Part 14 (1/2)

Tondo: Council Katagalugan with the sections Katutuhanan, Kabuhayan, Pagtibayan, Kalingaan and Bagong-sinag under the presidency of Alejandro Santiago, Braulio Rivera, Hilarion Cruz, Cipriano Pacheco, Nicolas Rivera and Deogracias Fajardo.

Conception and Dilao (Paco): the Council Mahaganti presided over by Rafael Gutierrez; and the sections Panday and Ilog, with a delegation in Ermita.

In Cavite was the popular Council Kawit the president of which was Emilio Aguinaldo [79] the capitan munic.i.p.al of the pueblo of Cavite Viejo and later on the dictator of the Filipino Commune. This Council comprehended Imus, Noveleta, Silang, Naic, Maragondon and other pueblos. Imus was presided over by Juan Castaneda, Noveleta by Alejandro Crisostomo.

In Bacoor was a Popular Council presided over by Genaro Valdes with three sections Dimagpatantan (not to leave in peace), Ditutugutan (not to rest till the end is reached), and Pananginginigan (formidable).

Note 93. The Kalayaan was intended to be a monthly review. Its first number consisted of thirty-two pages in quarto. The price of each number was 50c (Mexican). It was a most rabid anti-Spanish publication and advocated separatism openly, and yet in spite of the press censors.h.i.+p it circulated freely in the Archipelago.

As the common belief was that this paper was published in j.a.pan, as would appear from the paper itself, General Blanco decided to send a special delegate to j.a.pan to investigate the matter of its impression, its publishers, authors, etc., that steps might be taken to put a stop to its impression or at least that a check be put on its entry and circulation into the Philippines. Don Alfredo Villeta was chosen; but on account of some hitch in the arrangements, he never started on his errand. Some say that the paper did not reach its second number, but it is certain that it did not reach its third.

The heading was as under:

KALAYAAN Issued at the end of each month.

1st year. Yokohama. January 1896. No. 1.

Price of subscription, Articles must be signed If purchased will cost 3 months 1 peso; by their authors. 2 reales per number.

in advance.

The headings of the princ.i.p.al articles were as follows:

To the Compatriots.

Manifesto; by Dimas-Alang (Jose Rizal.)

What the indian ought to know and understand; by Agapito Bagumbayan.

This latter article is a mirror in which the purpose of the paper is reflected; it reads remarkably like a composition of Pedro Paterno, the visionary who claims for the peoples of the Archipelago a glorious pre-Spanish history and civilization. The following citations from the article will give some idea of the whole publication.

”In these islands, which were previously cared for by our true neighbors of Malaysia at a time when the Spaniards had not as yet set foot upon the land, there existed a complete abundance and a state of welfare. Our friends the neighboring kingdoms, and especially j.a.pan, brought commerce to our sh.o.r.es which formed the most abundant market, and there was found everything necessary, wherefore it was the richest country and its customs were all very good [80]. Everyone, youths and advanced in years and even the women, could read and write according to our manner of script.”

The article goes on to say that upon the arrival of the Spaniards the natives only made friends with them after that Legazpi had performed the ceremonies of the pacto-de-Sangre [81] with one of the indio petty sovereigns.

”The Spaniards,” says the writer, ”have perverted us with their bad customs and have destroyed and obliged us to forget the n.o.ble and beautiful customs of our country.”

n.o.ble and beautiful customs: Compulsory defloration of young girls, as a result of the belief that a girl who died a virgin could not enter heaven! Could anything be more n.o.ble and beautiful?

Kalayaan purported to be and was always considered as the soul of the defunct Solidaridad (see note 24). It was printed in the Tagalog dialect and died, as it was born and had lived--in shame.

Note 94. Pio Valenzuela testified (fols. 582-591) that on the 22nd of August he was informed by Josefa Dizon that her son Jose together with Bonifacio had fled from Manila. Valenzuela thereupon fled also, following them, and reaching Caloocan about 8 p. m. There he found Bonifacio with some twenty others. Andres informed them that they must not separate as it was now time to commence the armed rebellion, the plot of the Katipunan having been discovered. From Caloocan they went to Balintauac arriving about 11 p. m. Here they met a certain Laong with a group of men. They remained in the pueblo Sunday, Monday and Tuesday preparing for the onslaught they were to make upon the Spaniards, which was fixed for the 29th of the same month, the plans being that they should advance in groups upon Manila, killing the Spaniards and also the indians and Chinese who refused to follow them, ”dedicating themselves to the sacking of the city, robbery and incendiarism and to the violation of women.” Many Chinese were murdered and their stores robbed.

Whilst in the fields of Balintauac distribution was made of bolos and ten revolvers, the latter stolen from the Maestranza of Manila. On Tuesday evening preparations were made to meet the attack of the Spanish troops which had been sent out in persecution of the rebels, and the first conflict took place. Valenzuela also stated that the greater part of the people who formed the rebel forces were drawn, catechised and initiated all in a moment by the fanatic Laong, who was practically the active chief of the revolt, and who directed in person the attack upon the Chinese stores.

About 5 pm. on the 29th five hundred men under a ”leader of Pasig”