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DOCUMENTS
OF THE Katipunan |
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The Supreme Assembly Record
of meeting held on March 22, 1896, in Mandaluyong Source: Archivo General Militar de
Madrid: Caja 5677, leg.1.79 |
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Introduction In the months prior to August 1896
the Katipunan’s highest decision-making body was the Kataastaasang Kapisanan
(Supreme Assembly), which comprised the members of the Supreme Council; the
presidents of the Sangunian Bayan (Popular Councils); and the presidents of
Balangay (Branches) not affiliated to Sangunian Bayan. The presidents were often accompanied by
one or two other leading activists from their sections. This document is the record of the
fourth meeting of the Supreme Assembly, the previous three having been held
as follows:-
It is not
known exactly how many times the Supreme Assembly convened after this fourth
meeting on March 22, 1896, which was held at the house of Brother “Talisay”
in Mandaluyong. The formal records of
the subsequent meetings have not yet been located. Almost certainly, though, it met again on
at least a further three occasions:-
The English text below the transcription is an abbreviated
paraphrase of the document, not a translation. The paragraph markers – (a), (b) etc. - do not appear
in the original, and have been inserted simply to facilitate comparison
between the Tagalog text and the English paraphrase. The
illegibility of a few phrases – only two or three words in each instance – is
due not to Emilio Jacinto’s handwriting but to the fact that the document got
wet at some stage in its history and the ink ran. |
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K . K . K. N. M. A. N. B. Kataastaasang Kapisanan (- Pinagsulatan -) (a) Sa ngalan ng Bayang tinubuan, at sa lalung
kapurihan at kaayusan ng K.K.K. (b) Ngayong ikadalawang puo’t dalawa ng Marzo
ng taung isang libo, walong dan, siam na puo’t anim, itong K. Kapisanan ay
gumawa ng isang pagpupulong sa bayan ng Mandaluyong sa bahay ng kap. na
Talisay. (c) Sa ikasampung daguk ng bakal sa tansu ng
umaga, binuksan ang kagalanggalang na kar., at ang k. kal. sa kapahintulutan
ng k.p., ay binasa ang pinagsulatan ng sinusundang pulong ng ikauna ng Enero
ng taung umiiral. Tungkol sa mga
[illegible] tala na ang mga Pinakakatawan ng K.K. ay ang mga p. ng mga Sb. at
mga By. na walang nakasasakup na Sb. lamang, ayon sa talagang pinagusapan at
pinagkaisahan. Ang paalalang ito’y
pinatunayan ng madlang nakaharap naman, kaya’t idinagdag na itinala sa
pinagsulatan, at saka na tinatakan at tinalaan ng k.p at k.kal. (d) Ipinagsabi ng isang kpon., na ang kap. na
Gatchula, p. ng By. Tala ay humihingi ng kapatawaran sa di niya pagdalo,
sapagka’t nanganganak ang asawa.
Pinatunayan ng marami’t minarapat ng lahat. (e) Ipinahayag ng k.p. ang panukala niyang
magtayu ng isang pulutong na tangi, na walang ibang tutungkulin kung di ang
lahat ng nauukol sa pagaabuloy at mga pagsaklolo. Sa pagkabatid ng lahat nang pagkaikailangan
nito, ayon sa kaayusan ng K.K.K., pinagkaisahang matayu ang pulutong na ito. Sapagka’t kapagkatapus ng isang mahaba’t
masiyasat na paglilining at mga tutol ng isa’t isa, ay hualang lumitaw na may
malinis at malinaw na karapatan, tungkol sa pagtatatag ng pulutong na ito’y
pinagkayariang maghalal ng mga kap [illegible] at lumagda ng Patnugutang
[illegible]. Ang mga kpong. lumabas na
nahalal ay ang mga kap. na Tagaisok, Leon, Matunog at Makabuhay. (f) Pinagkaisahang gagamitin muna ang dating
palakad sa mga pagsaklolo, datapua’t ito’y hindi gagawin sa mga kpong hindi
tumutupad ng katungkulan niya, kung di nagbubuhat ang di pagtupad na ito sa
tunay at matuid na dahil. (g) Ipinagsabi ang panukalang magpalabas ng
isang “Atasan” na siyang maituturing na Gaceta oficial ng Kat. Sa pagkakilala ng lahat ng pagkakailangan
nito, ay minarapat na pinagkaisahang palabasin. Sapagka’t hindi mangyayari ang pinagkaisahang
ito, dala ng kakapusang malaki ng mga kagamitan sa limbagan ng K.K.K., ito’y
ipinagsabi ng mga kap. na doo’y nakaharap at nakaalam ng mga gawang
paglilimbag. Sa maringig ito ng kap.
na Buhawi, na tumama sa premio mayor ng Loteria, ay kusang
naghandog ang limang puong piso sa kabagayang ito. Ang kap. na Tagasapa na pinakakatawan
[illegible] kpon. sa Nueva Ecija, ay nangakung magbibigay sa ngalan ng mga
kinakatawan, ng dalawang puo’t limang piso, na kaniyang dadalhin pagbabalik
niya sa Maynila inakamahal na araw.
Ang kap. na Alang-alang ay naghandog ng tatlong piso sa bagay ding
ito. Ang kap. na Magiliw na
pinakakatawan ng Sb. Makabuhay ay nagalay ng sampung piso sa ngalan ng
kaniyang nasasakupan. Ang kap. na
Pagsanhan ay nagbigay ng dalawang piso sa bagay ding ito.- Pinagkaisahan din
na ang Atasan ay palabasin sa bawat buan .
Pinagkaisahan na ang mga pulutong ay magpapasulat sa pilitan sa Atasan
at ang mga kpon. ang may ibig lamang.
Pinagkaisahang isang salapi ang ibabayad sa isang buan ng mga pulutong
at sikolo ang mga kpon. (h) Tungkol sa periodicong tagalog na
mangagaling sa kaharian ng Japon ay pinagkaisahan itong mga sumusunod: Una: Ang lahat ng kpon. may katungkulang
pagpilitang magpasulat at [illegible] magpasulat ang mga taong labas na
inaakalang magkarapatan [?]. Ikalawa:
Ang mga pinakakatawanan ng mga pulutong ay siyang makikipagalam [?] sa K.S.
tungkol sa pagpapasulat at ang mga pinakakatawang ito ang makikipagalam sa
mga kpong nagpapasulat at sa mga dikaalam na hinikayat magpasulat ng kaniyang
mga kpon. Ikatlo: - Ang mga pangalan
ng mga taong nagpapasulat ay di gagamitin at walang ikakikilala sa kanila
kung di sa pamagitan ng taglay na kabilangan:
Sa bagay na ito’y magkakaroon ng kasaysayan ng mga nagpapasulat sa
lihim sa pagsulat ang kanilang mga pangalan at sa tapat ang bilang na nauukol
sa bawa’t isa. (i) Sa
pagkakilala ng lahat na ang kap. na Dimas Ayaran ay di mangyayaring manatili
sa gayong pamumuhay, na tutoong salat at di pa nabayaran ng talagang dapat sa
sinasagut na katungkulan.
Pinagkaisahan [illegible] sumusunod: Una: ang mga pangulo ay managut
buan buan, maningil at hindi ang kaniyang mga kpon, ng isang halagang
nakataning. (j) Sa bagay na ito ang mga pinakakatawang
doo’y nakaharap nanagut ang Sb. Katagalugan ng $10’0, ang Sb. Dimahipo $3’00,
ang Sb. Makabuhay $7’00, ang By. Dapitan $2’00, ang K.S. $1’00, ang Sb.
Mahiganti $3’50, ang By. Dimasalang $1’50. – Ikalawa: - ang kap. na Dimas
Alang [sic] ay papagbabayarin ng patente, at sa bagay na ito’y nagbukas
ng ambagan sa pagkakaharapang yaun, na lumabas ng ganito: Maypagasa $1-,
Vicente Leiva 1-, Labong 1-p., Ilagan $1-, Buhawi 2-p, Tambuli – 50, Tagaisok
–50, Mapilit –50, Laot –50, Leon –50, Batobalani –50, Matunog –50, Magiliw
–50p, Loob –25p., Pagsanhan –50p., Bakal –25p, Kalipulako –50, Bulalakaw –50,
Tagosapa –50p., Sampalok –20p. ang nailigpit sa suput ng saklolo 1’27p. (k) Pinagkaisahang ilathala ang malaking
paglilingkod ng mga kap. na Makahia at Talisay na nagpakain sa makapal na
kapatid na nagsidalo, ng walang hangad na ano pa man. (l) Kapagkatapus sumumpa ang lahat ayon sa
dating ugali niwakasan ang kar. sa dapit hapun. (m) Maynila, ika 22 ng Marzo ng taung 1896. Ang
K. P. Ang K. Kal Pnllknzll |
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English paraphrase K . K . K. N. M. A. N.
B. Supreme Assembly (- Record -) (a) In the name of the native
country, and for the honor and good order of the K.K.K. (b) Today, March 22, 1896, this
Supreme Assembly held a meeting in the town of (c) The respected summit began
at ten strikes of the iron on the copper in the morning. With the consent of the supreme president,
the supreme secretary read out the report of the previous meeting of the
Assembly held on January 1, 1896.
Questions were raised about the tally of the delegates who had been
present at that meeting, and it was confirmed that the membership of the
Supreme Assembly comprised the presidents of the Sangunian Bayan (Popular
Councils) and the presidents of Balangay (Branches) that were not affiliated
to Sangunian Bayan. The Assembly
agreed that this was in line with what had been previously discussed and
agreed, and so the list of those present at the January meeting was duly
augmented. The report of that meeting
was then certified and sealed by Bonifacio and Jacinto. (d) A member stated that
Buenaventura Domingo, the president of By. Tala, had asked to be excused from
attendance at the Assembly because his wife was having a baby. The reason for his absence was confirmed by
others, and accepted by all. (e) Bonifacio proposed that a
group be established with specific responsibility for all matters regarding mutual
assistance and support. Everybody
recognized that this proposal was in the interests of good order within the
Katipunan, and it was approved. After
a long and searching discussion, however, in which everybody expressed
conflicting views, the Assembly gave no clear and unequivocal mandate for the
establishment of such a group. It was
therefore decided [illegibility makes this meaning tentative] to elect four
members to consider this matter further, and Aguedo del Rosario, Gregorio
Coronel, Salustiano Cruz and Enrique Pacheco were duly elected for this
purpose. (f) It was agreed that in the
meantime the existing arrangements should continue, but that support should
not be extended to members who were not fulfilling their duties, unless they
had a real and genuine excuse. (g) The Assembly discussed the plan to issue a
“Bulletin” [more literally, “Ordinances”], which would be like the Official
Gazette of the Katipunan.
Everybody recognized the need for such a publication, and the plan was
approved. Members present who knew
about printing, however, cautioned that the plan could not be implemented at
present because the Katipunan’s printing press had only a very limited
capacity. On hearing this, Brother
“Buhawi”, who had won first prize in the lottery, volunteered to give 50
pesos towards the cost of a better printing press. Brother “Tagasapa”, from Nueva Ecija,
promised to give 25 pesos in the name of members in that province when he
returned to (h) Regarding the newspaper coming from the Empire of
Japan, the following was agreed: First: all members had a firm duty to
write for the paper and solicit contributions from sympathizers outside the
KKK. Second: the representatives of
the sections should encourage their members to write contributions, and
should relay any contributions to the Supreme Council. Third:
the names of the members who contributed to the paper would not be
published, and no one would know their identity except by means of a number,
and the names that corresponded to each number would be recorded only in a
secret register. (i) Everyone acknowledged that
Brother Pio Valenzuela could not continue to act as the KKK’s physician
unless he was adequately paid for his services, and it was agreed that the
section presidents should each be responsible for contributing a set amount
each month. (j)
In this regard, the sections represented at the Assembly would be responsible
for making monthly contributions as follows: Sb. Katagalugan $10’0; Sb.
Dimahipo $3’00; Sb. Makabuhay $7’00; By. Dapitan $2’00; the Supreme Council
$1’00; Sb. Mahiganti $3’50; and By. Dimasalang $1’50. Second, Brother Dimas Alang [sic[3]]
needed to pay for a licence to practise medicine, and a fund was opened for
this purpose to which the following contributions were made: Andres Bonifacio
$1-; Vicente Leiva 1-; Lino Villanueva 1-p.; Rafael Gutierrez $1-; Victoriano
Domingo 2-p; “Tambuli” – 50; Aguedo del Rosatio –50; Adriano de Jesus –50;
Isabelo Reyes –50; Gregorio Coronel –50; Genaro de los Reyes –50; Salustiano
Cruz; –50; Ignacio Sanchez [?] –50p; “Loob” –25p.; Policarpio Tarla –50p.;
“Bakal” –25p; “Kalipulako” –50; Pantaleon Torres –50; “Tagosapa” –50p.;
Cornelio Sanchez [?] –20p. The sum of
1’27p was placed in the collection pouch. (k) The Assembly thanked
brothers “Makahia” [probably Liborio de Guzman] and “Talisay” for their
generous hospitality, and for feeding the large number of brothers who had
gathered – no one could have wished for anything more. (l)
After all those present had sworn
the customary oath [to divulge nothing of what they had seen and heard], the
summit ended in the late afternoon. (m) The supreme president The supreme secretary Pinkian |
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Notes