Ladislao Diwa (June 27, 1863-March 12, 1930) was a Filipino patriot who was among the founders of the Katipunan that initiated the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Look up patriot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Katipunan was a secret society founded in the Philippines by Andrés Bonifacio aimed towards liberating the country from the Spanish colonizers. ... Combatants Filipino independence movement Spanish Empire Commanders Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines Strength 80,000 soldiers unknown Casualties unknown unknown The Philippine Revolution (1896—1898) was a conflict between the Spanish colonial regime and the Katipunan, which sought independence for the Filipinos. ...

Early years

He born in San Roque, Cavite to Mariano Diwa and Cecilia Nocon and was educated at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and later studied for the priesthood at the University of Santo Tomas. But he had to abandon his ecclesiastical studies just before his ordination because of his father's strenuous objections. Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL) (also as San Juan de Letran College (SJLC), Letran College (LC) or simply Letran), was founded in 1620. ... The Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, or simply the University of Santo Tomas (UST) is a private Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers. ...

He studied law instead and it was while he was studying law that Diwa met Andres Bonifacio who often distributed propaganda material, authored by Jose Rizal and Marcelo H. del Pilar during the Propaganda Movement in Spain, inside the university campus. The two became close friends and Diwa later boarded with Teodoro Plata at Bonifacio's house in Tondo, Manila. Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897) was one of the chief leaders of the revolution of the Philippines against Spanish colonial rule, the first revolution in Asia against European colonial rule. ... José Rizal José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda (June 19, 1861 - December 30, 1896) is the national hero of the Philippines. ... Marcelo Hilario Del Pilar Biography Biography Marcelo H. Del Pilar (1850-1896) was a Philippine revolutionary propagandist and satirist. ... José Rizal José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda (June 19, 1861 - December 30, 1896) is the national hero of the Philippines. ... A tondo is also a circular painting or relief carving. ... Manila (Filipino: Maynila) is the capital of the Philippines. ...

The Katipunan

After finishing his law studies, Diwa was named a clerk in a district court of Quiapo, Manila. While an employee of the court, Diwa joined La Liga Filipina and became secretary of La Liga's council in Trozo in Tondo, under the presidency of Bonifacio. However, Rizal was arrested a few days after establishing La Liga and he was deported to Dapitan in Mindanao. Quiapo is a well known district of old Manila and a place which offers cheap prices on items ranging from electronics to native handicrafts. ... Manila (Filipino: Maynila) is the capital of the Philippines. ... La Liga Filipina was an organization created by Dr. Jose Rizal in the Philippines. ... Dapitan City is a 2nd class city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country, with Luzon and Visayas being the other two. ...

Although they were members of La Liga which espoused the peaceful reform of the Spanish colonial government, Diwa, Bonifacio and Plata were apparently convinced that an armed uprising was the only way to attain independence from Spain. After hearing of Rizal's deportation, they founded a secret society and called it Katipunan in Tondo on July 7, 1892. The meeting was also attended by Deodato Arellano, Valentin Diaz and Jose Dizon. Deodato Arellano (July 26, 1844-October 7, 1899) was a Filipino patriot who was among the founders of the Katipunan that started the Philippine Revolution against Spain. ...

Adopting the symbolic name Balete, Diwa formed the Katipunan's first triangle with Bonifacio and Plata and became the society's fiscal. He later formed a triangle of his own with Roman Basa and Teodoro Gonzales, who would respectively become president and councilor of the Katipunan's supreme council. The following year, Diwa continued to serve as councilor.

Diwa contributed to the Katipunan's expansion to the countryside because of his transfer to the court of a justice of the peace in Pampanga province. Katipuneros in Bulacan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija claim to have been inducted into the Katipunan by Diwa himself. One of the most notable was Francisco Macabulos, who would become one of the most successful Filipino generals of the revolution. Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ... Bulacan is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ... Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ... Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ...

The revolution

But the Spanish authorities arrested Diwa shortly after the Katipunan was uncovered in August 1896. He was arrested in Betis, Bacolor, Pampanga and brought to Manila. He was imprisoned at Fort Santiago in the same cell as Teodoro Plata, who was arrested earlier. The Spanish then unleashed a series of executions to quell the uprising, including that of Rizal who was executed by musketry on December 30, 1896.

On February 6, 1897, Plata was brought out of their common cell and executed at the field of Bagumbayan. Four days later, Diwa was unexpectedly released in a prisoner exchange between the Spanish authorities and the Filipino revolutionists. He fled to Cavite to join the revolutionary troops of Mariano Trias but the entire province was then under siege and he had to covertly cross enemy lines. After joining the revolutionists, he became active in combat and became instrumental in the surrender of the Spanish forces under Leopoldo Garcia OeÒa. Because of this, Diwa was promoted to colonel in the revolutionary army. When the First Philippine Republic was organized, he was named first civil governor of Cavite. Emilio Aguinaldo,first and only president of the First Philippine Republic The First Philippine Republic (Filipino: Unang Republika ng Pilipinas), popularly called the Malolos Republic, is the republic formed by the Revolutionary Government, led by Gen. ...

Under American occupation

When the Philippine-American War broke out in 1898, Diwa again rejoined Tirias , who appointed him his secretary. But when Emilio Aguinaldo was captured at Palanan, Isabela on March 23, 1899, they both surrendered to the Americans in Indang, Cavite. Diwa was later named clerk of court of the Court of First Instance of Cavite. He also taught at the Ligaya College, which he co-founded in his hometown. He then retired to his farms in Tagaytay and Mendez. He died of nephritis on March 12, 1930. He was married twice His first wife was Delisa Dandan with whom he had three children. His second wife was Honorata Crescini with whom he had five children.

The Caridad Elementary School in Cavite City was renamed Ladislao Diwa Elementary School in his honor in November 1964. Cavite City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. ...

References

• National Historical Institute. Filipinos in History 5 vols. (Manila: National Historical Institute, 1989)

[[Category::Philippine Revolution people|Diwa Ladislao]]