Module 3

One Past but Many Histories

At the end of the discussion, students will be able to

1. Demonstrate the ability to formulate arguments in favor or against a particular
issue using primary sources

A. First Mass in the Philippines

There is an issue or a controversy on the site of the first mass in the Philippines.
Two conflicting claims emerged as to the identity of the place – Limasawa, a little island
on the southern part of Leyte and Masao, a beach located at the mouth of the Agusan
River in the northern part of Mindanao.

Limasawa,: Site of the First Mass

In the article written by Linda B. Valencia, it is stated that the first mass was
celebrated by Pedro Valderama, a priest that accompanied Magellan in Limasawa, an
islet at the southern tip of Leyte on March 31, 1521. Valencia narrated that the people of
Limasawa welcomed the foreigners with a true spirit of love and with a tangible feeling
of pride and dignity. This author argued that a law was passed by Congress on June 19,
l960 (Republic Act No. 2733), declaring the site in Magallanes, Limasawa Island, Leyte,
as the national shrine to commemorate the First Mass and hence "the birth of
Christianity" in the Philippines in that location.

According to Valencia, the location has been accepted by American and Filipino
scholars, notably Emma H. Blair and James A. Robertson, Prof. Teodoro A. Agoncillo,
and Dr. Gregorio F. Zaide. The historical basis for locating the first Easter Mass in
Limasawa, Leyte, dates back to the translation of Antonio Pigafetta's diary of Magellan's
expedition.

Butuan, the first mass held

Some Filipino historians have long contested the idea that Limasawa was the site
of the first Catholic mass in the country. Historian Sonia Zaide identified Masao (also
Mazaua) in Butuan as the location of the first Christian mass. The basis of Zaide's claim
is the diary of Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler of Magellan's voyage. In 1995 then
Congresswoman Ching Plaza of Agusan del Norte-Butuan City filed a bill in Congress
contesting the Limasawa hypothesis and asserting the "site of the first mass" was
Butuan. The Philippine Congress referred the matter to the National Historical Institute
for it to study the issue and recommend a historical finding. Then NHI chair Dr. Samuel
K. Tan reaffirmed Limasawa as the site of the first mass.
([Link]
However, Ben Serrano in 2006 stated;
According to BCHFI, it has gathered 28 new pieces of
scientific evidence and comparisons between the two islands
— Mazzaua and Limasawa — to substantiate Butuan’s
claim, including the recovery of 10 Balahanghai boats which
were accidentally dug up near Masao River in 1976. A shrine
was built for the ancient boats which were used by natives in
Butuan for sea travel even before the Spaniards came.

The Philippine government has endorsed the

Balanghai Shrine to the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a "World
Historical and Cultural Heritage Site" because of its
contribution to ancient culture and history.

According to Amalia, once UNESCO recognizes the

Balanghai Shrine, it will put Butuan City on the world map as
a "historical and cultural heritage site."
Amalia said they are hoping the NHI will listen this time,
pointing out that the claim for the site of the First Mass must
be substantiated by scientific proof, not just by passing a law
which, he insisted, had no scientific basis.

Confusion on meeting the king of Butuan

According to Bernad (2002)[, the confusion originated on the misinterpretation of
some of the 17th century historians such as Colin and Combes, often yielding incorrect
representation of Magellan’s voyage, which ultimately led to the misconception of the
first mass being held at Butuan, rather than Limasawa. The writings of the previous
historians failed to depict the correct route of Magellan’s ships toward the Philippines.
Some write-ups accounted for the entrance of the ships from the southern part of the
country whereas the account of Antonio Pigafetta revealed the entrance from the
eastern part of the country, from the direction of the Pacific region.
Of utmost significance other than the non-verisimilar picture of the route of the
voyage is the confusion on the encounter between the explorer Ferdinand Magellan and
the two datus when the former reached the island of Limasawa, formerly called
"Mazaua". According to the previous writings, after the Spaniards visited the island, they
went, together with the two native kings to Butuan and there erected a cross on top of a
hill to symbolize friendship with the natives and to serve as a sign to future Spanish
explorers. After the erection of the cross and going about the events in the first mass,
the men went to Cebu, by the initiative of Magellan, in search for resources.
This account rooted from the misunderstanding of the meeting between the three
persons. According to Pigafetta, Magellan met the datu of Limasawa, and another datu,
whom the scribe himself called “one of his brothers”, namely the king of Butuan. This
highlights the origin of the confusion – Magellan in fact never went to Butuan; he and his
men celebrated the first mass on the island of Limasawa, together with the two datus:
one from the island and another from Butuan, before proceeding to Cebu.
Previous historians, in difference from Pigafetta’s account, thought that Magellan
went to Butuan and there held the first mass on the basis of the explorer’s meeting with
the island’s king. In reality, Magellan’s route never included Butuan as one of its
destinations. From the eastern part of the Philippines, reaching the island of Homonhon,
Magellan proceeded to Limasawa and thereupon met two kings, namely the datu
of Limasawa and the datu of Butuan. After celebrating the first mass in that same island,
the explorer and his men set out for Cebu in search for greater resources.

The National Historical Institute first took action on Limasawa-Butuan controversy

in 1980 followed by creation of two more panels in 1995 and 2008. The government has
consistently concluded Limasawa as the site of the first Easter Sunday Mass in the
country. Another panel led by prominent historian Resil B. Mojares was formed in 2018
by now National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to further review
continued claims in favor of Butuan. The pro-Butuan group presented non-eyewitness
accounts decades after the Mass as their proofs. Meanwhile, the pro-Limasawa group
provided the panel coordinates of Mazaua given by the eyewitnesses, studies and
projects that retraced the Magellan-Elcano expedition using modern navigational
instruments, and the copies of Pigafetta's original accounts.
Ahead of the quincentennial celebration of the Christianization of the Philippines,
the NHCP dismissed the Butuan claim due to insufficient evidences to change the
government's current position and reaffirmed Limasawa as the site of the first Easter
Sunday Mass in the country.[25][26][2] The panel also endorses the changes proposed by
historian Rolando Borrinaga to recognize Barangay Triana instead of Barangay
Magalles as the specific location in Limasawa of the first Mass and Saub Point in Triana
as the site of the cross planted by the Magellan expedition.
([Link]
Let us discuss some evidences to prove the claims starting with the work of
Antonio Pigafetta, the assistant of Magellan who witnessed the event on Easter Sunday
the 31st day of March,1521.
The First Voyage Round the World
By: Antonio Pigafetta
Saturday, the 16th of March, 1521, we arrived at daybreak in sight of a high
island, three hundred leagues distant from the before-mentioned Thieves' island. This
isle is named Zamal. The next day the captain-general wished to land at another
uninhabited island near the first,to be in greater security and to take water, also to
repose there a few days. He set up there two tents on shore for the sick, and had a sow
killed for them.
Monday, the 18th of March, after dinner, we saw a boat come towards us with
nine men in it: upon which the captain-general ordered that no one should move or
speak without his permission. When these people had come into this island towards us,
immediately the principal one amongst them went towards the captain-general with
demonstrations of being very joyous at our arrival. Five of the most showy of them
remained with us, the others who remained with the boat went to call some men who
were fishing, and afterwards all of them came together. The captain seeing that these
people were reasonable, ordered food and drink to be given them, and he gave them
some red caps, looking glasses, combs, bells, ivory, and other things. When these
people saw the politeness of the captain, they presented some fish, and a vessel of
palm wine, which they call in their language Uraca figs more than a foot long, and
others smaller and of a better savour, and two cochos. At that time they had nothing to
give him, and they made signs to us with their hands that in four days they would bring
us Umai, which is rice, cocos, and many other victuals.
To explain the kind of fruits above-named it must be known that the one which
they call cochi, is the fruit which the palm trees bear. And as we have bread, wine, oil,
and vinegar, proceeding from different kinds, so these people have those things
proceeding from these palm trees only. It must be said that wine proceeds from the said
palm trees in the following manner. They make a hole at the summit of the tree as far as
its heart, which is named palmito, from which a liquor comes out in drops down the tree,
like white must, which is sweet, but with somewhat of bitter. They have canes as thick
as the leg, in which they draw off this liquor, and they fasten them to the tree from the
evening till next morning, and from the morning to the evening, because this liquor
comes little by little. This palm produces a fruit named cocho, which is as large as the
head, or thereabouts: its first husk is green, and two fingers in thickness, in it they find
certain threads, with which they make the cords for fastening their boats. Under this
husk there is another very hard, and thicker than that of a walnut. They burn this second
rind, and make with it a powder which is useful to them. Under this rind there is a white
marrow of a finger's thickness, which they eat fresh with meat and fish, as we do bread,
and it has the taste of an almond, and if anyone dried it he might make bread of it. From
the middle of this marrow there comes out a clear sweet water, and very cordial, which,
when it has rested a little, and settled, congeals and becomes like an apple. When they
wish to make oil they take this fruit, the coco, and let it get rotten, and they corrupt this
marrow in the water, then they boil it, and it becomes oil in the manner of butter. When
they want to make vinegar, they let the water in the cocoa-nut get bad, and they put it in
the sun, when it turns to vinegar like white wine. From this fruit milk also can be made,
as we experienced, for we scraped this marrow and then put it with its water, and
passed it through a cloth, and thus it was milk like that of goats. This kind of palm tree is
like the date-palm, but not so rugged. Two of these trees can maintain a family of ten
persons: but they do not draw wine as above-mentioned always from one tree, but draw
from one for eight days, and from the other as long. For if they did not, otherwise the
trees would dry up. In this manner they last a hundred years.
These people became very familiar and friendly with us, and explained many
things to us in their language, and told us the names of some islands which we saw with
our eyes before us. *The island where they dwelt is called Zuluam, and it is not
large. As they were sufficiently agreeable and conversible we had great pleasure with
them. The captain seeing that they were of this good condition, to do them greater
honour conducted them to the ship, and showed them all his goods, that is to say,
cloves, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace,gold and all that was in the ship. He
also had some shots fired with his artillery, at which they were so much afraid that they
wished to jump from the ship into the sea. They made signs that the things which the
captain had shown them grew there where we were going. When they wished to leave
us they took leave of the captain and of us with very good manners and gracefulness,
promising us to come back to see us. The island we were at was named Humunu;
nevertheless because we found there two springs of very fresh water we named it the
Watering Place of good signs, and because we found here the first signs of gold. There
is much white coral to be found here, and large trees which bear fruit smaller than an
almond, and which are like pines. There were also many palm trees both good and bad.
In this place there were many circumjacent islands, on which account we named them
the archipelago of St. Lazarus, because we stayed there on the day and feast of St.
Lazarus. This region and archipelago is in ten degrees north latitude, and a hundred
and sixty-one degrees longitude from the line of demarcation.
Friday, the 22nd of March, the above-mentioned people, who had promised us to
return, came about midday, with two boats laden with the said fruit cochi, sweet
oranges, a vessel of palm wine, and a cock, to give us to understand that they had
poultry in their country, so that we bought all that they brought. The lord of these people
was old, and had his face painted, and had gold rings suspended to his ears, which they
name Schione, and the others had many bracelets and rings of gold on their arms, with
a wrapper of linen round their head. We remained at this place eight days: the captain
went there every day to see his sick men, whom he had placed on this island to refresh
them: and he gave them himself every day the water of this said fruit the cocho, which
comforted them much. Near this isle is another where there are a kind of people who
wear holes in their ears so large that they can pass their arms through them; these
people are Caphre, that is to say, Gentiles, and they go naked, except that round their
middles they wear cloth made of the bark of trees. But there are some of the more
remarkable of them who wear cotton stuff, and at the end of it there is some work of silk
done with a needle. These people are tawny, fat, and painted, and they anoint
themselves with the oil of coco nuts and sesame, to preserve them from the sun and the
wind. Their hair is very black and long, reaching to the waist, and they carry small
daggers and knives, ornamented with gold, and many other things, such as
darts,harpoons, and nets to fish, like.........,and their boats are like ours.
The Monday of Passion week, the 25th of March, and feast of our Lady, in the
afternoon, and being ready to depart from this place, I went to the side of our ship to
fish, and putting my feet on a spar to go down to the store room, my feet slipped,
because it had rained, and I fell into the sea without any one seeing me, and being near
drowning by luck I found at my left hand the sheet of the large sail which was in the sea,
I caught hold of it and began to cry out till they came to help and pick me up with the
boat. I was assisted not by my merits, but by the mercy and grace of the fountain of pity.
That same day we took the course between west and southwest, and passed amidst
four small islands, that is to say, Cenalo, Huinanghar, Ibusson, and Abarien.
Thursday, the 28th of March, having seen the night before fire upon an island, at
the morning we came to anchor at this island; where we saw a small boat which they
call Boloto, with eight men inside, which approached the ship of the captain-general.
Then a slave of the captain's, who was from Sumatra, otherwise named Traprobana,
spoke from afar to these people, who understood his talk, and came near to the side of
the ship, but they withdrew immediately, and would not enter the ship from fear of us.
So the captain seeing that they would not trust to us showed them a red cap, and other
things, which he had tied and placed on a little plank,and the people in the boat took
them immediately and joyously, and then returned to advise their king. Two hours
afterwards, or thereabouts, we saw come two long boats, which they call Ballanghai, full
of men. In the largest of them was their king sitting under an awning of mats; when they
were near the ship of the captain-general, the said slave spoke to the king, who
understood him well, because in these countries the kings know more languages than
the common people. Then the king ordered some of his people to go to the captain's
ship, whilst he would not move from his boat, which was near enough to us. This was
done, and when his people returned to the boat, he went away at once. The captain
gave good entertainment to the men who came to his ship, and gave them all sorts of
things, on which account the king wished to give the captain a rather large bar of solid
gold, and a chest full of ginger. However, the captain thanked him very much but would
not accept the present. After that, when it was late, we went with the ships near to the
houses and abode of the king.
The next day which was Good Friday, the captain sent on shore the before-
mentioned slave, who was our interpreter, to the king to beg him to give him for money
some provisions for his ships, sending him word that he had not come to his country as
an enemy, but as a friend. The king on hearing this came with seven or eight men in a
boat, and entered the ship, and embraced the captain, and gave him three china dishes
covered with leaves full of rice, and two dorades, which are rather large fish, and of the
sort above-mentioned, and he gave him several other things. The captain gave this king
a robe of red and yellow cloth, made in the Turkish fashion, and a very fine red cap, and
to his people he gave to some of them knives, and to others mirrors. After that
refreshments were served up to them. The captain told the king, through the said
interpreter, that he wished to be with him, cassi cassi, that is to say, brothers. To which
the king answered that he desired to be the same towards him. After that the captain
showed him cloths of different colours, linen, coral, and much other merchandise, and
all the artillery, of which he had some pieces fired before him, at which the king was
much astonished; after that the captain had one of his soldiers armed with white
armour, and placed him in the midst of three comrades, who struck him with swords and
daggers. The king thought this very strange, and the captain told him, through the
interpreter, that a man thus in white armour was worth a hundred of his men; he
answered that it was true; he was further informed that there were in each ship two
hundred like that man. After that the captain showed him a great number of swords,
cuirasses, and helmets, and made two of the men play with their swords before the
king; he then showed him the sea chart and the ship compass, and informed him how
he had found the strait to come there, and of the time which he had spent in coming;
also of the time he had been without seeing any land, at which the king was astonished.
At the end the captain asked if he would be pleased that two of his people should go
with him to the places where they lived, to see some of the things of his country. This
the king granted, and I went with another.
When I had landed, the king raised his hands to the sky, and turned to us two,
and we did the same as he did; after that he took me by the hand, and one of his
principal people took my companion, and led us under a place covered with canes,
where there was a ballanghai, that is to say, a boat, eighty feet long or thereabouts,
resembling a fusta. We sat with the king upon its poop, always conversing with him by
signs, and his people stood up around us, with their swords, spears, and bucklers. Then
the king ordered to be brought a dish of pig's flesh and wine. Their fashion of drinking is
in this wise, they first raise their hands to heaven, then take the drinking vessel in their
right hand, and extend the left hand closed towards the people. This the king did, and
presented to me his fist, so that I thought that he wanted to strike me; I did the same
thing towards him; so with this ceremony, and other signs of friendship, we banqueted,
and afterwards supped with him.
I ate flesh on Good Friday, not being able to do otherwise, and before the hour of
supper, I gave several things to the king, which I had brought. There I wrote down
several things as they name them in their language, and when the king and the others
saw me write, and I told them their manner of speech, they were all astonished. When
the hour for supper had come, they brought two large china dishes, of which one was
full of rice, and the other of pig's flesh, with its broth and sauce. We supped with the
same signs and ceremonies, and then went to the king's palace, which was made and
built like a hay grange, covered with fig and palm leaves. It was built on great timbers
high above the ground, and it was necessary to go up steps and ladders to it. Then the
king made us sit on a cane mat, with our legs doubled as was the custom; after half an
hour there was brought a dish of fish roast in pieces, and ginger fresh gathered that
moment, and some wine. The eldest son of the king, who was the prince, came where
we were, and the king told him to sit down near us, which he did; then two dishes were
brought, one of fish, with its sauce, and the other of rice, and this was done for us to eat
with the prince. My companion enjoyed the food and drink so much that he got drunk.
They use for candles or torches the gum of a tree which is named Animé, wrapped up in
leaves of palms or fig trees. The king made a sign that he wished to go to rest, and left
with us the prince, with whom we slept on a cane mat, with some cushions and pillows
of leaves. Next morning the king came and took me by the hand, and so we went to the
place where we had supped, to breakfast, but the boat came to fetch us. The king,
before we went away, was very gay, and kissed our hands, and we kissed his. There
came with us a brother of his, the king of another island, accompanied by three men.
The captain-general detained him to dine with us, and we gave him several things.
In the island belonging to the king who came to the ship there are mines of gold,
which they find in pieces as big as a walnut or an egg, by seeking in the ground. All the
vessels which he makes use of are made of it, and also some parts of his house, which
was well fitted up according to the custom of the country, and he was the handsomest
man that we saw among these nations. He had very black hair coming down to his
shoulders, with a silk cloth on his head, and two large gold rings hanging from his ears,
he had a cloth of cotton worked with silk, which covered him from the waist to the
knees, at his side he wore a dagger, with a long handle which was all of gold, its sheath
was of carved wood. Besides he carried upon him scents of storax and benzoin. He was
tawny and painted all over. The island of this king is named Zuluan and Calagan, and
when these two kings wish to visit one another they come to hunt in this island where
we were. Of these kings the painted king is called Raia Calambu, and the other Raia
Siani.
On Sunday, the last day of March, and feast of Easter, the captain sent the
chaplain ashore early to say mass, and the interpreter went with him to tell the king that
they were not coming on shore to dine with him, but only to hear the mass. The king
hearing that sent two dead pigs. When it was time for saying mass the captain went
ashore with fifty men, not with their arms, but only with their swords, and dressed as
well as each one was able to dress, and before the boats reached the shore our ships
fired six cannon shots as a sign of peace. At our landing the two kings were there, and
received our captain in a friendly manner, and placed him between them, and then we
went to the place prepared for saying mass, which was not far from the shore. Before
the mass began the captain threw a quantity of musk rose water on those two kings,
and when the offertory of the mass came, the two kings went to kiss the cross like us,
but they offered nothing, and at the elevation of the body of our Lord they were kneeling
like us, and adored our Lord with joined hands. The ships fired all their artillery at the
elevation of the body of our Lord. After mass had been said each one did the duty of
a Christian, receiving our Lord. After that the captain had some sword-play by his
people, which gave great pleasure to the kings. Then he had a cross brought, with the
nails and crown, to which the kings made reverence, and the captain had them told that
these things which he showed them were the sign of the emperor his lord and master,
from whom he had charge and commandment to place it in all places where he might
go or pass by. He told them that he wished to place it in their country for their profit,
because if there came afterwards any ships from Spain to those islands, on seeing this
cross, they would know that we had been there, and therefore they would not cause
them any displeasure to their persons nor their goods; and if they took any of their
people, on showing them this sign, they would at once let them go. Besides this, the
captain told them that it was necessary that this cross should be placed on the summit
of the highest mountain in their country, so that seeing it every day they might adore it,
and that if they did thus, neither thunder, lightning, nor the tempest could do them hurt.
The kings thanked the captain, and said they would do it willingly. Then he asked
whether they were Moors or Gentiles, and in what they believed. They answered that
they did not perform any other adoration, but only joined their hands, looking up to
heaven, and that they called their God, Aba. Hearing this, the captain was very joyful,
on seeing that, the first king raised his hands to the sky and said that he wished it were
possible for him to be able to show the affection which he felt towards him. The
interpreter asked him for what reason there was so little to eat in that place, to which the
king replied that he did not reside in that place except when he came to hunt and to see
his brother, but that he lived in another island where he had all his family. Then the
captain asked him if he had any enemies who made war upon him, and that if he had
any he would go and defeat them with his men and ships, to put them under his
obedience. The king thanked him, and answered that there were two islands the
inhabitants of which were his enemies; however, that for the present it was not the time
to attack them. The captain therefore said to him that if God permitted him to return
another time to this country, he would bring so many men that he would put them by
force under his obedience. Then he bade the interpreter tell them that he was going
away to dine, and after that he would return to place the cross on the summit of the
mountain. The two kings said they were content, and on that they embraced the
captain, and he separated from them.
After dinner we all returned in our dress coats, and we went together with the two
kings to the middle of the highest mountain we could find, and there the cross was
planted. After that the two kings and the captain rested themselves; and, while
conversing, I asked where the best port for obtaining victuals was. They replied that
there were three, that is to say, Ceylon, Zzubu, and Calaghan, but that Zzubu was the
largest and of the most traffic. Then the kings offered to give him pilots to go to those
ports, for which he thanked them, and deliberated to go there, for his ill-fortune would
have it so. After the cross had been planted on that mountain, each one said the
Paternoster and Ave Maria, and adored it, and the kings did the like. Then we went
down below to where their boats were. There the kings had brought some of the fruit
called cocos and other things to make a collation and to refresh us. The captain, being
desirous to depart the next day in the morning, asked the king for the pilots to conduct
us to the above-mentioned ports, promising him to treat them like themselves, and that
he would leave one of his own men as a hostage. The first king said that he would go
himself and conduct him to this port, and be his pilots but that he should wait two days,
until he had had his rice gathered in and done other things which he had to do, begging
him to lend him some of his men so as to get done sooner. This the captain agreed to.

This kind of people are gentle, and go naked, and are painted. They wear a piece
of cloth made from a tree, like a linen cloth, round their body to cover their natural parts:
they are great drinkers. The women are dressed in tree cloth from their waists
downwards; their hair is black, and reaches down to the ground; they wear certain gold
rings in their ears. These people chew most of their time a fruit which they call areca,
which is something of the shape of a pear; they cut it in four quarters, and after they
have chewed it for a long time they spit it out, from which afterwards they have their
mouths very red. They find themselves the better from the use of this fruit because it
refreshes them much, for this country is very hot, so that they could not live without it. In
this island there is a great quantity of dogs, cats, pigs, fowls, and goats, rice, ginger,
cocos, figs, oranges, lemons, millet, wax, and gold mines. This island is in nine degrees
and two-thirds north latitude, and one hundred and sixty-two longitude from the line of
demarcation: it is twenty-five leagues distant from the other island where we found the
two fountains of fresh water. This island is named Mazzava.
([Link]
%27s_Account_of_Magellan%27s_Voyage)
Activity 1

Read the article, Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the
Philippines: A Reexamination of the Evidence written by Miguel A. Bernard retrieved
from: [Link]
Compare and contrast the conflicting accounts of the site of the First Mass in the
Philippines.
Limasawa (views)
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Butuan (views)
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Comparison
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Contrast
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Conclusion
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B. Cavite Mutiny

The event took place on January 20, 1872 that led to the execution of the three
martyr friars – Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. When Governor
General Izquierdo refused to give the benefits, of the workers of Cavite Arsenal, the
exemption from payment of tributes and indulging in forced labor, two hundred Filipinos
employed in the arsenal staged a revolt against the Spanish government. It was also
due to this uprising that the three secular priests known as Gomburza were persecuted
because of the charge of treason and sedition by the Spanish military tribunal. However,
there are two faces of the Cavite Mutiny that Filipinos need to know since it is through
this event as scholars believed that Filipinos started to awaken their sense of
nationalism.

THE TWO FACES OF THE 1872 CAVITE MUTINY

by Chris Antonette Piedad-Pugay
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
September 5, 2012

The 12th of June of every year since 1898 is a very important event for all the
Filipinos. In this particular day, the entire Filipino nation as well as Filipino communities
all over the world gathers to celebrate the Philippines’ Independence Day. 1898 came
to be a very significant year for all of us— it is as equally important as 1896—the year
when the Philippine Revolution broke out owing to the Filipinos’ desire to be free from
the abuses of the Spanish colonial regime. But we should be reminded that another
year is as historic as the two—1872.

Two major events happened in 1872, first was the 1872 Cavite Mutiny and the other
was the martyrdom of the three martyr priests in the persons of Fathers Mariano
Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA). However, not all of us knew
that there were different accounts in reference to the said event. All Filipinos must know
the different sides of the story—since this event led to another tragic yet meaningful part
of our history—the execution of GOMBURZA which in effect a major factor in the
awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos.

a. The mutiny: through the lens of the Spaniards

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. 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, 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. He reported to the
King of Spain that the “rebels” wanted to overthrow the Spanish government to install a
new “hari” in the likes of Fathers Burgos and Zamora. The general even added that the
native clergy enticed other participants by giving them charismatic assurance that their
fight will not fail because God is with them coupled with handsome promises of rewards
such as employment, wealth, and ranks in the army. Izquierdo, in his report lambasted
the Indios as gullible and possessed an innate propensity for stealing.

The two Spaniards deemed that the event of 1872 was planned earlier and was
thought of it as a big conspiracy among educated leaders, mestizos, abogadillos or
native lawyers, residents of Manila and Cavite and the native clergy. They insinuated
that the conspirators of Manila and Cavite planned to liquidate high-ranking Spanish
officers to be followed by the massacre of the friars. The alleged pre-concerted signal
among the conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the firing of rockets from the walls of
Intramuros.

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.
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.
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.

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.

b. The Filipino’s response to injustice: From the views of the Filipinos

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. 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.

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.

Tavera believed that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as a
powerful lever by magnifying it as a full-blown conspiracy involving not only the native
army but also included residents of Cavite and Manila, and more importantly the native
clergy to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines. It is noteworthy that
during the time, the Central Government in Madrid announced its intention to deprive
the friars of all the powers of intervention in matters of civil government and the direction
and management of educational institutions. This turnout of events was believed by
Tavera, prompted the friars to do something drastic in their dire desire to maintain
power in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, in the intention of installing reforms, the Central Government of Spain
welcomed an educational decree authored by Segismundo Moret promoted the fusion
of sectarian schools run by the friars into a school called Philippine Institute. The
decree proposed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring
teaching positions in such schools to be filled by competitive examinations. This
improvement was warmly received by most Filipinos in spite of the native clergy’s zest
for secularization.

The friars, fearing that their influence in the Philippines would be a thing of the past,
took advantage of the incident and presented it to the Spanish Government as a vast
conspiracy organized throughout the archipelago with the object of destroying Spanish
sovereignty. Tavera sadly confirmed that the Madrid government came to believe that
the scheme was true without any attempt to investigate the real facts or extent of the
alleged “revolution” reported by Izquierdo and the friars.

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.

c. The unravelled 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; Second, Gen. Izquierdo introduced rigid and strict policies that
made the Filipinos move and turn away from Spanish government out of disgust; 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; 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; 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; 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. There may be different
versions of the event, but one thing is certain, the 1872 Cavite Mutiny paved way for a
momentous 1898.
The road to independence was rough and tough to toddle, many patriots named and
unnamed shed their bloods to attain reforms and achieve independence. 12 June 1898
may be a glorious event for us, but we should not forget that before we came across to
victory, our forefathers suffered enough. As we enjoy our freedom, may we be more
historically aware of our past to have a better future ahead of us. And just like what
Elias said in Noli Me Tangere, may we “not forget those who fell during the night.”
([Link]

c. The Retraction Controversy of Rizal

Rizal’s retraction is still an issue amongst Filipino scholars and Catholics since
according to some authors, there was no clear evidence to prove the claims. The first
text of the alleged retraction was published on the very day of his execution in Diario de
Manila; El Imparcial on the day after the execution; and Barcelona, Spain. An alleged
‘original’ copy was discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia. However, nobody had proven that
the handwriting was that of Rizal.

According to Santos (2011), the issue on whether Rizal actually wrote a

retraction document only lies in the judgment of its reader, as no amount of proof can
probably make the two opposing groups—the Masonic Rizalists (who firmly believe that
Rizal did not withdraw) and the Catholic Rizalists (who were convinced Rizal retracted)
—agree with each other.

Analysis Rizal's Retraction

At least four texts of Rizal’s retraction have surfaced. The fourth text appeared in
El Imparcial on the day after Rizal’s execution; it is the short formula of the retraction.

The first text was published in La Voz Española and Diaro de Manila on the very
day of Rizal’s execution, Dec. 30, 1896. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain,
on February 14, 1897, in the fortnightly magazine in La Juventud; it came from an
anonymous writer who revealed himself fourteen years later as Fr. Balaguer. The
"original" text was discovered in the archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935, after it
disappeared for thirty-nine years from the afternoon of the day when Rizal was shot.

We know not that reproductions of the lost original had been made by a copyist
who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting. This fact is revealed by Fr. Balaguer himself who,
in his letter to his former superior Fr. Pio Pi in 1910, said that he had received "an exact
copy of the retraction written and signed by Rizal. The handwriting of this copy I don’t
know nor do I remember whose it is. . ." He proceeded: "I even suspect that it might
have been written by Rizal himself. I am sending it to you that you may . . . verify
whether it might be of Rizal himself . . . ." Fr. Pi was not able to verify it in his sworn
statement.

This "exact" copy had been received by Fr. Balaguer in the evening immediately
preceding Rizal’s execution, Rizal y su Obra, and was followed by Sr. W. Retana in his
biography of Rizal, Vida y Escritos del Jose Rizal with the addition of the names of the
witnesses taken from the texts of the retraction in the Manila newspapers. Fr. Pi’s copy
of Rizal’s retraction has the same text as that of Fr. Balaguer’s "exact" copy but follows
the paragraphing of the texts of Rizal’s retraction in the Manila newspapers.

Regarding the "original" text, no one claimed to have seen it, except the publishers
of La Voz Espanola. That newspaper reported: "Still more; we have seen and read his
(Rizal’s) own hand-written retraction which he sent to our dear and venerable
Archbishop…" On the other hand, Manila pharmacist F. Stahl wrote in a letter: "besides,
nobody has seen this written declaration, in spite of the fact that quite a number of
people would want to see it. "For example, not only Rizal’s family but also the
correspondents in Manila of the newspapers in Madrid, Don Manuel Alhama of El
Imparcial and Sr. Santiago Mataix of El Heraldo, were not able to see the hand-written
retraction.

Neither Fr. Pi nor His Grace the Archbishop ascertained whether Rizal himself was
the one who wrote and signed the retraction. (Ascertaining the document was
necessary because it was possible for one who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting
aforesaid holograph; and keeping a copy of the same for our archives, I myself
delivered it personally that the same morning to His Grace Archbishop… His Grace
testified: At once the undersigned entrusted this holograph to Rev. Thomas Gonzales
Feijoo, secretary of the Chancery." After that, the documents could not be seen by
those who wanted to examine it and was finally considered lost after efforts to look for it
proved futile.

On May 18, 1935, the lost "original" document of Rizal’s retraction was discovered
by the archdiocesan archivist Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M. The discovery, instead of ending
doubts about Rizal’s retraction, has in fact encouraged it because the newly discovered
text retraction differs significantly from the text found in the Jesuits’ and the
Archbishop’s copies. And, the fact that the texts of the retraction which appeared in the
Manila newspapers could be shown to be the exact copies of the "original" but only
imitations of it. This means that the friars who controlled the press in Manila (for
example, La Voz Española) had the "original" while the Jesuits had only the imitations.

The Difference of the texts

 First, instead of the words "mi cualidad" (with "u") which appear in the original
and the newspaper texts, the Jesuits’ copies have "mi calidad" (without "u").
 Second, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction omit the word "Catolica" after the
first "Iglesias" which are found in the original and the newspaper texts.
 Third, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction add before the third "Iglesias" the word
"misma" which is not found in the original and the newspaper texts of the
retraction.
 Fourth, with regards to paragraphing which immediately strikes the eye of the
critical reader, Fr. Balaguer’s text does not begin the second paragraph until the
fifth sentences while the original and the newspaper copies start the second
paragraph immediately with the second sentences.
 Fifth, whereas the texts of the retraction in the original and in the manila
newspapers have only four commas, the text of Fr. Balaguer’s copy has eleven
commas.
 Sixth, the most important of all, Fr. Balaguer’s copy did not have the names of
the witnesses from the texts of the newspapers in Manila.

In his notarized testimony twenty years later, Fr. Balaguer finally named the
witnesses. He said "This . . .retraction was signed together with Dr. Rizal by Señor
Fresno, Chief of the Picket, and Señor Moure, Adjutant of the Plaza." However, the
proceeding quotation only proves itself to be an addition to the original. Moreover, in his
letter to Fr. Pi in 1910, Fr. Balaguer said that he had the "exact" copy of the retraction,
which was signed by Rizal, but he made no mention of the witnesses. In his accounts
too, no witnesses signed the retraction.

How did Fr. Balaguer obtain his copy of Rizal’s retraction? Fr. Balaguer never
alluded to having himself made a copy of the retraction although he claimed that the
Archbishop prepared a long formula of the retraction and Fr. Pi a short formula. In Fr.
Balaguer’s earliest account, it is not yet clear whether Fr. Balaguer was using the long
formula of nor no formula in dictating to Rizal what to write. According to Fr. Pi, in his
own account of Rizal’s conversion in 1909, Fr. Balaguer dictated from Fr. Pi’s short
formula previously approved by the Archbishop. In his letter to Fr. Pi in 1910, Fr.
Balaguer admitted that he dictated to Rizal the short formula prepared by Fr. Pi;
however; he contradicts himself when he revealed that the "exact" copy came from the
Archbishop. The only copy, which Fr. Balaguer wrote, is the one that appeared on his
earliest account of Rizal’s retraction.

Where did Fr. Balaguer’s "exact" copy come from? We do not need long
arguments to answer this question, because Fr. Balaguer himself has unwittingly
answered this question. He said in his letter to Fr. Pi in 1910:

"…I preserved in my keeping and am sending to you the original texts of the two formulas of retraction,
which they (You) gave me; that from you and that of the Archbishop, and the first with the changes which
they (that is, you) made; and the other the exact copy of the retraction written and signed by Rizal. The
handwriting of this copy I don’t know nor do I remember whose it is, and I even suspect that it might have
been written by Rizal himself."

In his own word quoted above, Fr. Balaguer said that he received two original
texts of the retraction. The first, which came from Fr. Pi, contained "the changes which
You (Fr. Pi) made"; the other, which is "that of the Archbishop" was "the exact copy of
the retraction written and signed by Rizal" (underscoring supplied). Fr. Balaguer said
that the "exact copy" was "written and signed by Rizal" but he did not say "written and
signed by Rizal and himself" (the absence of the reflexive pronoun "himself" could mean
that another person-the copyist-did not). He only "suspected" that "Rizal himself" much
as Fr. Balaguer did "not know nor ... remember" whose handwriting it was.
Thus, according to Fr. Balaguer, the "exact copy" came from the Archbishop! He
called it "exact" because, not having seen the original himself, he was made to believe
that it was the one that faithfully reproduced the original in comparison to that of Fr. Pi in
which "changes" (that is, where deviated from the "exact" copy) had been made.
Actually, the difference between that of the Archbishop (the "exact" copy) and that of Fr.
Pi (with "changes") is that the latter was "shorter" because it omitted certain phrases
found in the former so that, as Fr. Pi had fervently hoped, Rizal would sign it.

According to Fr. Pi, Rizal rejected the long formula so that Fr. Balaguer had to
dictate from the short formula of Fr. Pi. Allegedly, Rizal wrote down what was dictated to
him but he insisted on adding the phrases "in which I was born and educated" and
"[Masonry]" as the enemy that is of the Church" – the first of which Rizal would have
regarded as unnecessary and the second as downright contrary to his spirit. However,
what actually would have happened, if we are to believe the fictitious account, was that
Rizal’s addition of the phrases was the retoration of the phrases found in the original
which had been omitted in Fr. Pi’s short formula.

The "exact" copy was shown to the military men guarding in Fort Santiago to
convince them that Rizal had retracted. Someone read it aloud in the hearing of Capt.
Dominguez, who claimed in his "Notes’ that Rizal read aloud his retraction. However,
his copy of the retraction proved him wrong because its text (with "u") and omits the
word "Catolica" as in Fr. Balaguer’s copy but which are not the case in the original.
Capt. Dominguez never claimed to have seen the retraction: he only "heard".

The truth is that, almost two years before his execution, Rizal had written a
retraction in Dapitan. Very early in 1895, Josephine Bracken came to Dapitan with her
adopted father who wanted to be cured of his blindness by Dr. Rizal; their guide was
Manuela Orlac, who was agent and a mistress of a friar. Rizal fell in love with Josephine
and wanted to marry her canonically but he was required to sign a profession of faith
and to write retraction, which had to be approved by the Bishop of Cebu. "Spanish law
had established civil marriage in the Philippines," Prof. Craig wrote, but the local
government had not provided any way for people to avail themselves of the right..."

In order to marry Josephine, Rizal wrote with the help of a priest a form of retraction
to be approved by the Bishop of Cebu. This incident was revealed by Fr. Antonio Obach
to his friend Prof. Austin Craig who wrote down in 1912 what the priest had told him;
"The document (the retraction), inclosed with the priest’s letter, was ready for the mail
when Rizal came hurrying I to reclaim it." Rizal realized (perhaps, rather late) that he
had written and given to a priest what the friars had been trying by all means to get from
him.

Neither the Archbishop nor Fr. Pi saw the original document of retraction. What they
saw was a copy done by one who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting while the original
(almost eaten by termites) was kept by some friars. Both the Archbishop and Fr. Pi
acted innocently because they did not distinguish between the genuine and the imitation
of Rizal’s handwriting.
Assignment: Read the article entitled, Balintawak: The cry for a nationwide revolution
written by Milagros C. Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion and Ramon N. Villegas

Activity 2
1. What did you already learn about the a. Cavite Mutiny and b. Rizal’s
Retraction?
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2. What are your new learnings about the a. Cavite Mutiny and b. Rizal’s
Retraction?
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3. What do you need to learn more about the a. Cavite mutiny and Rizal’s
Retraction?
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Other Historical Issues

1. Death of Andres Bonifacio

Bonifacio’s death: An eyewitness account

By: Ambeth R. Ocampo - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:16 AM February 15, 2019

Lazaro Makapagal, no relation to Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,

would be a forgotten footnote in Philippine history, except that he led the
pack that executed Andres Bonifacio, on orders of the Council of War that
imposed the death sentence on the brothers Andres and Procopio
Bonifacio. The brothers were found guilty of treason against the newly
formed Revolutionary Government that had replaced the Katipunan.

So much has been written about the execution of Bonifacio; some

say he was shot, others say he was hacked to death.

On the other hand, in the emotional and contentious matter of

Emilio Aguinaldo’s hand in the death of his rival Bonifacio, one believes
what one wants to believe despite Makapagal’s two public statements—
first to the Philippines Free Press in 1928; second in a detailed letter to
historian Jose P. Santos dated June 27, 1929. Biased or inaccurate,
Makapagal may be in making these declarations three decades after the
fact, but he remains the only eyewitness to Bonifacio’s last moments.

Other sources, like Generals Santiago Alvarez and Artemio Ricarte,

are not eyewitnesses. Their information was lifted from Makapagal, with
Ricarte identifying, wrongly, that the executioners were Colonels Agapito
Bonson and Jose Ignacio Paua. A certain Guillermo Masangkay, who
concocted and propagated the hacked-to-death story, claimed firsthand
information about the May 10, 1897, death of Bonifacio. In a 1967 news
article, Masangkay was billed as: “He witnessed Andres Bonifacio’s court
martial and murder.” However, archival records consulted by the late
historian Isagani Medina state that Masangkay had been imprisoned in
Bilibid from Sept. 26, 1896, to at least May 29, 1897.

Makapagal’s controversial handwritten document, previously

available to historians in pictures or photocopies, has finally surfaced
and will be on the block next weekend, together with Emilio Aguinaldo’s
handwritten account of the death of Bonifacio dated March 22, 1948—his
79th birthday! Is it a coincidence that these documents, highlighted by
auction house hype as “extremely important and exceedingly rare,” have
come to light on the 150th anniversary of Aguinaldo’s birth?

Auction house PR Lisa Guerrero Nakpil waxes poetic in an article

on the coming auction, describing the historical documents as revelations
of “pure hearts.” She insinuates “shocking secrets,” though they are not
so, because all the documents have been previously reproduced in
various books. I am relieved that she has stopped using “explosive” to
describe these documents because, in my opinion, that adjective is best
deployed to portray a bad case of diarrhea.

Using Makapagal’s two accounts of the execution when I drove to

Maragondon two decades ago, I had some difficulty finding the place
where the group stopped to rest: “It had a small mountain, somewhat
round, near the bamboos [Cawayanan]; the other riverbank, facing north,
we could see the town of Maragondon with the sunrise on our right,
behind us was Mount Buntis.” While seated at the foot of the small round
mountain, near the water and the bamboo, Andres said: “Since we are
nearing Mt. Tala [our destination], why don’t you open the envelope so
we will know where you will leave us.”
The document was read, and at the words “shoot the brothers,”
Procopio jumped and exclaimed, “Naku kuyang!”

“Andres fell to his knees and was to embrace me, shouting ‘Kapatid,
patawarin mo ako,’” wrote Makapagal.

Makapagal moved back, his eyes on Procopio who was the stronger
of the two, fearful he might get the upper hand. Scared the brothers
would resist or escape and hide in the forest, Makapagal ordered his men
to prepare for the execution, with a mix of pity for the brothers and fear
of what would happen if he did not accomplish the grim task entrusted to
him. At this point, the brothers fell silent.

He first led Procopio to the edge of the forest, far from Andres’ sight, and
shot him there. When he returned, Andres fell to his knees again and
wailed: “Kapatid, patawarin mo ako!” He replied, “Wala akong
magagawa.”

Andres bolted into the forest and was caught at the end of a small
river, where they shot him. The soldiers didn’t have shovels to dig a
proper grave but did the best they could with bayonets. The Bonifacio
brothers’ bodies have never been found. One wonders what price will be
paid for this heartrending bit of Philippine history.
([Link]

2. Death of Antonio Luna

Who really ordered Luna’s murder?

By: Ambeth R. Ocampo - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:06 AM June 05, 2015

On the afternoon of June 5, 1899, Gen. Antonio Luna arrived in the

kumbento of Cabanatuan for a meeting with Emilio Aguinaldo. Tired
from traveling over 100 kilometers from his base in Bayambang, he was
understandably upset to be told that the President had left earlier in the
day. Luna was met by Felipe Buencamino, with whom he had previous
disagreements. Then there was Capt. Pedro Janolino, as well as the Kawit
presidential bodyguards reinstated by Aguinaldo after he had them
disarmed. The rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

Luna, together with his aide Col. Paco Roman, was killed. Luna
suffered over 30 wounds from bolos, bayonets and bullets. A lesser man
would have died instantly from half of his wounds, but the general was
able to stagger out of the building, cursing his murderers, before falling
lifeless on the church patio. When it was all over, Aguinaldo’s mother,
who watched the slaughter from a church window, said: “Nagalaw pa ba
iyan (Is he still alive)?”

Afterwards, Luna and his aide were given a proper military burial.
But the questions persist to this day: Who really ordered the murder of
Luna? Was Luna really summoned to a meeting with Aguinaldo? If so,
why wasn’t Aguinaldo there? And why were Aguinaldo’s Kawit
bodyguards left behind, when their job was to secure the President at all
times?

Textbook in history has been oversimplified to blame Aguinaldo

when the story is more complicated. We know about the assassination,
but not the other events that led to Luna’s bloody end. From The Evening
News, an American paper published in Washington, we read this report a
week later:

“Manila, June 13. [7.35 p.m.]—General Luna, lieutenant commander of the Filipino
army, has been assassinated by order of Aguinaldo. He was stabbed to death by a
guard selected by Aguinaldo to kill him. Reports were received here this morning
giving the news that Luna had been assassinated, but the information was at first
discredited. Investigation proved, however, that Luna had been killed and General
Otis has authentic information regarding the death of the insurgent general.

“Details regarding the tragedy show that last Tuesday the general and his adjutant,
Colonel Ramon [Roman], visited Aguinaldo’s headquarters at Cabanatuan, their
purpose being to procure Aguinaldo’s authority to imprison all Filipinos suspected of
being friendly to the United States. General Luna asked the captain of the guard in the
lower hall of Aguinaldo’s quarters, if Aguinaldo was at home, to which question the
captain replied in an insolent manner, ‘I don’t know.’

“Luna berated the officer vigorously for his insolence, whereupon the captain put his
hand upon his revolver. Luna instantly drew his revolver and fired at the captain, who
was only a second behind the general in drawing his weapon. The captain returned
the fire. Both missed and Colonel [Roman] interfered, whereupon a sergeant of the
guard stabbed Luna with a bayonet. The entire guard then attacked both Luna and
[Roman] with bayonets and bolos, soon killing them. The wounds of both men were
numerous.

“The guard whose insolence to Luna was the main cause of the assassination was, it
is said, arrested, tried by court-martial and promptly acquitted. Further advices say
that Ney [?], by order of Aguinaldo, purposely insulted Luna and forced a quarrel. One
report says Luna was shot before Ney stabbed him.

“The foregoing information was sent by the Filipino leader, Pedro Paterno, to his
brother in Manila by special courier and is confirmed from other sources. The
assassination of Luna recalls the similar fate of Andres Bon[i]facio in the Cavite
province in the beginning of the revolution. Both were rivals of Aguinaldo for the
leadership of the Filipinos.

“Luna was exceedingly unpopular among the Filipino troops on account of his
stubborn, dictatorial manners, and very little regret is expressed at his death. Luna
and Aguinaldo were unable to agree as to the manner of conducting the campaign,
and it is said the rebel chief was afraid he would be assassinated by Luna’s orders.
The death of General Luna is looked upon by the majority of the Filipinos as an
undisguised blessing.

“Adjutant General Corbin refused this morning to discuss the reported assassination
of General Luna. He would not deny that General Otis had informed the department of
Luna’s death, but refused to affirm. It is believed that the death of Luna will mark the
beginning of a break in the insurgent ranks. Notwithstanding his lack of accord with
Aguinaldo, Luna undoubtedly had many followers among the rebels and they will, it is
believed, resent his murder.”

Pedro Paterno is cited as a source for the news report and others that appeared in
US papers.
Paterno was biased against Luna, and it is obvious that those most threatened by
Luna protected themselves by playing on Aguinaldo’s fear and insecurity. They got rid of
Apolinario Mabini by intrigue, Luna had to be disposed of by murder. A more nuanced
reading of the challenges that faced the short-lived First Philippine Republic leads us to
the complex background of the Luna assassination.

History provides perspective to the intrigue swirling over all the presidential
aspirants for next year’s election. History remains relevant because in it we come to
understand human nature and appreciate why we are the way we are.
([Link]
Activity 3
Watch the film, General Luna thru;
[Link]
Answer each of the following questions; (rubrics – content- 6 points; organization of
thought and grammar – 4 points)
1. Describe Luna as a leader.
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2. What do you think was the role that Aguinaldo played in the death of Luna?
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3. Write your reaction on the assassination of Antonio Luna.
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