Delving on the Philosophies of Emilio Jacinto Being the Brains of the Katipunan, and Father of Military Intelligence in the

Philippines, it was Emilio Jacinto who wrote the Cartilla or primer of the Katipunan which served as a set of rules of conduct for its members, and gave an idea of what was expected of them. Through the rules written by Jacinto, one can see a glimpse of his political views which encompasses his patriotism and love for social justice and equality. His rules made sure that members of the Katipunan will stay true and loyal to the principles of their organization and be worthy to be called a member of the group. He sought to give emphasis to a noble mans honor (The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain... To the honorable man, his word is sacred.) He even included in the Cartilla a rule which ordered men, who are members of the KKK, to not look upon woman as a mere plaything but as a faithful companion and it shows that he possessed a great respect for women. As mentioned earlier, I have noticed that his rules centered on social justice and equality. He believed that we are all born equal; hence one must not oppress his fellowmen and instead, must defend the oppressed from their oppressors. He had his own version of the Golden Rule, which is to not do unto the family of your neighbor what you do not want others to do unto yours. For him, a mans social status, race or position does not define a persons worth and value. What defines him is his actions and works, whether he does good, keeps his words, is worthy and honest,..(and) loves and cherishes his fatherland. In his Liwanag at Dilim, his political and also ethical ideologies and philosophies that were compressed in the Cartilla have been elaborated and explained further. In Liberty and Glitter, he criticized how men tend to be deceived by the glitter of some who uses their false light to conceal their treachery instead of following and believing the genuine light that shows itself confidently and with honesty. In Liberty, his search for social justice was reiterated. He criticized the way some abuse their liberty while depriving others of their own, and continue to empower themselves by enslaving and oppressing others. It is followed by All Men Are Equal which of course talks about social equality and how everyone must be treated fairly and equally regardless of their race, blood, or social class. In the chapter entitled Love, he discussed love as related to ones love for his fellowman. He believed that it is the kind of love which drives us to search for justice and the common good. Unfortunately, this is not what always prevails for some men, according to Jacinto; some are urged by their selfishness which leaves the others abused and oppressed by the wicked ones. In False Belief, he acknowledged the fact that many, and I guess especially the people in Church at that time, do not really act as Christ has taught us to do so; thus the people who believed them had a false or blind belief. Lastly, in The People and the Government, he emphasized the importance of keeping the balance of power between the government and the people governed. We can see that Jacinto wanted a democratic society wherein the government has the responsibility to always consider the will and well-being of the citizens and to lead its people towards happiness and the common good. According to him, the welfare of the people is and should be the sole purpose of the government and the government should owe its existence to the people. It cannot escape the notice of any sensible person that Emilio Jacinto had been a remarkable man. Taking note of his very young age, he was already able to have his own philosophies of how man should act and think and how a society must be. His works evidently proves his wisdom and the clarity and sharpness of his mind. Many among his ideas can be compared to the ideologies of famous philosophers and thinkers and his works are, in some ways, proposing what an ideal society or man should be and how to achieve it. It had been a reflection and product of the political situation of the Philippines then, but I can say that it is still very much applicable up to now. No wonder that his works are still being studied today for he is truly and without doubt the Brain of the Katipunan. - Lovelle Marie B. Role, PSC41