Ang Pagpatay kay Padre Moises

Why kill the cura?

The priest of Malolos caused all the members of the town council to be banished. John Foreman in his accounts shared how arrogant the priest was telling him what he did and that he had cleared out a few more and had his eye on others.

This same cura boasted in public banquets how the indios should be grateful for how much they owe Spain and that they should not turn these benefits into weapons against their benefactor.

In an article from Revistas Filipinas (1898), General Isidoro Torres was referred to as the one responsible for the death of Father Moises.

"...Isidoro Torres, the alleged murderer of the priest of Malolos, Guiguinto, Agoo and of Santa Isabel, and now commander of the militias with several hundred rifles at his disposal..." (Espanol, J., 1898)

The Murder of Fr. Moises Santos: Document Set

Citation and Link	Transcription	Translation
Espanol, J. (1898, June 27). Revistas Filipinas, p. 7. Espana.	La llegada de Aguinaldo á Cavite, traído por los yankis, no fué bastante para abrir los ojos á nuestra primera autoridad y traer consigo á su familia; pensó, sin duda, que Bulacán, entregada á la férula del cabecilla Isidoro Torres, asesino presunto del cura de Malolos, del de Grirguinto, del de Agóo y del de Santa Isabel, y ahora comandante de Milicias con varios centenares de fusiles á su disposición, semantendría leal á la soberanía de España...	The arrival of Aguinaldo to Cavite, brought by the Yankees, was not enough to open the eyes of our foremost authority and bring his family with him; He thought, without a doubt, that Bulacán, delivered to the rule of the leader Isidoro Torres, alleged murderer of the priest of Malolos, of Grirguinto, of Agóo and of Santa Isabel, and now commander of Militias with several hundred rifles at his disposal , would remain loyal to the sovereignty of Spain...
Espanol, J. (1898, April 11). La Rebellion en Filipinas, pp. 4-5. Espana.	Los asesinos de Malólos. Cuadro primero. En el año 1895, á raíz de la victoria de Marahuit, y como quiera que fuese menester dar á este hecho más importancia de la que tenía, se mandó celebrar Te-Deum en todas las poblaciones del Archipiélago. En Malolos, el Tribunal Municipal se hallaba formado por masones y filibusteros, alejados, como era consiguiente, de la Iglesia parroquial y del Convento. El Cura, Rdo. P. Fr. Moisés Santos, un alma buena, incapaz de hacer daño á una mosca y que había hecho, en cambio, á Malolos muchos beneficios, deseoso de evitar toda disensión y hasta todo motivo para ella, propuso al Gobernador civil de la provincia que el Te Deum no se celebrara; pero el Gobernador insistió, y de acuerdo ambos, se señaló para su celebración un día distinto del designado para celebrar el de su cabecera, con objeto de que, presentándose aquél en Malolos, se pusiese al frente de la principalia y en esta forma se vieran los principales obligados tácitamente á concurrir. ¡Palabras, palabras y palabras! El día señalado para el Te Deum el Gobernador se quedó muy pacífico en Bulacán y el Cura verificó la ceremonia sin más asistentes que el sacristán y los monaguillos. El General Blanco mandó á Malolos al hoy Secretario del Gobierno general Sr. Sein Echaluce; éste formó expediente gubernativo, y la principalia en masa de Malolos fué deportada á Mindanao. Segundo cuadro. Durante la insurrección surgió como cabecilla de una de las partidas levantadas en armas, un tal Torres, de Malolos, el cual, al concertarse la pacificación Primo de Rivera, cometió la primada de someterse, es de presumir que suficientemente socorrido, quedándose de reyezuelo de Malolos. Los decretos de indulto publicados con motivo de la paz devolvieron al pueblo á los deportados de Mindanao y allí no había Capitanía Municipal, ni Juez, ni Rey, ni Roque, ni más voluntad que la del tal Torres y comparsa, con mucho ¡viva España! eh la boca, pero con mucho veneno en el pensamiento. El Cura, que esto veía, cumplió sus deberes de español á macha-martillo, informando reservadamente de ello al General Primo de Rivera; y Tercer cuadro. Al anochecer del 31 de Marzo último, en ocasión en que el Padre Moisés, confiado é inerme, se dirigió hacia la estación del ferrocarril de Barasoain para esperar á otros curas que trataban de despedirle, por haber sido designado para ejercer un cargo en Manila, tres desalmados que le salieron al encuentro en un lugar bosquejoso del camino le asestaron ocho tremendas puñaladas de las que falleció una hora después. ¿Los asesinos? Hasta ahora permanecen en el misterio; lo que no es misterio para nadie es que buscados inmediatamente en Malolos y en Barasoain el Torres y los deportados, dio la casualidad de que ninguno de ellos se encontraba en el pueblo.	The Assassins of Malolos. First Scene. In the year 1895, following the victory of Marahuit, and as it was necessary to give more importance to this event than it deserved, Te Deum was ordered to be celebrated in all the towns of the Archipelago. In Malolos, the Municipal Tribunal was composed of Masons and filibusters, naturally distant from the parish church and the convent. The Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Moisés Santos, a good soul incapable of harming a fly and who had rendered many benefits to Malolos, desiring to avoid any dissension and even any reason for it, proposed to the civil Governor of the province that the Te Deum not be celebrated. However, the Governor insisted, and both agreed to celebrate it on a different day than the one designated for the celebration in the capital. This was done so that, by presenting himself in Malolos, he would lead the principales (local leaders), and thus, the prominent figures would be tacitly obligated to attend. Empty words! On the appointed day for the Te Deum, the Governor remained peacefully in Bulacán, and the Parish Priest carried out the ceremony with no attendees other than the sacristan and the altar boys. General Blanco sent Mr. Sein Echaluce, the current Secretary of the general Government, to Malolos; he compiled a government file, and the entire principality of Malolos was deported to Mindanao. Second Scene. During the insurgency, a certain Torres from Malolos emerged as the leader of one of the armed groups. When the pacification under Primo de Rivera was agreed upon, he committed the audacity to submit, presumably having received sufficient support, and remained as a sort of petty king of Malolos. The amnesty decrees published in connection with the peace returned the deportees from Mindanao to the town. There was no Municipal Captaincy, Judge, King, Roque, or more will than that of Torres and his associates, who loudly shouted "Long live Spain!" with venomous thoughts in their minds. The Parish Priest, seeing this, dutifully fulfilled his obligations as a Spaniard, secretly reporting it to General Primo de Rivera. Third Scene. On the evening of March 31 last, at a time when Father Moisés, confident and defenseless, headed towards the Barasoain railway station to bid farewell to other priests who were trying to see him off, as he had been appointed to a position in Manila, three heartless individuals encountered him in a wooded area of the road and inflicted eight tremendous stab wounds on him. He succumbed to his injuries an hour later. As for the assassins, they remain a mystery until now. What is not a mystery to anyone is that when immediately sought in Malolos and Barasoain, Torres and the deportees, it happened that none of them were found in the town.
Martínez, B. (1909). Apuntes históricos de la provincia agustiniana del Santísimo nombre de Jesús. Spain: los hijos de G. Fuentenebro. p. 510	Del P. Moises Santos se sabe que en pleno dia el 31 de Marzo de 1898 fue vil y cobardamente asesinado al retirarse de Malolos, al ir a tomar el tren de la tarde que le condujera a Manila. No ignoraba el insigne y virtuoso Agustino que sus horas estaban contadas; la atmosfera de sectarismo de que se halla saturado todo el ambiente de Malolos indicabale que debia estar prevenido para la muerte. Asi lo comprendio el P. Moises; se preparo para morir, conciendo, sin duda, que el viaje proyectado seria el de la eternidad. Ha podio recogerse su cuerpo y ser conducido al panteon de Guadalupe.	It is known about Father Moises Santos that in broad daylight on March 31, 1898, he was vilely and cowardly murdered as he left Malolos, while going to take the afternoon train that would take him to Manila. The distinguished and virtuous Augustinian was not unaware that his hours were numbered; The atmosphere of sectarianism with which the entire environment of Malolos is saturated indicated to him that he should be prepared for death. This is how Father Moises understood it; He prepared to die, knowing, without a doubt, that the planned journey would be that of eternity. He was able to collect his body and be taken to the pantheon of Guadalupe. (Note: the massacre at Guiguinto Station was narrated on the succeeding paragraphs, page 511).

References:

Espanol, J. (1898, June 27). Revistas Filipinas, p. 7. Espana.

Espanol, J. (1898, April 11). La Rebellion en Filipinas, pp. 4-5. Espana.