Case Study 3: Where Did the Cry of Rebellion Happen?

Momentous events swept the Spanish colonies in the late

nineteenth century, including the Philippines. Journalists of the time
referred to the phrase El Grito de Rebelion" or "Cry of Rebellion" to
mark the start of these revolutionary events, identifying the places
where it happened. In the Philippines, this happened in August 1896,
northeast of Manila, where they declared rebellion against the Spanish
colonial government. These events are important markers in the history
of colonies that struggled for their independence against their
colonizers.
The controversy regarding this event stems from the
identification of the date and place where the Cry happened. Prominent
Filipino historian Teodoro Agoncillo emphasizes the event when
Bonifacio tore the cedula or tax receipt before the Katipuneros who also
did the same. Some writers identified the first military eventwith the
Spaniards as the moment of the Cry, for which, Emilio Aguinaldo
commissioned an "Himno de Balintawak to inspire the renewed struggle
after the Pact of the Biak-na-Bato failed. A monument to the Heroes
of 1896 was erected in what is now the intersection of Epifanio de
los Santos (EDSA) Avenue and Andres Bonifacio Drive-North Diversion
road, and from then on until 1962, the Cry of Balintawak was celebrated
every 26th of August. The site of the monument was cho8en for an
unknown reason.
Different Dates and Places of the Cry
Various accounts of the Cry give different dates and places. A
guardia civil, Lt. Olegario Diaz, identified the Cry to have happened in
Balintawak on 25 August 1896. Teodoro Kalaw, Filipino historian, marks
the place to be in Kangkong, Balintawak, on the last week of August
1896. Santiago Alvarez, a Katipunero and son of Mariano Alvarez,
leader of the Magdiwang faction in Cavite, put the Cry in Bahay Toro in
Quezon City on 24 August 1896. Pio Valenzuela, knownKatipunero and
privy to many events concerning the Katipunan stated that the Cry
happened in Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896. Historian Gregorio Zaide
identified the Cry to have happened in Balintawak on 26 August 1896,
while Teodoro Agoncillo put it at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896,
according to statements by Pio Valenzuela. Research by historians
Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion, and Ramon Villegas
claimed that the event took place in Tandang Sora's barn in Gulod,
Barangay Banlat, Quezon City, on 24 August 1896.
Primary Source: Accounts of the Cry
Guillermo Masangkay
Source: Guillermo Masangkay, "Cry of Balintawak" in Gregorio Zaide
and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8
(Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 307-309.
On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the
house of Apolonio Samson, then cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan.
Among those who attended, I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio
Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro
Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco Carreon. They
were all leaders of the Katipunan and composed the board of directorsof
the organization. Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, and
Morong were also present.
At about nine o'clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting
was opened with Andres Bonifacio presiding and Bmilio Jacinto acting
as secretary. The purpose was to discuss when the uprising was to take
place. Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all
opposed to starting the revolution too early... Andres Bonifacio,sensing
that he would lose in the discussion then, left the session halland talked
to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting
of the leaders. He told the people that the leaders were arguing against
starting the revolution early, and appealed to them ina fiery speech in
which he said: "You remember the tate of our countrymen who were
shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now tothe towns, the Spaniards
will only shoot us. Our organization has beendiscovered and we are all
marked men. If we don't start the uprising,the Spaniards will get us
anyway. What then, do you say?
"Revolt!" the people shouted as one.
Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they wereto
revolt. He told them that the sign of slavery of the Filipinos were (Sic)
the cedula tax charged each citizen. "If it is true that you are ready to
revolt... I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be a sign that
all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.
Pio Valenzuela
Source: Pio Valenzuela, "Cry of Pugad Lawin," in Gregorio Zaide and
Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8
(Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 301-302.
The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto,
Procopio Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was
Balintawak, the first five arriving there on August 19, and I, on August
20, 1896. The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan
met on August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samsonat
Kangkong. Aside from the persons mentioned above, among thosewho
were there were Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Kamon Bernardo,
Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were onlyexchanged, and
no resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad lawin, the house
store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where
over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable
debate and discussion on August 23, 1896. The discussion was on
whether or not the revolution against theSpanish government should be
started on August 29, 1896... After the tumultuous meeting, many of
those present tore their cedula certificates and shouted "Long live the
Philippines! Long live the Philippines!
From the eyewitness accounts presented, there is indeed marked
disagreement among historical witnesses as to the place andtime of the
occurrence of the Cry. Using primary and secondary sources, tour
places have been identified: Balintawak, Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and
Bahay Toro, while the dates vary: 23, 24, 25, or 26August 1896.
Valenzuela's account should be read with caution: He once told a
Spanish investigator that the "Cry happened in Balintawak on
Wednesday, 26 August 1896. Much later, he wrote in his Memoirs of
the Revolution that it happened at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896.
Such inconsistencies in accounts should always be seen as a red fiag
when dealing with primary sources.
According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and Villegas, all these places
are in Balintawak, then part of Caloocan, now, in Quezon City.As for the
dates, Bonifacio and his troops may have been moving fromone place to
another to avoid being located by the Spanish government, which could
explain why there are several accounts of the Cry.