Remember Gomburza

Of Gomburza Jose Rizal wrote in his introduction to El Filibusterismo: ”The Church, by refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt the crime that has been imputed to you; the Government, by surrounding your trials with mystery and shadows, causes the belief that there was some error, committed in the fatal moments; and all the Philippines, by worshipping your memory and calling you martyrs, in no sense recognizes your culpability. In so far, therefore, as your complicity in the Cavite mutiny is not clearly proved, as you may not have been patriots, and as you may or may not have cherished sentiments for justice and for liberty, I have the right to dedicate my work to you as victims of the evil which I undertake to combat… Let these pages serve as a tardy wreath of dried leaves over your unknown tombs, and let it be understood that everyone who without clear proofs attacks your memory, stains his hands with your blood!” They were an inspiration for the fathers of the Revolution. 

We hope we have moved beyond the need for political martyrs. We are no longer the province of foreign imperial powers fighting for independence. Instead, since the end of World War II, with the interregnum of Martial Law, and most definitely since 1986, we are a nation democratically governed by Filipinos. There is no worse form of government than democracy: except for every other form of government. We do not need martyrs. What we need is a sense of patriotism in politics and among our public servants.

In relation to the history of the Revolution movement, Father Burgos was a central inspirational and educational figure. The regard in which the priests were held is best shown by the password of the Katipunan: Gom-Bur-Za. Nick Joaquin pointed out once: “The Katipunan explicitly recognized the continuity by enshrining Gom-Bur-Za and turning the Creole’s prime fighting words, ‘Hijos del Pais,’ into its own militant Anak ng Bayan.” The three priests were martyred on February 17, 1872 on account of their implication in the Cavite Mutiny.

In 1972, on the occasion of the 100th death anniversary of Gomburza, we wrote: “Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were martyred during times that were not very different from ours. The so-called activism actually began during their times, for the student unrest of 1869 was the very first in our history…It is ironic how history seems to repeat itself. Student unrest was the great sign of the times during the time of the three martyred priests and that was exactly a century ago...”  

The history of the Philippines can to a large extent be divided into: before Gomburza and after Gomburza. Simply, their martyrdom marked the birth of nationalism in our country. Their 100th death anniversary fell during an appropriate time in Philippine history.

Joaquin would also write about Burgos: “It would be more correct to call Rizal ‘the Successor of Burgos.’ Rizal continued Burgos in his effort to seek reforms within the law, in his dislike of violent upheaval, in his concern to liberate the masses through education, and in his private endeavor to ennoble the term Filipino by proving in himself what the Filipino was capable of.” With the May elections upcoming, we are still trying to achieve the vision of Burgos and Rizal for the Philippines. 

In 1972, it was appropriate to remember Burgos’ last words: “My God, is there no more justice in our land?” In 2010, the question still stands.