The “Three Musketeers”: the Cagayano Connection to Jose Rizal

Today, on the 129th anniversary of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, we explore his connection to Cagayan through former governor Honorio Lasam. The camaraderie between Rizal, Lasam, Leoncio Bauson, and Feliciano Cabrera represents a significant localized facet of the National Hero’s social network. Referring to themselves as “The Three Musketeers,” the group of Lasam, Bauson, and Cabrera utilized literary pseudonyms—Aramis, Athos, and Porthos (the latter also referred to as “Trepille”), to signify their shared intellectual and fraternal bond during their student years in Manila. The historical weight of this friendship is evidenced by the career of Lasam, a prominent Cagayano leader and former Governor of Cagayan. Lasam was the primary proponent behind the installation of the Rizal Monument in Tuguegarao City, an act that underscores the enduring influence of their youthful association. Central to these interpersonal dynamics was Casa Tomasina, a boarding house managed by Rizal’s Aunt Betang (Silvestra Bauzon). This domestic space served as a critical nexus for the group’s activities. It was also the setting where Rizal developed his relationship with Leonor Rivera, Aunt Betang’s daughter and Rizal’s cousin, who would ultimately become a central figure in his personal and romantic history. The following correspondence, authored by Rizal’s contemporaries, provides primary evidence of these fraternal ties and the group’s collective identity (translated to English):

From Leoncio Bauson, Feliciano Cabrera, and Honorio Lasam
Rizal’s companions await him.

𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘢, 𝘔𝘢𝘺 25, 1881
𝘔𝘙. 𝘑𝘖𝘚É 𝘙𝘐𝘡𝘈𝘓

𝘋𝘌𝘈𝘙 𝘍𝘙𝘐𝘌𝘕𝘋 𝘙𝘐𝘡𝘈𝘓:
𝘈𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 23𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦 [𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴]. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘰𝘺; 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘈𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨.

𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴,
𝘓𝘌𝘖𝘕𝘊𝘐𝘖 𝘉𝘈𝘜𝘚𝘖𝘕
𝘍𝘌𝘓𝘐𝘊𝘐𝘈𝘕𝘖 𝘊𝘈𝘉𝘙𝘌𝘙𝘈
𝘏. 𝘓𝘈𝘚𝘈𝘔

𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘈𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶; 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
[End of letter.]

Source: National Commission on the Centenary of José Rizal. (1961). Writings of José Rizal: Vol. 2. Correspondence, Book 4: Letters between Rizal and other persons (Centenary ed.). National Commission on the Centenary of José Rizal.