Oath (c.

1894)
Source: Photograph of original document in Teodoro A. Agoncillo, ​The Revolt of the Masses:
the story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan​ (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press,
1956), 38.

It seems the Katipunan did not have access to a printing press until
1895 or 1896, and in its earlier days recruits were therefore asked to copy out
their oath of allegiance in a set format. The text that follows has been
transcribed from the oath written and signed by José Turiano Santiago
(“Tiktik’), but the same wording was followed – though using a slightly
different cipher – by a recruit named Pedro de la Cruz (“Mapagtangol”).1

The date beneath Turiano Santiago’s oath – February 18, 1894 - is a

little puzzling, because he had already been active in the KKK since at least the
previous year. One of the documents presented as evidence at the trial of José
Rizal in December 1896 records a KKK gathering in July 1893 at which José
Turiano Santiago and Emilio Jacinto both made rousing speeches and raised
cheers for Dr. Rizal and liberty.2 Possibly the Katipunan changed the form of
its oath in 1894, or possibly Turiano Santiago was simply re-affirming his
commitment to the association.

The oath is transcribed below first as it was written, in the Katipunan’s

cipher, and then in its deciphered form. The letter “i” was rendered in the
cipher as “ñ”, but here as in many other documents the tilde was frequently
omitted.

›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›

Original text

K​ K​ K​
x​
x​ x ​
x​
x​ x ​
x​
x​ x

ģ​ vģz ​

1
A photograph of the oath signed by Pedro de la Cruz may be seen in Adrian E. Cristobal, ​The
Tragedy of the Revolution​ (Makati City: Studio 5 Publishing Inc., 1997), 55.
2
​The Trial of Rizal​, W. E. Retana’s transcription of the official Spanish documents, edited and
translated, with notes, by H. de la Costa (Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1961),
23.

1
 Z​ x​
x​ x​ ģ​ x​
x​ x​ B​ x​
x​ x

Zkcy sn Txrnzllc Szlltñzgc, llzllzllxvpz sz llgzjzll ģ Dncs zt ģ

bzyzll llz npzg tztz’gcl ģ bcc’g atzpz’gzll z’g vģz adzfnjzllzll ģ
K​ xx​ ​x ​K​ xx​ x​ ​K​ x​x​x ģ​ ​ vģz
​ Z​ xx​ ​x​ ģ​ ​ B​ xx​ x​ ​ ​ñllgztzll z’g kzllnyz’g vga
jnfnv llz vzvzsdzll zt vzpzkñllgzll, sxlldnll sñyz g pnknt vztz,
szkjcjcfzll z’g jzfzt llz vģz kzkzp​xx​ x​ ​ s​ z jzfzt llz pzllgzllnb zt sz
pzgkzkznjzllgzll lnjz, Llzllxllxvpz zt llzllgzllgzkc rñll llzvzll
zkc llz vzg pntzgzll sz kzllnjx’g vģz Pnllxllc, fxzg llz vzg tzksnj
sz kzllnjz’g, sz allnjz’g vģz axtzszll zt bnjñl zt tztzjzzll kc’g
zkc’g dxgc llz kxsz’g nbxbxbc dntc sz kzsxjztz’g fnllzfzrzp.

Tnktnk

18/2/94
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Deciphered text

K​ K​ K​ x​
x​ x ​
x​
x​ x ​
x​
x​ x

ng​ mga ​

A​ x​
x​ x​ ng B​ x​
x​ x

Akoy si Turiano Santiago, nananumpa sa ngalan ng Dios at

ng bayan na ipag tatangol ng boong katapangan ang mga
kadahilanan ng K​ x​xx​ K ​ ​ x​ x ​K​ x​ x ​ng​ ​mga A​ x​ x​ ng​ B
x​ x​ x​
​ ​ x​ x ​ ingatan
x​

ang kaniyang mga lihim na mamasdan at mapakingan,

sundin siya ng pikit mata, saklolohan ang lahat na mga
kakap​xx​ ​x​ sa lahat na panganib at sa pagkakailangan nila,
Nanunumpa at nangangako rin naman ako na mag
pitagan sa kanilang mga Pinuno, huag na mag taksil sa
kanilang, sa kanilang mga kautusan at bilin at tatalaan
kong aking dugo na kusang ibububo dito sa kasulatang
hinaharap.

Tiktik
18/2/94

›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›​ ​›

English translation

2
 K​ K​ K​x​
x​ x ​
x​
x​ x ​
x​
x​ x

ng​ mga ​

A​ x​
x​ x​ ng B​ x​
x​ x

I, Turiano Santiago, swear in the name of God and the country to

defend the cause of the K.K.K. ng mga A. ng .B. with all my courage, to keep
secret whatever I witness and hear, to follow orders blindly, and to support all
my brethren against every danger and in every exigency. I also swear and
pledge to respect the leaders, not to betray them, their orders or instructions,
and I so attest with my blood, which is shed here on this document.

Tiktik
18/2/94