Chapter VIII: Part 8

Since the American occupation Poblete's chief enterprise, apart from cock-fighting and "sponging upon the ignorantes who listened to his ravings with more or less favor because he was a protestant, was the editing and publishing of a dirty little "sheet" known as the Ang Kapatid nang Bayan." In this so called newspaper Poblete aired his radical political ideas with such vigor that the Provost Marshal was compelled to call him down. The pobre diablo then turned his attention to another pastime which would combine the advantages of demonstrating his unsurpassable abilities, of airing his opinions and, last mentioned but of the greatest importance, the quality of putting into his pocket a goodly number of easily earned dollars. This pastime took the shape of a theatrical enterprise: Constancia, the daughter of the said mountebank "composed and wrote" a play entitled Ang Pag Ibig Sa Lupang Tinubinan: For the Love of Country. Poblete's better half (which is not saying much) played the part of the heroine. The whole play was incendiary in the extreme and the audience being Tagalogs of the lowest and most ignorant class, the result was that they were thrown into a state of the greatest frenzy. Poblete put this play on the boards of the Teatro Oriental. All went well in the first acts; and following out the "plot" of the play, the town of Imus was supposed to have been taken by the rebels. Dramatic shouts of Viva La Independencia; were raised from time to time by the actors, followed by shouts from the audience of Viva Filipinas! Viva Aguinaldo! Suddenly there rushed from the "wings" a gaudy looking creature who ought to have been the Tondo market selling cockles and crabs; this turned out to be the heroine. In one hand she held a revolutionary flag and in the other a bolo. Viva La Independencia was the shout which almost raised the roof; but as fate would have it Poblete was doomed to be humbled to the dust. Just as he was promising himself a fine string of dollars from his new enterprise Capt. Lara and a number of police appeared on the scene, and Poblete, his katipunan banners and bolos etc., were seized and the house cleared of its fanatical occupants.

To-day he amuses himself in fitting out bands of little boys who on "state" occasions parade the streets with American flags and Japanese lanterns, and placards with various inscriptions, the chief ones being petitions for an amnesty on behalf of all those who have "done what they ought not to have done". Poblete would open the doors of the prisons of the Archipelago and let loose all their occupants. The result? A political boom for Poblete, an increase in the membership of the Partido Nacionalista and an increase of crime to a thousand fold, not only in Manila but throughout the whole archipelago.

Poor Poblete a pobre infeliz, a stain upon the good name of the filipino. But then, what would Filipinas be without her Poblete; almost like a cat without fleas.

[93] Cruz Herrera, now alcalde of Manila, was another upon whom the authorities took pity on account of the rheumatism from which he suffered to such an extent that he could scarcely walk.

[94] This was Alfonso XII. the anniversary of whose death fell of the 25th of November. Archbishop Payo had been suffering for a considerable time from dysentery. Apart from this, the bitterness of the official relations at that time between the civil and ecclesiastical authorities had completely incapacitated the venerable prelate from attending to his official duties. Consequently, acting upon the advice of his physician, the Archbishop left Manila for Navotas for a few days of complete rest. The departure of the Archbishop happened to almost coincide with the anniversary of the death of the King; but as the prelate was physically unable to attend to the pontifical ceremonies which were to be held on that day and to the other functions consequent upon such a solemn occasion, he was wisely advised to absent himself from the city.

Freemasonry ever on the watch, saw in this an opportunity to attack the Religious Orders, and taking advantage of it, demanded: "The insult committed by the archbishop being therefore very culpable, and having caused the greatest indignation to the government, to the nation, and in particular to those of this country, as devoted to their king; it is indispensable to expel him from this soil, imposing upon him the penalty of temporary banishment marked out by article 142 of the penal code.

[95] To judge from his writing, Isabelo held the idea that he alone was able to direct everything connected with the revolt. Isabelo takes upon himself the intellectual work of the affair leaving to others the dirty work.

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