Emilio Jacinto

Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (December 15, 1875 — April 16, 1899), was a Filipino revolutionary known as the Brains of the Katipunan.



Biography
Born in Manila, Jacinto was proficient both in Spanish and Tagalog. He attended San Juan de Letran College, and later transferred to the University of Santo Tomas to study law. He had Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmeña and Juan Sumulong as classmates. He did not finish college and, at the age of 19, he joined the secret society called Katipunan. He became the advisor on fiscal matters and secretary to Andrés Bonifacio. He was later known as Utak ng Katipunan.

Jacinto also wrote for the Katipunan newspaper called Kalayaan. He wrote in the newspaper under the pen name 'Dimasilaw', and used the alias 'Pingkian' in the Katipunan. Jacinto was the author of the Kartilya ng Katipunan as well.

After Bonifacio's death, Jacinto pressed on the Katipunan's struggle. Like general Mariano Álvarez, he refused to join the forces of general Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of the Katipunan's Magdalo faction. He contracted malaria and died in Magdalena, Laguna, at the age of 23. His remains was buried in Sta. Cruz, Laguna then few years after, it was transferred in Manila North Cemetery.

Tributes
In 1970s, his remains was transferred and enshrined in Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park in Quezon City. His shrine was decorated by a defiant lifesize bronze sculpture of him riding a horse and depicting his days in the revolution.

His likeness used to be featured on the old 20 peso bill circulating from 1949 to 1969, and also on the old 20 centavo coin.