BONIFACIO AND THE KATIPUNAN

(1892-1896)
 The failure of the reform movement led even a
reformalist like Marcelo H. Del Pilar to think of
revolution.
Insurrection Del Pilar wrote in La Solaridad, is the last
remedy, especially when the people have acquired the
belief that peaceful means to secure the remedies for
evils prove futile.
 With Rizals La Liga Filipina ripped in the bud, Del Pilars
warning of insurrection no longer seemed a far-fetched
idea. By 1892, the struggle changed its course from
reform to revolution.

Upon Rizals arrest and exile to Dapitan, an unknown

member of the Liga, Andres Bonifacio, saw the futility
of continuing the peaceful campaign for reforms.

Whether moderate or radical, he knew Spain would

not listen to the demands of men like Rizal, Del Pilar,
Lopez Jaena, and others who did not believe in armed
revolution as a remedy to the evils existing in the
Philippines.
The Founding of Katipunan
 On July 27, 1892, the newspaper published the
news about the arrest of Rizal.

That night, a small group of Patriotic Filipinos met

at the house on Azcarraga Street, Manila (now Carlo
M. Recto Avenue), and they decided to create a
secret society.
These Men were:

Andres Bonifacio
Teodoro Plata
Valentin Diaz
Ladislao Diwa
Deodato Arellano
And one or two
others.
 They decided to form an associated called:
Kataastaasan, Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng
mga Anak ng Bayan.

The founders of
Katipunan performed the
blood compact ritual to
show their patriotism and
love of things that were
Filipino.
 Method of taking in members: Triangle method.
But was changed and agreed that any member
of society could take in as many new members
as he could get.

The Members, at first, agreed that they would

recruit filipinos to become through a method of
triangle system.
The Aims and Structure of the
Katipunan
 Under the leadership of Bonifacio, the
Katipunan laid down three fundamental
objectives or aims; political, moral and civic.
The civil aim revolved around the principle of
self-help and defense of the poor and the
oppressed.
The political objective consisted in working
of the Philippines from Spain.
The moral objective revolved around the
teaching of good manners, hygiene, good
morals and attacking obscuranticism.
The Katipunan Government
 Bonifacio had seen attended the only
meeting of the La Liga Filipina. He took note
of this societys structure and when he
founded the Katipunan, he borrowed the
structure of the Liga.

The Katipunan had three governing bodies:

the Kataastaasang Sanggunian or Supreme
Council, the Sangguniang Bayan or
Provincial Council and the Sangguniang
Balangay or Popular Council.
The Katipunan Elections
o The triangle method of getting new members was
slow and ineffective. So, it was agreed that all
Members should be allowed to get as many
members as circumstances permitted.
o The elected officers of the first supreme council:

Diodato Arellano: President ot Supremo

Andres Bonifacio: Comptroller or Financial Officer
Ladislao Diwa: Fiscal
Teodoro Plata: Secretary
Valentin Diaz: Treasurer
The elected officers of the second supreme
council:

Roman Basa: Fiscal

Jose Turiano Santiago: Secretary
Vicente Molina: Treasurer
Membership
Bonifacio convinient to divide the members
into three grades:
Katipon (first grade): wore black in the
meetings
Kawal (second grade): green ribbon at
medal the end
Bayani (third grade): patriot
The Katipunan Code
 The Katipunan members faced many dangers, so that
precautions had to be taken to keep the society secret. To
maintain secrets of their communication, Bonifacio evolved
a system of writing that would make it difficult, if not
possoble, for the Spanish Authorities to discover.
The Katipunan Flags
A side from the secrets codes, Bonifacio
also wanted a flag to be used by the
members as a symbol of their unity.