Paciano Mercado Rizal: The Katipunero General and Jose’s Hero

© by Jensen DG. Mañebog

In 1881, When some members of the Rizal family were peacefully living in Hong Kong, the rumors of a looming revolution in the Philippines had reached them. Perusing a map of the country, the brothers Paciano Mercado Rizal and Jose Rizal were often observed discussing about the probable areas where the revolutionaries would begin to strike.

After his brother’s execution in December 1896, Paciano joined the Katipuneros in Cavite under General Emilio Aguinaldo. He was not new to reform and revolutionary organizations. He had been an avid member of Propaganda Movement, soliciting funds to finance the organization and the nationalist paper ‘Diariong Tagalog,’ and a ver brave leader of the Calamba folks! It could also be remembered that Paciano was a student and good friend of Jose Burgos of Gom-Bur-Za, and Paciano was once prevented from taking his final examinations in school because of his known connection with Burgos.

The Calamba Agrarian Trouble

Paciano was once deported to Mindoro and it had something to do with the Calamba agrarian trouble, also known as ‘Calamba hacienda question’. Being the elder son in the Rizal family, he was given responsibilities not only in watching his younger siblings but also in the Mercado-Rizal farm. This thus put him in the forefront when an agrarian upheaval arose.

In December 1887, Governor General Emilio Terrero, induced by the contents of the Noli Me Tangere, ordered a government investigation of the way friar estates were run. In Calamba, the folks chose to beseech Jose Rizal’s assistance in collecting information and listing their comments as regards Dominican hacienda management.

It was thus exposed and recorded that the Dominican Order continually and arbitrarily increased the land rent or canon. It had been charging the tenants ridiculous fees for irrigation services and other agricultural improvements which were actually nonexistent.

Also, excessive rates of interest were also charged for late payment of rent. When the rent could not be paid, the tenants’ houses and belongings were confiscated. Since no receipts were issued for payments, some tenants were accused of not paying and thus dispossessed of their fields.

These findings, which the townsfolk, friar representatives, and government officials signed on January 8, 1888, were sent to the civil government. But the authorities had their necks held by the friars. Unsurprisingly, Rizal’s report did not resolve the agrarian trouble. Instead, the land occupied by the Rizal family and that toiled by Paciano and Don Francisco (their father) became the target of Dominican retaliation. (You might be interested: The Colorful Love Affairs of Dr. Jose Rizal)

Paciano as Calamba leader

Irritated enough by the grievances aired by the Calamba tenants, the Dominicans even raised the rent higher. Because the Rizal family had stopped paying the unreasonable rent, a lawsuit was filed to dispossess them of their lands. The agrarian uproar got worse as the Calamba case appealed to the Real Audiencia (highest court in the country) in 1888 had been unjustly won by the Dominicans in 1890.

Under Paciano’s leadership, the Calamba townsfolk prepared to elevate the case to the Tribunal Supremo (Supreme Court in Madrid). He actively corresponded with Jose who rushed to Madrid to seek legal assistance for his brother. Jose took the service of Marcelo H. del Pilar as their lawyer and tapped every influential person and association he could just to help Paciano win his fight. Unfortunately, Rizal found no Spanish authority that would fully back up the Calamba tenants’ advocacy.

Meanwhile, Valeriano Weyler, the governor general who replaced the impartial Emilio Terrero, sent demolition teams to Calamba. Taking the friars’ side, he ordered to raze to the ground the tenants’ houses. Forced to leave the place within several hours, Rizal’s parents moved in with their daughter Narcisa. This unfortunately resulted in her husband, Antonino Lopez, becoming the center of persecution.

After dismantling his house and confiscating his belongings, “Lopez was then ordered deported to Mindoro, but Paciano offered to go in his place” (Bantug & Ventura, 1997, p. 96). Paciano, together with some in-laws, were arrested in Calamba and shipped out of Manila in September 1890. (Also read: The Interesting Tales of the Jose Rizal Family)

Paciano as Katipunero

After his brother’s execution in December 1896, Paciano joined the Katipunan. As Katipunero, Paciano was later commissioned as general of the revolutionary forces. He was said to have been elected too as secretary of finance in the Department Government of Central Luzon.

Assigned as revolutionary commander in Laguna, he was supposed to have wittingly ordered that firecrackers be used to make the Spaniards believe that the Katipuneros were heavily armed. As a result, the enemies in hiding were flushed out and forced to surrender (“Paciano Rizal House,” 2008).

During the Philippine-American War, Paciano continued to fight for Philippine independence in his area of jurisdiction in Laguna. During the revolution, he was said to have had several meetings with Apolinario Mabini. Dented by malaria however, Paciano was captured by the Americans in 1900. He was released soon after on the power of his promise that he would lead a peaceful life. (Also read: Jose Rizal’s Collaborations with Other Heroes)

Paciano chose to live a quiet life

Paciano, in his later years, chose to live a serene life and busied himself in the farm instead. He was supposed to have respectfully declined Governor William Howard Taft’s offer to have an important government position in the government and the bid to seek public office in Laguna.

In 1907, when the Philippine Assembly passed a resolution providing for a life pension of Php 200 a month for his mother, Paciano courteously opposed the plan, declaring that he was responsible to take care of his mother till her death as he promised to the national hero.

We can submit that both Jose and Paciano had negative impressions about the Americans. Paciano was even said to have named his pet dog after an American general, Leonard Wood so that every time he would feel like cursing the Americans, he would just curse the dog instead (“Paciano Rizal,” 2009).

Paciano never married but he had a child by Severina Decena named Emiliana Rizal. Some texts claim that Paciano and Severina actually had two children—a boy who died during infancy and the daughter Emiliana. A son of Emiliana related that his lola Severina actually married someone else from Calamba but used to visit her Rizal grandchildren when they were young (Ocampo, 2012, p. 41).

On April 13, 1930, Don Paciano died of tuberculosis at his Los Baños home at age of 79. His remains were buried in the North Cemetery in Manila. His bones were transferred to his Los Baños home where a complete military honors were given to him in 1985. Paciano Rizal’s life exemplifies among other things that ‘a brother is a brother.’ His relationship to the national hero teaches us that siblings must stand united and remain loyal to each other … continue reading

© 2013-present by Jensen DG. Mañebog

Read Also:
The Interesting Tales of the Jose Rizal Family by Jensen DG. Mañebog

Related: Paciano Rizal: His great influence to his beloved brother, the national hero