Note 99. The first executions which took place were those of four
rebels captured in flagrante in San Juan del Monte. These were Sancho
Valenzuela, Eugenio Silvestre, Modesto Sarmiento and Ramón Peralta. Of
these Valenzuela was the only one of any importance. Sarmiento was
a cabeza de barangay [90] of Santa Ana where he owned a small nipa
house which he rented out, performing at the same time the office of
cook and house boy to the tenant. On the way to execution he met his
tenant-master and, in a nonchalant manner, greeted him with as pleasant
a Buenos dias Señor, as if he were on the way to some joyous function
or a grand "meet" at the cock-pit. Before his execution Valenzuela
also showed a spirit of coolness and serenity, signing his last will
and testament with a firm hand, and smiling. Both showed the spirit
of men thoroughly fascinated by some superior power, neither realizing
the crime they had committed nor the punishment they were to undergo.
The second execution took place in Cavite, thirteen rebels being
shot. These were Francisco Osorio, Maximo Inocencio, Luis Aguado,
Victoriano Luciano, Hugo Pérez, José Lallana, Antonio San Agustin,
Agapito Conchu, Feliciano Cabuco, Mariano Gregorio, Eugenio Cabezas and
two constables of the public prison of the province. These constables
had pressed into their traitorous service a number of the muchachos of
the prison. Francisco Osorio was a very wealthy Chinese half-caste. He
had been honored by Spain with several honors, among them the Grand
Cross of Carlos III. He was very intimate with the authorities in
Cavite. His father, a wealthy Chinee, and his cousin, a doctor,
both denounced him at the moment of his execution.
"After the reading of the sentence," says an eye-witness, "in front
of the square which we formed, he commenced to cry, asking pardon of
the General and of all Spaniards; he affirmed that he was a Spaniard
and that he would never conspire again against the country in which
he had been educated, and he cursed the freemasons who in Madrid had
initiated him into the hatred of religion and the fatherland. The
doctor his cousin, turning to him, said: Silence Osorio! don't cry so;
what will the Spaniards benefit from your repentance; but the miserable
fellow paid no attention to him, and asked to be allowed to kiss the
Spanish flag before he died. This permission was not granted."
Maximo Inocencio was the proprietor of a large store and was a
contractor to the Arsenal. He had been previously arrested for
implication in the revolt in Cavite in 1872. At that time he escaped
but was afterwards pardoned; the signal rocket was to be fired from
his storehouse in Cavite.
Luis Aguado was also a contractor for the Arsenal.
Victoriano Luciano, a chemist, was a wealthy half-caste who had not
lived long in Cavite.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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