Ladislao Diwa - The Katipunan

The Katipunan

After finishing his law studies, Diwa was named a clerk in a district court of Quiapo, Manila. While an employee of the court, Diwa joined La Liga Filipina and became secretary of La Liga's council in Trozo in Tondo, under the presidency of Bonifacio. However, Rizal was arrested a few days after establishing La Liga and he was deported to Dapitan island.

Although they were members of La Liga which espoused the peaceful reform of the Spanish colonial government, Diwa, Bonifacio and Plata were apparently convinced that an armed uprising was the only way to attain independence from Spain. After hearing of Rizal's deportation, they founded a secret society and called it Katipunan in Tondo on July 7, 1892. The meeting was also attended by Deodato Arellano, Valentin Díaz and José Dizon.

Adopting the symbolic name Balete, Diwa formed the Katipunan's first triangle with Bonifacio and Plata and became the society's fiscal. He later formed a triangle of his own with Román Basa and Teodoro Gonzales, who would respectively become president and councilor of the Katipunan's supreme council. The following year, Diwa continued to serve as councilor.

Diwa contributed to the Katipunan's expansion to the countryside because of his transfer to the court of a justice of the peace in Pampanga province. Katipuneros in Bulacan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija claim to have been inducted into the Katipunan by Diwa himself. One of the most notable was Francisco Macabulos, who would become one of the most successful Filipino generals of the revolution.