Original Text(~250 words)
CHAPTER XI The Rulers Divide and rule. (_The New Machiavelli._) Who were the caciques of the town? Don Rafael, when alive, even though he was the richest, owned more land, and was the patron of nearly everybody, had not been one of them. As he was modest and depreciated the value of his own deeds, no faction in his favor had ever been formed in the town, and we have already seen how the people all rose up against him when they saw him hesitate upon being attacked. Could it be Capitan Tiago? True it was that when he went there he was received with an orchestra by his debtors, who banqueted him and heaped gifts upon him. The finest fruits burdened his table and a quarter of deer or wild boar was his share of the hunt. If he found the horse of a debtor beautiful, half an hour afterwards it was in his stable. All this was true, but they laughed at him behind his back and in secret called him "Sacristan Tiago." Perhaps it was the gobernadorcillo? [52] No, for he was only an unhappy mortal who commanded not, but obeyed; who ordered not, but was ordered; who drove not, but was driven. Nevertheless, he had to answer to the alcalde for having commanded, ordered, and driven, just as if he were the originator of everything. Yet be it said to his credit that he had never presumed upon or usurped such honors, which had cost him...
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Summary
Rizal pulls back the curtain to reveal who actually runs San Diego, and it's not who you'd expect. The wealthy landowners like Don Rafael had no real political power despite their money. Captain Tiago gets respect to his face but mockery behind his back. The official governor is just a puppet who takes orders while being held responsible for everything that goes wrong. Even God seems irrelevant to daily life. Instead, two petty tyrants run the show through a ridiculous power struggle. Padre Salvi, the thin and calculating priest, controls souls through fear and fines rather than the physical violence his predecessor used. His rival is the drunken military commander whose main qualification seems to be surviving marriage to the terrifying Doña Consolacion, a woman so unpleasant that even the neighborhood kids run when they see her. These two spend their time in elaborate games of one-upmanship—the priest traps the soldier in endless sermons, the soldier arrests the priest's servants, and round and round it goes. Meanwhile, the real business of governing gets lost in their personal vendetta. Rizal shows us a system where the people with actual authority are either incompetent, corrupt, or too busy fighting each other to serve anyone's interests. It's a perfect example of how dysfunction at the top creates misery for everyone below, and how systems can continue running even when the people in charge are completely unsuited for leadership.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Cacique
Originally a Native American chief, but in colonial Philippines it meant the local power brokers who really ran things behind the scenes. These weren't necessarily the official leaders or the richest people, but the ones who could make things happen through connections and influence.
Modern Usage:
We see this in every workplace or community - the person who isn't the boss on paper but somehow controls everything through relationships and knowing where the bodies are buried.
Gobernadorcillo
The official local governor in Spanish colonial Philippines, but as Rizal shows us, they were just middle management with all the responsibility and none of the real power. They took orders from above while being blamed for everything that went wrong below.
Modern Usage:
Like a store manager who has to enforce corporate policies they didn't make while customers yell at them for prices they can't control.
Divide and Rule
A classic power strategy where you keep potential rivals fighting each other so they can't unite against you. Rizal shows how the Spanish system encouraged petty conflicts between local officials to prevent organized resistance.
Modern Usage:
Companies do this when they pit departments against each other for resources, or when politicians keep different groups focused on fighting each other instead of questioning who's really in charge.
Puppet Leadership
When someone has an impressive title and all the public responsibility, but the real decisions are made by someone else behind the scenes. The puppet gets blamed when things go wrong but has no real power to fix anything.
Modern Usage:
Like a department head who has to implement budget cuts they didn't choose, or a team leader who gets blamed for policies made by upper management.
Social Performance
The gap between how people act to your face versus what they really think about you. Rizal shows how Capitan Tiago gets public respect but private mockery, revealing how colonial society was built on fake deference.
Modern Usage:
Social media culture where everyone performs happiness and success publicly while privately struggling, or how people act friendly to difficult bosses but complain about them constantly.
Institutional Dysfunction
When the people running a system are so focused on personal conflicts or incompetent that the system stops serving its actual purpose. The institution continues existing but fails the people it's supposed to help.
Modern Usage:
Like when hospital administrators are so busy with politics that patient care suffers, or when school boards spend all their time fighting while kids' needs get ignored.
Characters in This Chapter
Don Rafael
Absent influence
Even though he's dead, his example shows how being wealthy and generous doesn't automatically translate to political power. His modesty and reluctance to build a political faction left him vulnerable when enemies attacked.
Modern Equivalent:
The beloved community leader who never plays politics and gets destroyed by those who do
Capitan Tiago
False authority figure
Gets public respect and gifts from his debtors but is privately mocked as 'Sacristan Tiago.' His wealth buys him performance of respect but not genuine influence or regard.
Modern Equivalent:
The rich boss everyone kisses up to but talks trash about behind their back
The Gobernadorcillo
Scapegoat administrator
Holds the official title of local governor but has no real power - only takes orders from above while being held responsible for everything that goes wrong. A perfect example of middle management hell.
Modern Equivalent:
The middle manager who gets blamed for corporate decisions they had no part in making
Padre Salvi
Calculating manipulator
The thin, scheming priest who controls people through psychological manipulation and financial penalties rather than the brute force his predecessor used. Represents a more sophisticated but equally corrupt form of power.
Modern Equivalent:
The passive-aggressive supervisor who controls through guilt trips and bureaucratic punishment
The Military Commander
Incompetent rival
A drunk whose main qualification seems to be surviving marriage to the terrifying Doña Consolacion. Spends his time in petty power struggles with Padre Salvi instead of actually governing.
Modern Equivalent:
The department head who got promoted for the wrong reasons and spends all their time in office politics
Doña Consolacion
Terrifying spouse
So unpleasant and frightening that even children run from her. Her very existence explains why her husband drinks and shows how personal dysfunction affects public leadership.
Modern Equivalent:
The toxic spouse whose drama spills over into everyone else's workplace
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to map real authority versus official titles in any organization.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone with a big title defers to someone with less formal power—that's where real influence lives.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Divide and rule"
Context: The chapter's epigraph, setting up the theme of how power maintains itself through manufactured conflict
Rizal immediately signals that this chapter will expose how colonial power works - not through strength or competence, but by keeping potential rivals fighting each other instead of challenging the real system.
In Today's Words:
Keep them fighting each other so they won't come after you
"All rose up against him when they saw him hesitate upon being attacked"
Context: Describing how the people turned on Don Rafael when he showed vulnerability
This reveals the brutal reality of public opinion - people will abandon even their benefactors the moment they show weakness. It shows how colonial society destroyed solidarity and made everyone look out only for themselves.
In Today's Words:
The second people smell blood in the water, even your friends will throw you under the bus
"They laughed at him behind his back and in secret called him 'Sacristan Tiago'"
Context: Revealing how people really feel about Capitan Tiago despite their public deference
The nickname reduces this wealthy man to a lowly church assistant, showing how money can't buy genuine respect. It exposes the performance of colonial social relationships - all fake smiles hiding real contempt.
In Today's Words:
Everyone acts nice to his face but roasts him the second he leaves the room
"He commanded not, but obeyed; who ordered not, but was ordered; who drove not, but was driven"
Context: Describing the gobernadorcillo's powerless position despite his official title
The repetitive structure emphasizes how completely powerless this official leader really is. Rizal shows how colonial administration created layers of fake authority to confuse people about where real power lies.
In Today's Words:
He's got the title but zero actual authority - just a yes-man in a fancy uniform
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Petty Tyrants - When Small Power Creates Big Dysfunction
When insecure leaders focus more on status battles than actual responsibilities, creating dysfunction that hurts everyone below them.
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
Real authority lies with incompetent, feuding petty officials rather than wealthy landowners or formal governors
Development
Evolution from earlier hints about corrupt systems to explicit demonstration of dysfunction
In Your Life:
You might recognize this in workplaces where the person with the title isn't actually running things.
Class
In This Chapter
Wealthy Don Rafael had no political influence despite his money, while petty officials wield disproportionate control
Development
Builds on earlier class tensions by showing money doesn't equal power in corrupt systems
In Your Life:
You might see this when rich patients get the same poor treatment as everyone else in a broken healthcare system.
Identity
In This Chapter
Leaders define themselves through opposition to rivals rather than service to community
Development
New exploration of how people construct identity through conflict
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself defining who you are by who you're against rather than what you stand for.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Everyone pretends the system works while knowing it's completely dysfunctional
Development
Deepens earlier themes about maintaining appearances despite underlying rot
In Your Life:
You might recognize this in any organization where everyone complains privately but nobody speaks up publicly.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
All relationships become transactional power plays rather than genuine human connections
Development
Shows how corrupt systems poison even basic human interactions
In Your Life:
You might notice this when workplace politics make it impossible to have honest conversations with colleagues.
Modern Adaptation
When the Promotion Goes Sideways
Following Crisostomo's story...
Crisostomo returns from his coding bootcamp excited to modernize the city's outdated computer systems, but quickly discovers who really runs things. The IT director has an impressive title but spends most meetings nodding along to whatever the facilities manager demands. Meanwhile, two middle managers wage a petty war that paralyzes everything. Janet from HR uses policy violations as weapons, writing people up for dress code infractions while ignoring actual harassment. Mike from maintenance retaliates by mysteriously 'forgetting' to fix things in HR's wing and scheduling loud repairs during their meetings. Neither cares about the computer upgrade that could streamline services for thousands of residents. Instead, they're locked in an endless cycle of small revenges. Janet schedules mandatory sensitivity training during Mike's lunch break. Mike cuts power to Janet's office during her performance reviews. The actual work—serving people who need city services—gets lost in their personal vendetta. Crisostomo watches his reform plans die in committee while these two fight over who controls the conference room schedule.
The Road
The road Crisostomo walked in 1887 Philippines, our Crisostomo walks today in city hall. The pattern is identical: petty tyrants more interested in protecting their turf than doing their jobs.
The Map
This chapter provides a power-mapping tool—identify who actually makes decisions versus who has the title. Look for the real influencers hiding behind official hierarchies.
Amplification
Before reading this, Crisostomo might have assumed titles meant authority and focused on convincing the wrong people. Now they can NAME petty tyranny, PREDICT the turf wars, and NAVIGATE around the dysfunction to find actual decision-makers.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Who actually holds power in San Diego, and why isn't it the people you'd expect?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do Padre Salvi and the military commander spend more time fighting each other than doing their jobs?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen leaders who care more about their ego battles than their actual responsibilities?
application • medium - 4
How would you handle working under someone like Padre Salvi or the military commander without getting caught in their drama?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about what happens when insecure people get small amounts of power?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Workplace Power Structure
Think about your current workplace, school, or community organization. Draw a simple chart showing who has official titles versus who actually makes things happen. Include the petty tyrants who spend their time on ego battles instead of real work. Then identify the people who quietly get things done despite the dysfunction above them.
Consider:
- •Official authority and real influence are often held by different people
- •Petty tyrants reveal themselves through constant turf wars and ego protection
- •The most effective people often work around dysfunction rather than through it
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to navigate around a petty tyrant's ego games to get something important done. What strategies worked, and what would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 12: The Cemetery's Truth
The coming pages reveal institutional neglect reveals deeper social values, and teach us questioning authority requires courage and persistence. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.