Padre Jose Ma. Burgosstudied in San Juan deLetran. He sought equaltreatment for browns andwhites. He was busy seekingreforms when the
broke out in 1872.Padre Burgos was suspectedto be one of those inciting thepeople to revolt. On February15, 1872, during a secrettrial, three Filipino priestswere sentenced to die at thegallows.The three priests, FathersGomez, Burgos and Zamorawere executed at the gallowsin Bagumbayan on February28, 1872. The three martyredpriests were collectivelycalled the
Talambuhay ng mgaBayani
by Rene Alba
TheGOMBURZApriests wereexecuted in Bagumbayan in1872, and buried in anunknown location at the PacoCemetery.This Centennial year,bones believed to be themissing bones of theGomburzamartyrs wereaccidentally found at thePaco Park Cemetery by theManila City EngineersOffice.
The youngest among the three FilipinoMartyr Priests(Fathers Mariano Gomez,Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora),Father Jose Burgos was born in Vigan,Ilocos Sur on February 9, 1837. Hisparents were Jose Burgos and FlorenciaGarcia.Young Jose's first teacher was hismother who taught him to read and write.After finishing his elementary grades inVigan in 1849, he went to Manila andenrolled at the San Juan de LetranCollege where he excelled in allsubjects. At the age of 17, he finished
Bachiller en Artes
with honors. Hestudied priesthood at the University of Santo Tomas and said his first mass atthe
Parroquia del Sagrario deIntramuros.
For his courageous defense of the causeof Filipino priesthood, Father Burgosearned for himself the name "Championof the Cause of the Filipino Clergy" butincurred the hatred of the Spanish friars.Thus, when the Cavite mutiny broke outin 1872, the Spanish authorities arrestedhim together with Father Gomes andFather Zamora, charging them of havingincited the revolution. After a mock trialat Fort Santiago on February 15, 1872,they were sentenced to die by means of the garrote, a Spanish strangulation byan iron collar tightened by a screw. OnFebruary 17, 1872, they were executedin Bagumbayan, now the Luneta.