Philippine history : reassessed / Isidro Escare Abeto.

stabbed Becbec with a bolo her husband used in his fights against the
Spaniards. Consternation and commotion of the Spaniards and the people
ensued. Pedro Becbec, seriously wounded, died in the carriage, thus, Gabriela
avenged the death of her husband from the treachery of his confidant. Then,
Gabriela fled away from the town followed by her horse-riding followers.
Gabriela's Headquarters at Pidigan
At Pidigan, Gabriela's hometown in Abra, she and her followers established their headquarters and from there, they attacked the Spanish
garrisons and their patrols. Pretty soon, Gabriela became the talk of the people
everywhere and their faith in her leadership was again enlivened in the same
degree that they had their firm faith in the leadership of her late husband,
Diego Silang. On September 10, 1763, Gabriela, after knowing that a big
force of Spanish soldiers and Filipino-Indios was being prepared against her
under the command of Don Manuel de Arsa, instead of waiting for her enemy
to attack first, she started the fight.
Gabriela's Disastrous Defeat
The Spanish forces were superior in arms and in men, and out of
Gabriela's two hundred fighters, only 80 of them remained to continue the
fight. Seeing their eventual defeat, Nicolas Carinio advised his niece to
withdrew for fear of total annihilation. Gabriela, following the advice,
withdraw her warriors from the fight. They fled away as fast as they could
intending to return to Pidigan. But Don Manuel de Arsa did not give them the
chance to escape. He quickly ordered his soldiers to follow and chase
Gabriela and her fighters and to kill each and everyone of them until they were
totally wiped out. The soldiers of Don Manuel de Arsa caught up with the
remnants of Gabriela's force who were already exhausted and tired including

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