CRY OF BALINTAWAK OR PUGAD LAWIN
ACCORDING TO HISTORIANS, THERE ARE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE FIRST
CRY OF REVOLUTION, WHERE IN THEY DIFFER ON THEIR DATES AND PLACES
WHERE THIS EVENT HAPPENED. IT IS SAID THAT UP TO THIS DAY, THE
CONTROVERSY STILL REMAINS UNSOLVED. SOME SAID THAT THE FIRST CRY
HAPPENED IN BALINTAWAK, WHILST SOME SAID THAT IT TOOK PLACE IN
PUGAD LAWIN. THERE ARE 4 VERSIONS OF STORY THAT TACKLES THE FIRST
CRY OF REVOLUTION, INCLUDING INCLUDE PIO VALENZUELA’S
CONTROVERSIAL “CRY OF PUGAD LAWIN”, SANTIAGO ALVAREZ’S “THE CRY OF
BAHAY TORO”, GREGORIA DE JESUS’ VERSION OF THE “FIRST CRY”, AND
GUILLERMO MASANGKAY’S “THE CRY OF BALINTAWAK”.
PIO VALENZUELA’S CONTROVERSIAL “CRY OF PUGAD
LAWIN”
(AUGUST 23, 1896)
THIS VERSION OF THE "CRY OF THE PUGAD LAWIN" WERE APPROVED BY DR. PIO
VALENZUELA. HE IS AN EYEWITNESS TO THE EVENTS OF AUGUST 23, 1896,
WROTE HIS MEMOIRS OF THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT CONSULTING THE
WRITTEN DOCUMENTS OF THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION AND CLAIMED THAT
THE "CRY" OCCURRED AT PUGAD LAWIN. IN HIS FIRST VERSION, HE STATED
THAT THE CRY'S MAIN STAGING POINT WAS IN BALINTAWAK ON AUGUST 26,
1896. HE GAVE THIS ACCOUNT WHILE THE EVENTS OR HAPPENINGS WERE STILL
FRESH IN HIS MIND.
ACCORDING TO PIO VALENZUELA, HIM SELF, ANDRES BONIFACIO, EMILIO
JACINTO, PROCOPIO BONIFACIO, TEODORO PLATA, AND AGUEDO DEL
ROSARIO ARRIVE AT BALINTAWAK BETWEEN AUGUST 19 AND AUGUST 20
1869
500 MEMMBERS OF KATIPUNAN GATHERED AT THE HOUSE AND YARD OF
APOLONIO SAMSON ON AUGUST 22, 1896.
BRICCIO PANTAS, ALEJANDRO SANTIAGO, RAMON BERNARDO, APOLONIO
SAMSON, AND OTHERS WERE ALSO GATHERED TO EXCHANGE OPINIONS
AND VIEWS.
DURING AUGUST 23, 1896, IN PUGAD LAWIN WHERE OVER 1000 MEMBERS
OF KATIPUNAN GATHERED TO DISCUSS WHETHER TO START THE
REVOLUTION AGAINTS SPANISH ON AUGUST 29, 1896.
AFTER THE MEETING, THE PRESENT MEMBERS OF KATIPUNAN TORE THEIR
CEDULAS AND SHOUTED “LONG LIVE THE PHILIPPINES! LONG LIVE THE
PHILIPPINES” ( “MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS! MABUHAY!)
GUILLERMO MASANGKAY’S THE “CRY OF BALINTAWAK”
(AUGUST 26, 1896)
GUILLERMO MASANGKAY OF THE KATIPUNAN WROTE THIS VERSION. HE
WITNESSED THE HISTORIC EVENT AND WAS BONIFACIO'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND.
ACCORDING TO HIM, THE FIRST RALLY OF THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION TOOK
PLACE IN BALINTAWAK ON AUGUST 26, 1896. SIMILARLY, THE DATE AND
LOCATION PRESENTED WERE ACCEPTED BY THE EARLY YEARS OF AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT.
ACCORDING TO GENERAL GUILLERMO MASANGKAY, ON AUGUST 26 1896,
A MEETING WAS HELD AT BALINTAWAK AT APOLONIO SAMSON’S HOUSE
IN CALOOCAN. MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED INCLUDING ANDRES
BONIFACIO, EMILIO JACINTO, AGUEDO DEL ROSARIO, TOMAS REMIGIO,
BRICCIO PANTAS, TEODORO PLATA, PIO VALENZUELA, ENRIQUE
PACHECO, AND FRANCISCO CARREON. AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES
FROM BULACAN CABANATUAN, CAVITE, AND MORONG (RIZAL)
THEY WERE KNOWN AS LEADERS AND BOARD MEMBERS OF KATIPUNAN
IN THE MORNING OF AUGUST 26, LED BY ANDRES BONIFACIO, THE
MEMBERS DISCUSSES WHEN TO START THE REVOLUTION
TEODORO PLATA, BRICCIO PANTAS, AND PIO VALENZUELA DISAGREES
ABOUT STARTING THE REVOLUTION EARLY.
ANDRES BONIFACIO LEFT THE MEETING AND TALK TO THE OTHER
MEMBERS OUTSIDE, HE STATED “YOU REMEMBER THE FATE OF OUR
COUNTRYMEN WHO WERE SHOT IN BAGUMBAYAN. SHOULD WE RETURN NOW
TO THE TOWNS, THE SPANIARDS WILL ONLY SHOOT US. OUR ORGANIZATION
HAS BEEN DISCOVERED AND WE ARE ALL MARKED MEN. IF WE DON’T START
THE REVOLUTION, THE SPANIARDS WILL GET US ANYWAY. WHAT THEN, DO
YOU SAY?”
THE PEOPLE SHOUTED “REVOLT!” (“MAGHIMAGSIK!”). THE PEOPLE
PLEDGE BY TEARING THEIR CEDULAS AS A SIGN OF DECLARATION FROM
FREEING AS A SLAVERY OF SPANIARDS. THEY TORE THEIR CEDULAS WITH
EMOTION AND DEVOTION.
BONIFACIO WENT BACK TO THE MEETING HALL AND TOLD THE LEADERS
THE THE PEOPLE WANTED TO STAR THE REVOLUTION KNOW AND
DESTROYED THEIR CEDULAS ALREADY. THE LEADERS LEAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO AGREE INCLUDING THOSE WHO PROTESTED AGAINST TAKING THE
REVOLUTION EARLY
THE PEOPLE THE SHOUTED “LONG LIVE THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC”
(“MABUHAY AND REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS”)
IN THE AFTERNOON, WHILE CELEBRATING FOR THE START OF
REVOLUTION, THE LOOK OUT GUARDS WARNS THE KATIPUNANS THAT
THE SPANIARDS WERE COMING
LED BY ANDRES BONIFACIO AND OTHER LEADERS OF KATIPUNAN, THE
MEMBERS WERE DISTRIBUTED IN STRATEGIC POSITIONS. SHOTS WERE
FIRED, AND THE CONFILTRATION BEGINS
