What is Cavite Mutiny?

The Cavite mutiny of 1872 was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort San Felipe, the Spanish arsenal in Cavite n 20th day of January
year 1872. It is a major factor in the awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos.

THE TWO FACES OF THE 1872 CAVITE MUTINY

1872 Cavite Mutiny: Spanish Perspective

Jose Montero y Vidal is a Spanish Historian, who interpreted that the Mutiny was an attempt to remove and overthrow the Spanish Colonizers in
the Philippines. His account, corroborated with the account of Governor - General Rafael Izquidero y Gutierrez, the governor-general of the
Philippine Islands during the Mutiny. They mentioned that the mutiny was powered by a group of native clergies.

 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”
 Izquierdo 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 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.
 The alleged pre-concerted signal among the conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the firing of rockets from the walls of Intramuros.
 The district of Sampaloc celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Loreto, with the usual fireworks displays.  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,
 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. 
 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. 

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. 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.

 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 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.
 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. 

Unraveling the Truth

Some basic facts that remained to be unvarying:

1. 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.
2. Gen. Izquierdo introduced rigid and strict policies that made the Filipinos move and turn away from Spanish government out of
disgust.
3. 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.
4. 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 Death of GOMBURZA

 Francis Saldua testified against Father Burgos, suspecting him of assisting the revolution. The heads of the friar orders held a
conference and decided to get rid of Burgos by implicating him to a plot. One Franciscan friar disguised as Burgos and suggested a
mutiny to the mutineers.
 The senior friars used a banquet to convince Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo that Burgos was the mastermind of the coup. Gómez
and Zamora were close associates of Burgos, so they too were included in the allegations.
 His statement had been the main basis for the convictions and he had been promised pardon in exchanged for his testimony, however,
he was condemned along with the three. He was the first to be executed among them on February 17, 1872.
 Two days later, the three priests were put to death by garrote in Bagumbayan, now known as Luneta. (Garrote was a barbaric Spanish
method of execution in which an iron collar was tightened around the prisoner’s neck until death occurred.)

GOMBURZA

 Father Burgos was of Spanish descent, born in the Philippines. He was a parish priest of the Manila
Cathedral and had been known to be close to the liberal Governor General de la Torre. He was 35 years
old at the time and was active and outspoken in advocating the Filipinization of the clergy. He was
quoted as saying, “Why shall a young man strive to rise in the profession of law or theology when he
can vision no future for himself but obscurity?”
 Father Zamora, 37, was also Spanish, born in the Philippines. He was the parish priest of Marikina and
was known to be unfriendly to and would not countenance any arrogance or authoritative behavior
from Spaniards coming from Spain. He once snubbed a Spanish governor who came to visit Marikina.
 Father Gomez was an old man in his mid-’70, Chinese-Filipino, born in Cavite. He held the most senior
position of the three as Archbishop’s Vicar in Cavite. He was truly nationalistic and accepted the death
penalty calmly as though it were his penance for being pro-Filipinos.

 The three priests were stripped of their albs, and with chained hands and feet were brought to their cells after their sentence.
 In the dedication page of Jose Rizal’s second book, El Filibusterismo, published in 1891, Dr. Jose Rizal wrote, “I dedicate my work to
you as victims of the evil which I undertake to combat…”

Relevance of Cavite Mutiny