 - "SA POOK NA
ITEIPASYA NG KKKNMANB ANG PAGLILYMAGUK NOONG IKA- 23 G AGATA 1896 MODINA IN RONQUILLO, 206SAYS THE DECISION WAS TAKEN AT KANGKONG
NANDITO'Y AMIN NA GANG PINASIYAHANG ITULOY ANG REVOLUCION..." TOMAS REMIGIO, UNTITLED MEMOIR (C.1917 IN BORROMEO-BUCHLER, THE C
BALINA, 17.SAYS THE REVOLUTIONISTS MET IN KANGKONG ON AUGUST 22, BUT THE DECISION WAS TAKEN ON AUGUST 23 AT JUAN RAMOS'S PLACE AT
PUGAD LAWIN, AND THE "CRY" FOLLOWED THE DECISION. PIO VALENZUELS, "MEIRS, C.1920) MANSLATED BY LAIN SERRANO, IN MAFE KAT, 102SAYS THE
"PRIMER GRILA WAS RAISED AT KANGKONG ON AUGUST 26. JUBO NAKPIL, "APUNTES PAR LA HISTORIA DE LA RONDIN FIGS DE TEODORO M. KALAW, IN JA
NAKPD AND THE PHILIPPINE REPLY OF CEGORIA DE JESS (MANILA HEIRS OF JULIO NAKPIL, 1964), 43.SAYS THE DECISION WAS TAKEN AND AFFIRMED
("PINAGKAISABAN AT PINAGTIBAY") ON AUGUST 24 AT BAHAY TORO, BUT SAYS THE PLACE BELONGED TO MELCHORA AQUINO.ALVAREZ, THE NATIONS AND
THE RELATION, 234SAYS IN 1929 AND 1957 THAT THE DECISION WAS TAKEN AT KANGKONG, GIVING THE DATE AS AUGUST 26. AGONCILLO'S NOTES OF AN
INTERVIEW WITH MASANGKAY IN 1947, HOWEVER, SAY HE RECALLED THE DATE WAS AUGUST 24.1922 GUILLERMO MANGHAY, DEFT ARTICLE WRITER IN
SPONSE TO ASTATEMENT BY PIO VALENZUELA THAT HAD BEEN PUBLISHED IN LA VI
 CIPRIANO PACHECO

• CIPRIANO PACHECOIF ANYBODY WANTED TO KNOW THE EXACT LOCATION OF THIS FIELD, PACHECO SAID
IN 1933, HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ACCOMPANY THEM: "ANG SINUMANG IBIG MAKAKITA NG POOK NA
TINUTUKOY KO, AY MASAMALAN KO ROON, AT MAY MG NABUBUHAY PANG TAGAROON NA
MAKAPAGPAPATUNAY SA MGA PANGYAYARING IYAN."THE PLACE, PACHECO SAID, WAS KNOWN AS PUGAD
LAWIN. THIS IS SURPRISING, BUT IT IS WHAT HE SAID. IT IS SURPRISING BECAUSE IN 1928 HE HAD JOINED
VALENZUELA AND OTHERS IN COMMEMORATING THE "CRY" AT MELCHORA AQUINO'S PLACE NEAR
PASONG TAMO, WHERE VALENZUELA LOCATED PUGAD LAWIN. A FEW YEARS LATER, PACHECO
REMEMBERED PUGAD LAWIN NOT AS BEING NEAR PASONG TAMO, BUT AS A SPOT FIVE KILOMETERS OR SO
TO THE SOUTHWEST, CLOSE (MALAPIT") TO SAMSON'S HOUSE IN KANGKONG. IN THIS TELLING, PUGAD
LAWIN WAS NOT A PLACE IN THE SENSE OF A BARRIO, SITIO, AN ISOLATED FARMHOUSE, OR EVEN A
PROMINENT WOODED KNOLL, BUT JUST A FIELD,WHERE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DRIED-OUT CARABAO
WALLOW (INTO WHICH VICENTE SAMSON, A RELATIVE OF
• 1947 TENDOM A. AGONCILLO, "PAKIKIPANAYAMA KG GUILLERMO MASANGKAY, NOONG IKA-11 OKTOBEC 1947 IN BOMOMICO-BUCHLER, THE CR BALMA 121957:
ARTUR MA: MA "LIVING REVOLUTIONARY RECALLS FREEDOM CRY THE NY WASKEND MARS, AUGUST 24, 1957, CITED IN BORROMEO-BACHLER, THE CRY OF
HALLINTAMAL, 36-7.CIPRIANO PACHECO (1933)KANGKONG AND PUGAD LAWIN JOCATION NOT SPECIFIED)SAYS THE DECISION WAS TAKEN AT KANGKONG, ("MANG
IPAHAYAG NA ANG PINAGKASUNDUAN...") BUT THAT THE REVOLUTIONISTS THEN WENT TO A PLACE "NEARBY" KNOWN AS PUGAD LAWIN (LOCATION NOT
SPECIFIED), WHERE BONIFACIO ANNOUNCED THE DECISION AND CEDULAS WERE TOMJOSE P. SANTOS, "ANG KASAYSAYAN SA PAGHIHIMAGSIK NA HENERAL
CIPRIANO. PACHECO, LANG MAWY, DISYEMBRE 3, 1933, COD BY MEDININ RONQUILLO, LANG SALATA, 675-6BRICCIO PANTAS (C.1935)KANGKONGSAYS HE
WITNESSED THE DEBATE IN KANGKONG ON WHETHER THE REVOLUTION SHOULD BE LAUNCHED, BUT LEFT BEFORE THE DECISION WAS MADE.BRICCIO PANTAS,
UNITED DECLARATION (E 1955) GIVIN TO JOSÉ P. SANTOS AND INCLUDED IN HIS UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT, " ANDRES BONIFACIO AT ANG KATIPUNAN, 1948, IN
BORMANCE-BUCHLER, THE CRY OF BALINK, 144.SAYS THE DECISION WAS TAKEN AT KANGKONG "KAYA LUMABAS ANG SUPREME AT INIHAYAG ANG
PINAGKAISAHAN SA MGA KAPATID NA NAG-AANTAYFRANCISCO CARREON (1936)KANGKONGFRANCISCO CAMON, UNTITLED MEMOIR, IN JOSE P. SANTO,G THING
INDIA (TARLAC, 1936), IN HOME-BUCHLER, THE CRY OF BALITAWAL 138.VICENTE SAMSON (1961)KANGKONGSAYS THE DECISION WAS TAKEN AT KANGKONG ON
AUGUST 26, ERNESTO A FLORS, "HE WAS THERE: MAN RECALLS FIRST CRY." THE ENG NOW, AUGUST 26, 1961, M GREGORIN F. ZAIDI, HAMRY OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY,
VOL. 8 (MANILA: NATIONAL BOOKSTORE, 1990), 310,THIS TABULATION SHOWS THAT A VERY CLEAR MAJORITY-7 OUT OF THE 9 INDIVIDUALS WHO MENTIONED
EITHER KANGKONG, BAHAY TORO OR PASONG TAMO - RECALLED THE DECISIVE MEETING AND/OR THE "GRITE" AS HAVING TAKEN PLACE IN KANGKONG. THIS
WAS THE LOCATION SPECIFIED BY TOMAS REMIGIO, JULIO NAKPIL, GUILLERMO MASANGKAY, CIPRIANO PACHECO, BRICCIO PANTAS, FRANCISCO CARREON AND
VICENTE SAMSON. KANGKONG WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED AS THE LOCATION WHERE THE "PARA" WAS TAKEN BY THE KKK VETERANS' ORGANIZATION, THE LABI
NGKATIPUNAN, WHOSE MEMBERS ERECTED A MEMORIAL THERE, AT THE SITE OF APOLONIO SAMSON'S HOUSE ON THEKAINGIN ROAD, IN 1917.ONLY ONE
VETERAN - PIO VALENZUELA-EVER MAINTAINED THAT THE DECISIVE MEETING TOOK PLACE AT MELCHORAAQUINO'S PLACE NEAR PASONG TAMO, AND EVEN HE
REPUTEDLY ONCE RECALLED THE "CRY" HAD BEEN RAISED IN KANGKONGONE OTHER VETERAN - PROBABLY RAMON BERNARDO- REMEMBERED THE DECISION
AS HAVING BEEN TAKEN IN BAHAY TORO, BUT HE DID NOT SAY "JUAN RAMOS'S PLACE IN PUGAD LAWIN, BAHAY TORO." HE SAID IT HAD BEEN ATMELCHORA
AQUINO'S PLACE, "SA POOK NG SAMPALAKAN, BABAY TORE
 CONCLUSION

• APOLONIO, RECALLS THE TORN CEDULAS BEING THROWN AND BURNT), AND PERHAPS A DAP-DAP TREE (WHICH FIGURED IN THE DEBATE IN THE 1980S).EVEN AMONG THE THREE VETERANS
WHO INITIATED THE PUGAD LAWIN CONTROVERSY IN THE 1920S, THEREFORE, THERE WAS NO UNANIMITY ABOUT WHERE IT WAS, OR WHAT HAPPENED THERE. VALENZUELA LOCATED BOTH
THE "PAY" AND THE "PAGPAPANI" AT "PUGAD LAWIN NEAR PASONG TAMO," WHEREAS PACHECO LOCATED THE "PARA" AT KANGKONG AND THE "PAGPAPANIL" IN A NEARBY FIELD - "PUGAD
LAWIN NEAR KANGKONG." BRICCIO PANTAS, THE THIRD SIGNATORY TO THE "LANG PAGANID" STATEMENT OF 1928/9, SUBSEQUENTLY MADE IT CLEAR HE HAD LEFT FOR MANILA BEFORE THE
MEETING IN KANGKONG EVEN FINISHED, AND SO HAD NOT PERSONALLY BEEN GONE TO PUGAD LAWIN IN ANY OF ITS INCAMATIONS.JOSÉ P. SANTOS, "ANG KASAYSAYAN SA PAGHIHIMAGSIK
NI HENERAL CIPRIANO PACHECO," LINGGAHAN NG MABBAY, DECEMBER 3, 1933, QUOTED BY MEDINA IN RONQUILLO, LANG TALATA, 676 ERNESTO A. FLORES, "HE WAS THERE: MAN RECALLS
FIRST CRY," THE EVENING NEW, AUGUST 26, 1961, REPRINTED IN GREGORIO F. ZAIDE, DOCUMENTARY SONNES OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY, VOL.8 (MANILA: NATIONAL BOOKSTORE, 1990), 310-3.
[INTERVIEW WITH VICENTE SAMSON.FINDINGS OF THE PUGAD LAWIN HISTORICAL COMMITTEE (CREATED BY QUEZON CITY MAYOR ADELINA S, RODRIGUEZ), 1983, NATIONAL HISTORICAL
INSTITUTE FILES, CITED BY GUERRERO ET AL, "BALINTAWAK," IS CITED. BRICCIO PANTS, UNDATED DECLARATION (1935) GIVEN TO JOSE P. SANTRO AND INCLUDED IN HIS UNPUBLISHED
MANUSCRIPT, "SI ANDRES BONIFACIO AT ANG KATIPUNAN," 1948, IN BORROMEO-BUCHLER, THE CRY OF BALINTIS, 145-7CONCLUSIONIDEALLY, FRESH DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE WILL SOMEDAY
COME TO LIGHT THAT WILL SETTLE EVERY ASPECT OF THIS CONTROVERSY. IF THE BORADOR OF THE KKK SUPREME COUNCIL COULD BE FOUND, SAY, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PIVOTAL
EVENTS OF AUGUST 1896 WOULD BE MASSIVELY ENHANCED. EVEN THEN, THOUGH, WE MIGHT STILL NOT BE MUCH WISER ABOUT EXACT LOCATIONS, FOR THE SUPREME COUNCIL'S
COMMUNICATIONS, LIKE THE LONE EXAMPLE WE HAVE, MIGHT ALL BE SIMPLY DATELINED "KALOOKAN."PENDING THE DISCOVERY OF FRESH EVIDENCE, WE CAN CONCLUDE AS FOLLOWS-⚫ IT
IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THE DECISION WAS TAKEN BY THE SUPREME ASSEMBLY OF THE KATIPUNAN.IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT THE SUPREME ASSEMBLY MEETING WAS HELD AT THE
HOUSE OF APOLONIO SAMSON IN KAINGIN ROAD, BARRIO KANGKONG, CALOOCAN.IS LIKELY THE PRINCIPAL OCCASION ON WHICH CEDULAS WERE TORN WAS SHORTLY AFTER THE SUPREME.
IT ASSEMBLY MEETING ENDED, WHEN BONIFACIO ANNOUNCED ITS "PAGA" TO THE WAITING CROWD. THISSUGGESTS THAT THE SITE OF THE PRINCIPAL "PAGPAPUNIT WAS NOT FAR FROM
SAMSON'S HOUSE IN KANGKONG, EINPUGAD LAWIN HAS NOT BEEN FOUND ON ANY CONTEMPORARY MAP OR DOCUMENT. IT WAS REMEMBERED BY ONE VETERAN (CIPRIANO PACHECO) AS AN
OPEN FIELD NEAR SAMSON'S HOUSE IN KANGKONG, AND BY OTHERS(PIO VALENZUELA ET AL) AS A WOODED KNOLL NEAR PASONG TAMO. IT WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE KNOWN WHETHER
EITHER OF THESE RECOLLECTIONS WAS CORRECT. IF PACHECO REMEMBERED RIGHTLY, THE MAIN SHREDDING OF CEDULAS OCCURRED IN A PLACE KNOWN LOCALLY AS PUGAD LAWIN, AND IF
VALENZUELA ET AL WERE CORRECT IT IS LIKELY THE SUPREME COUNCIL WAS QUARTERED (TOGETHER WITH MANY OTHER KATIPUNEROS) AT A PLACE KNOWN LOCALLY AS PUGAD LAWIN
WHILST IT TOOK THE VITAL DECISIONS NEEDED TO PUT THE SUPREME ASSEMBLY'S STRATEGIC "PAD" INTO EFFECT. VALENZUELA'S RECOLLECTION THAT THE "PAPA" WAS ITSELF TAKEN AT
PUGAD LAWIN IS MOST PROBABLY MISTAKEN, BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE RECONCILED WITH THE TESTIMONY OF