The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 is believed to be one of the many factors that enkindled the sense of nationhood of the Filipinos which led to the Philippine Revolution in 1896. The martyrdom of Gomburza is one of the reason why this event is remarkable among Filipinos. Different versions were presented as to why the Cavite Mutiny happened namely Spanish and Filipino versions.
Spanish Perspective
According to Jose Montero ý Vidal, a prolific Spanish historian whose book is entitled "Historia General de Filipinas" , documented the said event and overstated that the dissatisfied soldiers and laborers desire to overthrow the Spanish government was the reason of conducting a mutiny. Meanwhile, Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo, the governor-general of the Philippines for about 3 years (1871-1873), on his official report magnified the mutiny and made use of it to implicate the native clergy, which was then operative in the call for secularization. The accounts of the Gov. Gen. Izquierdo and Montero complimented and corroborated with one another but Izquierdo's accusations were more spiteful.
According to them, aside from the abolition of privileges and exemption from force labor, which said to be the main reasons of the revolution, other reasons were also enumerated such as: the secular throne being overthrown by the Spanish revolution, unrestrained press producing bad propagandas, liberal and republican book arriving in the country and the presence of native clergy who's against with the Spanish friars. The Governor-general even reported to the King of Spain that the rebels are planning to overthrow the Spanish government in order to instill a new "hari" which he claims to be Father Burgos and Zamora. Also, both Montero and Izquierdo deemed that the said mutiny was planned ahead and that it is a part of a big conspiracy among leaders, mestizos, abogadillos, Manila and Cavite residents and the native clergy.
On the 20th day of January 1872, during the Feast of the Virgin Loreto in Sampaloc, the fireworks were mistaken by the Cavite residents as a sign of attack, targeting Spanish officers at sight. The news was later on heard by the Governor-general and immediately ordered for a reinforcement and the revolt ended easily. Gomburza, along with other abogadillas were arrested, suspended by the high court and were sentenced for a life imprisonment at the Marianas island. On the 17th day of February 1872, the Spanish government wanted to instill fear to the Filipinos through the execution of the Gomburza (Padre Gomez, Burgos and Zamora).
Filipino Perspective
According to Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino scholar and researcher, who wrote the Filipino version of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, the event was a result of the dissatisfaction of the native Filipino soldiers and laborers because of the abolition of their privileges.
On the 20th day of January 1872, the Cavite residents, laborers and native soldiers with a total of about 200 men was led by Sergeant Lamadrid then assassinated every Spanish officers they caught in sight. The insurgents believed to have overmanned the Spanish forces but the support or reinforcement from their cluster did not arrived. Hence, the said mutiny subdued in two days since Governor-general Izquierdo called for reinforcement immediately.
Tevera believed that Governor-general Izquierdo and the Spanish friars used the mutiny as a lever by intensifying it as a big conspiracy involving the natives, Cavite and Manila residents and the native clergy on the plan to overthrow Spanish government. When the Central Government announced the deprivation of the powers of intervention in civil matters and educational institutions of the friars, the friars were threathened that their existence will only be a thing in the past therefore Tavera concluded that this is one of the reason why the friars did something tragic in order to maintain their desire power in the Philippines.
Life imprisonment was sentenced to convicted educated men while the Gomburza was executed by garrote. This act then leads to the Filipinos awakening of their nationalism. A french writer Edmund Plauchut, on his account, he complimented Tavera's account which confirms that the mutiny happened due to the discontentment of the laborers and native soldiers in Cavite port.
After reading different versions of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, the different versions contain basic facts which remained unvarying and some of it is the fact that due to Gov-gen Izquierdo's drawing back of privileges of the members of the native army and workers of the arsenal resulted to a dissatisfaction, next is the Filipinos wanting to turn away from the Spanish Government due to strict policies that was introduced the Governor-general Izquierdo, next is the failure of the Central Government to conduct an investigation of the event and directly believed the reports made by Spanish forces, the participation of the Filipino clergy members to the secularization and lastly the execution of the Gomburza which inspired Filipinos to call for reform which then led to independence.
Taking everything into account, the Filipino version is more credible since the version of the Spaniards shows unjust disposition which they augmented the real reason of the said mutiny, they only relied to the corroboration of their own kin's statement which clearly showed how biased they were. And the fact that they narrowed their statements to their own point of view. Hence, this Cavite mutiny paved its way for a momentous 1898. Through this event, it awakened the Filipinos nationalism and became one of the main driving force which made the Filipinos unite to a single cause.