Don Leon Kilat, a biography
This is a synopsis of the biography of Don Leon Kilat, Chief of Army of the KKK-Cebu that rose against Spain in 1898. It was written by Manuel Enriquez dela Calzada who personally went to the birthplace of Leon Kilat on July 17, 1950 accompanied by Engr. Restituto Borromeo. It contains the account of Doña Silvestra Villegas, the surviving elder sister of Leon Kilat.
He worked in a pharmacy called first as "Dispensario Cebuano" then later called as "Botica Alemana" renamed lastly as "Botica Antigua". It was situated in corner of Calle del Palacio (presently named as Burgos Street) and Calle Legaspi (still retains its name). It was considered as the best pharmacy in Cebu.
The assistants of the pharmacy were named Don Ciriaco Murillo, Don Eulogio Duque, and another Eulogio with the surname Villegas who was from Bacong, Negros Oriental. It was the German owner of the pharmacy who started calling Eulogio Villegas by the name of Leon to avoid confusion.
Leon, however, did not stay long at the Botica Antigua as he transferred to the bakery owned by Pascuala in Pahina. Leon also soon left the bakery and joined a circus from Manila that came to Cebu aboard the ship, "Sotolongo" owned by a Katipunero.
It was in the circus that Leon Kilat learned of Escrima and other games like "sepa". Leon was eventually entered as member of the "Consejo Secreta" or secret society, where magic is taught, among other esoteric talents and skills.
Leon Kilat was awed by the Tagalogs' bravery and skills illustrated in the KKK operations in San Roque, Cavite, and the attack in Binondo, and the melee in Malolos.
These were the details about the life of Leon Kilat: Pantaleon Villegas was born on July 27, 1878. They were four siblings; the eldest was Irinea, followed by Silvestra, then Pantaleon, and Julian. They were the children of Don Policarpo Villegas (son of Don Pedro Villegas from Spain) and Doña Ursula Soldi (daughter of a wealthy capitan of Bacong).
They became orphans when they were young and Pantaleon became a sacristan of the parish priest and eventually left Bacong for Cebu. It was Leon Kilat who inspired into action the KKK of Cebu. Here is the list of the members of KKK Cebu: Teopisto Cavan, Prisco Abreu who recruited Judge Candido Padilla, Ando Climaco, Jacinto Pacaña, Cabeza Francisco Llamas, Atilano Lopez, Eugenio Ginez, Luis Flores, and Alejo Minoza. With the leadership of Leon Kilat the KKK-Cebu uprising was launched on April 3, 1898. He was later executed in Carcar, Cebu, on April 8, 1898.
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