The Revolutionaries of Cebu (Ang Mangugubot Sa Sugbo)
In the book "Ang Kagubot sa Sugbo 1898" written by Manuel Enriquez dela Calzada published on July 1951 the eighth story/entry was written by Nicanor Avila. It narrated how Cebu was affected by the events in Manila.
Avila wrote the news that the Manila uprising echoed in Cebu. This happened in the last part of 1896 then again in 1897 by the news of the execution of Rizal.
The uprising in Manila resulted in the arrest of the citizens of Cebu by the Guardia Civil, because of this the men no longer slept in their houses but instead in the sugarcanes, cornfields, and in the woods to avoid arrest. Interestingly, Avila wrote that there were no arrests during daytime.
Avila wrote that Dr. Jose Rizal came to Cebu twice (Avila called Cebu as the Town of Humabon), first was when he came from Manila then Cebu to Dapitan. Rizal was met by Dr. Rubeo (Rubio) a classmate in Medicine. Rizal was made to ride a Quilis (like a tartanilla) where he was toured in the streets of Cebu. Rizal visited the house of Don Francisco Mattheu, a Spanish lawyer from San Nicolas.
The second time was when the ship, Solotongo, from Dapitan docked in Cebu, this time Rizal was not allowed to leave the ship but patients were allowed to come aboard. Among those treated by Rizal was Don Jayme Enriquez of San Nicolas.
Avila wrote that the leaders of the Cebu KKK inspired by Don Leon Kilat who joined the circus from Manila also owned by a Katipunero were the following: Candido Padilla (head) the street in Mambaling is named after him, Teopisto Cavan (secretary), Alejandro Climaco (treasurer), as members Atilano Lopez, Prisco Abreu, Luis Flores, Eugenio Genes, Florencio Gonzalez (the street in Carbon is named after him), Lucio Herrera, Jacinto Pacaña, Francisco Llamas, Arsenio Cabreros (A. Cabreros Street in Basak-San Nicolas is named after him, he was given the rank of colonel), Justo Cabahar, and Fr. Toribio Padilla (the barangay and street is named after him).
The meeting place of the KKK Cebu was sometimes the place of Cabeza Francisco Llamas (the street in Punta Princesa, F. Llamas is named after him), at other times in the place of the Chinese, Lucio Herrera, Capitan C. Padilla, and Don Jacinto Pacaña. Meetings were also held at the place of Paulino Solon in Sambag (presently the site of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center).
Leon Kilat was described to be of good character, a charismatic speaker, courteous, and amiable. He was not of sturdy physique but his arms were slender and well-formed. His skin was brownish, his eyes were little bit of greyish, and his nose was just normal. His mouth and lips were not thick and was not also black, his teeth were white. This was according to the men who met Leon Kilat as written by Avila.
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