Summary
Highlights
The Captain-General goes on a fruitless hunting trip in Bosoboso with his staff and a band, symbolizing his high office. Despite the grandeur, he fails to catch anything. He returns to Los Baños, relieved that his failure wasn't widely witnessed.
In Los Baños, the Captain-General plays tresillo with Padres Sibyla and Irene, who intentionally lose to curry favor before discussing important government matters. Padre Camorra is annoyed, while the secretary reads documents on official transfers, favors, and deportations. Don Custodio and Padre Fernandez are also present.
After Padre Camorra leaves the game angered by Padre Irene's mistake, Simoun takes his place. Simoun wagers, not with money, but with promises: Padre Sibyla must abandon humility and poverty, and Padre Irene must forsake compassion and good conscience. Most shocking is his demand from the Captain-General: if Simoun wins, he wants the power to imprison, deport, or even order executions. This 'joke' exposes the easily abused power within the government.
The conversation shifts to bandits. The Captain-General suggests banning weapons, but Simoun argues that mountain bandits are more honorable as they openly conduct their trade. He claims the real bandits are those in towns and cities who exploit others through power. Padre Sibyla jokingly implies Simoun is like them, to which Simoun retorts, 'like us,' adding that 'our' theft is just less obvious.
After the game, the meeting resumes. They discuss banning ornamental firearms, which the high official opposes but the Captain-General enforces, albeit with Simoun's suggestion to ban only specific sizes. Next, they discuss a teacher from Tiani requesting a proper school. Padres Sibyla and Camorra oppose it, with Padre Camorra labeling the teacher a filibuster. The Captain-General orders the teacher's dismissal, stating that education in the Philippines shouldn't surpass Spain's. Don Custodio suggests using cockfighting arenas as classrooms, a proposal the Captain-General agrees to consider.
Finally, the students' six-month-pending proposal for a Spanish language academy is discussed. The high official supports it, believing it beneficial for the country, but Padre Sibyla strongly opposes it, viewing it as a threat to the Dominicans' power. Students involved, like Isagani, are deemed dangerous for their progressive ideas, and Basilio is suspected due to his father's past involvement in an uprising. Padre Camorra argues against teaching Spanish to natives, fearing they'll argue with Spaniards. Padre Fernandez, however, advocates supporting the youth's just demands to gain their trust rather than turning them into enemies, foreseeing a stronger nation in the future.
The heated debate is interrupted by lunch. Before they leave, an official reports that Huli, Cabesang Tales's daughter, requests the release of her grandfather, Tandang Selo, in exchange for her father. Padre Camorra agrees, and the Captain-General grants the request immediately. This chapter, Rizal illustrates the corruption of the colonial government, where those in power prioritize gambling, self-interest, and politics over the true needs of the people.