Honey wine V, Miranda

BSTM112

In my opinion, a few journalists consider the primary military engagement with the enemy as the
defining moment of the Cry. To commemorate this military occasion upon his return from banishin Hong
Kong, Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned a “Himno de Balintawak” to proclaim recharged battling after the
failed peace of the agreement of Biyak na Bato. The historian Teodoro Agoncillo chose to emphasize
Bonifacio’s tearing of the cedula (tax receipt) before a crowd of Katipuneros who then broke out in
cheers. However, Guardia Civil Manuel Sityar never mentioned in his memoirs (1896-1898) the tearing
or inspection of the cedula, but did note the pacto de sangre (blood pact) mark on every single Filipino
he met in August 1896 on his reconnaissance missions around Balintawak. I’d like to think of it as none
other than freedom of expression, that a large number of people congregated, in unity to fight over
certain issues they found too restricting, too beneath them that they no longer contain it so together
with the others, expressed their discontent by tearing their ‘cedula’. The Cry of Balintawak (or
whatever other historians call it) is synonymous to the tearing of cedulas (community tax certificates) by
members of the Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio. However, to simplify this monumental event as one
where Bonifacio and his followers cried for a revolution outside someone’s yard and tore apart their
cedulas would do it an injustice. In fact, Bonifacio and other top-ranking members of the Katipunan
would repeatedly meet and discuss behind closed doors during those fateful days when the Spanish
authorities discovered their existence. Also, not all leaders of the Katipunan were in favor of the uprising
(three of them being Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas and PioValenzuela). It was only after Bonifacio
managed to implead the majority that the revolution finally got underway; the tearing of the cedulas
was a mere afterthought (which could be the reason why there are so many differing accounts of the
“Cry”).These events vitalized the unity of the Filipino People and brought “thirst” for independence. The
Cry of the Rebellion in Pugad Lawin, marked the start of the Philippine Revolution in 1896 which
eventually led to Independence of the country in 1898.