The Battle of Tres de Abril (Part 1)
This is CEBUpedia’s abridged translation of the tenth story of the book “Ang Kagubot sa Sugbo 1898” or the “Cebu’s Revolt of 1898” written by Manuel Enriquez dela Calzada. The story is a co-authored by Don Gregorio Padilla, Don Elpidio Rama, Don Alejandro Villona, Don Nicanor Avila, Don Hipolito Labra, and Don Raimundo Enriquez de Bracamonte (father of the author):
“The Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) of 1898 fell on the 3rd of April. There was benediction of the leaves/palms inside the Roman Catholic Church. Early in the morning, the children were in chorus going to the church, holding in their hands the young coconut leaves, happy were the innocents who were unaware of what is yet to come and others ignoring of the revolt as the agreement was it was yet to be on the Holy Friday (Viernes Santo). The people were earnest of their church attendance. The House of God in San Nicolas was full of people in every mass, the homily was however long because it was the Passion that was read.”
“The San Nicolas Church situated in what was originally the Kingdom of Banawa ruled by Rajah Humabon passed to his son Hari Garra, then to Haring Tupas, the Malay King of Cebu which was the ruler when Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legaspi arrived on its shores on April 27, 1565.
“The church mentioned in the book, San Nicolas was erected on May 16, 1584 in the 6th Provincial Chapter of the Augustinian Order. Its patron saint is San Nicolas de Tolentino. It covers the barrios of Mambulin (Mambaling), Basac (Basak), Labangon, Guadalupe, Bocaue and Balabac. It adjoins the city of Cebu to the east (originally San Nicolas is a town of its own but in 1901 reorganized Cebu and created the Municipality of Cebu reverting Cebu City as a municipality but with larger territory as the pueblos of El Pardo, Talamban and San Nicolas became part of the new local government unit).
“San Nicolas adjoins the City of Cebu to the east, separating them or serving as boundary is the bridge of Tabuada or Fagina alls, a few minutes away; to the southwest is the town of El Pardo, 1 league away.”
To continue with the story:
“7:00 in the morning
“Prisco Abreu was arrested last night”. That was the whisper, in hiding before the sunrise. It was found out that at around 2:00 dawn in that Sunday, was the raid of the civil guards in the streets of El Pardo (C. Padilla corner Aragon (Figueroa in the interior was of Don Filomeno Velez at present) was the house of Don Prisco Abreu stands, neighbor of Don Teopisto Cavan, was searched in silence arresting Abreu tied in a number eight knot.
“When the Katipuneros found out went to Capitan Candido (referring to Candido Padilla), however went early to the cockpit, a dispatch was sent the leaders of the Katipunan of Cebu. Gregorio Padilla, a youth personally rode with a horse for a fast solution”. (To be continued)
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