Philippine History: Cavite Mutiny and Three Priests' Martyrdom

The Cavite Mutiny

• The Filipino military and workers of the arsenal were exempt from paying tribute, a form of tax.
• The Cavite Mutiny occurred on January 20, 1872, at Fort San Felipe in Cavite, Philippines, involving 200 soldiers and laborers who rose up against the Spanish authorities.
• The mutiny was unsuccessful and led to the execution of the three priests, GomBurZa (Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora), who were tagged as the masterminds of the mutiny.

The Execution of GomBurZa

• GomBurZa were executed by garrote in public on February 17, 1872, in Bagumbayan, as a threat to Filipinos not to attempt to fight the Spanish authorities again.

Spanish Version of the Events

• The Spanish version of the Cavite Mutiny was written by Jose Montero y Vidal, a prolific Spanish historian.
• According to the Spanish version, the Cavite Mutiny was a premeditated attempt by the Indios to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines.

Filipino Version of the Events

• The Filipino version of the Cavite Mutiny was written by Dr. Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo De Tavera, a Filipino scholar and researcher.
• According to the Filipino version, the Cavite Mutiny was a mere mutiny by Filipino soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal, caused by the dissatisfaction arising from the draconian policies of Izquierdo, the Governor-General of the Philippines.

Izquierdo's Policies

• Izquierdo's policies included the removal of privileges, such as exemption from forced labor and tribute.
• The forced labor, known as polo, required all male Filipinos from 18 to 60 years of age to give their free labor for 40 days a year, later reduced to 15 days in 1884.
• The labor was used for construction of buildings, construction of churches, and cutting trees to make logs.
• To be exempted from forced labor, workers had to pay a fee called FALLA, equivalent to 1 ½ reals.