Philippine History: Cavite Mutiny PDF

TOPIC III One Past But Many Histories Part 2  CONTROVERSIES AND CONFLICTING VIEWS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY: CAVITE MUTINY What happened to Cavite? A Mutiny or a Revolt?  The Cavite Mutiny is one of the most significant historical accounts in the Philippine History. It...

TOPIC III One Past But Many Histories Part 2  CONTROVERSIES AND CONFLICTING VIEWS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY: CAVITE MUTINY What happened to Cavite? A Mutiny or a Revolt?  The Cavite Mutiny is one of the most significant historical accounts in the Philippine History. It describes the uprising of the Filipino troops and workers at the Cavite arsenal due to the removal of the privileges: exemption from the tribute exemption from forced labor.  EXEMPTION FROM THE TRIBUTE A. TRIBUTE (TRIBUTO) The Filipinos were compelled to pay tribute called TRIBUTO, to the Other forms of payment: colonial government. Gold, Chickens, Textile, The tributo was imposed as a sign of Cotton and Rice the Filipinos' loyalty to the king of Spain. Those who paid tribute were individuals BETWEEN 16 ΤΟ 60 Υ.Ο. 1571-1884 = 8 reales (P1.00) per year EXEMPTION FROM THE TRIBUTE B. CEDULA (Personal Identification Paper) In 1884, Tribute was nullified and replaced by the CEDULA. The cedula was a certificate identifying the taxpayer. It recorded his name, age, birthplace, marital state, occupation, place of residence, nationality and sex. EXEMPTION FROM THE TRIBUTE C. DIEZMOS PREDIALES or TITHES The diezmos prediales was a tax consisting one-tenth (1/10) of the produce of one's land. EXEMPTION FROM FORCED LABOR All male Filipinos from 18 to 60 years of age were required to give their free labor, called polo, to the government. This labor was for 40 days a year, reduced to 15 days in 1884. Obligated to do: *Construction of buildings *Construction of churches *Cutting trees to make logs EXEMPTION FROM FORCED LABOR To be exempted: o Pay FALLA = 1 1½ reals This labor was for 40 DAYS A YEAR. They are supposed to be paid 1/4 reales. The workers were called POLISTAS In 1884, the number of days was lessened to 15 days per year. The two major events happened in 1872 o First, was the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. o Second, was the martyrdom of the three martyr priests in the persons of Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA) which is the awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos. 1872 Cavite Mutiny: SPANISH PERSPECTIVE ACCOUNT OF GOVERNOR-GENERAL RAFAEL IZQUIERDO Y GUTIERREZ GOVERNOR-GENERAL IZQUIERDO’S POV o He insisted that the mutiny is stimulated and prepared by the native clergy, mestizos and lawyers as a signal of objection against the injustices of the government such as not paying provinces for tobacco crops, pay tribute and rendering of forced labor. o It is not clearly identified if Indios planned to inaugurate a monarchy or a republic because they don't have a word in their own language to describe this different form of government, whose leader in Filipino would be called "hari". 1872 Cavite Mutiny: SPANISH PERSPECTIVE JOSE MONTERO Y VIDAL  JOSE MONTERO Y VIDAL’S POV o It as an attempt of the Indios to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines. o 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. o The two accounts complimented and corroborated with one another, only that the general's report was more spiteful.  JOSE MONTERO Y VIDAL’S POV o The abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of Cavite arsenal such as non-payment of tributes and exemption from forced labor were the main reasons of the "revolution". Other causes o Overthrew the secular throne, dirty propagandas proliferated by unrestrained press, democratic, liberal and republican books and pamphlets reaching the Philippines, o Most importantly, the presence of the native clergy whose out of animosity (bitterness) against the Spanish friars, "conspired and supported" the rebels and enemies of Spain.  IZQUIERDO & VIDAL’S POV o 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. o Insinuated that the conspirators of Manila and Cavite planned to liquidate high-ranking Spanish officers to be followed by the massacre of the friars.  IZQUIERDO & VIDAL’S POV o 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 apprehended (detained) the arsenal. 1872 Cavite Mutiny: FILIPINO PERSPECTIVE TRINIDAD PARDO DE TAVERA  PARDO DE TAVERA’S POV o The incident was merely a mutiny (defiance) by the native Filipino soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal who turned out to be dissatisfied with the abolition of their privileges. o 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.  PARDO DE TAVERA’S POV o 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 the native army, residents of Cavite and Manila, and the native clergy to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines. o It is 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. o This turnout of events was believed by Tavera, prompted the friars to do something drastic in their dire to maintain power in the Philippines.  PARDO DE TAVERA’S POV o 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.  PARDO DE TAVERA’S POV o Convicted educated men who participated in the mutiny were sentenced life imprisonment while members of the native clergy headed by the GOMBURZA were tied and executed by garrote. This episode leads to the awakening of nationalism and eventually to the outbreak of Philippine Revolution of 1896. 1872 Cavite Mutiny: PLAUCHUT’S POV EDMUND PLAUCHUT  EDMUND PLAUCHUT’S POV o Confirmed that the event happened due to discontentment of the arsenal workers and soldiers in Cavite fort. o The event is just a simple mutiny since up to that time the Filipinos have no intention of separation from Spain but only secure materials and education advancements in the country. o Also, in this time, the central government deprived friars of the powers of involvement in civil government and in governing and handling universities. o This resulted in the friars afraid that their leverage in the Philippines would be a thing in the past, took advantage of the mutiny and reported it to the Spanish government as a broad conspiracy organized throughout the archipelago with the object of abolishing Spanish sovereignty.  EDMUND PLAUCHUT’S POV o He traced the immediate cause to a peremptory order from the governor, Izquierdo, exacting personal taxes from the Filipino laborers in the engineering and artillery corps in the Cavite arsenal, and requiring them to perform forced labor like ordinary subjects. Until then, these workers in the arsenal had been enjoying exemptions from both taxes and forced labor. o January 20, the day of the revolt, was payday and the laborers found the amount of taxes as well as the corresponding fee in lieu of the forced labor deducted from their pay envelopes.  EDMUND PLAUCHUT’S POV o Forty infantry soldiers and twenty men from the artillery took over command of the Fort of San Felipe and fired cannonades to announce to the world their moment of triumph. o They had expected to be joined by their comrades in the 7th infantry company assigned to patrol the Cavite plaza, however, when they beckoned to the 7th infantry men from the ramparts of the fort and their comrades did not make any move to join them. o Instead, the company started attacking them. The rebels decided to bolt the gates and wait for morning when support from Manila was expected to come..  EDMUND PLAUCHUT’S POV o He gave a dispassionate account of it and its causes in an article published in the Revue des Deux Mondes in 1877. o He traced that the primary cause of the mutiny is believed to "be an order from Governor-General Carlos to subject the soldiers of the Engineering and Artillery Corps to personal taxes, from which they were previously exempt. o The taxes required them to pay a monetary sum as well as to perform forced labor called, polo y servicio. o The mutiny was sparked on January 20, 1872 when the laborers received their pay and realized the taxes as well as the falla, the fine one paid to be exempt from forced labor, had been deducted from their salaries.  UNRAVELING THE 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 mistake 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." THANK YOU!