BRIDGING THE GAP
Pari Rafael: A Spanish curate-turned revolucionario
When the Philippine Revolution broke out in Luzon, the people of Panay and Negros Occidental hesitated at first to join it. For one, many of the ilustrado leaders initially expressed loyalty to the Spanish government. Another was that life for the Ilonggos was not that hard because of the prosperity brought about by the boom in the sugar industry. Eventually, however, succeeding events drew them to unite with their countrymen in Luzon and other parts of the Visayas. They also prepared to stage an armed uprising against their colonial masters.
As early as the middle part of August, 1898, numerous rumors concerning the coming of a concerted revolution spread around Panay and Negros. A number of Spanish parish priests in the two islands abandoned their posts and took refuge in the City of Iloilo. The authorities, however, were not that alarmed. Diego de los Rios, the Spanish governor- general, who made Iloilo as the capital of the Spanish regime after the evacuation from Manila, and the Recollect Provincial severely condemned the flight of the parish priests. According to them, there was no danger and, therefore, they had to remain in their posts. Of course, succeeding events proved them wrong.
As agreed upon by the Ilonggo leaders, the general uprising against the Spanish authorities in Panay, particularly in Iloilo, took place on October 28, 1898. On this day onward, in a remarkable fashion, the interior towns of the province were liberated from Spanish control.
In the case of Dumangas, the revolution immediately broke out there, following the general plan. At that time, there were three Spanish nationals in the town. They were Antonio Rodriguez, owner of large tracts of land in the area; Emilio Valenciano, the maestro of the escuela publica; and Fr. Rafael Murillo, an Augustinian curate (De la Vega 1998). Pari Rafael, as he was popularly called, was the parish priest of Dumangas since 1895. Prior to his stint in Dumangas, he was assigned in three other parishes: Dingle, Passi and Zarraga. He was responsible for the completion of the church in Dumangas which was started by his predecessor, Fr. Fernando Llorente in 1888.
It is said that Pari Rafael was a friend of the people of Dumangas. He was reputed to be the kindest of all Spanish curates assigned to the town. According to the old folks, though he was Spanish in appearance, he was Filipino in sentiment and character.
During the revolution, it was Pari Rafael's endearing ways that saved him from being killed or taken captive. In fact, to protect him from possible harm, the local revolucionarios under Col. Quintin Salas, brought him to Pagdugue, one of the interior barrios of Dumangas. He was assigned to the care of the Dino family. It was there that he was visited by Salas and they would talk for hours about the ongoing revolution.
Due to the fact that Pari Rafael had no parish to take care during the revolutionary period, he spent his time reading the bible. His daily readings and contemplation led him to develop an inner-sympathy for the Filipinos. Eventually, he became an adviser of the revolucionarios. And, to prove that he was, indeed, in support of the cause of the Filipinos, he kissed the Philippine flag in their presence (De la Vega 1995). The case of Pari Rafael was a rarity. Certainly, there were Spaniards who were reported to have supported and joined the revolution but they were not priests.
When the Filipino-American War broke out, Pari Rafael continued to serve as adviser of Colonel Salas. In the end, however, realizing the futility of his struggle, the lives that will still be lost, and the persuasion of his friend, particularly Pari Rafael, Salas surrendered to the Americans. With his surrender, the struggle for freedom in Dumangas ended and so with the role of Pari Rafael as a revolucionario.
One other significant result of the revolution was the establishment of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente or Aglipayan Church in Dumangas. The populace enthusiastically welcomed the new religion. Pari Rafael himself became an Aglipayan priest and, later, married a belle from the Deocampo-Solinap clan of Dumangas (De la Vega 1995)