The Relevance of the Katipunan in the Struggle for Philippine Democracy Today
Victor Aguilan
Silliman University
Dumaguete, Philippines
(draft October 29, 2021)
The Filipinos in 1896 launched the struggle for independence from Spain. The nation that the
KATIPUNAN wanted to established was free, just, and egalitarian. The principal ideas of the revolution were
kalayaan, katarungan (pagkapantaypantay), and kasaganaan. They may not have called it democratic but it
was. The struggle for independence led by the KATIPUNAN was a struggle for democracy. This paper is
concerned with demonstrating how the insights from the Katipunan could shape contemporary Filipino
perspective on democracy. The author will argue that our current democracy introduced by the American is
alienated from its historical root. Because of this many do not see the danger of creeping authoritarianism. This
paper suggests a return to our historical roots by re-appropriating the key themes found in the officials
documents and writings of the leaders of the Katipunan - Andres Bonifacio, and Emilio Jacinto. To quote a
popular Tagalog proverb “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa
paroroonan” in English this means, he who does not know where he came from won’t reach his destination.
1
Propaganda Movement (1888-1895)
Primary instrument: NEWSPAPER/PRINT MEDIA
La Solidaridad, a bi-monthly journal devoted to articles supporting liberal ideas and
exposing the sufferings of the Filipino people.
The goals of the Propaganda were:
(1) legal and political equality between Spaniards and Filipinos;
(2) grant freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, and of redress of grievances from
the government;
(3) Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes, the highest lawmaking body
in Spain;
and
(4) expel the friars from the Philippines and to promote the secularization of the parishes.
They believed that assimilation, not independence, was the answer to the Filipinos’
misery.
Under assimilation, the Philippines would become a province of Spain, with
Filipinos having the
same rights and privileges as their Spanish counterparts. In other words, Filipinos
RESPONSE FROM THE AUTHORITIES
would be equal NONE. They were ignored.
with the Spaniards and no longer discriminated.
LA LIGA FILIPINA 2
Some of leaders became convinced that to effect reforms they must be waged in the native
country rather than in Spain and it should be done through an organization.
Jose Rizal was one of those who realized that the struggle should be fought in the Philippines. He
wrote
If our countrymen hope in us here in Europe, they are certainly mistaken. . . The
help we can give them is our lives in our country. The error all make in thinking we can
help here, far away, is a great mistake indeed. The medicine must be brought near the sick
man. … The field of battle is the Philippines; there is where we should be.
The aims of the association were
1. to unify the whole archipelago into one compact, vigorous and homogenous body;
2. mutual protection in every want and necessity;
3. defense against all violence and injustice;
4. encouragement of instruction, agriculture, and commerce, and
5. study and application of reforms.
Reaction from the Colonial Authorities
On July 6, 1892 Rizal was arrested and eventually shipped to Dapitan where he lived for over
four years in exile
4
Radical Nationalism: Katipunan and The Revolution of 18961
Upon learning of Rizal’s arrest, Andres Bonifacio immediately
gathered together a few of his most trusted associates and founded, on
the night of July 7, 1892, the secret revolutionary society known as the
Katipunan or Kataas-taasang Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga
Anak ng Bayan (KKK).
The primary aim of the Katipunan: INDEPENDENCE from Spain.
The principal ideas of the revolution were
Kalayaan,
Katarungan (pagkapantay-pantay), and
Kaginhawaan / kasaganaan.
PRINCIPLES OF KATIPUNAN
Pagkapantay-pantay (equality and justice). According to Schumacher, equality “is repeated in
various ways in all of Jacinto’s writings, and from it he draws its logical conclusion—that given
the equality and dignity of human persons, one’s worth is dependent on his or her honorable
conduct in accordance with that dignity.”1 The goal of the Katipunan was to end all forms of
discrimination and inequalities the Filipinos have experience under Spanish rule. The attainment
of equality would end injustice. The struggle for equality would correct or ituwid the wrongs
done
to Filipinos.
Tuwid is the root word of Katuwiran that we often find in the Katipunan documents. Katuwiran
comes from the Tagalog "tuwid," meaning "straight" or "right.". Katuwiran and katarungan are
closely associated. This could be the reason the word Katarungan is not found in the original
Katipunan documents. 2 But the notion of justice is implied in Katuwiran which is a key idea in
the writings of Emilio Jacinto at Bonifacio. The fight for justice is at the heart of all anti-
colonial uprisings.
Kalayaan or Independence is another principle of the Katipunan. Filipinos were free people. The
Filipinos and the Spaniards were equal. But Spain pretended to be a friend of the Filipinos. They
convinced the Filipinos to make sacrifices for the Spaniards. However, Spain did not reciprocate.
Instead, they have taken advantage of the friendship of the Filipinos, exploited their labor and
betrayed their hopes. The Filipinos lost everything, their freedom, their land, and their dignity
because of Spanish colonization.
This is clearly expressed in the document of the Katipunan “Ang Dapat Mabatid Ng Mga
Tagalog” (What the Filipinos should know) written by Bonifacio published in the Katipunan
newspaper “Kalayaan” emphasizes that before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Filipinos had a
flourishing civilization, prosperous, just, and free (kasaganaan, kaginhawaaan, at kalayaan).
To end oppression and regain the dignity of the Filipinos, the answer is independence.
Itinuturo ng katuwiran, na huwag nating sayangin ang panahon sa pag-asa sa
ipinangakong kaginhawahan na hindi darating at hindi mangyayari. Itinuturo ng
katuwiran ang tayo’y umasa sa ating at huwag antayin sa iba ang ating kabuhayan.
Itinuturo na katuwiran ang tayo’y magkaisang-loob, magkaisang isip at akala at nang
tayo’y magkaisa na maihanap ng lunas ang naghaharing kasamaan sa ating Bayan.3
(Reason tells us not to waste our time waiting for the promised ginhawa that will
never arrive. Reason tells us that we must rely upon ourselves alone and never entrust our
right to life to anybody. Reason tells us to be one in loob, one in thought, so that we may
have the strength in finding that evil reigning in our land. )4
Kalayaan is the goal of the Katipunan. According to Gripaldo, Jacinto defines liberty in
his essay “Kalayaan” (Liberty), as the “inherent reason that a person possesses to think and do
whatever he pleases for as long as it does not conflict with the inherent reasons of others.”5
Jacinto’s notion of Kalayaan has a political dimension. The Kalayaan includes the concept of
kasarinlan (sovereignty). 6 Kasarinlan or pagsasarile means political independence. The concept
of Kalayaan or liberty is not individualistic. Kasarinlan is not realized in the solitary detachment
of an individual in isolation from his fellow human. Kalayaan with pag-ibig has become
inclusive
and political.7 In “Ang Pag-ibig”, Jacinto expounds on the idea of love in relation to the nation.
True love, as Jacinto meant it, is love of country and love of fellow human beings. Bonifacio
expresses the same “Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila. Gaya
ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa. Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga wala." (Is there any love that is
nobler Purer and more sublime Than the love of the native country? What love is? Certainly
none).
In addition, the government envisioned by the Katipunan was participatory. The Liwanag
at Dilim, in a chapter entitled "The People and the Government," Jacinto asserted that political
power enjoyed by the leader does not come from any inherent quality or trait which makes him
more worthy over others. Rather, that power he enjoys is derived from and is granted by the
nation. He said, “we must not recognize that the political elite are sovereign over the people. The
obedience and respect due them are derived from the sovereignty of the people who gave the
political elite the authority to govern. "8 This idea of government authority and power resides in
the people is the core theme of modern democracy.
With its radical stance and mass-based approach, the Katipunan leaders found it difficult
to recruit the ilustrado and wealthy natives.9 Despite the difficulties, the Katipunan spread like
wildfire among the masses. One contributing factor was the organization’s paper, Kalayaan
which
began its first (and last circulation) in March of 1896. The Katipunan succeeded in rousing the
masses from their passivity and inculcating in the minds of the masses, that they were all
Filipinos
fighting for a common cause.
Kaginhawaan / Kasaganaan
The emerging vision of a new society understood by the masses, propagated by the
Katipunan, could only be egalitarian, sovereign, just and free whose citizens would build a
society
where all would have equal rights, where no social prejudice nor elitist aristocracy would exist,
where no one would oppress or allow himself to be oppressed, where citizens would be enjoined
to share their means with the less fortunate -- in short a democratic, egalitarian society reducing
the economic gap between rich and poor. Kasaganaan at Kaginhawaan para sa lahat!
The revolution of 1896 saw the most sustained and concerted effort on the part of the
oppressed people to free themselves from the Spanish yoke. Like a conflagration, it spread to
almost every province, overwhelming the Spaniards, and forcing them to make a last stand in
Manila. Ultimately, the Spanish tyranny affected even those of Spanish descent, particularly the
mestizos and the Philippine-born Spaniards or Creoles.
One can well imagine the reaction of the downtrodden Filipinos who had hitherto
remained
aloof, and even opposed, to one another. Now that they shared a common experience as victims
of
Spanish oppression, a new nationalism began to emerge. The nation-state was vaguely felt to be
the totality of all those oppressed and exploited by Spain who, by one means or another, would
fight to alleviate the general suffering. A clear proof of this is the radical shift of meaning in the
word ‘Filipino’, which had previously applied only to creoles. What we see here is a dynamic
ideology of struggle which was consistent with the concrete lived experience of the working class
Now, creole, mestizo and Indio joined hands against the chauvinist peninsular, who had
and of peasant laborers.
been so unwise as to alienate them through racism and other means. But the vestiges of the old
anarchism were still present selfish class interests inevitably clashed with nobler goals. For
instance, whereas the Indio battled to completely change the inhuman status quo, the creole was
merely interested in preserving his rights.
When Bonifacio and the other leaders of the Katipunan were discovered and compelled to
launch the revolution, the ilustrado, composed of creoles and mestizos some hesitated in joining
the revolution while others refused to support it. Rizal himself tried to prevent Bonifacio from
launching the revolution. Rizal was against it because he believed the educated class should lead
it.10
How the Filipino Elites corrupted the Democratic Vision of the Katipunan
The Katipunan anti-colonial struggle was cunningly corrupted by the Filipino elites. This
is an important historical lesson we should no forget. The elites were willing to sell their Kalayaan
in exchange for their own kaginhawaan. Class opportunism was the characteristic of the elites.
First, when the Aguinaldo faction took the leadership the KKK from Bonifacio. It was a
coup d’etat that led to the murder of Bonifacio. During the Tejeros Convention, the Aguinado
faction manipulated the elections capturing the top positions. Aguinaldo became the President
whereas the “uneducated” Bonifacio occupied the lowest rung as Minister of the Interior. An
attempt was made to disqualify Bonifacio. This was the final insult forcing Bonifacio to dissolve
the assembly and repudiated its resolutions. Eventually, the Caviteños, in an unprecedented
masterpiece of treason, arrested Bonifacio, gave him a mock-trial, denounced him a counter-
revolutionary, and had him executed.11
Second, during American occupation, the landed elites immediately collaborated with the
American occupier. In the elections of 1907, the American colonial administration limited
qualified voters to male persons above 23, who had held office under the Spaniards, or who owned
real property worth P250, or could read, write or speak Spanish or English. Such qualifications
prevented the participation of the masses. In fact, only 1.41% of the population voted.12 Thus,
while the Americans provided for the mechanics of democracy, they made sure that the victors
would come from the elite class that they were building up for leadership. And sure enough, the
candidates were generally from the propertied and conservative families in the provinces. From
then on, the elite effectively controlled political power.
The relevance of the Katipunan today
The independent, sovereign, prosperous and egalitarian Filipinas that the Katipunan
envisioned continues to be relevant today in the struggle for democracy. With the creeping
authoritarianism, we must continue the struggle of the Katipunan to strengthen, defend and
advance the democracy in the Philippine today. There are several insights from the Katipunan.
In the 1986 Philippine Constitution, the function of the State is clearly stated in Sec.4
Art.2
" to serve and protect the people." Section 4 clarifies further the duties of a Philippine
government
is the "Maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property and the
promotion of the general welfare." These Constitutional principles of the Philippine state and
government are laudable. But does the government maintain peace and order, protect life, liberty,
and property in that order, and promote the general welfare? The evidence seems otherwise. The
Government has protected and promoted the property of the elites and foreign capitalists at the
expense of the lives of poor and marginalized Filipinos. The people, therefore, must exert great
effort to carry its mandate to pursue the struggle for genuine democracy today.
The Katipunan recognized the key principle of democracy was that power to govern
emanates from and resides in the ordinary people. The 1896 revolution gave the ordinary folks
opportunity to participate in creating a more egalitarian Philippine society. But this project was
disrupted by the elites and the coming of the American. We should now continue the struggle for
democracy by recovering the vision of the Katipunan.
To advance democracy in the Philippines today there is an urgent need to empower people.
This can be done through grassroots participation in planning and decision-making. Instead of
planning government from the top downwards or the center outward, political participation needs
to strengthen in the local community. We need to expand the public space for people to effectively
exercise their power through all kinds of people's assemblies, councils, associations, and citizen's
bodies. This entails the formation of different power blocks or countervailing centers in Philippine
society. The formation of various people's groups and political organizations is necessary to
safeguard the State from groups or individuals attempting to monopolize its power and use it for
their own selfish interests. There is the imperative to form farmer and peasant organizations, labor
unions, sectoral organizations, community organizations, and non-government organizations. The
leaders of the Katipunan understood that the struggle for Kalayaan, katarungan, at Kaginhawaan
necessitates organizing the masses for power.
For democracy to survive we need to be vigilant on the creeping authoritarianism. We must
promote equality and human rights. The Bill of Rights of the Philippine Constitution must be
defended, promoted. and realized. In the Kartilla, the foundation of freedom and equality is human
dignity. Today, the very foundation of human rights is human dignity. The revolution waged by
the Katipunan is a revolution for human dignity, for the defense and promotion of human rights.
Violations of human rights such as extrajudicial killings, censorship, torture, illegal detention, and
corruption are threats to democracy. Let us remember the Filipinos lost their basic rights during the
Marcos dictatorship.
In addition, our system of accountability for government officials must be strengthen.
Accountability of public officials means that the power to govern is not absolute but rather
entrusted. Accountability of public officials entails disclosure of their public expenditures and
sources of funds, policies and public contract entered into, and other acts executed by them. The
more informed the people are the better they can exercise their freedom and rights. But information
depends largely on the capacity to gather it. Government has the tendency to be unduly secretive
and insufficiently concerned about communicating what it is doing. Transparency is an indicator
of good governance. Authoritarian regimes hide information. They distort and mis-inform the
public. Fake news, propaganda, and alternative truth are examples of concealing information from
the public. Access to public information is vital in the pursuit of democracy. Before one cannot
participate in the affairs of the State, one must know what one is participating in.
Lastly, Philippine democracy can only truly flourish when the country asserts its
independence and sovereignty by not relaying on foreign countries with imperial interest, like the
US & China. The Katipunan has shown us to be truly free, we must claim our sovereignty as a
nation. “Itinuturo ng katuwiran ang tayo’y umasa sa ating at huwag antayin sa iba ang ating
kabuhayan.” We need an independent and non-align foreign policy. Our land, seas, waters,
energy, and natural resources belong to the Filipino people. Hence these resources should be
primarily used for the development of the country and for kaginhawaan and kasaganaan of the
Filipino people.
Conclusion
The struggle for democracy is a continuing struggle. It is under threat from creeping
authoritarianism. The vision of the Katipunan can inspire Filipinos today to demand a
fundamental social change, a radical change- freedom from foreign oppression, justice and
equality for all. Their goal, their ideal was independence. They equated independence with a
better and prosperous life.
We also learned that social vision of the Katipunan was short-lived because it was
hijacked
by the “educated”, the ilustrado claiming they should lead the revolution. The masses gave the
revolution to the ilustrado, trusting in their “wisdom” and sense of “fairness.” But history has
shown that the Filipino ilustrado, the elite class have a narrow economic interest and politically
opportunistic. They capitulated and collaborated with foreign powers. They dismantled the
Katipunan’s vision of an independent, sovereign, egalitarian and prosperous Philippines.
We should learn from the past. For he who would ignore all this will be condemned to
regret the past, as well as to repeat it. The struggle for genuine democracy today requires the
reappropriation of the vision of the Katipunan and organizing the masses for power. Sovereignty
resides in the people. It does not resides in foreign powers and in the elites.
1
Schumacher, J. (1995). The Civil and Religious Ethic of Emilio Jacinto, p. 44
2
The present word katarungan was coined from the Cebuano word tarong which means “straight” in Jose
W.Diokno, 'A Filipino Concept of Justice', in Priscila S.Manalang (ed.), A Nation for Our Children. Quezon
Claretian
City: Publications, 1987, p. 18.
3
Jim Richardson, "Translation " http://www.kasaysayan-kkk.info/kalayaan-the-katipunan
- newspaper/andres-bonifacio-ang-dapat-mabatid-ng-mga-tagalog-c-march-1896.
4
Reynaldo Clemeña Ileto, Pasyon and Revolution : Popular Movements in the
Philippines, 1840-1910
(Quezon City, Metro Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1979), 85.
5
Rolando M. Gripaldo, Liberty and Love : The Political and Ethical Philosophy of Emilio Jacinto
(Malate, Manila, Philippines: De La Salle University Press, 2001).
6
Michael “Xiao” Chua, Kalayaan or kasarinlan in The Manila Times June 12, 2021
7
Gripaldo.
8
translation of the Tagalog original in Santos, Buhay ni Emilio Jacinto, p. 37.
9
Agoncillo and Guerrero, Filipino History, pp. 169-170
10
Valenzuela, Pio, “Memoirs of the K.K.K. and the Philippines Revolution.” Diliman Review, XL
(1963), 497-516. Agoncillo, Revolt of the Masses , (Quezon City: U.P. Press, 1956), pp. 108-110.
11
Constantino, A Past Revisited, pp. 178-190.; Agoncillo, Teodoro A., Revolt of the Masses (Quezon
City: University of Philippine Press, 1956); Santiago V. Alvarez, The Katipunan and the Revolution,
(Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1996)
12
Salamanca, The Filipino Reaction to American Rule 1901-1913 (Quezon City: New Day Publisher,
1984) pp. 44-64.
