Chapter 4 : The KKK and Kartilya ng Katipunan

"Casaysayan; Pinagcasunduan; Manga daquilang cautusan," January 1892.

Source: Archivo General Militar de Madrid: Caja 5677, leg.1.37.

Most histories say the Katipunan was born on Juy 7, 1892, and they may be right, but that
was not the date it was conceived. The news circulating on July 7 of Rizal's deportation to
Mindanao may or may not have been the final catalyst that brought the society to life, but it had
been plotted a while earlier.
The original text of the foundational document of the Katipunan, written on January 1892
penned in a small booklet of 44 pages fashioned from 11 sheets of paper folded together and is
divided into three sections- "Casaysayn" (Narrative); "Pinagcasunduan" (Covenant); and "Manga
Daquilang Cautusan" (Principal orders).

Oath, c. 1896
Source: Photography of original printed document in Adrian E. Cristobal.
The Tragedy of the Revolution (Makati City: Studio 5 Publishing Inc., 1997), 48.

Aside from the "Kartilya" and the newspaper Kalayaan, the only document printed by the
Katipunan seem to have been single-sided forms- "the list of points to be borne in mind when
recruiting new members" (no copy of which has yet been located); the application form; the
questions to be considered by applicants in the "Chamber of Reflection", and this document, the
oath to be sworn upon initiation into the society. Like the earlier, handwritten oath, it was to be
signed by the initiate in his own blood.

The Katipunan

Katipunan - means association

- "tipon" meaning gather together or loosely "society"

La Liga Filipina - founded by Dr. Jose P. Rizal on 1892

- a reformist organization which gave Bonifacio valuable insights into the

dynamics of fighting for a cause

July 7, 1892 - a secret council was convened

- Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, Valentin Diaz, Deodato
Arellano, Jose Dizon
- a revolutionary secret society must be founded, thus, the virtual death of La Liga
Filipina, gave birth to the Katipunan
- Bonifacio arrived at a radical conclusion that it was pointless to ask Spain for
reforms
*The objectives of the Katipunan as brotherhood organization were threefold: political, moral
and civic.
-advocated for freedom from Spain through armed struggle
- to help the poor and the oppressed, teach them good manners, hygiene and morality.

*This secret brotherhood organization thrived as an underground society through the use of
secret codes and passwords
-Symbols, cryptologic languages and clandestine rituals marked the Katipunan's
operations.

*Most of the Katipunan's founders were freemasons

- they patterned initiation rites after the Masonry but its ideological principles was derived
from the French Revolution.

*The Katipunan had four major aims:

- To develop a strong alliance with each and every Katipunero

- To unite Filipinos into one solid nation
- To win Philippine Independence by means of an armed conflict (revolution)
- To establish a republic after Independence

Recruitment Methods:

HASIK: "Triangle" method (Sistemang Patatsulok)

- Members were to recruit two new adherents (who would not know each other but only
the original member who took him in), thus building a network of "triangles". This was to ensure
that growth would be discreet while at the same time ensure that the new recruits would closely
adhere to the principles of the Katipunan.
-original plan of Bonifacio to increase its membership
-Three man-units
- Teodora Plata and Ladislao Diwa were the first triangle

Two-tier Sanggunian Structure

- The triangle method provided for slow growth. Around October 1892, it was decided
that members would be allowed to recruit as many persons as they could.

Three Ranks Membership

 1. Katipon (member)
Outfit: Black hood with a triangle of white ribbons, inside of which were the letters Z.
LI. B.
Password: Anak ng Bayan
Monthly Dues: One real fuerte(old money) or 12.5 centimos or 20 cuartos

2. Kawal (soldier)
Outfit: Green hood with a traingle of white lines. At the tree angles were the letters Z.
LI. B.
- suspended from the neck was a green ribbon with a medal, with the letter K in the
ancient Tagalog script inscribe in the middle.
Password: Gom-Bur-Za
Monthly dues: Twenty centavos

3. Bayani (Patriot)
Outfit: Red mask, with white triangle inside of which was the following: KKK; Z.LI.B.
-Red sash with green borders
Password: Rizal
Monthly dues: Two real fuertes(old money) or 25 centimos, or 40 cuartos

Political Structure of Katipunan

1. Sangguniang Baangay (small branches)

2. Sangguniang Bayan (larger provincial councils)
3. Kataas-taasang Sanggunian (Supreme Council)
- consists President, Secretary, Fiscal, Treasurer, Six Councilors
Katipunan Assembly (Legislative Body)
- Members of Supreme Council with presidents of popular and provincial councils
Sangguniang Hukuman (Provincial Courts)
-intended for internal matters
 - grave matters such as betraying the Katipunan or commiting acts penalized by the
organization's laws were meted by the "Secret Chamber" consists of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio
Jacinto and Dr. Pio Valenzuela.

Discovery of Katipunan
- To avoid suspicions, the women (wife,sister,daughter) were admitted to the secret
organization
- Rumors about the secret revolutionary society had been in circulation but no
evidence could be found to support them
August 19, 1896 - dispute between Teodoro Patiño and a KKK member
-Diario de Manila (workplace of Teodoro Patiño)
-Honoria (sister of Teodoro Patiño)
-Mother Superior Sor Teresa de Jesus
-Fr. Mariano Gil
-evidence were found upon searches and hundreds suspected KKK members were
arrested
August 23, 1896 (according to Pio Valenzuela)
- cry of Balintawak which actually occured in Pugad Lawin
- Also known as Sigaw ng Pugad Lawin

Andres Bonifacio
Katungkulang gagawin ng mga Z*LI*B [ the Decalogue]
Source: Photography of original printed document in Adrian E. Cristobal.
The Tragedy of the Revolution (Makati City: Studio 5 Publishing Inc., 1997), 40.

Although unpublished during Bonifacio’s lifetime, this Decalogue is today one of the most
famous Katipunan texts, printed in schoolbooks and inscribed on monuments. The format in
which Bonifacio sets out the duties of KKK members obviously derives from the Old Testament,
and in content the injucntions echo the “Programa Masonica” and “Codigo Masonico” of the Gran
Oriente Espanol. The “Codigo” for instance, similarly opens with a direction to exalt the creator,
and similarly extols charity and love for one’s fellows. It too enjoins lodge members to be calm,
to be guided by reason, and to support one another, “even at the cost of one’s life.” It too says
members who break their obligations will be duly punished.
 The crucial difference between the Masonic credo and Bonifacio’s Decalogue is one of
ultimate purpose. The mission of Masonry, according to the Gran Oriente’s Programa, is
exclusively humanitarian: it strives to “foster charity and philanthropy among free men of good
standing” and to establish a “fraternity among mankind.” The mission of the Katipunan, the
Decalogue makes clear, is to liberate the country from enslavement.

ANDRES BONIFACIO
Andres Bonifacio was born on November 30, 1863 in a small hut at Calle Azcarraga,
presently known as Claro M. Recto Avenue in Tondo Manila. His parents were Santiago
Bonifacio and Catalina de castro.
Andres was the eldest in a brood of five. His other siblings were Ciriaco, Procopio,
Troadio, Espiridiona and Maxima. He obtained his basic education through a certain Guillermo
Osmena of Cebu. The Bonifacio family was orphaned when Andres was barely fourteen. With
this, Andres assumed the responsibility of raising his younger siblings.
In order to support the needs of their family, he maximized his skills in making crafts and
sold paper fans and canes. He also worked as messenger in Fleming & Company. Eventually, he
moved to Fressel & Company, where he worked as warehouse man until 1896. Poverty never
hindered Andres’ thirst for knowledge. He devoted most of time reading books while trying to
improve his knowledge in the Spanish and Tagalog language. The warehouse of Fressel &
Company served as his library and study room.

ILL FATED DESTINY

As a result of the fateful experiences he encountered in Cavite, Bonifacio planned to return
Montalban and San Mateo. On their way to Montalban, he and his followers passed by Limbon,
Indang- a place in Cavite where food was scarce and people were tightfisted. At this point,
Severino de las Alas turned his back against Bonifacio. The angered Bonifacio responded with
threats and words that were wrongly interpreted by the people of Indang. The people sought the
help of Aguinaldo, who immediately ordered the arrest of Bonifacio.
On 27 April 1897, skirmishes took place between the forces of Bonifacio and Aguinaldo.
In the said scuffle, Ciriaco was killed, while Procopio and the Supremo were caught. Andres
Bonifacio was stabbed in the neck, weakening him and soaking him in blood.
 The next day, the prisoners were brought to Indang Tribunal, then to Naic. Within the
day, Gen. Mariano Noriel created the tribunal that eventually tried and convicted the Bonifacio
brothers of sedition, and sentenced them to death. Surprised by the decision of the tribunal,
Aguinaldo commutated the verdict. He recommended the Bonifacio brothers be exiled to an
isolated island also found in Cavite. However, Gen. Noriel and Ge. Pio del Pilar dissuaded him,
arguing that by reducing the sentence, the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines would
once again be at stake. Aguinaldo, in the end, changed his mind and signed the death sentence of
the Bonifacio brothers.
On 10 May 1897, Procopio and Andres were shot at Mount Nagpatong, near Mount
Buntis in Maragondon, Cavite. This event ended the short life of the Supremo. His educational
attainment and military expertise may not have been equal to that of other heroes but his love
for the country was absolute. His name will always be revered and serve as the battle cry of
Filipinos who yearn for freedom, oppression and injustice.

EMILIO JACINTO

Emilio Jacinto y Dizon was considered as one of the greatest military genius during his
time. H was very close to Andres Bonifacio. Like Bonifacio, Emilio also comes from a poor family.
He was born in Trozo, Manila on December 15, 1875. His parents were Mariano Jacinto and
Josefa Dizon.

Despite being orphaned, he managed to send himself to Colegio de Dan Juan de Letran.
He was also able to study law at the University of Santo Tomas although he was not able to
finish it because his Soanish classmates abused him.

Emilio was only 19 when he joined the Katipunan. He was known as he brains of the
Katipunan when it comes to military matters. His book entited Kartilya was the one used by the
Katipuneros as their guide in fighting the Spanish colonizers. It contained the constitution and
by-laws if the Katipunan.

Reading books was one of Emilio's greatest passions. One of his favorite books was the
one about the French Revolution. He also has in his collection a book on how to make gunpowder
and dynamite. He aso learned quite a few things about the art of war, military strategies and
ways of making weapons of war.
Katipunan nang manga A. N. B. - Sa may nasang makisanib sa katipunang ito [The
"Kartilya"]
Sources:Adrian E. Cristobal, The Tragedy of the Revolution(Makati City:Studio 5 Publishing Inc., 1997) 46; Jose P.
Santos, Buhay at mga sinulat ni Emilio Jacinto (Manila:Jose Paez Santos,1935), 59-63.

Taught in schools and debated in universities, the "Kartila" is the best known of all
Katipunan texts. Making manifest the KKK's principles and teachings, it was printed as a small
pamphlet for new members. It is the only document of any length set in print by the Katipunan
prior to August 1896 that is known to be still extant.

The earlier reference to the Kartilya yet found is in the minutes of a Supreme Assembly
meeting held in December 1895, which say the manifesto (pahayag) will be priced at 4 kualta per
copy. Whether it is the KKK branches or the individual recruits who are to be charged this
amount is not clear, and nor is it known whether the title phrase-"To those who want to join this
Katipunan"- truly means potential recruits as well as actual recruits, needless to say, there was
heightened risk they might fall into the wrong hands.

The Kartila was still in use during the first phase of the revolution, and Bonifacio was
planning to print more copies shortly before he was killed. It may still have been used during the
second phase of revolution, for a version survives in the Philippine Insurgent Records that is
stamped with the seal used by Artemio Ricarte in 1899. This version contains basically the same
text as it transcribed here, but it bears a different title-"Final Declaration on Admission to the
Katipunan" (Katapusang pamamhayag sa pagpasok sa K)- and it omits the famous footnote that says
"the word Tagalog means all those born in this Archipelago."

Authorship of the Kartilya has always been credited to Emilio Jacinto, and there is little
doubt this attribution is sound: it dates back to the Sensacional memoria of Isabelo de los Reyes,
whose sources included several KKK veterans, and it has never changed. Bonifacio, the story goes,
had originally intended that his "Decalogue" should be printed and handed to new recruits, but
he then read Jacinto's Kartilya and decided it was superior. The two texts, though, are not really
comparable. Bonifacio seeks only to enumerate the duties of Katipunan members, Jacinto couches
his primer, four times as long, rather as a statement of aspirations and ethical values. Bonifacio
lists ten obligations; Jacinto presents twelve "guiding principles" and fourteen "teachings".

In its structure the Kartilya resembles the declaration used in Manila's Masonic lodges, a
declaration that had presumably been written in Spain around 1899. When the grand order to
which lodges were affiliated- the Gran Oriente Espanol- had been founded by Miguel Morayta.
The Kartilya is addressed “To those who want to join the Katipunan"; the Masonic document to
"los profanos que deben inscribirse en la Sociedad." The preamble to the Kartilya echoes the
Masonic document's stated purpose, which is to ensure that candidates fully understand the
association's objectives before making a commitment they might later repent. The division in the
Kartilya principles (layon) and teachings (aral) broadly parallels the division in the Gran Oriente's
manifesto between the "Programa Masonica" and the "Codigo Masonico." And the Kartilya, finally,
likes the document used in the lodges, asks neophytes to pledge their allegiance to the
association's objectives and to affirm with their signature that they are becoming members of
their own free will (ninais ng loob ko).

There are also parallels between the content of the two documents. Recruits to the lodges
were advised that Masonry (considere como hermanos todos los hombres), that they should renounce
"todos los vicious"; and should "defenderas al oprimido." Within the Katipunan, said the Kartilya "all
are equal and true brethren." Members had to "renounce disorderly habits" and to "defend the
oppressed."

Other influences may be identified more tentatively. The admonitions to regard a woman
as "helpmate" rather than a "plaything" and to "have due regards to his weakness" may be in
Biblical origin. The adage that "an honorable man's word is his bond" may be traced back to
Cervantes; and the thought that "time lost is lost forever" may have come from Benjamin
Franklin. One precept is perhaps taken from Rizal. A "life which is not dedicated to great idea is
useless," declares Rizal's insurrectionist Simoun in El Filibusterismo: "It is a pebble lost in the
field, when it should form part of some buidling." Life which is not consecrated to a lofty and
sacred cause, Jacinto writes, varying the metaphor, "is like a tree without shade, if not a poisonous
weed."

To emphasize Enlightenment influences on Katipunan thinking, some say, effaces the

originality of documents like the Kartilya, which may be found in the nuances of heir Tagalog
and their resonance with the native psyche, familial bonds, folk Christianity, indigenous dissident
traditions and so on. Such arguments may be true up to a point, but often they seem nebulous,
reliant more on wishful assertion that on substantiating chapter and verse. The Tagalog word
that resound loudest in the Kartilya, beyond doubt, are the equivalents of the Enlightenment’s
defining watchwords: Liberty (Kalayaan), Equality (lahat ng tao'y magkakapantay), Fraternity
(kayong lahat ay magkakapatid), Reason (Katuiran), Progress (Kagalingan) and Enlightenment itself
(Kaliwanagan). Most, perhaps all, of these Tagalog equivalents had already been employed by
illustrado writers like Rizal and Del Pilar before the KKK was founded. The revolutionary
originality of the Katipunan lay not in its idiom, but in its objectives and its deeds.

Founders of the Katipunan KKK

1. Ladislao Diwa (1863-1930)

- Logia Taliba No. 165

- Baguio (masonic name)
- Escribano del Juzgado (work)

2. Teodoro Plata (1866-1897)

- Balany (masonic name)
- Cousin of Gregoria de Jesus
- executed at Bagumbayan (Luneta) on February 1897

3. Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897)

- Sinukuan (masonic name)

- Second Supremo of Katipunan
- Ama ng Katipunan
- Executed May 10, 1897 in Maragondon, Cavite

4. Deodato Arellano (1844-1899)

-Logia Lusong No. 185

- Buan( masonic name)
- Secretary of La Liga Filipina
- Married Hilaria (sister of Marcelo Del Pilar)
- Work as a clerk in Spanish Military Arsenal
- Joined during Phil-Am war, army brigade of his nephew General Gregorio del Pilar
- Died Octiber 7, 1899 of tuberculosis while fighting in the Cordillera Mountain

5. Jose Dizon (1870?-1897)

- Montgomery (masonic name)

- Founder of Logia Taliba No. 165
- Served as venerable master of taliba and became the Grand Fourth Vice-President of the Gran
Consejo Regional de Filipinas
- Uncle of Emilio Jacinto
- Executed publicly at Bagumbayan (Luneta) with 12 other mason and Liga members on
January 11, 1897

6. Valentin Diaz (1849-1916)

- Tupas (masonic name)

- Counsilor of Supreme Council 1892-1893
- Signatories of Biak na Bato

Chronological Events upon the Outbreak of Philippine Revolution

*July 7, 1892- deportation of Rizal in Dapitan, Mindanao

 - Establishment of Katipunan in the residence of Deodato Arellano together with
Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Jose Dizon, Valentin Diaz and Ladislao Diwa

*July 15, 1892- election of Katipunan officers Deoadato Arellano as the Supremo

*August 19, 1896- Discovery of Katipunan through Teodoro Patino

* August 23 (Pio Valenzuela)- Cry of Pugadlawin

* December 30, 1896- Execution of Jose Rizal in Bagumbayan (Luneta) through a firing squad

*January 11, 1897- Public Execution of Jose Dizon in Bagumbayan (Luneta)

* February 1897- Execution of Teodoro Plata in Bagumbayan (Luneta)

* March 22, 1897- Tejeros Convention or Assembly between Magdiwang and Magdalo faction

- Emilio Aguinaldo held as the Revolutionary Government President

- Andres Bonifacio elected as Secretary of the Interior

* May 10, 1897- Execution of Andres Bonifiacio in Maragondon, Cavite

* December 14, 1897- Pact of Biak na Bato

- Agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the Revolutionary Government

of Emilio Aguinaldo

- Exile of Emilio Aguinaldo together with his forces in Hongkong

*June 12, 1898- Declaration of Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite

*December 10, 1898- Treaty of Paris

- Peace agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United States of
America

March 23, 1901- Capture of Emilio Aguinaldo by the American forces

Benevolent Assimilation- Americans as friendly colonizer

- Introduced Education and Democracy to Filipinos

Tydings Mcduffie Law- 10 year transition period of the Philippines with America as its guide
to progress

Commonwealth Government- the type of government used during the 10 year transition
period

July 4, 1946- United States of America grants Philippine’s Independence

Chapter 5: Declaration of Philippine Independence

*Proclaimed June 12, 1898 in the Province of Cavite

- around 4-5 in the afternoon

- unfurling of the Philippine National Flag by Marcella Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo

and Delfina Herboza.

- Marcha Filipina Magdalo (Lupang Hinirang/National Anthem) composed by Julian Felipe

pkayed by San Francisco de Malabon Marching Band.

- prepared, written and read by Ambrocio Rianzares Bautista (War Counselor and Special
delegate-desinate)

- signed by 98 people including USA army officer Mr. L. M. Johnson

- promulgated on August 1

- not recognized by USA nor Spain because of 1898 Treaty of Paris

*Philippine- American War

- Aguinaldo was captured by US forces in March 23, 1901

- USA grant complete Independence, July 4, 1946 (Treaty of Manila) after WWII

* President Diosdado Macapagal in 1964 signed RA 4166 designating June 12 as the country's
Independence Day

* Proclamation of Philippine Independence

- a short 2000 word document

- summarized the reason of revolution

- summarized subsequent war for Independence

- mentioned the abused and inequalities existing in te colony

 - avarice and greed of the clergy like friars and archbishop himself

- unjust deportation by Gov.-Gen. Blanco

* Historical Overview of the document

- brief historical overview of Spanish occupation (Magellan's arrival until the Philippine
Revolution)

- narrates movement, describing it as "like an electric spark" through different towns

and provinces

- Riza's execution (calling it unjust)

- Cavite Mutiny of 1872 ( Gomburza)

* Emilio Aguinaldo's Dictatorship

- established Republic

- mentioned in the begnning of proclamation and last part of proclamation

* The Philippine Flag

- White Triangle- signifies the distinct emblem of the famous society "Katipunan" who
inspired the masses to rise in revolution

- the three stars- Luzon, Mindanao and Panay- the largest islands in the Archipelago

- the Sun- gigantic steps/strides that have been made by the sons of this land on the road
to progress and civilization

-Eight rays of the Sun- Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Batangas, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac
and Laguna

- Colors Blue, Red and White- commemorating the flag of USA for the profound gratitude
towards the great nation.

Biography of Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista

 Ambrocio Rianzares Bautista was born in Biñan, Laguna, on December 7, 1830, to Gregorio
Enriquez Bautista and Sivestra Altamira. He finished his Law degree at the University of Santo
Tomas and practiced his profession in Manila, wherein Dr. Jose Rizal " during his student days in
Mania, even sought the advice of Don Ambrosio, whom he called "Tio Bosyong".

Bautista, as a lawyer, was deeply esteemed and respected by his fellow contemporaries.
His distinguished colleagues include Chief Justice Cayetano S. Arellano, Chief Justice Florentino
Torres, Rafael del Pan and Dr. Pedro Paterno. In the eyes of the public, he was known to be as a
stalwart defender of the poor, and labourers; giving them free legal advices and defending their
cases in court free of charge.

The generosity of Bautista made him so popular with the masses that it quicly spread even
to the brigands, and outlaws (caused by Spanish Tyranny). As a patriot of his countru, Bautista
joined various organizations, and associations that spearheaded the national interests of the
Filipinos at the time. He was a member of Rizal's patriotic association, Liga Filipina; when Rizal
was deported to Dapitan, he later on joined the Cuerpo de Compromisarios which sent funds to
the propagandistas. He was also among the financial contributors of the patriotic newspaper La
Solidaridad; and was as an article writer for the nationalistic newspaper of the revolution, La
Independencia.

Upon the outbreak of Philippine Revolution in July 1896, Bautista was among those who
were arrested and jailed in Fort Santiago. However, he was later on released after eloquently
defending himself, and finally convincing the Sanish government gave him a second warrant of
arrest after finding out that he was in fact directly involved in the revolution. Fortunately, "after
his release from prison, he immediately went into hiding somewhere in Malabon," successfully
avoiding prison for the second time.

The on-going pursuit of the Spanish authorities led to Bautista hiding for some time.
However, when Governor General Fernando Primo de Rivera gave a general amnesty in
accordance to the " Pact of Biak na Bato" of December 14 and 15, 1897, "Bautista avaied of it and
returned to his hometown in Biñan, Laguna." When Basilio Agustin replaced Rivera as the
Governor General of the Philippine Islands, on May 9, 1898, the "policy of attraction" was
immediately enacted with the hope of dousing the flames of the revolution. This gave way to
Bautista being appointed as one the twenty members of the " Consultative Assembly", endowing
him the " powers to deliberate and advice the Governor General on problems of political,
government or administrative in character."

However, even amidst the peace brought by " Pact of Biak na Bato, Bautista remained
ever vigilant as regards to the shifting of events that will directly affect the Philippines. " He was
mindful of the defeat of the Spanish armada by the American fleet under Commodore George
Dewey during the battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898". It was only a matter of time before the
revolutionary leaders who were exiled in Hongkong return to liberate the Philippines. The much-
awaited opportunity arrived when the American fleet defeated the Spanish armada in the battle
of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. The aftermath of this battle was tremendous, as it signalled tye
decline of the Spanish control over the archipelago. This prompted the revolutionary leaders in
Hong Kong to held a meeting on May 4, 1898 as to "formulate a policy in view of the outbreak of
the Spanish-American war."

After the celebration of independence, Mabini succeeded Bautista as the advisor of

Aguinado. Bautista, became a member of the Malolos Congress, and was later on elected as the
President of the Revolutionary Congress on July 14, 1899. Afterwards, he succeeded Pedro A.
Paterno and became the second president of the Malolos Congress. Bautista, after the Philippine-
American war cooperated with the Americans for the rehabilitation, of the war-ravaged country.
On the later years of his life, Bautista became a court judge and worked for the people in
Pangasinan. He served until his unfortunate death on December 4, 1903, Bautista died at the age
of 63 due to a fatal fall from a horse-drawn vehicle.

Biography of Pedro A. Paterno

On February 27, 1858, Pedro Alejandro Paterno, the so-called peacemaker of the revolution, was
born in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Paterno's greatest contribution to the country was his role as a mediator in the Pact of Biak na
bato on December 14,1897 which led to peace agreement between the Spaniards and the
Filipinos, an account of which he published in 1910.

Although the agreement did not last long, it afforded General Emilio Aguinaldo the opportunity
to buy arms and ammunition to plot another uprising. Without the Pact which Paterno
successfully negotiated, the tide of events would have turned adversely against freedom-loving
Filipinos.

Paterno, belonging to a wealthy family, studied at Ateneo de Manila and afterward at the
University of Salamabca in Salamanca,Spain. He likewise enrolled at the Central University of
Madrid when he completed his law degree. Like other Spanish-erucated illustrados, he joined the
second period of the Revolution and became a prominent figure in the First Philippine Republic.

Owing to his prestige as a lawyer and a statesman, he was chosen as President of the Malolos
Congress, which met in inaugural session at the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan on
September 15, 1898.
After his capture by the Americans in Benguet in 1900, he became involved in the pacification
campaign. He was among the most prominent Filipinos who joined the American side and
advocated the incorporation of the Philippines into the United States.

Ardently serving the cause of he propaganda movement by means of his prolific pen, Paterno
wrote the fist Filipino novel written in Tagalog, "Ninay" which depicted the customs and
traditions of the people and was oublished in 1885, two years ahead of Dr. Jose Rizal's novel "
Noli Me Tangere."

He wrote the first Filipino collection of poems in Spanish, "Sampaguitas y Poesias Varias"
(Jasmines and Peoms), published in Madrid in 1880.

Paterno also contributed a lot in Philippine literature. His work "El Christianismo en la Antigua
Civilization Tagalog" achieved so much admiration and recognition.

Paterno died of cholera on April 26, 1911 at age of 53.

Chapter 8: On Rizal's Retraction ( Excerpt from Jose Rizal: The First Filipino) by Leon Ma.
Guerero

The controversy over Rizal's retraction and conversion is one of those issues which will
never be resolved because at least among Filipinos, neither side is open to conviction. The
foreigner, mercifully aloof from the religious and political passions aroused by this question,
would suggest a simple solution. The handwritten document of retraction having been produced,
it is genuine or is it a forgery? That is a matter for handwriting experts, and the weight of expert
opinion is in favor of authenticity. In his simplicity he foreigner might go farther. Why, he might
ask, is it so important whether or not Rizal returned to Catholic orthodoxy in his death-cell? If he
was converted, he did not thereby become less of a nationalist, for Burgos after all was an
ordained priest, or less of a patriot, for surely Catholics can be patriots, and in fact the great
majority of Filipinos are Catholics. If he didt not recant, the Catholic Church is not thereby proved
false, or any of its dogmas, doctrines, rituals, and practices; the Church has survived the apostasy
if greater men than Rizal. No reasonable Filipino would expatriate himself simply because Rizal
was converted; no Catholic by conviction would abjure his faith simply because Rizal did not
recant.

But reasonableness is a straw in the winds of this controversy. The very integrity of Rizal
himself has been put at stake, and it is therefore impossible to evade the issue in any biography
of his which in the slightest way pretends to be honest. The case against tge authenticity of the
retraction has never been put so persuasively as by Palma, and we are bound to consider it. At
the very start it must be said, with the greatest respect, that he evades the issue. He admits that
the instrument of retraction could not be ignored, if it could he proved that the text as well as
the signature of Rizal were genuine and authentic. He then makes no effort to enter into this
question and merely makes reference to the doubts raised by another author. He proceeds to
argue that, even if both text and signature were authentic, " the document would prove Rizal's
abjuration of Masonry but not his conversion to Catholicism...

....Why, they ask, did Rizal fail to tell his fond and pious mother that he had returned to her faith?
It would have given her such great joy and consolation! Why did not the Jesuits try to save his
life, putting his conversion beyond doubt and showing off their prize? Why was his body not
handed over to his family, and instead secretly buried? Why was it not buried in consecrated
ground? Why was his death entered on a speacial oage of the register between an unidentified
man and a suicide, both of whom must have been supposed to die impenitent and unshriven?
Why were there no requiem Masses said for the repose of his soul? Why was a copy of the
retraction not furnished his family despite their requests'? Why was a certificate of marriage
between Rizal and Josephine Bracken similarly withheld, and why has it not been produced to
this date? How odd that the original of he retraction should be found only thirty years after! How
curious that the wording of the handwritten document should differ from the versions first
published by the press, by Retana and by the Jesuits! Why did Retana fail to mention that the
retraction had been signed before two witnesses? Why was the Jesuit pamphlet left unsigned?
The pamphlet is shot through with demonstrable errors about Rizal's life- why not about his last
hours? Who was Balaguer, after all? How could a simple missionary from Dapitan succeeded
where Pastells, Sanchez, Sarda and Bougeaud had failed?...

... These questions about the external circumstances surrounding Rizal's recantation are surely
enough to raise a doubt. But what we might rather improperly call the internal argument, the
argument drawn from Rizal's own character, is even stronger. By the Jesuits' own account, he
remained firm in hus rationalized conviction. Donya Teodora said goodbye to her son on the
afternoon of the 29th, and did not see him in the morning of the day of execution, after his
convertion the night before. His retraction of religious errors could not affecf his conviction for
political offenses, and therefore no question could arise of saving him from execution any more
than there could have been in the case of Burgos, Gomez and Zamora, good Catholic priests to
the end, who nonetheless died under sentence of the court martial. Rizal's body was buried
secretly, and indeed his grave placed under guard for some time, for obvious political reasons; to
be specific, because it was feared that the insugents who fought under the manner of his name
might unearth his body, either to revere it as a nationalist relic or to propagate a myth about his
survival or resurrection. It was for this reason also that the execution was held within a military
square on the Luneta, and the crowd prevented from reaching the body. These precautions have
not been unknown in our times, and indeed they were not unknown to Pilate.
... No requiem Masses could be said openly, presumably because the penal code forbade public
obsequies for a condemned man. This does not mean that such Masses could not have been
offered in private. It would seem that Rizal was buried in the cemetery at oaco, not in a niche but
in the ground; if not, it could have consecrated for the occasion; in any case, Rizal's body was not
flung into the bay (like Don Rafael Ibarra's?) or buried casually in some rice field (like his brother
in-laws). He entry of his death on a special page of tje registry between two presumed
impenitents (Christ between two-thieves?) may very well have been due to the fact that he was,
at least in the eyes of the Spanish authorities, an executed felon. This status of Rizal before the
law at that time, which tends to be forgotten now that he is the national hero, explains most of
these difdiculties. The struggle in the death cell, therefore, is no longer between Rizal and the
regime, between Rizal and the friars, between Rizal and Balaguer. The real, the struggle is within
Rizal hinself, between Rizal and Rizal. A man who is about to die believing in God as Creator and
Judge, this man who kneels? sits? throws himself on the narrow iron cot? paces up and down the
cell?- this man, knowing him as we do, knowing him to be an honest seeker after the truth, the
young man who asks how he can be saved but cannot " over come his reason", is surely not
thinking of his name in the world, for that is vanity of vanities, and vanity soon to be left behind,
but of the God he will face in a few hours.

Note: The Case Study No. 1: Where did the first Catholic Mass happened in the Philippines
Limasawa or Butuan? Please refer this topic to your module and also for further reading and
understanding of the all the topics we discussed.