Filipino Martyr: HUGO PEREZ

 HUGO PEREZ

(1856-1896)

Physician, and One of the “13 Martyrs of Cavite”

Born in Binondo, Manila, Hugo Perez was a doctor of medicine and one of the 13 martyrs

of Cavite. His father’s identity has never been ascertained. His mother, Joaquina Perez, a

renowned beauty, was related to another Cavite martyr, the pharmacist Victorino Luciano. He had

a brother also surnamed Perez.

There are no records on the early education of Hugo Perez, but he is known to have

graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a licenciado en medicina. Thereafter, he

worked as the provincial doctor of Tarlac and, subsequently, of Cavite.

Dr. Perez was also a musician. He played the fife for La Compaña del Trueño, the

orchestra of Agapito Conchu, a famed musician and printer, and one of the Cavite martyrs. Aside

from Conchu, who played the violin, the others in the orchestra were Francisco Osorio (drums) and

Victorino Luciano (pandereta, bass and violoncello). Perez became a Mason, later assuming the

rank of worshipful master of the Cavite lodge. Like many other Masons, he joined the Katipunan.

He came to be called Comandante by his fellow Katipuneros, indicating the authority and status he

had attained within the group.

In August 1896, the Philippine Revolution began. Pocket rebellions occurred

simultaneously in major towns and provinces. Accounts of these revolts were reported either by

friars or soldiers who had escaped from strife-torn areas. Tension mounted in the province of

Cavite. Victoria Crespo, Gov. Fernando Parga’s wife, was told by her seamstress that an

insurrection was being planned in Cavite town. Later, Judge Pedro Solano and his driver’s brother

arrested on suspicion that they had stolen a knife and some of his cartridges. Upon questioning,

the brothers revealed the alleged involvement in the said plot of Severino Lapidario, the provincial

jail warden, and Alfonso de Ocampo, assistant jail warden. Luis Aguado, the maestro de viveres,

was also implicated. All three were apprehended. After three hours of unremitting labor on the

boat Ulloa, they divulged some incriminatory information to the authorities.

De Ocampo accused Perez of being a cabecilla who, together with Luciano, Conchu,

Marcos Jose, Juan Castañeda, and Pablo Jose (the last three were later released), allegedly plotted

the failed Cavite rebellion, set to be launched on September 1, 1896. Perez et.al. were arrested and

coerced into making self-incriminating statements whose veracity the panicky authorities never

endeavored to investigate. On September 10, they were made to choose their defense lawyers from

among Spanish and, therefore, biased officers. The next day, September 11, they were charged.

Their self-indicting testimonies were read to them. On the same day, they were presented before a

military council formed on orders of Brig. Gen Francisco Rizzo, Cavite’s commanding general of

operations. All 13 of them were found guilty and sentenced to death by the council. Its verdict,

which came in the evening of that day, was upheld by General Rizzo.

On September 12, the death sentence was read to Perez and the others. Except for

Luciano, who accepted his fate impassively and tried to comfort his fellow unfortunates, everyone

else was stunned. They found the sentence quite harsh. Antonio Osorio, an influential Chinese

businessman whose son Francisco was among those convicted, did everything to avert the death

sentence until the last hour. Despite his known close association with the provincial governor, his

efforts proved futile.

The convicts were taken to Plaza de Armas of Fort San Felipe in the provincial capital,

where they were shot at 12:45 p.m.. Just before the execution, an uncanny silence had swept the

town. Perhaps it was the people’s way of showing their sympathy for their compatriots and

protesting their unjust fate. Not even the arrival of army reinforcements or the official welcome

given to the soldiers by the town band totally broke the silence.

Later, it was discovered that apart from the confessions extracted forcibly from his coaccused,

the articles of evidence found in the house of Dr. Perez were scarcely enough to convict

him as suspected rebel, or be given much weight in a real court. These so-called proofs consisted of

two large pictures of the accused rebels (who were positioned in such a way as to form a triangle, a

Masonic symbol), and a booklet whose frontispiece showed the same symbol.

After the execution, the bodies of the martyrs were brought to the Catholic Cemetery in

Caridad on a carabao-drawn cart. The corpses of Conchu, Lapidario, Feliciano Cabuco, Eugenio

Cabezas, and Maximo Gregorio were unceremoniously dumped in a large hole. The rest were

claimed and given decent burials by their relatives.

References:

Calairo, Emmanuel Franco. Liping Kabitenyo: Talambuhay ng mga Kilala at di-Kilalang

Kabitenyo. Dasmariñas City: De La Salle University, 1999.

Saulo, Alfredo and Esteban A. de Ocampo. History of Cavite : The Mother Ground of the

Philippine Revolution, Independence Flag and National Anthem. Trece Martires : Provincial

Government of Cavite, 1985.