The KATIPUNAN And The REVOLUTION 60 Col. Genaro de los Reyess Account Continued After the Battle of Novaliches, I received word from the Supremo that he wanted me to join him in Cavite. I quickly prepared and started from Caloocan in the company of two convent school girls, daughter of Lieutenant Tomas and another, a relative of Father Tuto, all from Bacoor, Cavite. Another member was the wife of Pedro Camus who wanted to join his husband who is in Cavite. We stopped at Pineda, where I learned that a Katipunero named Pedro Mercado was assigned by the chief of the civil guards to watch the Pasig River crossing at Malapad-na-Bato. I secretly summoned him to ask to prepare a big boat for ferrying us across the river at sundown. We needed an extra big outrigger for ferrying more than twenty bolo-carrying and nine gun-bearing troops. Everything was carried out as planned; after he had brought us safely across the river, Katipunero Mercado gave us many bullets as well as a cash contribution of 350 pesos. My contingent and I were approaching Bacolor when we chanced upon some troops of Spanish cavalry fast asleep, obviously from fatigue. After we had seized the enemys seven guns which were stacked against a pile of stones, someone suggested that we also capture the sleeping Spanish soldiers and should they resist, shoo them since they were already disarmed. When I learned about these suggestions, I dissuaded my men from carrying them out with these words: --Ang natutulog ayt di maipalalagay na kaaway, hindi dapat gamitin ang katapangan sa walang laban, hindi marangal at taksil ang mapagsamantala sa panlulupig, duwag at hindi matapang ang sa mga walang malay at nalilingat ay bumabag; huwag kayong mag-isip ng masama ring gawain sa inyo ; tuloy ang ating lakad. That entire night, we trekked through tangled woods and over grasslands, mud holes and crooked path, while the cold wind and rain whipped in spurts. We reached the Zapote defense position at about ten the following morning and after an hour we were in Bacoor. We were very tired , not only from lack of sleep but also from hunger since we had not eaten any food throughout the long march. I sought out Mariano Noriel, the town executive, for help. I thought he was a Katipunan member, but I realized my mistake when he failed to respond to my coded greeting. Nevertheless, Noriel cooperated with us. He made arrangement for us to be accommodated at the fort near the sea and promised to send us food later. I had with me fifty troops with sixteen guns, mostly Remingtons, and a few rifles for shooting birds. The majority had only bolos. Mine was the only revolver in the contingent. But what a miserable hungry lot we were! Some of us were doubled up in pain from stomach cramps, others were throwing up yellowish slime from sheer hunger, while still others were slumped wordlessly with their eyes closed and their hands clutching their aching heads. When the promised food came at about five in the afternoon, it was only half a gunny sack of unhusked rice. Nothing else! I felt it was an insult to send us unhusked grain since there were no fscilities in the fort for pounding or unhusking the grain. I politely rejected the unhusked rice and had it returned to Noriel with many thanks. I decided that we should each look out for ourselves. Those who had money could lend to those who had none, so that each one could buy himself food from the stores in town. Or if they chose to, they could go up the peoples houses and rely on their kindness to feed them. We ended up by dispersing and seeking the hospitality of the townspeople of Bacoor. Sensing that we should not allow the municipal executive Noriel to manage us, I prepared my troops to leave for Malabon (General Trias), which was the seat of the Magdiwang government. We left after breakfast tomeet with the Honorable Supremo, who was then visiting the Magdiwang Council at Malabon. While passing through Binakayan, we met Katipunero Vicente Leyba ( Kalentong) with whom I left a message for Lucino de la Cruz (Ipo-Ipo) to meet me at the house where the Supremo was staying in Malabon. I asked him to tell Ipo-Ipo to bring with him the sixty guns he had borrowed from me at Pantayanin. --Natawa si Kalentong at anya: Lalo kayong hindi magkikita kung sasabihin ang inyong bilin. Magkasabay kami ni hral. Lucino na dumating sa Bacood, siyay galing sa Balara at akoy galing naman sa Pineda. Sa pagtawid sa ilog Pasig, sa Malapad-na-Bato, kami nagkapisan, ang dala kong barilan ay siyam na kawal, ang ibay gulukan, si hral. Lucino ay may 71 kasamang barilan at ang ibay mga gulukan din, kayat kami sa paglakad ay may 80 barilan at ang ibay mga kawal gulukan. Nang dumating kami ng Bakood at matapos maibalita sa mga tanggulan ng aming pangunahing kawal, ang pagpasok ng ng pangkat ng katipunang si hral. Ipo-ipo, Lucino de la Cruz, kamiy pumasok at lubos na kinamanghaan ang ayos ng aming pulutong na sadya at talagang handang makipaglaban, tinanggap at pinakisamahan kaming mabuti ng mga pamunuan sa Bakood, hanggan si hral. Lucino ay maligid ng maraming kaibigan at masulsulang bayaran ang mga baril ng tig-lilimang piso bawat isa. Akoy tinanong ni hral. Lucino nang lihim kung paano ang aking kapasiyahan.Sinagot ko na akoy di maaaring mag-alis kahit isa sa aking mga baril, sapagkat mahirap sa aming kalagayan doon ang walang sandata; kayat inihiwalay ko ang aking mga tao at kami ay naparoon sa Imus. Isa sa mga kawal na nahuli sa aming paglakad ang nagbalita na kaharap siya nang tanggapin ni hral. Lucino ang P300.00, at ibigay nito ang 60 baril na pawang Remington sa tinanggapan ng kuwarta. I stayed at the same house where the Supremo was temporarily residing and reported to him what I heard and saw. I told him about the condition of the Katipunan defenses in the eastern front where I came from; told him the needs and wishes of the troops and narrated the difficulties I had encountered during my trip. I also reported the perfidious sale by Gen. Lucino of the guns I had loaned to. Finally, I turned over to the Supremo the remaining sixteen guns my troops and I had with us. The Supremo received reports about the activities of two prominent citizens of San Mateo who were sworn enemies of the Katipunan. Known as Kapitan Matias and Kapitan Ismael, they were responsible for the sufferings of many townsmen. Grieving parents, wives, and children of the victims denounced the two as spies and collaborators of the Spanish enemy, having their victims tortured or summarily executed by the Spaniards. The Supremo called a meeting of leaders from Balara for the purpose of passing judgment on the traitors... The decision was to arrest the two and bring them to Balara for execution. I (Col. Genaro) learned that the spies were already being held prisoners by the Katipunan at Balara. Before the execution could be carried out, I requested to the Supremo to spare the life of one of the prisoners and pledging that I would be responsible for the mans conduct afterwards. The request was granted, and only one of the prisoners was executed. The head was cut off and set on top of a bamboo stake. When the Katipuneros entered San Mateo, they planted this gory stake in the middle of the road at the center of the town. Alvarezs Narration Continued Atin munang iwang saglit ang kilusan at tanawin ang madilim, matinik at mabanging landas ng Kamatayan, na kinasisiyahang lagusin ng Katipunan sa panunuparan ng kanyang tungkulin at pagtatanggol sa kalayaan ng bayang tinubuan. Naririnig pa marahil ng mga kaharap ang malakas na sigaw ng Supremo na, Sisid, mga Kapatid noong umaga ng 30 Agosto, 1896, nang kasalukuyang nililibid ng mga sandatahang katipunan ang mga kaaway na kawal kastila sa himpilang Polvorista ng San Juan del Monte, Rizal. Masiglang dumaluhong ang mga kawal gulukan, at sa mga puno nila kabilang si tenyente Bulalakaw, Miguel Ramos, at ng lumapit sa tanggulan ng kaaway ang lumulusob, ay sinalubong ng makapal na punlo, at isang sandali pa ay namayani naman ang putukang nanggagaling sa harap at likod ng mga Anak ng Bayan, dahil sa pagkadating ng saklolo ng mga kaaway na lumupig sa hukbo ni hral. Salogo, Ramon Bernardo, sa Sta. Mesa, nang umaga ring iyon. Magkani-kanyang ligtas,-- ang malakas na sigaw ng Supremo. Magulung-magulo ang mga Katipunang nagkani-kaniyang takbuhan ng pagligtas sa kagipitan. Dapa, ang sigaw ni tenyente Bulalakaw, sa mga kawal na gulukan, at ang mga kawal, nang magsidapa, ay ibinabaon ang katawan sa lupa, hindi makuhang magsitindig, dahil sa pangamba sa masinsin at makapal na punlong nagsalabat at mababa ang takbo. Datapwat sumapit ang hangganan ng kagoipitan, nakatayo at nadadapa man, iisa ang magiging kapalaran, at mabuti pa ang tumindig at lumaban, o umiwas, sa mag-antay ng punlo ng kaaway sa pagkadapa; marahil, sa gayong pag-iisip kaya kahit dumaragsa ang malakas na ulan ng mga punlo, ay isa ang biglang nagtindig at kumaskas ng takbong paiwas, at sukat ang naging halimbawang iyon, lahat ng nakadapa ay nagtindigan na rin at nagkani-kaniyang pagliligtas, na anopat sa gitna ng umuunos na punlo ng mga kaaway, ang mga anak ng bayang gulukan ay naglisaw na walang tukoy na gagawin. Marami rin ang nakalabas sa gayong pagkagipit, bagaman maraming sugatan, at ang mga namatay ay di na nakuha sa harap ng mga kaaway. Ang mga kabayuhang kaaway ay nangharang at nanghagad sa nagpulasang katipunan, hanggang alas dose ng tanghali, at mahuli ng kabayuhan ang mga katipunang Manuel Castaneda, Claro Castaneda, Catalino Bustamante, Victor delos Reyes, Miguel Ramos, at iba pa.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 22:06:35 +0000
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