- The accounts provide differing interpretations of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny in the Philippines under Spanish rule. The Spanish accounts view it as a premeditated attempt to overthrow Spanish authority and install a new government led by native clergy. However, Pardo de Tavera's Filipino account asserts it was an isolated protest against oppressive policies that was exaggerated by the Spanish to justify their dominance. Plauchut's French account also contradicts the official Spanish narrative. There are clearly conflicting narratives and spaces for debate around the historical interpretation of this significant event.

1. HISTORICAL INTERPRETATIONS IN
PHILIPPINE HISTORY: SPACES FOR
CONFLICT AND CONTROVERSIES
• CASE STUDY 2: WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CAVITE MUTINY?

2. 1872
• The Cavite Mutiny and the deaths/martyrdom of three priests:
Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora also known as the
(GOMBURZA) make this year in history notable for two separate
reasons. These critical events of the Philippine Revolution around
the turn of the century were directly influenced by these events,
which represent significant turning points in Filipino history. In this
case study, we focus on the Cavite Mutiny events, which were a
significant contributor to the emergence of nationalism among
Filipinos at the time.

3. SPANISH ACCOUNTS OF THE CAVITE MUTINY
• Jose Montero y Vidal, a Spanish historian, focused his
documentation on how the incident represented an attempt to
topple the Spanish rule in the Philippines. His narrative of the revolt
received criticism for being embarrassingly prejudiced and fanatical
for a scholar despite his reputation as a historian. The native clergy,
who were at the time, were named in another account from the
official report prepared by the Governor General Rafael Izquierdo
who was actively involved in the effort to secularize parishes. These
two accounts were consistent with one another.

4. 1ST ACCOUNT
PRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPTS FROM MONTERO’S ACCOUNT OF THE CAVITE
MUTINY
• The abolition of privileges enjoyed by the laborers of the Cavite arsenal of exemption from
the tribute was, according to some, the cause of the insurrection. There were, however,
other causes.
The Spanish revolution which overthrew a secular throne; the propaganda carried on by an
unbridled press against monarchical principles, attentatory of the most sacred respects
towards the dethroned majesty; the democratic and republican books and pamphlets; the
speeches and preachings of the apostles of these new ideas in Spain; the outbursts of the
American publicists and the criminal policy of the senseless Governor whom the
Revolutionary government sent to govern the Philippines, and who put into practice these
ideas were the determining circumstances which gave rise, among certain Filipinos, to the
idea of attaining the their independence.
Source: Jose Montero y Vidal, “Spanish Version of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872” in Gregorio Zaide and
Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store,
1990), 269273.

5. • It was towards this goal that they started to work, with the powerful assistance of
a certain section of the native clergy, who out of spite towards friars, made
common cause with the enemies of the mother country. At various times but
especially in the beginning of year 1872, the authorities received anonymous
communication with the information that a great uprising would break out
against the Spaniards, the minute the fleet at Cavite left for the South, and that all
would be assassinated, conspiracy had been going on since the days of La Torre
with utmost secrecy. At times, the principal leaders met either in the house of
Filipino Spaniard, D. Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, or in that of the native curate of
Bacoor, the soul of the movement, whose energetic character and immense
wealth enabled him to exercise a strong influence.

6. 2ND ACCOUNT
PRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPTS FROM THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF
GOVERNOR IZQUIERDO ON THE CAVITE MUTINY OF 1872.
• …It seems definite that the insurrection was motivated and prepared by the native clergy, by the
mestizos and native lawyers, and by those known here as abogadillos… The instigators, to carry out
their criminal project, protested against the injustice of the government in not paying the provinces
for their tobacco crop, and against the usury that some practice in documents that the Finance
department gives crop owners who have to sell them at a loss. They encouraged the rebellion by
pretesting what they called the injustice of having obliged the workers in the Cavite arsenal to pay
tribute starting January 1 and render personal service, from which they were formerly exempted… Up
to now it has not been clearly determined if they planned to establish a monarchy or a republic,
because the Indios have no word in their language to describe this different form of government,
whose head in Filipino would be called hari; but it turns out that they would place at the head of the
government a priest… that the head selected would be D. Jose Burgos, or D. Jacinto Zamora… Such
is… the plan of the rebels, those who guided them, and the means they counted upon for its
realization.
Source: Rafael Izquirdo, “Official Report on the Cavite Mutiny,” in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide,
Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 281-286.

7. • It is apparent that the accounts underscore the reason for the “revolution”: the
abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of the Cavite arsenal such as
exemption from the payment of tribute and being employed in polos y servicios,
or force labor. They also identified other reasons which seemingly made the issue
a lot more serious, which include the presence of the native clergy, who, out of
spite against the Spanish friars, “conspired and supported” the rebels. Izquierdo,
in an obviously biased report, highlighted that attempt to overthrow the Spanish
government in the Philippines to install a new “hari” in the persons of Fathers
Burgors and Zamora.

8. • According to him, native clergy attracted supporters by giving them charismatic assurance that
their fight would not fail because they had God’s support, aside from promises of lofty rewards
such as employment, wealth, and ranks in the army. In the Spaniard’s accounts, the event of 1872
was premeditated, and was part of a big conspiracy among the educated leaders, mestizos,
lawyers, and residents of Manila and Cavite. They allegedly plan to liquidate high- ranking
Spanish officers, then kill the friars. The signal they identified among these conspirators of
Manila and Cavite was the rockets fired from Intramuros. The accounts detail that on 20 January
1872, the district of Sampaloc celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Loreto, and came with it were
some fireworks display. The Cavitenos allegedly mistook this as the signal to commence with the
attack. The 200-men contigent led by Sergeant Lamadrid attacked Spanish officers at sight and
seized the arsenal. Izquierdo, upon learning of the attack, ordered the reinforcement of the
Spanish forces in Cavite to quell the revolt.

9. • The “revolution” was easily crushed, when the Manilenos who were expected to
aid the Cavitenos did not arrive. Leaders of the plot were killed in the resulting
skirmish, while Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora were tried by a court-martial
and sentenced to be executed. Others who were implicated such as Joaquin de
Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose and Pio Basa, and other Filipino lawyers were
suspended from the practice of law, arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment
at the Marianas Island. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of artillery and
ordered the creation of an artillery force composed exclusively by Peninsulares.
On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to serve as a threat to
Filipinos never to attempt to fight the Spaniards again.

10. DIFFERING ACCOUNTS OF THE EVENTS OF 1872
• Two other primary accounts that seems to counter the accounts of Izquierdo and
Montero. First, the account of Dr. Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera, a
Filipino scholar and researcher, who wrote a Filipino version of the bloody
incident in Cavite and the second, is the account of Edmund Plauchut.

11. 1ST ACCOUNT
PRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPT FROM PARDO DE TAVERA’S
ACCOUNT OF THE CAVITE MUTINY
• This uprising among soldiers in Cavite was used a powerful level by the Spanish
residents and by the friars…the General Government in Madrid had announced its
intention to deprive the friars in these islands of powers of intervention in the
matters of civil government and of the direction and management of the
university… it was due to these facts and promises that the Filipinos had great
hopes of an improvement in the affairs of their country, while the friars, on the
other hand, feared that their power in the colony would soon be complete a thing
of the past.
Source: Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, “Filipino Version of Cavite Mutiny,” in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia
Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila; National Book Store,
1990),274—280.

12. • Up to that time there had been no intention of secession from Spain, and the only
aspiration of the people was to secure the material and education advancement of the
country… According to this account, the incident was merely a multiply by Filipino
soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal to the dissatisfaction arising from the
draconian policies of Izquiedor, such as the abolition of privileges and the prohibition
of the founding of the school of arts and trades of Filipinos, which the General saw as
a smokescreen to creating a political club. Tavera is of the opinion that the Spanish
friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as a way to address other issues by
blowing out proportion the isolated mutiny attempt. During this time, the Central
Government in Madrid was planning to deprive the friars of all the powers of
intervention in the matters of civil government and direction and management of
educational institutions.

13. • The friars needed something to justify their continuing dominance in the
country, and the mutiny provided such opportunity. However, the Central
Spaniards Government introduced an educational decree fusing sectarian
schools run by the friars into a school called the Philippine Institute. The decree
aimed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring
teaching positions in these schools to be filled by competitive examinations, an
improvement welcomed by most Filipinos.
Another account, this time by French writer Edmund Plauchut, complemented
Tavera’s account and analyzed the motivations of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny

14. 2ND ACCOUNT
PRIMARY SOURCE: EXCERPTS FROM PLAUCHUT’S ACCOUNT OF THE
CAVITE MUTINY
• General La Torre… created a junta composed of high officials…including some
friars and six Spanish officials…At the same time there was created by the
government in Madrid a committee to investigate the same problems submitted
to the Manila committee. When the two finished work, it was found that they
came to the same conclusions. Here is the summary of the reforms they
considered necessary to introduced: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Source: Edmund Plauchut, “The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 and the Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za,” in the
Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National
Book Store, 1990), 251-268.

15. • Changes in tariff rates at customs, and the methods of collection. Removal of surcharges on
foreign importations. Reduction of export fees. Permission for foreigners to reside in the
Philippines, buy real state, enjoy freedom of worship, and operate commercial transports flying
the Spanish flag. Establishment of an advisory council to inform the Minister of Overseas Affairs
in Madrid on the necessary reforms to be implemented. Changes in primary and secondary
education. Establishment of an Institute of Civil Administration in the Philippines, rendering
unnecessary the sending home of short-term civil officials every time there is a change of
ministry. Study of direct-tax system. Abolition of the tobacco monopoly. …The arrival in Manila of
General Izquierdo…put a sudden end to all dreams of reforms… the prosecutions instituted by
the now Governor General were probably expected as a result of the bitter disputes between the
Filipino clerics and the friars. Such a policy must really end in a strong desire on the part of the
other to repress cruelly.

16. • In regard to schools, it was previously decreed that there should be in Manila a Society of Arts and
Trades to be opened in March of 1871…to repress the growth of liberal teachings, General Izquierdo
suspended the opening of the school…the day previous to the scheduled inauguration…
The Filipinos had a duty to render service on public roads construction and pay taxes every year. But
those who were employed at the maestranza of the artillery, in the engineering shops and arsenal of
Cavite, were exempted from this obligation from time immemorial…Without preliminaries of any kind,
a decree by the Governor withdrew from such old employees their retirement privileges and
declassified them into the ranks of those who worked on public roads. The friars used the incident as a
part of a larger conspiracy to cement their dominance, which had started to show cracks because of
the discontent of the Filipinos. They showcased the mutiny as part of a greater conspiracy in the
Philippines by Filipinos to overthrow the Spanish Government. Unintentionally, and more so,
prophetically, the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 resulted in the martyrdom of GOMBUZA, paved the way to the
revolution culminating in 1898.

17. END