CAYETANO TOPACIO (1850-1943)
POPULARLY KNOWN as Capitan Canoy, Cayetano Topacio of Imus was the secretary of finance in the Magdalo Council or Government before Andres Bonifacio arrived in Cavite. General Baldomero Aguinaldo was the president of the Council, and General Edilberto Evangelista, the ilustrado from Manila, the vice-president. After the death of Evangelista during the Battle of Zapote on February 17, 1897, General Crispulo Aguinaldo took his place in the Council.
As subsequent events showed, General Crispulo Aguinaldo was killed on March 24, the second day after taking over the command from his younger brother, Emilio so that the latter could take his oath of office as president of the Revolutionary Government set up at the Tejeros Convention.
Since the Magdalo Council ceased after the establishment of the Revolutionary Government, Topacio lost his post as secretary of finance. To mollify the Magdiwang leaders after the ill-fated Tejeros Convention Aguinaldo appointed a “cabinet of reconciliation,” giving all-important positions to the Magdiwang except that of secretary of finance, which went to General Baldomero Aguinaldo.
Eased out of the new cabinet, Kapitan Canoy was, however, designated Jele de Gobernacion de Departamento del Sur de Luzon (Chief of the Administrative Department of southern Luzon), a position he held until the end of the Revolution.
Born in Imus, Cavite, on August 9,1950, Capitan Canoy was one of three sons of Modesto Topacio and Ines Palma. After finishing his early studies in Imus, he was sent to Manila to further his education. However, he soon gave up his studies for love of adventure. He traveled to different parts of the country, but poor health forced him to return home.
He settled on the family farm in Imus and eventually got married to Petra Conception. Then began his many years of public service, successively occupying the positions of cabeza de barangay, directorcillo of the tribunal (municipal secretary), capitan municipal (equivalent to municipal mayor), and finally justice of the peace.
Topacio occupied various positions in the local government under the American regime. He died on August 17, 1943, at the ripe old age of 93.
[Source: Benjamin M. Bolivar, “ A Historical Study of the Town of Imus,” unpublished M.A. thesis, 1965.]