The development of Philippine politics

BEGINNING OF THE FILIPINO LIBERAL MOVEMENT 25

favor of secularization but also in favor of the rapid training of Filipinos as secular priests. The College of San Jose
was converted into a seminary for this purpose. The main
issue was, in effect, the Filipinization of the curacies, inasmuch as very few Spanish priests were seculars. But too
much haste spoiled the cause of secularization. Quantity
and not quality was the goal. In its zeal for Filipinization,
the seminary turned out poorly prepared priests. Even
its advocates, like Santa Justa, repented of their action and
were forced to adopt reactionary measures. Another
royal order came from Spain suspending the previous
order of secularization, and thus the friar element was
again triumphant.
But the native clergy did not give up the fight. By
1860 the question of secularization again became acute. The
seculars found a staunch advocate in Rev. Pedro Pablo
Pelaez, who was born in Laguna on June 29, 1812. Father
Pelaez wras admitted to Santo Tomas College as an orphan
and studied in the College of San Jose, where he obtained
the degree of Doctor of Theology. Later on he became secretary to Archbishop Aranguren, and he gained valuable
experience from this connection. HIe became widely known
as an intrepid defender of the rights of the secular clergy. t
When in December, 1861 the Queen decreed that the parishes in Mindanao should be given to the Jesuits upon their
return, strong feelings of resentment were again manifest
among the native clergy. They found an able spokesman
in Rev. Pelaez, who immediately sent a vigorous protest to
the Vice Regal Patron against the despoliation. Upon the
death of Dr. Pelaez, Father Buigos succeeded to the leadership in behalf of the Filipino clergy.
In 1870, of the 792 Philippine parishes, the friars
were in charge of 611, and the secular priests, nearly all
natives, had 181. They were scattered all over the islands
and their demands soon had the support of all liberalminded persons. By this time the demands of the secular
priests had become a part of the general movement towards
Filipino nationality.
"Under the encouragement of the 1868 revolution in
Spain," says LeRoy in his Bibliographical Notes, "these de