4 JANUARY

1897 - The 11 martyrs of Bicol are executed by Spanish colonial authorities in Bagumbayan some four months after the outbreak of the Philippine Himagsikan during five days after polymath, patriot, and foremost propagandist Jose Mercado Rizal met the same fate by firing squad; the execution followed the arrest, imprisonment, and torture of the martyrs in Bicol, along with some other suspects, before being shipped to Manila for trial on October 19, 1896; Domingo Abella, Manuel Abella, Fr. Severino Diaz, Fr. Inocencio Herrera, Camilo Jacob, Cornelio Mercado, Florencio Lerma, Mariano Melgarejo, Fr. Tomas Prieto, Gabriel Prieto, and Macario Valentin were all adjudged guilty of rebellion and sentenced to die by firing squad, with Leon Hernandez, Mariano Ordenanza, Ramon Abella and Ramon Arana either dying in prison or dying in exile  in Fernando Po island off Africa, and Fr. Manuel Subarno and Fr. Severo Estrada having been cleared of charges; the names of the suspects were extracted by the hated Spaniards through the arrest and torture/interrogation of Masonic lodge member and future general of the revolution, Vicente Lukban, as well as trickery during the interrogation of Malinao Albay parish priest Tomas Prieto; the first batch of revolutionaries executed in Bagumbayan took place in August 31, 1896 after the secret-society-turned-revolutionary government  the first batch of revolutionaries executed in Bagumbayan were some 57 Katipuneros, taking place in August 31, 1896 after the secret-society-turned revolutionary government Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan nang manga Anak nang Bayan launched the general uprising two days earlier, with the colonial Spaniards reacting with terror-level response to quell the revolution that has begun in eight Luzon provinces but soon spread like wildfire to other parts of the archipelago.


Photo credit: http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/aug12/pictures/bicol01.gif