DOCUMENTS OF THE Katipunan
HOME Supreme Council Notice to members of the Kataastaasang Kapisanan, March 15, 1896 Source: Archivo General Militar de Madrid: Caja 5677, leg.1.25
Introduction Transcribed below (in the original Tagalog, followed by an English translation) is a document of the Katipunan Supreme Council dated March 15, 1896. Written in a neat calligraphic script by Bonifacio himself, the document details the agenda and arrangements for a meeting to be held in Mandaluyong the following Sunday, March 22. Then still separated from Manila by open country, Mandaluyong was fast becoming a major centre of KKK activity, and by the outbreak of the revolution it had as many as twenty separate Balangay or local branches. The Spaniards rightly labelled the town an insurrecto stronghold – a “baluarte del Katipunan”. The meeting on March 22 is to be a session of the “K.K” or Kataastaasang Kapisanan (Supreme Assembly), a body that comprised the members of the Kataastaasang Sangunian (Supreme Council) plus principal officers of the local councils. Bonifacio and Jacinto signed the document as the president and secretary of the Supreme Council. Beneath their signatures is a list of topics for discussion at the meeting on March 22, and beneath that list fifteen other leading Katipuneros have signed their code names (some in cipher, some not) to confirm that they will attend the meeting.[1]
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K x K x K x Nx Mx Ax Nx Bx[2] Kataastaasang Sangunian ----------------- Sa mga Pinakakatawan sa Kx Kx[3] Minamahal na mga kapatid: Ayon sa lalung ikalalaki ng kaayusa’t lakas ng Kx Kx Kx, itong Kx Sx sa mga pulong na ginawa ng ika 20 ng Febrerong nagdaan at ng ika 15 nito, ay nag pasiya nitong mga sumusunod: Una: Ang K. Kapisanan ay mag pupulong sa ika 22 ng buang umiiral sa bayan ng Vzlldzjxycllg.[4] Ikalawa: Ang lahat ng mga Pinakakatawang dito’y dadalo ay dadating sa ika pitong daguk ng bakal sa tansu ng umaga ng nasabing araw sa bahay ng kapatid na Maypagasa. Ikatlo: Ang hindi tumupad sa sinusundang pasiya at dumating na huli, ay lalapatan ng nauukol. Ikaapat: Ang mga kx dito’y dapat dumalo ay aambag ng mga-hati (2 rs.), at ang salaping ito ay gagamitin sa paglalakbay at sa mga ibang kakailanganin. Ikalima: Upang mapagkuro at mapaglining ang buong karampatan ay ipatatalastas ang mga kaunaunahang pag uusapan sa pulong na ito, na nasasaysay sa dakong huli nito. Tangapin ninyo ang aming mahigpit na yakap. Maynila ika 15 ng Marzo ng 1896 Ang K. P. Vzypzgzsz[5] Ang K. Kal. Pnllknzll[6] ---- Mga bagay na pag uusapan ---- Tungkol sa pagtatayo ng isang pulutong na tangi na siyang mamamahala sa mga pagsaklolo, sa mga Kx dapat saklolohan. Tungkol sa pagpapalabas ng isang Atasan limbag na siyang maituturing na Gaceta Oficial ng Katipunan. Tungkol sa revistang mangagaling sa Kaharian ng Japon. Tungkol sa Kapx na Dimas Ayaran sa katungkulang Mangagamot. Tungkol sa mga saklolo sa asawa ng namatay na Kapx na Jasmin. Tungkol sa nararapat na pag iingat sa mga pagpupulong pag hikayat at pagdadalisay. Tungkol sa mga tiwalag na sumusuko at nagbabalik. Subiang[7] Sbx [Illegible] condicional K. Bxrgcs[8] Bujzjzkzw[9] Fnjñvnw[10] Magiliw[11] Mabagsik[12] Alakdan[13] Maniangat[14] Ilagan o caya isa sa manga kapatid [Illegible] Ñjngnll[15] Vnpñjñt[16] Macabuhay[17] Tngnñsck[18] Vntxncg[19] Hininga[20] English translation K x K x K x Nx Mx Ax Nx Bx Supreme Council To the delegates to the [Supreme Assembly]. Dear brothers: In order to further develop the organisation and strength of the K.K.K., this [Supreme Council] at meetings held on the 20th of February last and the 15th of the present month has resolved as follows: First: The [Supreme Assembly] will meet on the 22nd of the present month in the town of Mandaluyong. Second: All Representatives who will be attending this meeting should arrive on the morning of the said day at the house of brother Maypagasa at seven strikes of the iron on the copper. Third: Anyone who fails to conform with this decision and arrives late will have to pay the appropriate penalty. Fourth: The brothers who attend this meeting must bring along halves (2 reales), and this money will be used for transportation and other necessities. Fifth: In order that they can be considered properly and given their due importance, the first matters for discussion at this meeting will be as set out below. Receive our close embrace. Manila, 15 March 1896. The K. P. Maypagasa The K. Kal. Pingkian Matters for discussion Regarding the establishment of a special fund for administering assistance to brothers who have to be given succour. Regarding the issue of printed Ordinances which would be like the Official Gazette of the Katipunan. Regarding the newspaper coming from the Empire of Japan.[21] Regarding the position of Bro. Dimas Ayaran as Physician.[22] Regarding assistance to the widow of the late Bro. Jasmin. Regarding the pressing need to have meetings that are persuasive and clear. Regarding those who were expelled for giving up, and are now coming back.[23] [signatures]

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[1] So far as is known, the most recent elections to the Supreme Council had been held in December 1895. Andrés Bonifacio had been re-elected as president; Vicente Molina had been re-elected as treasurer; Emilio Jacinto and Pío Valenzuela had been elected respectively as secretary and fiscal; and Francisco Carreón, Aguedo del Rosario, Balbino Florentino, Hermenegildo Reyes, José Trinidad and Pantaleón Torres had been elected as the six kasanguni or councilors. Some of the other signatories of this document, however, also served on the Supreme Council at one time or another.

[2] Abbreviation of Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Most Elevated and Esteemed Society of the Sons of the People). The exact spelling and hyphenation of the organization’s Tagalog title differ from one source to another, and it is difficult to say which version is “correct”, or was used most commonly, because the great majority of Katipunan documents, like this one, just employ the abbreviation “K.K.K.”

[3] Abbreviation of Kataastaasang Kapisanan (“Supreme Assembly”).

[4] Cipher for Mandaluyong.

[5] Abbreviation and cipher for “Ang Kataastaasang Pangulo – Maypagasa”. Maypagasa (Hopeful) was the Katipunan name of Andrés Bonifacio, who probably lived on Calle Dulumbayan in Santa Cruz at this time and worked for Fressel y Cia, a German-owned tile and brick company.

[6] Abbreviation and cipher for “Ang Kataastaasang Kalihim – Pingkian”. Pingkian (Flint) was the Katipunan name of Emilio Jacinto, who lived on Calle Magdalena in Trozo and was a pre-law student at the Universidad de Santo Tómas.

[7] Subiang (Splinter) was the Katipunan name of José Trinidad, who lived in the Palomar section of Tondo and was a clerk for the Tambunting pawnshop.

[8] Burgos was the Katipunan name of Geronimo Cristobal, presumably adopted in honour of Fr. José Burgos, the most renowned of the three priests executed by garrotte for alleged involvement in the Cavite mutiny of 1872. A corporal in the infantry, Cristobal was secretary of the Maluningning council.

[9] “Bulalakaw (Meteor) was the Katipunan name of Pantaleón Torres, who lived on Calle San José, Trozo, and worked as a clerk at the Intendencia, the government treasury.

[10] Halimaw (Ferocious) was the Katipunan name of Alejandro Santiago, who worked as a clerk for a “fundación de chinos” and was president of the Katagalugan council. He lived on Calle Camba in Binondo.

[11] Magiliw (Friendly) was the Katipunan name of Rogelio Borja, who worked as a mechanic in Mandaluyong and was secretary of the Makabuhay council in that town.

[12] Mabagsik (Savage) was the Katipunan name of Crispiniano Agustines, who was fiscal of the Juaran council in Polo, Bulacan. Polo was the hometown of KKK Supreme Councilor Pío Valenzuela, who was absent from this meeting, and it is possible that Agustines was attending on his behalf.

[13] Alakdan (Scorpion) was the Katipunan name of Guillermo Masangkay, who worked as a kuridor (buyer and seller). He lived in the Palomar area of Tondo and was president of the Silanganan council. He wrote the letter K in his pseudonym in the form of the “Ka” symbol from the pre-Hispanic baybayin script. The same symbol was the emblem of the Katipunan, as drawn by Bonifacio at the head of this document.

[14] Maniangat (Raised) was the Katipunan name of Vicente Molina, who worked as a caretaker or janitor at the Intendencia.

[15] Ilagan (Dodge) was the Katipunan name of Rafael Gutierrez, who worked as a foreman for the waterworks and was president of the Mahiganti council.

[16] Mapilit (Insistent) was the Katipunan name of Adriano Jesus, who was a cloth manufacturer (dueño de telares) in Malabon and president of the Dimahipo council in that town.

[17] Makabuhay (Resurrection) was the Katipunan name of Enrique Pacheco, who worked as a clerk for the civil government and lived on Calle Sande, Tondo.

[18] Tagaisok (Native of Isok – a barrio of Boac, Marinduque) was the Katipunan name of Aguedo del Rosario, who was an encuadernador (binder) at the printing press of the Diario de Manila.

[19] Matunog (Resonant) was the Katipunan name of Salustiano Cruz, who worked as a postal clerk and was secretary of the Katagalugan council. He lived on Calle Zaragoza, Tondo.

[20] Hininga (Breath) was the Katipunan name of Cipriano Pacheco, who worked as a customs clerk and was president of the Pagtibayin council. He was the son of Enrique Pacheco, and also lived on Calle Sande in Tondo.

[21] The Katipunan newspaper Kalayaan, which was then just about to come off the press, announced on its masthead that it emanated from Yokohama, and presumably this pretence was maintained internally within the organization as a security precaution.

[22] Dimas Ayaran (Untouchable) was the Katipunan name of Pío Valenzuela, who lived on Calle de Lavezares in San Nicolas and had recently graduated as a licenciado in medicine from the Universidad de Santo Tómas. When contributing to Kalayaan he used a different pseudonym, Madlangaway (Public affray).

[23] This translation is uncertain, because the original Tagalog could either mean that those returning to the Katipunan had been formally expelled, or that they had simply “separated themselves” from the organisation by lapsing into inactivity.