DOCUMENTS OF THE Katipunan
HOME The Supreme Council Record of meeting held on March 15, 1896 Source: Archivo General Militar de Madrid: Caja 5677, leg.1.80.
Introduction On Sunday, March 15, 1896 the Supreme Council met at Bonifacio’s house from nine o’clock in the morning until one in the afternoon. Jacinto’s record of the proceedings, transcribed below, summarises the key points discussed and decisions agreed. The Supreme Council approved the records of its previous ordinary meeting and of its meetings in Mandaluyong (on January 5) and Malabon (on January 6) at which popular councils had been established in those towns. It was reported that the money collected on February 28, 1896 had totalled thirteen pesos and 20 kualta (sikapat), excluding a contribution that was still awaited from Malabon. It was reported that that money collected to pay the salary of Pio Valenzuela (“Dimas Ayaran”) as KKK physician for the month of February totalled thirty-eight pesos and tatlong bahagi’t apat, and that there was thus a shortfall for the month of twenty-one pesos, isang salapi at labing anim na kualta.[1] It was agreed to appoint Gregorio Coronel (“Leon” – the president of the KKK council in Malabon) as a member of the Supreme Council and to place him in charge of the Basahan ng Bayan, which might be translated as “People’s Reading Room” or possibly even as “National Library”. The initial core of this collection is said to have been formed by books from Bonifacio’s personal library, law books donated by Jacinto, and medical books donated by Jacinto.[2] Balbino Florentino (“Silang”), who had previously been responsible for the collection, was appointed to the position of Administrator, relieving the over-burdened Jacinto. Coronel and Florentino took their oaths of office. It was agreed that the membership should be reminded about the need for donations of cash and books to help build the Basahan ng Bayan, because “many people had still not contributed”. The Supreme Council agreed to make known to the membership the new “signals” – gestures, forms of greeting, and a password - that had been agreed by the Supreme Assembly in November 1895, the changes being necessary because the Katipunan had now been “cleansed” of bad elements. It was also agreed that a contest should be held to devise a new secret code for the organisation. Members would be invited to submit their proposals to the Supreme Council in a sealed envelope by not later than May 15, 1896, and the entries would then be judged against the dual, potentially conflicting, criteria of ingenuity and simplicity. The member who submitted the best code would win a piece of silver jewellery donated by Gregorio Coronel. The Supreme Council then discussed arrangements for the meeting of the Supreme Assembly due to be held in the town of Mandaluyong on the following Sunday, March 22. It was agreed that those making the trip from Manila should assemble at Bonifacio’s house at seven o’clock in the morning, and bring with them kahati (40 kualta) for food and transportation. The Supreme Council also settled the main topics to be discussed by the Supreme Assembly, so that those matters could be given due forethought.
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K . K . K. N. M. A. N. B. Kataastaasang Sangunian (- Pinagsulatan -) Sa ngalan ng Bayang tinubuan at sa lalung kapurihan at kaayusan ng K.K.K., itong K.S. ay gumawa, sa ikalabinglima ng Marzo ng taung isang libo, walong dan, siam na puo’t anim, ng isang pagpupulong sa bahay ng kap. na Maypagasa, ayon sa mga ugaling pulong ng K.S. na pinagkaisahan sa sinusundang pagpupulong. Sa ikasiam na daguk na bakal sa tansu ng umaga, ay binuksan ang kar., at tuloy binasa ng Kal. ang pinagsulatan ng pulong na nagdaan, at ang sa pagtatayu ng Sb. sa mga bayan ng Mandaluyong at Malabon, na pinatunayang lahat ng taung kaharap. Inusisa at ipinakilala sa lahat ang salaping nailigpit ng araw ng ikadalawang puo’t walo ng nakaraus na buan, at lumabas na labing tatlong piso at sikapat, liban ang sa Malabon na di pa dumadating. Inusisa at ipinakilala sa lahat ang salaping naililigpit, ukol sa kap. na Dimas Ayaran, at ang lumabas ay tatlong puo’t walong piso, at tatlong bahagi’t apat. Sa makatuid ang nagiging kulang pa sa buan ng Febrero ay dalawang puo’t isang piso, isang salapi at labing anim na kualta. Ang kap. na Leon, p. ng By. “Masikap” na pinadalo sa pulong na ito, ay pinagpahayagan ng k.p. na kung kaya siya ipinatawag at nangyaring pinaharap sa pulong na ito, dahil sa minarapat ng K.S. siya’y mapisan dito at makatulong sa makapal na gagawin. Sa bagay na ito’y nahalal siyang Tagapamahala ng “Basahan ng Bayan” at sabay na Kasanguni ng K.S. Sapagka’t ang katungkulang Tagapamahala ay hinahawakang dati ng kap. na Silang, sa kap. na ito ang natungkol ay ang sa Tagapangasiwa na hinahawakan ng kap. na Pingkian. Pinagkaisahang ipalalathala na ang mga bagong hudiatan na pinagkaisahan sa pulong ng K.K. nang ika ng Noviembre ng taung nagdaan, sapagka’t may kalinisan na ang Kat. sa masamang K. Pinagkaisahang magbubukas ng isang pahayagan ng mga panukala tungkol sa pagsulat na lihim na dapat gamitin ng K.K.K. Pinagkaisahan ding makasasali dito ang sino mang kpon., at ang makapagpakilala ng lalung [?] matalino’t magaan ay bibigian ng pala na isang hiyas na pilak na inihahandog ng kap. na Leon. Ang mga panukala ay tatalaan ng may katha at ilalagay sa isang balutang-sulat na nakadikit, at ibibigay sa K.S. Ang mga pagbibigay ay hindi na tatangapin kung di hangang sa ikalabinglima ng buan ng Mayong dadating. Ang hahatul ay ang K.S. Pinasumpa at pinatangap ng bago niyang katungkulan ang kap. na Leon. Pinagkaisahan itong mga sumusunod tungkol sa pulong na gagawin ng K.K. sa ika 22 ng buang umiiral:- Una – Ang lahat ng dadalo ay aambag ng mangahati – Ikalawa – Ang hindi dumating sa ikapitong daguk ng bakal sa tansu ng umaga sa bahay ng kap. na Maypagasa ay iiwan, pagka’t ang pulong ay sa Mandaluyong. – Ikatlo:- ipakikilala ang mga unang paguusapan at ng maaralang mahinahon:- Ikaapat:- ang salaping ambag ay igugugol sa pagkain at paglakbay. Pinagkaisahang magpapadala ng pasabi sa lahat, tungkol sa ambag at mga librong nauukol sa Basahan, na makapal pa ang hindi nagbibigay. Kapagkatapus sumumpa ang lahat sa dating ugali na di isisiwalat ang lahat ng namasdan at napakingan, iniwakasan itong pagpupulong sa ikaunang daguk ng bakal sa tansu ng hapun. Maynila, ika 15 ng Marzo ng taung 1896. Ang K. P. Vzypzgzsz Ang K. Kal Pnllknzll

Notes

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[1] The nomenclature of Philippine currency in the 1890s is a little complicated. A peso comprised 160 cuartos or kualta. Half a peso – 80 kualta – was called an escudo in Spanish and a salapi in Tagalog. An eighth of a peso – 20 kualta – was called a real fuerte in Spanish and either a bahagi or sikapat in Tagalog. The calculation here thus indicates that 38 pesos and 64 kualta had been collected, and that the shortfall was 21 pesos and ninety-six kualta. Since Valenzuela’s agreed salary was P30 a month, the Supreme Council must have been discussing two months together – presumably January and February 1896. It seems that Valenzuela’s later recollection that he never received the full amount he was due, and that he only received payment for a single month, may well be accurate. José Hevia Campomanes, Lecciones de gramática hispano-tagala (Manila: Tip. de la Univ. de Sto. Tomás, 1930), p.50; Eusebio T. Daluz, Filipino-English Vocabulary, with practical examples of Filipino and English grammars (Manila: s.n., 1915), pp.85-6; Testimony of Pio Valenzuela y Alejandrino, September 2, 1896, reproduced as Appendix L in Minutes of the Katipunan (Manila: National Heroes Commission, 1978), pp.148; 155.

[2] Epifanio de los Santos, “Andrés Bonifacio”, Revista Filipina, II:11 (November 1917), p.61.