Many of Kabola's followers were considered to be "victims" of Kabola's scheming ways..So they were spared from heavy punishments. The authorities regarded the Kapisananes as representatives of that unweildy social segment called the "ignorant masses." As such, they were not completely accountable for their misdeeds.
Another factor that helped the surviving Kapisananes were the media at that time. It shows that even then, the mass media can make or unmake an issue. The FREE PRESS wrote or reported conventional wisdom on the incident, but the other newspapers including the Daily Bulletin blamed the uprising on "ignorance" and "fanaticism" and traced the uprising to the rampant "landgrabbing" during those times. Malacaniang joined the swelling chorus. Governor General Wood ascribed the difficulties in Nueva Ecija to unhealthy agrarian relations. He declared: "Behind the revolt were homesteaders who lost their farms and tenants with grievances against their landlords.." Few provincial judges could ignore such voices. Cabanatuan's chief magistrate, accordingly ended the akward proceedings as quickly possible and handed down what was regarded as token punishments.
The official post mortem failed to reflect some other causes, so another committee made up of Filipino Cabinet members was formed. It discounted economic arguments and blamed everything on Kabola. Their report stated that the dead rebel undermined the traditional symbiosis between the tenants and landlords. The villagers too ( meaning probably the people living in Poblacion ) were also partly blamed. "Relations..between proprietors, and farm tenants, the homesteaders and the government is not what they should be.." complained the Manila department heads.."because tenants and homesteaders are very unreasonable in their demands.." The Constabulary arrived to the same conclusion. Central Luzon's district commander blamed it all on Kabola. Colonel Jose delos Reyes predicted peace in Isabela "unless the slain chieftain of the San Jose uprising , as generally believed by his followers and the ignorant masses, should come back to life and renew his attempt to establish a communistic government.."
The colonel's tongue-in-cheek observation was more prescient than he realized. Kabola did not rise again. After sometime, his old followers came out of prison one by one. Older, wiser and many times tougher, some of the parolees harbored longings for a return match with the Philippine Constabulary. Symphatizers, they found out, dwelled in many towns through out the north. By early 1927, these pent-up hatreds become devouring passions. All that was needed to spark a new violence was dedicated leadership. Before the year ended, Kabola's rugged successor disembarked on one of Manila's piers. His name was Pedro Calosa.--###
next: the early life of Calosa
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