Philippine History -- Gregoria de Jesus ( Part 3 )

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Hero of the Philippine Revolution
Gregoria de Jesus
From her autobiography

Fleeing the Enemy

As the Katipunan's activities had reached nearly all corners of the Philippine Archipelago and some of its secrets had already been divulged, we returned immediately to Kalookan. However, as we were being watched closely, most of the men, including Andres Bonifacio, after a few days, left town. It was then that the uprising began with the cry for liberty on 26 August 1896. While I was with my parents, through friends, I learned that I too would be apprehended. I therefore decided to escape right away and I did so at eleven o'clock at night with the intention of returning to Manila under cover going through the ricefields direct to La Loma. I was treated like an apparition, for, sad to say, from every house where I tried to get a little rest, I was driven away as if the people therein were mortally frightened. However, I learned later that the occupants of the house I visited were seized and severely punished and some even exiled - one of them was an uncle of mine whom I visited that night to kiss his hand, and he died in exile. My father and two brothers were also arrested at this time.

My wanderings continued and by four o'clock in the morning, I reached Lico /street, now Soler, and went to the house of my uncle, Simplicio de Jesus, sculptor; but, as it was near a police station, after five hours I left it, boarding a carromata to look for a safer place to live and I found one on Calle Clavel and there with my sister-in-law, Espiridiona Bonifacio, I stayed quietly for a month under the assumed name of Manuela Gonzaga. Being a member of the Katipunan, however, and heeding the voice of the Motherland, I left for the mountains on 1^st November 1896 and at San Francisco del Monte Andres Bonifacio met me. We proceeded to the historic Balara, the headquarters of the Katipunan, between the towns of Kalookan and Marikina, from which place we entered the Province of Kabite.