The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was a significant uprising by Filipino troops and workers in response to the abolition of their privileges, particularly exemption from tribute and forced labor. The mutiny was quickly suppressed, and Spanish authorities used the incident to justify repression of reform movements and executed key figures known as Gomburza, which fueled Filipino nationalism. Different accounts highlight that this event was driven by discontent over injustices, and the harsh response from the Spanish ultimately contributed to the growth of the nationalist movement leading to later revolutions.

1. The Cavite Mutiny

2. The Cavite Mutiny
is one of the most
significant
historical
accounts in the
Philippine History.

3. 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.

4. Exemption from the tribute

6. 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.

8. It is an aim of natives
“to get rid of the Spanish government in the Philippines”
which became the excuse for Spanish repression of the
emergent Philippine nationalist movement.

9. The mutiny was quickly
cluttered, Governor Rafael
de Izquierdo magnified the
incident and used it as an
excuse to clamp down on
those Filipinos who had been
calling for governmental
reform.

10. A number of Filipino intellectuals were seized and accused of complicity with the mutineers.
After a brief trial, three priests—José Burgos, Jacinto Zamora, and Mariano Gómez—
were publicly executed.

11. Tragically, the harsh reaction of the Spanish authorities served ultimately
to promote the nationalist cause.

12. THE TWO Major Events happened in 1872
First, was the 1872 Cavite Mutiny
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.

14. 1872 CAVITE MUTINY: SPANISH PERSPECTIVE
ACCOUNT OF
GOVERNOR-GENERAL RAFAEL
IZQUIERDO Y GUTIÉRREZ

15. 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.
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".

16. However, it turned out that they would set at the
supreme of the government a priest, that the
leader selected would be Jose Burgos or Jacinto
Zamora which is the plan of the rebels who guided
them, and the means they counted upon its
realization.

18. Jose Montero y Vidal
• it as an attempt of the Indios to overthrow the Spanish
government in the Philippines.
• 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.
• The two accounts complimented and corroborated with one
another, only that the general’s report was more spiteful.

19. Jose Montero y Vidal
• 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”.
• other causes were enumerated
overthrew the secular throne, dirty propagandas proliferated by
unrestrained press, democratic, liberal and republican books and
pamphlets reaching the Philippines,
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.

20. Jose Montero y Vidal and
Gov. Rafael de Izquierdo
• 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.
• insinuated that the conspirators of Manila and
Cavite planned to liquidate high-ranking Spanish
officers to be followed by the massacre of the
friars.

21. Jose Montero y Vidal and Gov. Izquierdo
• 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.

22. RESPONSE TO INJUSTICE:
THE FILIPINO VERSION OF THE INCIDENT

25. • 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.
• 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.

26. • 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.
• 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.
• This turnout of events was believed by Tavera, prompted the friars
to do something drastic in their dire to maintain power in the
Philippines.

27. • 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.
• 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.
•

29. Edmund Plauchut’s account
• Confirmed that the event happened due to discontentment of the arsenal
workers and soldiers in Cavite fort.
• 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.
• Also, in this time, the central government deprived friars of the powers
of involvement in civil government and in governing and handling
universities.
• 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.

30. • 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.
• 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.

31. • 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.
• 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.
• 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.

32. • He gave a dispassionate account of it and its causes in an article
published in the Revue des Deux Mondes in 1877.
• 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.
• The taxes required them to pay a monetary sum as well as to
perform forced labor called, polo y servicio.
• 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.

33. Different accounts in the Cavite mutiny also
highlighted other probable causes of the "revolution"
• Spanish Revolution which overthrew the secular throne, dirty
propagandas proliferated by unrestrained press, democratic,
liberal and republican books and pamphlets reaching the
Philippines,
• most importantly, the presence of the native clergy who out of
animosity against the Spanish friars, "conspired and supported" the
rebels and enemies of Spain.
• In addition, accounts of the mutiny suggest that the Spanish
Revolution in Spain during that time added more determination to
the natives to overthrow the current colonial Spanish government.

34. Considering the four accounts of
the 1872 Mutiny,
there were some basic facts that
remained to be unvarying:
UNRAVELING THE TRUTH

35. 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;”

36. Second,
“Gen. Izquierdo introduced rigid and
strict policies that made the Filipinos
move and turn away from Spanish
government out of disgust;”

37. 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;”

38. “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;”
Fourth,

39. 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;”

40. Sixth,
“Filipinos during the time were
active participants, and responded to
what they deemed as injustices;”
and

41. 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.”

42. Point for Analysis:
1. Based on the accounts:
Jose Montero y Vidal and Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo deTavera?
Why do you think they have these opposing and conflicting
perspectives? Who do you think is more reliable ? Why? Defend your answer.
2. As a 21st century learner, what is your stand in this 1872 Cavite mutiny?
correlate this issue with the contemporary times.
3. In this time of Pandemic, identify issues with conflicting perspectives.
Why do you think people often resulted in these conflicts and what is your
suggestion to mitigate if not eradicate these conflicts in peoples' views and
perspectives?