1.Paciano’s Strong Influencea. In Rizal’s letter to Blumentritt, he regarded Paciano

as “The noblest of all the Filipinos” and, quoting his friend Taviel de Andrade “the only man in the Philippines”. Rizal added: “When I think of him (Paciano) I find him, although a native, more generous and noble than all (the present) Spaniards put together.

b. Paciano was one of de la Torre’s generation of young liberals and progresives.

c. He lived in the same house with Fr. Jose Burgos; had schooling as his brother Rizal.

d. Have taken management of the family lands from Don Francisco, if anyone has to go abroad, it has to be the younger son.

e. Paciano decided that everything must be done with discretion and dissimulation. He enrolled the young Jose in Ateneo using the surname RIZAL because Paciano made MERCADO suspicious through his association with Jose Burgos.

f. As far as Jose’s passport is concern, it was Paciano’s idea for Jose to use MERCADO because Jose’s exploits had made RIZAL in turn a name to be distrusted.

g. Significant and full of meaning statements in the letter of Paciano to Rizal in 26 May 1882“I told him everything.” (Don Francisco) “Nobody has hit on the truth.” (Those who were speculating on Rizal’s departure) “The main purpose of your going (to Spain) is not to improve yourself in that profession (medical course) but to other MORE USEFUL THINGS… THAT to which you have the greater INCLINATION.

h. Vicente Gella to Jose Rizal 30th June 1882“The good which we all desire.” “May God help you for the good you are doing your countrymen.” “You and your plans.” “An old man who has the same thoughts as we have.”

i. Paciano wake J. Rizal up early on the 1st May 1882 and gave him the money he had been able to raise for the trip, P356.00 in all (Leon Ma. Guerrero. The First Filipino 2008)

j. Rizal address Paciano as Nor Paciano, never made fun of the boy, answered his questions seriously and thus earned the young Jose’s devotion. To Rizal, Paciano excelled him in everything – in looks, in strength, in character, in manners, in culture and in skill. Paciano was the deepest influence on Rizal after his parents. Extraordinary was his brotherly bonding in which, eschewing even marriage, the elder voluntarily sacrificed himself for the sake of the younger – with the two of them consenting to

the “pact” for the love of the native country (Nick Joaquin, Rizal in Saga, 1996)

k. Without Paciano to back him up, its doubtful that Rizal would have got as far as he reached. Rizal was timid, Paciano was venturesome. Paciano supplied what the young Rizal lack – self esteem, self-confidence – which Paciano had in abundance.

l. Paciano and Rizal fulfilled each other:- Rizal the propagandist has done what Paciano had

given up when his mentor Burgos was executed- Paciano joined the Philippine revolution which

Rizal failed to do

- Rizal did what Paciano would have wanted to do: studying abroad, writing of insurgent books, gaining of fame and glory for the fatherland. But Rizal could not have done these if Paciano had not agreed to stay home

2. EXECUTION OF GOMEZ, BURGOS AND ZAMORA (N. Joaquin, Rizal in Saga)a. By the 1860s the Phil. Creoles (Phil. born

Spaniards) looked as if they might win what their peers in (South) America had already won: freedom from Spain.

b. These Creoles (first Filipinos with sense of Phil. as their native country) proudly proclaimed themselves as “Hijos del Pais” (sons of the country)

c. Creoles raised battle cry “Filipinas para los Filipinos” against boatloads of Peninsulares arriving in Manila to take command of Church and

state and Army. Won over to Creoles side the emerging INDIO MIDDLE CLASS - moneyed, cultured, and landed gentry with sons and daughters in schools of Intramuros staging march and demo of konfrantasi and protest.

d. GOMBURZA – famous recruiters of native youth to the liberals of 1860’s

e. Recruits (sons of rich provincial families studying in Manila) were fingered eyed and tailed by the authorities including Paciano from studying at Colegio de San Jose and living under the same roof with Padre Burgos.

f. Fodder incident between the Alferez and Don Francisco Mercado provided the former excuse for breaking off relations with his the latter, his former host.

g. Increasing restiveness of the students of Sto. Tomas could be blamed on Father Burgos he being a militant disciple of Father Pelaez (pioneer for the rights of native clergy) Father Burgos in turn created in Paciano militancy, transcending clerical dispute and becoming dangerously nationalist.

h. Students’ movement denounced by UST as riot merely demanded for reorganization of curricula. Strudents’ Committee (headed by Felipe Buencamino, with Sanciangco, Magda Soriano, Tison, Alejandrino and Paciano as members) also identified themselves with assimilation-autonomy for the Philippines.

i. Burgos was one of the organizers of the Committee of Reformers composed of two (2) sections: LAYMEN- headed by Joaquin Pardo de Tavera with Regidor brothers Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista (wrote Kawit Act of Independence), Jose Roxas, Manuel Genato, Jose Basa, Maximo Paterno. Angel Garchitorena and Mamerto Natividad.

j. Creole insurgency could become national movement and could explode into separatism and revolution if Burgos and other agitators were not stopped.

k. On the night of January 20, 1872, a group of marines from Cavite led by Sgt. La Madrid, mistaking a fiesta fireworks in Manila, a signal of general uprising, seized the Cavite Fort of San Felipe only to be massacred by boatloads of infantry the following day.

l. On January 21, 1872, Burgos, Gomez, J. Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Regidor, Enrique Paraiso, Pio and Jose Basa, M. Paterno, Crisanto Reyes, Ramon Maurente and Parish Priest in Sta. Cruz and more

laymen and clerics the following day were arrested for conspiring to overthrow the imperial government to be replaced by republic headed by Burgos.

m. The aim was to kill the CREOLE Revolution through the use of Marital law, firing squad, Fort Santiago, exile, confiscation of properties and garrote.