Kaibigang Pandong

The Assassination of Governor Bustamante and His Son, Felix Ressurrecion Hidalgo


Ilang ulit ko nang hinanap ang iyong libingan
Nguni't hindi kita matutunang matunton.
Mahirap unawain ang mapait na katotohanang
Sinuklian ang katuwiran ng pagkabuhong.

Mapait isiping kung paanong ang katarungan
Ay napasasailalim sa kasamaan ng kaluluwa,
At paanong ang relihiyon ay ininis at sinisikaran
Ng mga mismong ministrong walang-wawa.

Tunay nga marahil na isang malaking parikala
Na ikaw, Kamahalang Kinatawan ng Hari,
Ay ipagkanulo't paslangin ng iyong mga kauri
At itangis ng mga indiong ni hindi mo kilala.

Kahimanawaring mabuti nga na ang aming nuno
Napagalaw ng mga musa ang mabunying kamay,
Upang ipaalala sa lahat sa aming mga nabubuhay
Na martir ka ng Simbahang kubkob ng diyablo.

Hindi mo man kami dinulutan ng ilaw ng paglaya,
Kami nama'y tinuruan mo ng sinag ng reporma;
Sa iyo ay magsimula ang sanrekwang pagdurusa
Na idinulot sa amin ng mga prayleng walang-hiya.

Na sa katapusan ay pagbuhatan ng isang pagbalikwas,
Na sa mapait na kinsapitan ng Espanya'y magwakas,
At sa bayang ito'y hindi na muling pasasailalim pa
Sa mapait na lason ng isang balintunang Iglesia.

The Franciscans, Dominicans and Augustinians came out from their convents, each as a body, carrying in their hands crucifixes and shouting, ‘Long Live the Church! Long Live King Felipe V!’… they were joined by people of all classes and proceeded to the Church of San Agustin…

The governor who was roused from his sleep and informed of the arrival of the mob sprang up and ordered the guards to keep back the crowd… He dispatched an order to the fort to discharge artillery at the crowd; but he was so little obeyed that, although they applied a match to two cannons, these where aimed so low that the balls were buried in the middle of the esplanade of the fort.

Without opposition, this multitude arrived at the doors of the palace… As for the soldiers of the guard, some retreated in fear, and others in terror laid down their arms. The mob climbed up by ladders and entered the first hall, the halberdiers not firing the swivel-guns that had been provided, although the governor had commanded them to do so…

{tThe governor} attempted to discharge his gun at a citizen standing near and it missed fore; then the governor drew his saber and wounded the citizen; the latter, and with him all the rest at once attacked the governor. They broke him right arm, and a blow on his head from a saber caused him to fall like one dead.

- Volume 44, The Philippine Islands: Emma Blair and James Robertson