Gomburza, alternatively stylized as GOMBURZA or GomBurZa, refers to three Filipino
Catholic priests, Mariano Gómez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were executed by
garrote in 17 February 1872 in Bagumbayan, Philippines by Spanish colonial authorities on
charges of subversion arising from the 1872 Cavite mutiny. The name is a portmanteau of the
priests' surnames.
Mariano Gomez de los Angeles was a well-known Roman Catholic priest during their time,[1]
part of the trio accused of mutiny by Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines in the 19th
century. Gomez was the child of Alejandro Francisco Gomez and Martina Custodia. He was born
in the suburb of Santa Cruz, Manila on 2 August 1799. He was a Tornatras, one born from
mixed native (Filipino), Chinese, and Spanish ancestries. He studied at the Colegio de San Juan
de Letran and later studied theology at the University of Santo Tomas, preparing himself for the
priesthood in the Seminary of Manila. Gomez was designated as the head priest of Bacoor,
Cavite on 2 June 1824. He also taught for the agriculture and cottage industries aside from taking
care of spiritual necessities. He fought for the rights of his fellow native priests against Spanish
abuses. He was also active in the publication of the newspaper La Verdad. On 17 February 1872,
he was one of the priests executed due to the false accusations of treason and sedition, taking a
supposed active role in the Cavite Mutiny. He was later on sentenced to death by garrote in a
military court at Bagumbayan field.[citation needed]
Jose Padre Burgos was born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur on 9 February 1837 and was baptized on the
12th of the same month. His parents were Jose Burgos, a Spanish lieutenant in the Spanish
militia of Ilocos, and Florencia Garcia, a native of Vigan. During his early teenage years, he
studied at the Colegio San Juan de Letran and later went to the University of Santo Tomas,
receiving a Bachelor of Philosophy in 1855, Bachelor of Theology in 1859, Licentiate in
Philosophy in 1860, Licentiate in Theology in 1862, Doctor of Theology, and Doctor of Canon
Law in 1868.[2]
Jacinto Zamora was born on 14 August 1835 in Pandacan, Manila. His parents were Venancio
Zamora and Hilario del Rosario. He studied at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and graduated
with a degree of Bachelor of Arts. He later transferred to the University of Santo Tomas and
obtained a degree of Bachelor of Canon and Civil Laws. He prepared for priesthood in the
Seminary of Manila. He had dreamt of becoming a priest at a young age. After being given
ministerial and priestly authority, Zamora was able to establish parishes in Marikina, Pasig, and
Batangas and was assigned to also oversee Manila Cathedral on 3 December 1864.
Gomburza incurred the hatred of Spanish authorities for fighting for equal rights among priests
and leading the campaign against the Spanish friars. They fought on the issues of secularization
in the Philippines that led to the conflict of religious and church seculars.[3]
Their execution had a profound effect on many late 19th-century Filipinos; José Rizal, later to
become the country's national hero, would dedicate his novel El filibusterismo to their memory.[4]
Mutiny by workers in the Cavite Naval Yard was the pretext[5][6] needed by the authorities to
redress a perceived humiliation from the principal objective, José Burgos, who threatened the
established order.[clarification needed]
During the Spanish colonial period, four social class distinctions were observed in the islands:
Spaniards who were born in Spain, peninsulares; Spaniards born in the colonies of Spain (Latin
America or the Philippines), insulares or creoles; Spanish mestizos, Chinese or 'Indios' (natives)
dwelling within or near the city (or town), and the church; and Chinese, Sangley, and rural
Indios.[7]
Burgos was a Doctor of Philosophy and Arts[citation needed] whose prominence extended even to
Spain, such that when the new Governor and Captain-General Carlos María de la Torre arrived
from Spain to assume his duties, he invited Burgos to sit beside him in his carriage during the
inaugural procession, a place traditionally reserved for the archbishop and who was a peninsular
Spaniard. The arrival of the liberal de la Torre was opposed by the ruling minority of friars,
regular priests who belonged to an order (Dominicans, Augustinians, Recollects, and
Franciscans) and their aliens in civil government. It was supported by the secular priests, most of
whom were mestizos and darnas assigned to parishes and far flung communities, who believed
that the reforms and the equality that they wanted with peninsular Spaniards were finally
coming. In less than two years, de la Torre was replaced by Rafael de Izquierdo
