PI 100: Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings
Mr. Noel A. Viray, Jr.
Gomburza
Instructor’s note: We have to put Rizal’s life in context for us to understand him better. To
do so, we need to inform ourselves about the events that shaped his life. We know from
various sources that Rizal was greatly inspired by the Gomburza. In this material, we learn
about these three martyred priests.
P.S.: Words in bold italics are mine.
- Sir V
PI 100: Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings
Mr. Noel A. Viray, Jr.
The Gomburza are martyrs – that much we understand. Spanish authorities executed them by
garrote in 1872. But why? What crime did they commit to deserve such a gruesome death? Let’s talk
about the Cavite Mutiny.
From the Britannica Encyclopedia, we can read the following information about the Cavite Mutiny.
“...brief uprising of 200 Filipino troops and workers at the Cavite arsenal, which
became the excuse for Spanish repression of the embryonic Philippine nationalist
movement. Ironically, the harsh reaction of the Spanish authorities served ultimately to
promote the nationalist cause.
The mutiny was quickly crushed, but the Spanish regime under the reactionary 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. 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. The three subsequently became martyrs to the cause of Philippine
independence.”
PI 100: Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings
Mr. Noel A. Viray, Jr.
So the Gomburza were arrested, tried, and executed because they were implicated in the Cavite
mutiny of 1872. Let’s learn more about this event by reading the article below, taken from the
website of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
THE TWO FACES OF THE 1872 CAVITE MUTINY
By Chris Antonette Piedad-Pugay
The 12th of June of every year since 1898 is a very important event for all Filipinos. On
this particular day, the entire Filipino nation as well as Filipino communities all over the world
gathers to celebrate the Philippines’ Independence Day. 1898 came to be a very significant year
for all of us— it is as equally important as 1896—the year when the Philippine Revolution broke
out owing to the Filipinos’ desire to be free from the abuses of the Spanish colonial regime. But
we should be reminded that another year is as historic as the two—1872.
Two major events happened in 1872, the first was the 1872 Cavite Mutiny and the other
was the martyrdom of the three martyr priests in the persons of Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose
Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA). However, not all of us knew that there were different
accounts in reference to the said event. All Filipinos must know the different sides of the
story—since this event led to another tragic yet meaningful part of our history—the execution of
GOMBURZA which in effect was a major factor in the awakening of nationalism among the
Filipinos.
1872 Cavite Mutiny: Spanish Perspective
Jose Montero y Vidal, a prolific Spanish historian documented the event and highlighted
it as an attempt of the Indios to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, 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
complemented and corroborated with one other, only that the general’s report was more spiteful.
Initially, both Montero and Izquierdo scored out that the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the
workers of the Cavite arsenal such as non-payment of tributes and exemption from forced labor
were the main reasons for the “revolution” as how they called it, however, other causes were
enumerated by them including the Spanish Revolution which overthrew the secular throne, dirty
propagandas proliferated by unrestrained press, democratic, liberal and republican books and
pamphlets reaching the Philippines, and 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 particular, Izquierdo blamed the unruly Spanish Press for “stockpiling” malicious
propaganda grasped by the Filipinos. He reported to the King of Spain that the “rebels” wanted to
overthrow the Spanish government to install a new “hari” in the likes of Fathers Burgos and
Zamora. The general even added that the native clergy enticed other participants by giving them
charismatic assurance that their fight will not fail because God is with them coupled with
handsome promises of rewards such as employment, wealth, and ranks in the army. Izquierdo, in
his report, lambasted the Indios as gullible and possessed an innate propensity for stealing.
The two Spaniards deemed that the event of 1872 was planned earlier and was thought of
it as a big conspiracy among educated leaders, mestizos, abogadillos or native lawyers, residents
PI 100: Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings
Mr. Noel A. Viray, Jr.
of Manila and Cavite, and the native clergy. They insinuated that the conspirators of Manila and
Cavite planned to liquidate high-ranking Spanish officers to be followed by the massacre of the
friars. The alleged pre-concerted signal among the conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the
firing of rockets from the walls of Intramuros.
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 in 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 seized the arsenal.
When the news reached the iron-fisted Gov. Izquierdo, he readily ordered the
reinforcement of the Spanish forces in Cavite to quell the revolt. The “revolution” was easily
crushed when the expected reinforcement from Manila did not come ashore. Major instigators
including Sergeant Lamadrid were killed in the skirmish, while the GOMBURZA were tried by a
court-martial and were sentenced to die by strangulation. Patriots like Joaquin Pardo de Tavera,
Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose and Pio Basa, and other abogadillos were suspended by the Audencia
(High Court) from the practice of law, arrested, and were sentenced to life imprisonment at the
Marianas Island. Furthermore, Gov. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of artillery and
ordered the creation of an artillery force to be composed exclusively of the Peninsulares.
On 17 February 1872 in an attempt of the Spanish government and Frailocracia to instill
fear among the Filipinos so that they may never commit such daring acts again, the GOMBURZA
were executed. This event was tragic but served as one of the moving forces that shaped Filipino
nationalism.
A Response to Injustice: The Filipino Version of the Incident
Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino scholar and researcher, wrote the
Filipino version of the bloody incident in Cavite. In his point of view, the incident was a mere
mutiny by the native Filipino soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal who turned out to be
dissatisfied with the abolition of their privileges. Indirectly, Tavera blamed 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 the school of arts and trades for the Filipinos,
which the general believed was a cover-up for the organization of a political club.
On 20 January 1872, about 200 men comprised of soldiers, laborers of the arsenal, and
residents of Cavite headed by Sergeant Lamadrid rose in arms and assassinated the commanding
officer and Spanish officers in sight. The insurgents were expecting support from the bulk of the
army unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The news about the mutiny reached authorities in
Manila and Gen. Izquierdo immediately ordered the reinforcement of Spanish troops in Cavite.
After two days, the mutiny was officially declared subdued.
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 not only the native army but
also included residents of Cavite and Manila, and more importantly the native clergy to overthrow
the Spanish government in the Philippines. It is noteworthy that 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
PI 100: Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings
Mr. Noel A. Viray, Jr.
institutions. This turnout of events was believed by Tavera, prompting the friars to do something
drastic in their dire desire to maintain power in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, with the intention of installing reforms, the Central Government of Spain
welcomed an educational decree authored by Segismundo Moret, which promoted the fusion of
sectarian schools run by the friars into a school called the Philippine Institute. The decree
proposed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring teaching positions
in such schools to be filled by competitive examinations. This improvement was warmly received
by most Filipinos in spite of the native clergy’s zest for secularization.
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 to life
imprisonment while members of the native clergy headed by the GOMBURZA were tried and
executed by garrote. This episode leads to the awakening of nationalism and eventually to the
outbreak of the Philippine Revolution of 1896. The French writer Edmund Plauchut’s account
complimented Tavera’s account by confirming that the event happened due to discontentment of
the arsenal workers and soldiers in Cavite fort. The Frenchman, however, dwelt more on the
execution of the three martyr priests which he actually witnessed.
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 blunder 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. There may be different versions of the event, but one thing is
certain, the 1872 Cavite Mutiny paved the way for a momentous 1898.
The road to independence was rough and tough to toddle, many patriots named and
unnamed shed their blood to attain reforms and achieve independence. 12 June 1898 may be a
glorious event for us, but we should not forget that before we came across victory, our forefathers
suffered enough. As we enjoy our freedom, may we be more historically aware of our past to have
PI 100: Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings
Mr. Noel A. Viray, Jr.
a better future ahead of us. And just like what Elias said in Noli me Tangere, may we “not forget
those who fell during the night.” END
The article above gives us a deeper understanding of the events that lead to the death of the
Gomburza. Now, let’s get to know the Gomburza a little bit more with one final essay, this one from
the historian Ambeth Ocampo.
GOMBURZA AND RIZAL’S EXECUTION
By: Ambeth R. Ocampo
Every year on Feb. 17, a floral offering is made at the white obelisk in Rizal Park that is
ignored the rest of the year. The spot marked by the obelisk, between the Rizal Monument and the
fenced off Rizal Light and Sound area, is the site where Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomes [with an “s”
not a “z”], and Jacinto Zamora were executed by garrote on Feb. 17, 1872. The martyrs are better
remembered by an acronym “Gom-Bur-Za.” Or, in jest, as “Ma-Jo-Ha.”
Jose Rizal dedicated his second novel “El Filibusterismo” to the martyred priests. He even
declared in a letter that “without 1872, there would have been no Plaridel, Jaena, or Sanciangco;
nor would the brave and generous Filipino colonies in Europe have existed. Without 1872, Rizal
would now have been a Jesuit and instead of writing ‘Noli Me Tangere,’ would have written the
opposite…”
Andres Bonifacio inspired Katipuneros to face a superior enemy in the battlefield by
distributing black pieces of cloth said to have been cut from the cassocks of Gomburza.
Nationalist historian Teodoro A. Agoncillo asserted in the 1960s that “there is no
Philippine history before 1872.” He explained that Filipinos started charting the course of their
own history from the execution of Gomburza, and that before 1872, what passed for Philippine
history was nothing but the history of Spain in the Philippines.
Textbook history taught us about the garrote that brought the condemned men to a swift
end by breaking their necks, but we were not given the details of the execution. There was a fourth
man, Zaldua, who provided testimony that nailed the three priests. He was promised a pardon
that never came, and he was executed first. A dramatic eyewitness account of the execution was
written by Edmond Plauchut, a French journalist, who provided a description of how each of the
doomed men faced death:
“Burgos cried like a child, but managed to greet with a shake of his head all his friends
whom he recognized in the huge crowd. Zamora was like one dazed and unconscious of what was
going on. (He had suffered a mental breakdown and was, for all intents and purposes, already
dead before they did him in.) But Padre Gomes, with eyes open and with furrowed brow, blessed
the multitude who knelt at his feet as he passed by.”
Gomes, the oldest of the three, had made peace with God and his natural son. Resigned to
his fate, he said: “I very well know that not a single leaf can move, except at the will of the Divine
Creator. Since it is His will that I die at this place, may his will be done.” Burgos was the opposite;
he stood up from the garrote and shouted, “What crime have I committed? Shall I die in this
PI 100: Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings
Mr. Noel A. Viray, Jr.
manner? Is there no justice in the world?” A group of friars then went up and pushed him into the
garrote, and that made Burgos struggle more as he shouted, “But I am innocent!” Burgos only
calmed down and accepted his fate when one of the priests holding him down hushed him with
the words: “Even Jesus Christ was without sin.”
Poor executioner asked for forgiveness. I imagine he must have uttered “trabaho lang ito,”
or words to that effect, that moved the compassionate Burgos to give his blessing, and as he did
so, the crowd of uziseros attending the execution knelt in a silence that terrified the Spaniards in
the killing fields that was then known as Bagumbayan, or “new land,” in reference to the old
walled city of Intramuros.
Rizal, in a letter to his friend Mariano Ponce, said: “If at his death, Burgos had shown the
courage of Gomes, the Filipinos of today would be other than they are. However nobody knows
how we will behave at that culminating moment, and perhaps I myself, who preach and boast so
much, may show more fear and less resolution than Burgos in that crisis. Life is so pleasant, and it
is so repugnant to die on the scaffold, still young and with ideas in one’s head.”
Twenty-four years later, in Bagumbayan, Rizal remembered Gomburza, and showed the
enemy that Filipinos knew how to live and die for their principles. His request to face the firing
squad was refused, and not wanting to be shot in the back as a traitor, he executed what I call the
“Rizal twist,” so he did not fall face down on the ground but on his side, his eyes left open in
defiance and death.
Now that you’ve read all of these articles, you should have a better understanding of an important
event in the life of Rizal that greatly influenced him into becoming the hero that he was. Here are
some questions for you to ponder. We will be discussing these questions in class when we meet.
● Why did the Spanish authorities, including the friars, wish to implicate the Gomburza in
the 1872 Cavite Mutiny? In hindsight, did killing the priests achieve the Spaniards’ goal?
● How did Gomburza influence Rizal? What did Rizal mean when he wrote, “If at his death,
Burgos had shown the courage of Gomes, the Filipinos of today would be other than they are”?
● What did historian Teodoro Agoncillo mean when he said, “There is no Philippine history
before 1872”?
References:
1. Britannica Encyclopedia. Cavite Mutiny. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cavite-Mutiny
2. Piedad-Pugay, Chris Antonette. The Two Faces of the Cavite Mutiny. NHCP website.
https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-two-faces-of-the-1872-cavite-mutiny/
3. Ocampo, Ambeth. Gomburza and Rizal’s Execution.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/161124/gomburza-and-rizals-execution
