The Battle of Tres de Abril Series - Holy Saturday (April 9, 1898) Part 3
The book “Ang Kagubot sa Sugbo 1898” provides a narrative of what happened on April 3, 1898 (which fell on a Palm Sunday) and the following days. It was authored by Manuel Enriquez dela Calzada and contains the articles written by veterans and witnesses of the Cebuano uprising against Spain. The entry on Holy Saturday was written by Don Elpidio Rama and Raimundo Enriquez, this is the adaptation of CEBUpedia of the article written in Cebuano:
“The Spaniards, did not trust their situation, that is the reason why they did not come back to their homes, at night they converge inside the fort (referring to Fort San Pedro), it is there that they discuss the status of the uprising and whispering whom they trust and reporting those they are jealous of. In this way, many innocents were killed.
“While Simplicio Sacedon, the man to be executed while walking towards Carreta for the ending of his life, another Spanish official visited the prison cell of Candido Padilla (the street in Cebu City is named after him) and informed him that the following day will be the expiration of the ‘Final Order.’ The punished Capitan (he was something like the Mayor of San Nicolas, which at that time was a town of its own, separate from Cebu City) was not able to sleep, his head bowed. He replied to the announcement, ‘his command shall be followed,’ was the reply of the convicted prisoner.
“It was to be said that starting Holy Friday, the Spaniards intently interrogated Capitan Padilla, no let-up so he will be forced to spill the names of his accomplices. The investigator summarized the old list of the name of Candido Padilla as one of the leaders of Katipunan. This was the evidence that justified the decision of his execution.
“The “expediente” (records of the case) was submitted promptly to General Montero. The highest Spanish official, without blinking in front of the priests, gave his judgment Candido will be executed the soonest.
“The appeal for a lesser penalty was not arrived, the verdict was made in the presence of the following priests: Jacinto Albarran, Pedro Medina, and Jorge Romanillos, who became Parish Priest of San Nicolas.”
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