GAT ANDRES BONIFACIO
SUPREMO OF KATIPUNAN
THE
KATIPUNAN FLAG
1892-1898
Influence of the
Propaganda Movement
Further information:
La Liga Filipina and Propaganda Movement
A late 19th century photograph of leaders of the Propaganda
Movement: José Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce.
The Katipunan and the Cuerpo de Compromisarios were,
effectively, successor organizations of La Liga Filipina, founded by José
Rizal, as part of the late 19th century Propaganda Movement in the Philippines.
Katipunan founders Andrés Bonifacio, Ladislao Diwa, Teodoro Plata, Darilyo
Valino, Rulfo Guia, Dano Belica, Tiburcio Liamson, and Gabrino Manzanero were
all members of La Liga and were influenced by the nationalistic ideals of the
Propaganda Movement in Spain.
Marcelo H. del Pilar, another leader of the Propaganda
Movement in Spain, also influenced the formation of the Katipunan and
historians believe he had a direct hand in its organization because of his role
in the Propaganda Movement and his eminent position in Philippine Masonry. Most
of the founders of the Katipunan were free masons. The Katipunan had initiation
ceremonies that were copied from masonic rites. It also had an order of rank,
similar to that of free masonry. Rizal's Spanish biographer Wenceslao Retaña
and Filipino biographer Juan Raymundo Lumawag saw the formation of the
Katipunan as Del Pilar's victory over Rizal: "La Liga dies, and the
Katipunan rises in its place. Del Pilar's plan wins over that of Rizal. Del
Pilar and Rizal had the same end, even if each took a different road to
it."
Founding of the Katipunan
Captured Katipunan members (also known as Katipuneros), who
were also members of La Liga, revealed to the Spanish colonial authorities that
there was a difference of opinion among members of La Liga. One group insisted
on La Liga's principle of a peaceful reformation while the other espoused armed
revolution.
On the night of July 7, 1892, when Rizal was banished and
exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao, Andrés Bonifacio, a member of the La Liga
Filipina, founded the Katipunan in a house in Tondo, Manila.[5] He was assisted
by his two friends, Teodoro Plata (brother-in-law) and Ladislao Diwa, plus
Valentín Díaz and Deodato Arellano.[6] The Katipunan was founded along
Azcarraga St. (now Claro M. Recto Avenue) near Elcano St. in Tondo, Manila.
Despite their reservations about the peaceable reformation that Rizal espoused,
they named Rizal honorary president without his knowledge. The Katipunan,
established as a secret brotherhood organization, went under the name
Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng̃ Bayan (Supreme
and Venerable Society of the Children of the Nation)
The Katipunan had three aims, namely: to unite Filipinos
into one solid nation: to win Philippine independence by means of an armed
conflict (or revolution); to establish a communist republic after independence.
The rise of the Katipunan signalized the end of the crusade
to secure reforms from Spain by means of a peaceful campaign. The Propaganda
Movement led by Rizal, del Pilar, Jaena and others had failed its mission;
hence, Bonifacio started the militant movement for independence.
Administration
The Katipunan was governed by the Supreme Council called
Kataastaasang Sanggunian or simply Sanggunian.[10] The first Supreme Council of
the Katipunan was formed around August 1892, a month followed after the
founding of the society. The Sanggunian as well as the Katipunan society was
headed by an elected president called Pangulo, only until 1895 when Bonifacio
changed the title name; followed by the secretary/secretaries called Kalihim;
the treasurer called Tagaingat-yaman and the fiscal Tagausig.[11] The
Sanggunian also have its councilors, called Kasanguni, which, the number may
vary through presidencies.
Initially, the Supreme Council was headed by
Deodato Arellano, and the following as officials:
Deodato Arellano, president
Andrés Bonifacio, comptroller
Ladislao Diwa, fiscal
Teodoro Plata, secretary
Valentin Diaz, treasurer
In February 1893, the Supreme Council was reorganized, with
Ramon Basa as president and Bonifacio as the fiscal. On January 1895, Bonifacio
assumed the presidency of the Katipunan but renamed his title as Supremo (High
Leader). At the outbreak of the 1896 revolution, the Council was further
reorganized:
Andrés Bonifacio, Supremo
Emilio Jacinto, Secretary of State
Teodoro Plata, Secretary of War
Briccio Pantas, Secretary of Justice
Aguedo del Rosario, Secretary of the Interior
Enrique Pacheco, Secretary of Finance
Marina Dizon, head of women's division
In each province where there were Katipunan members, a
provincial council called Sangguniang Bayan was established and in each town
was an organized popular council called Sangguniang Balangay. Each Bayan and
Balangay had its own set of elected officials: Pangulo (president); Kalihim
(secretary); Tagausig (fiscal); Tagaingat-yaman (treasurer); Pangalawang
Pangulo (vice president); Pangalawang Kalihim (vice secretary); mga kasanguni
(councilors); Mabalasig (terrible brother); Taliba (guard); Maniningil (collector/auditor);
Tagapamahala ng Basahan ng Bayan(custodian of the People’s Library);
Tagapangasiwa (administrator); Manunulat (clerk); Tagatulong sa Pagsulat
(assistant clerk); Tagalaan (warden); and Tagalibot (patroller). Each Balangay
were given a chance to expand their own spheres of influence, through triangle
system in order to elevate their status to Sangguniang Bayan. Every Balangay
that did not gain Sanggunian Bayan status were dissolved and annexed by greater
provincial or popular councils.
The towns which supported the Katipunan cause were given
symbolic names, such as Magdiwang (To celebrate) for Noveleta; Magdalo (To
come) for Kawit; Magwagi (To win) for Naic; Magtagumpay (To succeed) for
Maragondon; Walangtinag (Never-diminished) for Indang and Haligue (Aggregate)
for Imus–all are in the province of Cavite.[14]
Within the society functioned a secret chamber, which was
presided over by Bonifacio, Jacinto, and Dr. Pío Valenzuela. This mysterious
chamber passed judgment upon those who had turned traitors to their oath and
those accused of certain offenses penalized by Katipunan laws. Every katipunero
stood in a fearful awe of this chamber. According to Jose P. Santos, throughout
the existence of the secret chamber, about five katipuneros were convicted and
sentenced to die be by the chamber. The death sentence was handed down in the
figure of a cup with a serpent coiled around it.
Leaders
In 1892, after the Katipunan was founded, the members of the
Supreme Council consisted of Arellano as president, Bonifacio as comptroller,
Diwa as fiscal, Plata as secretary and Díaz as treasurer.
In 1893, the Supreme Council comprised Ramon Basa as
president, Bonifacio as fiscal, José Turiano Santiago as secretary, Vicente
Molina as treasurer and Restituto Javier, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Gonzales.
Teodoro Gonzalez, Plata and Diwa were councilors.[16] It was during Basa's term
that the society organized a women's auxiliary section. Two of its initial
members were Gregoria de Jesus, whom Bonifacio had just married, and Marina
Dizon, daughter of José Dizon. It was also in 1893 when Basa and Diwa organized
the provincial council of Cavite, which would later be the most successful
council of the society.
The Filipino scholar Maximo Kalaw reports that Basa yielded
the presidency to Bonifacio, who was then called Supremo, in 1894 because of a
dispute over the usefulness of the initiation rites and Bonifacio's handling of
the society's funds. Moreover, Basa refused to induct his son into the
organization.
It was also in 1894 when Emilio Jacinto, a nephew of Dizon
who was studying law at the University of Santo Tomas, joined the Katipunan. He
intellectualized the society's aims and formulated the principles of the
society as embodied in its primer, called Kartilla. It was written in Tagalog
and all recruits were required to commit it to heart before they were
initiated. Jacinto would later be called the Brains of the Katipunan.
At the same time, Jacinto also edited Kalayaan (Freedom),
the society's official organ, but only one edition of the paper was issued; a
second was prepared but never printed due to the discovery of the society.
Kalayaan was published through the printing press of the Spanish newspaper
Diario de Manila. This printing press and its workers would later play an
important role in the outbreak of the revolution.
In 1895, José Turiano Santiago, a close personal friend of
Bonifacio, was expelled because a coded message of the Katipunan fell into the
hands of a Spanish priest teaching at the University of Santo Tomas. Since the
priest was a friend of Santiago's sister, he and his half-brother Restituto
Javier were suspected of betrayal, but the two would remain loyal to the
Katipunan and Santiago would even join the Philippine revolutionary forces in
the Philippine-American War. Jacinto replaced Santiago as secretary.
In early 1895, Bonifacio called a meeting of the society and
deposed Basa in an election that installed Bonifacio as president, Jacinto as
Fiscal, Santiago as secretary, Molina as secretary, Pío Valenzuela and
Pantaleon Torres as physicians, and Aguedo del Rosario and Doreteo Trinidad as
councilors.
On December 31, 1895, another election named Bonafacio as
president, Jacinto as Fiscal, Santiago as secretary, Molina as secretary, Pío
Valenzuela and Pantaleon Torres as physicians, and Aguedo del Rosario and
Doreteo Trinidad as councilors.
The members of the Supreme Council in 1895 were Bonifacio as
president, Valenzuela as fiscal and physician, Jacinto as secretary, and Molina
as treasurer. Enrico Pacheco, Pantaleon Torres, Balbino Florentino, Francisco
Carreon and Hermenegildo Reyes were named councilors.
Eight months later, in August 1896, the fifth and last
supreme council was elected to renamed offices. Bonifacio was named Supremo,
Jacinto Sectretary of State, Plata Secretary of War, Bricco Pantas Secretary of
Justice, Aguedo del Rosario Secretary of Interior and Enrice Pacheco Secretary
of Finance.
Members
A late 19th century photograph of an armed Filipino rebels,
known as the Katipuneros.
Over the next four years, the Katipunan founders would
recruit new members. By the time the society was uncovered, the American writer
James Le Roy estimated the strength of the Katipunan at 100,000 to 400,000
members. Historian Teodoro Agoncillo estimated that the membership had
increased to around 30,000 by 1896. The Ilocano writer Isabelo de los Reyes
estimated membership at 15,000 to 50,000.
Aside from Manila, the Katipunan also had sizeable chapters
in Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.
There were also smaller chapters in Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan and
the Bicol region. The Katipunan founders spent their free time recruiting
members. For example, Diwa, who was a clerk at a judicial court, was assigned
to the office of a justice of the peace in Pampanga. He initiated members in
that province as well as Bulacan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. Most of the
Katipuneros were plebeian although several wealthy patriots joined the society
and submitted themselves to the leadership of Bonifacio.
Katipunero (plural, mga Katipunero) is the demonym of a male
member of the Katipunan. Katipunera (plural, mga Katipunera) refers to female
members.
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