Summary
Highlights
In August 1896, the Katipunan, a secret society founded by Andres Bonifacio, was revealed after four years of being hidden from the Spanish. This disproves the notion that Bonifacio was impulsive, as he quietly worked to spread the organization across the country.
Traditional views suggest the Katipunan was formed immediately after Jose Rizal established La Liga Filipina and was arrested in July 1892. However, new documents from the Archivo General Militar de Madrid, published by Jim Richardson in 'The Light of Liberty,' show plans for a 'Kataas-taasang Katipunan' as early as January 1892. Historian Lito Nunag's research on these documents also reveals a more complex structure, suggesting the Katipunan functioned as a true government, not just an organization.
As early as June 5, 1896, Lieutenant Manuel Sityar alerted the government about a secret society forming in Pasig, Mandaluyong, and San Juan. The Katipunan's exposure came on August 19, when two members, Apolonio de la Cruz and Teodoro Patiño, had a disagreement. Patiño confessed the Katipunan's secrets to his sister Honoria, who then told a nun. The nun urged Patiño to confess to Father Mariano Gil, the parish priest of Tondo, revealing plans for an attack by 10,000 Katipuneros.
Father Gil went to the Diario de Manila, where Katipunan documents were found in a locker. This discovery led to widespread arrests that same night, marking the beginning of the Katipunan's public unraveling.