The GomBurZa Effect | On T.J. Clark’s Painting in the Year Two

 [Photo from The Heirs of Saprid and Clip from Youtube]

As a response to our recent discussions regarding the French Revolution, I have chosen to spotlight the death of the GomBurZa as it reminded me of the function of the death of Marat. The monument in the picture was made by Solomon Saprid and the film clip is from the movie Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo (2014).

Padre Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were known to be in the forefront of the fight against the discrimination that Filipino priests were experiencing during their time, as Spanish friars are more favored by the government meaning that these Spanish friars basically have a hold on every aspect of the state due to their connections. In comparison to Marat, the deaths of these priests were shown to the public in order to evoke fear among those who try to walk the same paths as them that wish to undermine the current system in the Philippines. They were killed by the use of a garrote, which is one of the worst ways to kill someone during that time. 

Just like the death of Marat through the words of T.J. Clark, many people hold the death of the priests close to their heart, as it sparked the new propaganda movement to take its course, which aimed to overthrow the Spanish colonizers and their ways out of the country for good by exposing the heinous crimes that they have committed. Most of the country’s national heroes see them as the fuel for their convictions, and the most notable one meaning Jose Rizal. But in my observations, since Filipinos are well-versed in the event, we still have this sense of nationalism whenever we encounter depictions of the three priests. This just means that even in art, death emanates the same weight of influence just as how it probably was for the people who witnessed it first hand. In relation to this, it means that this piece of art is also extremely powerful because it is capable of becoming a political tool within itself as a subject.

It shows that as frail human beings, we value life the most, as it is universally experienced. I think that it is the feeling of fear that drives us to express our sentiments towards these things, since the fragility of life is more explicit than ever in situations like this. It makes us want to do something for it to not reach a point wherein we are already in the same position as the dead, and at the same time, there might even be instances wherein one wants to be part of the good side of history to get the same admiration as those of the martyrs. This is how art works as propaganda. It is very powerful as it can touch the very core of what makes us humans in the first place and it also invites us to contemplate our actions.