During his two-year term, Gov.

de la Torre had many fruitful

achievements. He abolished the strict censorship of the press and
fostered the free discussion of political problems. He recognized
the freedom of speech and of the press, which were guaranteed by
the Spanish Constitution. Because of his tolerant policy, Father
Burgos and his compatriots agitated for the Filipinization of the
parishes.
On July 7, 1869, Gov. de la Torre suppressed flogging as
punishment for desertion by Filipino soldiers. He substituted one
months imprisonment for it, obviously a more humane penalty
than flogging.
De la Torres greatest achievement was the peaceful settlement of
the agrarian trouble in Cavite.
Gov de la Torre, wishing to solve the agrarian trouble without
bloodshed, went to Imus, Cavite, and had a conference with
Camerino. He pardoned the latter and his followers to give them a
decent livelihood; he appointed them members of a new police
force, called Guias de la Torre (Aides of de la Torre), with Camerino
as captain.

The Provincial Republic of Spain which was

founded by the Spanish revolutionist in
1868 came to an end in 1870. The
monarchy was restored. The new king was
Amadeo of Savoy, the second son of
Italian king.
Because of the change of government in
Spain, the political atmosphere in the
Philippines likewise changed the brief era
of De la Torres democratic regime ended,
and the reactionary regime was restored.

On April 4, 1871, General Rafael de Izquierdo

assumed the governorship succeeding De la
Torre. He was a typical reactionary. He boasted
that he came to the Philippines with a crucifix in
one hand and a sword in the other.
Izquierdos first official act was the disapproval of
the school of arts and trades which was being
organized by the Filipinos of Manila. His objection
was based on the flimsy suspicion that the school
might be used as political club. With the support
of the friars and the monarchist Spaniards, he
restored the order of things. He received the
censorship of the press; he banned all talk of
political rights of Filipinization of the parishes;
and he looked with suspicion on all Filipinos who
supported De la Torres administration.

On the night of January 20, 1872, about 200 Filipino soldiers and workers in Cavite arsenal
mutinied. Their leader was Lamadrid, a Filipino sergeant. The mutineers had been led to believe
that Filipino soldiers in manila would join them in a concerted uprising, the signal being the firing
of rockets from the city walls on that night. Unfortunately, the suburb of Sampaloc in Manila
celebrated their fiesta on that very night with a gay display of fireworks. The Cavite plotters,
thinking the hostilities had been started by Manila troops, rose in arms, killed their Spanish
officers, and took control of the arsenal and fort.

The following morning, government troops under Don Felipe Ginoves were
rushed to Cavite. A bloody fight ensued. Many of the mutineers, including
Lamadrid, were killed in the fighting. On January 22, the survivors were
subdued, taken prisoner and brought to Manila.
This mutiny was magnified by the Spaniards into a revolt to implicate the
Filipino priest and patriots. It was in reality only a violent outburst of the Cavite
workers and soldiers who resented the government action in abolishing their
former privileges, notable exemption from forced labor and the tribute. Spanish
writers alleged that it was seditious revolt directed against the Spanish rules
and investigated by Fathers Burgos, Gomez, Zamora and other Filipino leaders.
Such charge, although false, was made the Spanish authorities because it gave
them justification to persecute Filipino patriots who advocate reforms.

Immediately after the mutiny, scores of Filipino priest and patriots were arrested and thrown into
jail. They were tried by a military court behind closed doors on the charge of treason and sedition.
On January 27, 1872, Governor Izquierdo approved the death sentence on 41 of the mutineers. On
February 6, eleven more were condemned to death, but the governor commuted their death
penalty into life imprisonment. On February 8, Camarino was sentenced to die and eleven of the
Guias de la Torre was each given a ten-year prison sentence for their complicity in the mutiny.
Other patriots and priest were exiled to Guam.

The Trial of Gom-Bur-Za

The most illustrious victims of the Cavite Mutiny were Fathers Mariano Gomez,
Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. Their trial, like those of their fellow accused,
was a farce. There was no positive evidence of their guilt. The star witness of
the government, Francisco Zaldua, former Bicolano soldier of the Batallion of
Artillery, was bribed by the government authorities to testify against Gom-BurZa. He incriminate the three heroic priests. Thus was the triumvirate of priestmartyrs railroaded to their doom.
During the farcical trial the lawyers of the Gom-Bur-Za defense made no effort
for the acquittal of their clients. One of them, Attorney Jose Arrieta, Burgos
vindictive enemy, did not plead the case to prove Burgos innocence. On the
contrary he merely requested the court for clemency, declaring that Burgos
had confessed his guilt.
Aroused by his lawyers damaging perfidy, Father Bugos flared up in the
courtroom and exclaimed: I have not confessed any guilt, for I am not guilty!
That is not my defense that gentleman (pointing to Arrieta) has changed it. I
deny all the charges against me. They had no foundation in fact or law.

The Martyrs Execution

At sunrise of February 17, 1872, Fathers Burgos, Gomez, Zamora, were

escorted under heavy guard to Luneta. A vast crowd, consisting of the Filipinos
and foreigners, witnessed the execution. Zaldua, who testified falsely against
the martyrs, was executed first. Apparently, the Spanish promise for a pardon
and a sum of gold, which he was supposed to receive for testifying falsely
against the three priests, were not fulfilled.
Of the three priest-martyrs, father Gomez, aged 84, was the first to be
garroted. As he dignifiedly walk towards the garrote (strangulation machine),
his spectacles accidentally fell to the ground. He picked them up, calmly put
them on and said: Let us go where the leavers never move without the will of
God. These were his last words. He was followed by Father Zamora, aged 37,
who was unaware of his fate, for he had lost his mind.
The last to be executed was father Burgos, aged 35, youngest and most
brilliant of the martyred triumvirate. The executioner knelt before him and
said: Father forgive me, for I am going to kill you. Calmly, Father Burgos
replied to him: You are forgiven, my son. I know you are complying with your
duty. Proceed then with your works. As he was being strangled, Father Burgos
prayed: My Lord, Father of mine, receive into your Bosom the soul of an inno .
. . Death cut short his last prayer.

Significance of Gom-Bur-Zas Martyrdom

The execution of Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora

(Gom-Bur-Za) was a great blunder on the part of the

Spanish officials in the Philippines. Fortunately, the church
was not a party to the injustice committed by the State.
Prior to the execution, the church bells of the city tolled a
funeral dirge as Christendoms farewell salute to the
departing souls of the martyrs.
The Filipino people deeply resented the execution of Fathers Gomez,
Burgos, and Zamora. They knew that the three priests were innocent
and that they were killed because they championed the right of the
Filipinos. Thus they came to regard the executed priests as true
martyrs of their fatherland. In their indignation, the people forgot
their tribal differences and regional barriers and joined together as
one people to fight for their common cause. The execution of GomBur-Za hastened the growth of Philippine nationalism, which
ultimately brought about Spains downfall.