CAVITE MUTINY

“THE AWAKENING OF THE NATIONALISM AMONG THE FILIPINOS OF THAT TIME.”

VOCABULARY:
• Mutiny- a situation in which a group of people refuse to
obey orders and try to take control away fro the person
who commands them.
• Martyrdom- the suffering and death of a martyr.
• Nationalism- love and support for one’s country.
 WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CAVITE
MUTINY?
• The year 1872 is a historic year of two events: the Cavite
Munity and the martyrdom of the three priests: Mariano Gomez,
Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, later on immortalized as
GOMBURZA. These events are very important milestones in
the Philippine history and have caused ripples throughout time,
directly influencing the decisive events of the Philippine
Revolution toward the end of the century.
 WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CAVITE
MUTINY?
• The munity was considered to be unsuccessful and
ended with the execution of the three Filipino martyrs
to which Dr. Jose P. Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo.
• The execution of the three priests is considered to be
the one of the catalysts of the 1896 Philippine
Revolution.
THE TWO FACES OF
1872 CAVITE MUTINY
1872 CAVITE MUTINY:
SPANISH ACCOUNTS
1872 CAVITE MUTINY:
SPANISH ACCOUNTS
• Jose Montero y Vidal, a prolific Spanish historian documented
the event and highlighted it as an attempt of the Indios to
overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquierdo’s official report
magnified the event and made use of it to implicate the native
clergy, which was then active in the call for secularization.
1872 CAVITE MUTINY:
SPANISH ACCOUNTS
• The two accounts complimented and corroborated with
one other, only that the general’s report was more
spiteful. Initially, both Montero and Izquierdo scored
out that the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the
workers of Cavite arsenal such as non-payment of
tributes and exemption from force labor were the main
reasons of the “revolution” as how they called it.
1872 CAVITE MUTINY:
SPANISH ACCOUNTS
• however, other causes were enumerated by them including the Spanish
Revolution which overthrew the secular throne, dirty propagandas
proliferated by unrestrained press, democratic, liberal and republican
books and pamphlets reaching the Philippines, and most importantly, the
presence of the native clergy who out of animosity against the Spanish
friars, “conspired and supported” the rebels and enemies of Spain. In
particular, Izquierdo blamed the unruly Spanish Press for “stockpiling”
malicious propagandas grasped by the Filipinos.
1872 CAVITE MUTINY:
SPANISH ACCOUNTS
• According to the accounts of the two, on 20 January 1872, the
district of Sampaloc celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Loreto,
unfortunately participants to the feast celebrated the occasion
with the usual fireworks displays. Allegedly, those in Cavite
mistook the fireworks as the sign for the attack, and just like
what was agreed upon, the 200-men contingent headed by
Sergeant Lamadrid launched an attack targeting Spanish officers
at sight and seized the arsenal.
1872 CAVITE MUTINY:
SPANISH ACCOUNTS

• When the news reached the iron-fisted Gov. Izquierdo, he

readily ordered the reinforcement of the Spanish forces in
Cavite to quell the revolt. The “revolution” was easily crushed
when the expected reinforcement from Manila did not come
ashore. Major instigators including Sergeant Lamadrid were
killed in the skirmish, while the GOMBURZA were tried by a
court-martial and were sentenced to die by strangulation.
1872 CAVITE MUTINY:
SPANISH ACCOUNTS

• Patriots like Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor,

Jose and Pio Basa and other abogadillos were suspended by the
Audencia (High Court) from the practice of law, arrested and
were sentenced with life imprisonment at the Marianas Island.
Furthermore, Gov. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of
artillery and ordered the creation of artillery force to be
composed exclusively of the Peninsulares.
1872 CAVITE MUTINY:
SPANISH ACCOUNTS

• On 17 February 1872 in an attempt of the Spanish

government and Frailocracia to instill fear among the
Filipinos so that they may never commit such daring act
again, the GOMBURZA were executed. This event was
tragic but served as one of the moving forces that shaped
Filipino nationalism.
A RESPONSE TO INJUSTICE:
THE FILIPINO VERSION OF
THE INCIDENT
A RESPONSE TO INJUSTICE: THE FILIPINO
VERSION OF THE INCIDENT
• Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino
scholar and researcher, wrote the Filipino version of the
bloody incident in Cavite. In his point of view, the
incident was a mere mutiny by the native Filipino
soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal who turned
out to be dissatisfied with the abolition of their
privileges
A RESPONSE TO INJUSTICE: THE FILIPINO
VERSION OF THE INCIDENT
• Indirectly, Tavera blamed Gov. Izquierdo’s cold-
blooded policies such as the abolition of privileges of
the workers and native army members of the arsenal
and the prohibition of the founding of school of arts and
trades for the Filipinos, which the general believed as a
cover-up for the organization of a political club.
A RESPONSE TO INJUSTICE: THE FILIPINO
VERSION OF THE INCIDENT
• On 20 January 1872, about 200 men comprised of soldiers, laborers
of the arsenal, and residents of Cavite headed by Sergeant 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 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.
A RESPONSE TO INJUSTICE: THE FILIPINO
VERSION OF THE INCIDENT
• Convicted educated men who participated in the mutiny were sentenced
life imprisonment while members of the native clergy headed by the
GOMBURZA were tried and executed by garrote. This episode leads to
the awakening of nationalism and eventually to the outbreak of Philippine
Revolution of 1896. The French writer Edmund Plauchut’s account
complimented Tavera’s account by confirming that the event happened due
to discontentment of the arsenal workers and soldiers in Cavite fort. The
Frenchman, however, dwelt more on the execution of the three martyr
priests which he actually witnessed.
UNRAVELING THE TRUTH
• Considering the four accounts of the 1872 Mutiny, there
were some basic facts that remained to be unvarying:
First, there was dissatisfaction among the workers of
the arsenal as well as the members of the native army
after their privileges were drawn back by Gen.
Izquierdo.
UNRAVELING THE TRUTH
• Second, Gen. Izquierdo introduced rigid and strict
policies that made the Filipinos move and turn
away from Spanish government out of disgust.
UNRAVELING THE TRUTH
• Third, the Central Government failed to conduct an
investigation on what truly transpired but relied on
reports of Izquierdo and the friars and the opinion of the
public.
UNRAVELING THE TRUTH
• Fourth, the happy days of the friars were already numbered in
1872 when the Central Government in Spain decided to deprive
them of the power to intervene in government affairs as well as
in the direction and management of schools prompting them to
commit frantic moves to extend their stay and power.
UNRAVELING THE TRUTH
• Fifth, the Filipino clergy members actively
participated in the secularization movement in
order to allow Filipino priests to take hold of the
parishes in the country making them prey to the
rage of the friars.
UNRAVELING THE TRUTH
• Sixth, Filipinos during the time were active participants,
and responded to what they deemed as injustices; and
Lastly, the execution of GOMBURZA was a blunder on
the part of the Spanish government, for the action
severed the ill-feelings of the Filipinos and the event
inspired Filipino patriots to call for reforms and
eventually independence.
ACTIVITY:
• Watch the video that preferred by the
reporter and make an essay about the content
of the video.
LESSON OF THE DAY:
•“It takes a courage to pursue the
things that we fighting for.”