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DOCUMENTS
OF THE Katipunan |
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Mataas na Pamunuan Letter dated December 3, 1896 Source: Archivo General Militar de Madrid: Caja
5677, leg.1.119 |
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Before he
went to Cavite in or about late November 1896, Bonifacio appointed Isidoro Francisco
as president (Mataas na Pangulo) of the Katipunan high council (Mataas na
Sangunian) in the Northern District (which covered the four provinces of
Manila, Morong, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija) and Julio Nakpil as its secretary
(Mataas na Kalihim).[1] It is not known whether Bonifacio made any
other appointments before he left, but in his letter to the Mataas na Sangunian dated
December 12, 1896, written from Cavite, he ratified the authority of
a number of councillors (Kasanguni) elected to the body, and also approved
the election of Hermogenes Bautista as commander (Punong Hukbo) of the army
of Pantayanin, which was where the Mataas na Sangunian was initially
based. This
letter is signed by Francisco (alias “Añora), Nakpil (alias “Giliw”) and
Bautista (alias “Barras”), and perhaps four others - Nicolas de Lara (alias “Sumisikat”)
in his capacity as Mataas na Tagaingat yaman (High Treasurer); Atilano Sta.
Ana (alias “Mulanon”) as Kalihim N.P.H. (probably meaning Secretary of the
Punong Hukbo); Francisco de los Santos (alias “Pagisa”); and apparently by
someone whose illegible signature appears beneath the printed letters
“L.N.D.B.” The
letter uses the term “Mataas na Pamunuan” (High Executive) rather than
“Mataas na Sangunian”, and is the only document so far located to do so. Possibly the term Mataas na Pamunuan
signified just the Mataas na Sangunian’s inner directorate, or possibly the
“Mataas na Sangunian” had not yet been fully constituted, for two weeks later
a ballot was held to elect a further six Kasanguni to the body. The
letter informs its recipients – copies were presumably circulated by courier
- that an attack be mounted on [the Spanish forces in] the nearby town of
Pasig on either Friday, 11th or Saturday, 12th December
1896, and that the troops involved should be assembled without fail at
Pantayanin on the Thursday. |
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Dito sa tahanan ng Mataas na Pamunuan
ika tatlo ng Diciembre ng taong isang libo, walong daan, siyam na puo at
anim: kaming nangagsi pagtala sa ibaba ng aming pangalan, ay nagsasaysay sa
kasulatang ito, na sa araw ng Viernes na darating ika labing isa ng buang
lumalakad, o kung dili kaya’y sa araw ng Sabadong susunod, ay aming papasukin
at sasalakayin ang Bayang Pasig na nasasakop nitong Hukuman ng Maynila, ayon
sa aming pinagkayaria’t pinagkaisahang lahat.
Ito’y aming pinagtitibay sa Ngalan ng Bayang tinubuan, at sa
katunaya’y ipinagtayo namin nitong kasulatan na aming pinagpirmahan sa harap
ng Mataas na Pangulo at Mataas na Kalihim. Ang Mataas na Pangulo [sgd] Isid. Francisco Añora Sa kabila. Ang
ibang pirma. [signatures] L.N.D.B Hermogenes
Bautista [Illegible] Barras Kalihim N.P.H. Francisco
de los Santos Atilano Sta. Ana Pagisa Mulanon Ang M. na Tagaingat yaman Ang M. na Kalihim Nicolas de Lara Julio
Nakpil Sumisikat (Giliw) Sa utos ng Mataas na Pang-ulo, ay [four words
illegible] ng Katipunan na nasasakop niya, ng mga sulat na sila’y mangag si
paritong walang sala araw ng Jueves na darating ika sampuo ng lumalakad upang
makasama sa salakay na pinagkayarian, ngayon ika tatlo ng Diciembre ng isang
libo walong daan, siyam na puo at anim.
Pinatototohanan ko. Ang M. na Kalihim Giliw Inilakip dito ang sumusunod na sulat, tungkul sa
salakay na pinagkayarian ngayon ika 3 ng Diciembre ng 1896. Pinatototohan ko – Giliw. NOTE |
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