Manila
11 August 1890
MR. JOSÉ RIZAL
DEAR JOSÉ:
Enclosed are Paciano’s power of attorney and his letter, and through this and mine you will learn about the unhappy incident which occurred here recently in connection with the friar estate. On the 6th of this month, at about 9:00 0’clock at night, Juan Mompeón, governor of the province, went to the house of Eusebio Elefaño, gobernadorcillo of Calamba and ordered that we be called -— I, Antonino, Leandro, Lucía, Matías B. [Belarmino], Luis Habaña, Marcos Elasegui, Mateo Elejorde, Luis Elasegui, and several others, altogether 19 or 20 persons — and without any preamble, he told us that he had made a fast and special trip to the town for its welfare; that he was not on the side of any one but only of the one who was right; and consequently, we should come to an understanding with the Dominicans, for if we did not, he would fulfill strictly his duty as governor and what was going to happen to the town would be very sad and unpleasant. I answered that we were not doing anything bad to the Dominicans and that besides, I and the rest were not tenants. To which he replied that he already knew who were not tenants and that those he had summoned were regarded as heads of the rebellion or instigators who [are] miserably deceiving the innocent. I replied that no one had instigated those men to find out the truth, he could ask them one by one if anyone had advised them. The governor insisted on saying that he knew enough about us and that to eliminate one or two of us would be sufficient to make the town peaceful. I replied that, speaking for myself, I could not nor do I dare answer for the others, and in any case he could inquire from the three who were present who were the guilty ones and he would know. But afterward, he told me that we all should consider his proposal and decide what we should do and tell him our views. The following day, at eight o’clock in the morning, we all gathered together in the town hall to find out the opinion of each one of us; but all proposed that it would be better to present a petition, written in Tagalog, requesting the governor to wait for the judicial decision on the case. The substance of the petition was that we request the governor, if possible, to wait for the decision of the president of the Supreme Court, inasmuch as two of our fellow townsmen, Mr. Francisco Rizal and Mr. Nicasio Eigasani, had submitted an appeal to that court and whose final decision we would accept. Because of this petition he became angrier and, as I was leading the group, acting as interpreter, he threatened me, saying: “As you have not given me any consideration for my intervention in this affair. I’m going to take strict measures; I’m going to file administrative charges and right now I’m going to send a telegram to the captain general so that he would come tomorrow with armed soldiers and it will be a sad day for this town.” And then, addressing the officer, he said: “Mr. Lieutenant of the Civil Guard, go and prepare the soldiers,” and immediately he picked up his cap and went to the barracks but he did nothing. The governor, seeing that nobody was afraid of his gestures, continued saying that we were counting on France and Germany and that he was thoroughly convinced that there were many rascals in Calamba and filibusterismo existed. I said to him: “Mr. Governor, nothing of the kind, we all here are peaceful men and we have sworn allegiance to the motherland, always ready to go to her aid and to shed the last drop of our blood in the defense of the Spanish nation.” Afterward he said to me: “You may leave.” On the night of the same day, about seven o’clock, they called all of us again to the town hall and asked each one of us why we didn’t pay rent to the estate and if we knew when the Germans would come to defend us. To which we replied that so long as the Dominicans have not proven their title to the property, as the lay brother manager Father Gabriel Fernandez has promised to do and he had not fulfilled in the trial for the eviction of Mr. Francisco Rizal, we were not going to pay the rent; and as to the Germans, we knew nothing, Noting that all the declarations were similar, the governor stopped questioning the others and said: “Enough, all with a reason!”, and following this, very angry, he left for the office of the Hacienda. At siesta time he took the boat for the capital of the province. At about seven o’clock that night, the gobernadorcillo sent a constable to summon me and he detained me, saying: “You are detained here according to a verbal order left me by the Governor this morning. I replied: “In that case, you should issue an affidavit for my security.” And he answered that he could not do it as he had no formal order, and “very soon you and Dandoy will go through a chain of courts.” “Good; but before that, I want to know my crime and I need an affidavit.” The gobernadorcillo told me to wait and he would telegraph the governor. At eight o’clock the governor’s telegram arrived, which said thus: “Governor of Laguna to Gobernadorcillo of Calamba: See to it that the persons of S. Ubaldo, Antonino López, Leandro López, Paciano Rizal, and Mateo Elejorde are presented at this Government; if they disobey, send them under custody.” The result of the telegraphic order, Paciano’s letter says, is not yet known. I’ll let you know the result afterward. Until the next.
Many regards and embraces of your brother-in-law who esteems vou.
S. UBALDO
P.S.
I suppose you must have received my power of attorney with that of Antonino.
03-568 [Reformists]