ARREST AND TRIAL

 

The Making of Katipunan 

Rizal had many visitors in Dapitan, one of whom Florencio Namaan who was a spy for the friars. Namaan posed as his relative named Pablo Mer-cado. He was sent to spy on Rizal. Another visitor was Pio Valenzuela, who came as an emissary of the Katipunan. At that time Andres Bonifacio had al-ready become the Supremo of the Katipunan. Dr. Pio Valenzuela went to Dapi-tan upon the instruction of Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo who had agreed to consult and seek the advice of Rizal as regards the impending revolu-tion.

On June 15, 1896, Dr. Pio Valenzuela with his aide Rufino Magos boarded the ship S.S Venus for Dapitan. Using the alias Procopio Bonifacio they came with a patient, a blind man named Reymundo Mata. They were able to escape the prying eyes of Spanish authorities and the three eventually sailed smoothly for their mission.

The steamship arrived in Dapitan on June 21, 1896 at about 5:30 p.m. The residence of Rizal was only 500 meters away from the port. Valenzuela did not waste time. He immediately sought Rizal and informed him of the existence of the Katipunan and the impending revolution.

The following are excerpts of the conversation between Rizal and Valenzuela:

1) Rizal did not approve of a revolution without enough arms.

2) He stressed that they take all necessary precautions to prevent the dis-covery of Katipunan.

3) He also advised Katipunan to convince Antonio Luna to direct the cam-paign.

4) The Katipunan should likewise recruit rich Filipinos, and that if they re-fused, precautions should be taken that they (the rich) remain neutral.

The next day, June 22, 1896, their meeting ended when S.S. Venus whistled for its departure to Manila. Upon his arrival in Manila on June 26, Dr. Pio Valenzuela immediately relayed the contents of his meeting with Rizal to Andres Bonifacio.

  The Brewing of the Revolution

 

The sudden arrest and deportation of Rizal to Dapitan gave birth to the Katipunan. It was organized when all hopes for the new spirit under the La Liga Filipina were aborted. Andres Bonifacio, an ardent follower of Rizal who was also a founding member of the Liga, opted to push for the separation of Philippines from Spain through a revolution.

One a fateful evening of July 7, 1892, Bonifacio, together with Jose Di-zon, Teodoro Plata, Valentin Diaz and Ladislao Diwa, launched the revolutionary group known as the Katipunan in the house of Deodato Arellano at 72 Azcarraga Street (now Claro M. Recto).

Its original roster of membership included radical members of the already defunct La Liga Filipina. Many of them are intellectuals of the petty bourgeoisie like Bonifacio. Some came from the traditionally-landed local elite like Dr. Pio Valenzuela. The Katipunan initially counted only about 30 members and it re-mained dormant for a while. By June of 1896, the Katipunan membership had reached 30,000.

The entry of Emilio Jacinto, the acknowledged “brains of the Katipunan,” jumpstarted its revolutionary activities. A brilliant and young law student from San Juan de Letran, he complemented Bonifacio's organizational leader-ship. Jacinto provided strategic plans and was in charge of the dissemination of Katipunan's organ, Kalayaan. This attracted more membership for the group. Jacinto, known to be an ardent admirer of Rizal, is said to be next to Rizal with a “Rizaline soul.” He is best known for his longest essay and work entitled, Liwanag at Dilim— “Light and Darkness.”

He also provided moral prescriptions intended to serve as a cohesive bond among Filipinos in their creation of a national community. These prescriptions were formulated in his Kartilla which all the Katipuneros swore to uphold as their moral code of conduct (Majul, 1960). Going to Cuba 

When Ferdinand Blumentritt informed Rizal of the Cuban revolution, the raging yellow fever epidemic, as well as the shortage of physicians to minister the needs of Spanish troops and the Cubans, he immediately wrote Governor General Ramon Blanco on December 17, 1895 to signify his intention to volun-teer as a military doctor in the war-torn country. On July 1, 1896, seven months later, Blanco approved Rizal’s request. He was exultant for he can travel again to Europe, then to Cuba. From this, he wrote the heartwarming poem "El Canto del Viajero" (The Song of the Traveler).

The nostalgic departure of Rizal on the midnight of July 31, 1896 boarded the steamer España bound for Manila. He was accompanied by Josephine, Nar-cisa and Angelica (Narcisa's daughter). His three nephews and six pupils accom-

panied him to Manila. While on board the ship, looking at the dusk that covered the picturesque Dapitan, he wrote the following in his diary:  

I have always loved my poor country and I am sure that I shall love her until death, if by chance men were unjust to me; and I shall enjoy the happy life, contented in the thought that all I have suffered, my past, my present and my future, my life, my love, my pleasure, I have sacri-ficed all of these for love of her. Happen what may, I shall die with her and desiring the dawn of her redemption.

The España arrived in Manila on August 6, 1899. However, the ship Isla de Luzon that was supposed to take him to Spain had already left earlier. He had to wait for the next ship Isla de Panay that was to sail for Spain on Sep-tember 3, 1896. Blanco sent a lieutenant of constabulary to meet him in a tugboat with orders not to land. He was told that he was detained but not im-prisoned aboard ship to avoid embarrassment with friends and enemies.

While the ship was anchored at the Manila Bay, the Katipuneros hatched a plan to rescue Rizal. In executing the plot, Emilio Jacinto, Guillermo Masangkay and other Katipuneros disguised themselves as sailors. Using the boat named Caridad, the group was able to go near the ship, confronted Rizal and informed him of their intention. Rizal declined. He refused the idea of him getting rescued. He stated that he was aware of what he was doing. He then told the group to leave the ship.

Rizal was later transferred to the steamer Castilla while waiting for the ship Isla de Panay that would take him to Barcelona. The Arrest

 The discovery of Katipunan was a result of Teodoro Patiño’s disclosure

of the organization's secrets to Fr. Mariano Gil on August 19, 1896. The Span-ish authorities made mass arrests of Katipuneros and their sympathizers in Manila. It prompted Bonifacio to summon all leaders of the Katipunan. On Au-gust 23, 1896, the historic “Cry of Pugadlawin” took place. Bonifacio asked the Katipuneros of their readiness to fight the Spaniards for whatever cost. After cutting the telephone lines in the capital, Bonifacio and the Katipuneros attacked Manila but was later forced to retreat to Balara (now Quezon City). The province of Cavite was fearlessly attacked and captured by Emilio Aguinaldo and Artemio Ricarte, while Maximo Viola and his men attacked government installations in the province of Bulacan.

Although he was held incommunicado inside the steamer Castilla, Rizal learned about the outbreak of the revolution including its skirmishes around Manila through the newspapers. Governor General Blanco, in turn issued a

decree declaring a state of war in the provinces of Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac which are all placed under martial law.

Rizal was upset because he heard that he was being blamed for the disturbance in Manila. On September 3, 1896, Rizal boarded Isla de Panay and sailed to Singapore. Some of his companions like Manuel Camus per-suaded Rizal to stay in Singapore to avoid possible arrest in Spain due to the outbreak of the revolution. Rizal, however, humbly refused the offer and told them of the safe conduct pass given by Governor General Blanco. On Sep-tember 27, 1896, the Isla de Panay resumed its voyage to the Mediterranean Sea passing through Port Said via Colombo, Aden, and Suez Canal. On Sep-tember 30, while the Isla de Panay was sailing in the Mediterranean, a tele-graphic message was received ordering that Rizal be placed under arrest. El-ements in the Philippines, especially Manila Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda, clamored for the arrest of Rizal who was said to be the spirit of the Philippine revolution. At around 4:00 p.m. that day Rizal willingly obeyed the instruction of the ship captain that he stay in his cabin until new orders were given. Rizal did not know why he was treated in such manner despite a safe conduct pass from the Spanish Governor General in the Philippines.

On October 3, the Isla de Panay arrived in Barcelona. Rizal was sent to the Montjuich Castle to await the departure of the vessel Colon which was on its way to Manila. In his diary dated October 6, he stated that escorted by Spanish guards, he was made to walk to the Fort and was jailed in prison cell number 2. Later, his luggage was searched. An hour later, Rizal was pre-sented to General Roman Despujol who informed him of a telegram from Madrid that he would be treated as a prisoner and would be sent back to Manila. On the night of the same day, the Colon which was loaded with Span-ish troops sailed for Manila. Despite an attempt by Antonio Ma. Regidor and Sixto Lopez to secure a writ of habeas corpus for Rizal in Singapore, he re-mained in Spanish custody. They alleged that Rizal was illegally detained aboard the Colon. The judge in Singapore, Sir Lionel Cox, ruled that the Span-ish vessel was a ship of war and that the laws of the British Empire who con-trolled the island colony cannot apply there. So on November 3, he arrived in Manila.

 The Trial 

Upon his arrival, the civil guards brought and escorted him to Fort San-tiago on orders that he would be detained there and held incommunicado. On November 20, 1896, Rizal was brought before a Spanish military tribunal headed by Colonel Francisco Olive. Fifteen documents were used as evidence against him namely:

 1. A letter from Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce, dated October 16, 1888,

Madrid showings Rizal’s connection with the reform movement in Spain;

2. A letter of Rizal to his family, dated August 20, 1890, Madrid, stating that the deportations are good and the people will grow to hate Spanish tyranny;

3. A letter from Marcelo H. Del Pilar to Deodato Arellano, dated January 7, 1889, from Madrid implicating Rizal with the Propaganda movement in Spain;

4. A poem entitled Kundiman which was allegedly written by Rizal in which Spain is alluded as a despot and the Philippines is its slave and it prays for someone who could free her from bondage;

5. A letter of Carlos Oliver to an unidentified person, September 18, 1891, from Barcelona stating that Rizal was the man who could free the Philip-pines from the oppressions of Spain;

6. A Masonic document, dated February 9, 1892, honoring Rizal’s patriotic achievements;

7. A letter signed “Dimasalang” (Rizal’s pseudonym), to Ten Luz (Juan Zu-lueta’s pseudonym), dated May 24, 1892, from Hong Kong stating that he was preparing for a safe haven for Filipinos who may be deported by Spanish authorities;

8. A letter signed “Dimasalang” to an unidentified committee dated July 1, 1892, from Hong Kong soliciting the aid of the committee for “patriotic works,”

9. An anonymous and undated letter to the editor of the Hong Kong Tele-graph censuring the banishment of Rizal to Dapitan;

10. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated September 17, 1893 saying that the Filipinos look up to Rizal as their savior;

11. A letter of Rizal, dated September 17, 1893 informing an unidentified correspondent of the arrest and deportation of Doroteo Cortes and Am-brosio Salvador;

12. A letter of Marcelo H. Del Pilar to Juan A. Tenluz (Juan Zulueta) recom-mending the establishment of a special organization, independent of the Freemasonry to help the Filipino people;

13. A transcript of the speech of “Pingkian” (Emilio Jacinto) in a meeting of

the Katipunan on July 23, 1893 in which the following cry was reportedly uttered “Long live the Philippines! Long live Liberty! Long live Dr. Jose Rizal! Unity!”

14. Transcript of a speech of Tiktik (Jose Turiano Santiago) during the same Katipunan meeting in which the Katipunan shouted “Long live the emi-nent Dr. Jose Rizal! Death to the oppressor nation!”

15. A poem by “Laong-Laan” (Rizal) entitled A Talisay which he made the Dapitan schoolboys sing that they know how to fight for their rights.

The following Filipinos were made to give statements regarding Rizal’s activities upon his arrival in Madrid, Hong Kong and Manila: 1. Aguedo Del Rosario Llamas, a native of Mindoro stated that Rizal was the

honorary president of Katipunan, at that his portrait hangs in the session hall of the society.

2. Martin Constantino, stated that the objectives of the association were to execute Spaniards, declare the independence of the Philippines, and place Rizal as its supreme leader.

3. Jose Reyes, declared the following in his statement; that Rizal was one of the Masons who campaigned for the independence of the Philippines; that Moises Salvador arrived from Spain following the directives of Rizal to es-tablish La Liga Filipina; and that the statutes of the society was already prepared by Rizal.

4. Moises Salvador, the founder and president of an association of Filipinos in Madrid (the group that will supervise the revolutionary movement in the Philippines), stated that Rizal and Marcelo H. Del Pilar were the lead-ers of La Liga Filipina. He added that the La Liga was established to pro-vide the means to secure the independence of the islands. He also testi-fied that when Rizal arrived in Manila in June 1892, he called for a meet-ing in the house of Doroteo Ongjunco where Rizal explained the need for the Liga with the final aim of attaining the separation of the Philippines from Spain.

5. Jose Dizon, stated that the La Liga was amassing funds for the expenses of the insurrection, and that the Katipunan and the Liga were one and the same society.

6. Domingo Franco, declared that Rizal was the one who called for a meet-ing at the house of Doroteo Ongjunco. He likewise stated that Rizal dis-

cussed the need for setting up La Liga for it to gather funds and to hasten the separation of the Philippines from Spain.

7. Deodato Arellano, stated that La Liga was to carry out a subversive pro-paganda in the island, and when Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, and that the Masonic Lodge collected funds to arrange for his escape.

8. Ambrosio Salvador, testified that during the meeting at Ongjunco’s house, a proposal was made to organize La Liga and that Rizal was elected president.

9. Pedro Serrano Laktaw, admitted that he made trips with Rizal in the town of Tarlac and that he was present in the meeting at the house of Ongjunco.

10. Dr. Pio Valenzuela, stated that in a meeting in Pasig, some Filipinos agreed to take a trip to Japan after consulting Jose Rizal.

11. Antonio Salazar, testified that Timoteo Paez, together with the sister of Rizal, have arranged for a vessel that would be used by Rizal to escape to Japan, and that he would be joined by Doroteo Cortes and Marcelo H. Del Pilar. He also added that there was a collection of funds to help Rizal es-cape from Dapitan.

12. Francisco Quison, stated that there was an agreement among the lead-ers of Katipunan to send Dr. Pio Valenzuela to Dapitan and seek Rizal’s advises whom they considered a supreme leader. He also stated that the members of the society decided to launch a revolution.

13. Timoteo Paez, stated that he attended the founding of La Liga in Ongjunco’s house and that Moises Salvador received some copies of the by-laws of the organization.

These testimonies were used to implicate Rizal in the Philippine revolu-tion. At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, it was decided that there was prima facie evidence against Rizal. The Governor General appointed Captain Rafael Dominguez to institute charges against Rizal. Dominguez made a report about the charges and sent them to Governor General Blanco who forwarded the papers to the Judge Advocate General for his opinion. The Judge Advocate General recommended that Rizal be immediately brought to trial and that he be kept in prison. He also recommended that all of Rizal’s properties be attached in favor of the state. Finally, he recommended that Rizal should be defended in court by an army officer, not by a civilian lawyer.

Rizal was formally arraigned on December 11, 1896. He was charged with the crime of rebellion and the formation of illegal associations. Rizal for his part did not challenge the jurisdiction of the court and did not admit the declaration of witnesses against him. He was given the option to choose his council. He selected First Lieutenant Luis Taviel de Andrade from the artillery corps who was incidentally the brother of Jose Taviel de Andrade, his official bodyguard in 1887 in Calamba during his first homecoming.

On December 13, the case was forwarded to Governor General Camilo de Polavieja who had just replaced Governor Blanco. They approved a trial by court martial for Rizal. While in detention, Rizal released a manifesto de-nouncing the revolution and condemned the Katipunan for using his name without his permission. The Spanish authorities however suppressed this manifesto. It spared Rizal from the same of being misinterpreted and dis-obeyed by the Filipinos who are now fighting Spain.

Rizal’s actual trial began on December 26, 1896. It was held at the Hall of Banners of the Cuartel de España in Fort Santiago. It was presided over by Lt. Col. Togores Arjona and Lt. Enrique Alcocer represented the prosecution. Judge Advocate Dominguez explained the charges against Rizal. The military court accepted all the charges and evidences against Rizal, however it ig-nored arguments in his favor. Rizal was charges with three crimes namely re-bellion, sedition and illegal association. The first two crimes were punishable by life imprisonment and fine of 325 to 3,250 pesetas.

The Arraignment  

The following are the charges against Dr. Jose Rizal which were sum-marized and filed by the Spanish authorities in the Philippines. The crimes were then punishable by death because on October 25, 1896, Gov. Gen. Ra-mon Blanco issued a decree imposing the death penalty by firing squad, af-ter court martial proceedings, dispensing with all formalities upon all who as-sist the rebels by: sabotage, giving of information, supplying food or ammuni-tion, or processing the desertion of Filipino soldiers. This decree affected the trial of Rizal. 1. The acts in question constitute the crimes of founding illegal associations

and of promoting or inducing to the commission of rebellion, the first be-ing a necessary means for the execution of the second.

2. The accused, Dr. Jose Rizal, stands guilty to both crimes in his capacity as principal agent.

3. In the commission of these crimes, the fact that the criminal is a native (Filipino) must be considered an aggravating circumstance, there being

no attenuating circumstances.

In defending himself Rizal presented twelve arguments. He said that he: 1. Could not be guilty of rebellion because they told the Katipunan emissary

Dr. Valenzuela not to rise in revolt;

2. That he did not correspond with the revolutionists;

3. That the revolutionists used his name without his knowledge and that if he were guilty he would have escaped in Singapore;

4. If he had a hand in the revolution he would have escaped with the help of the Moros and he would not have built a home, a hospital, and bought lands in Dapitan;

5. If he was head of the revolution why was he not consulted by the revolu-tionists;

6. Rizal said that La Liga Filipina was not revolutionary organization but a civic organization;

7. La Liga Filipina did not last long after he was deported to Dapitan;

8. If La Liga was reorganized after his deportation he did not know about it;

9. La Liga did not serve the objectives of the revolutionists otherwise why the revolutionists did replace it with the Katipunan;

10. If it was true that there were bitter contents in Rizal’s letter, it was be-cause they were written when his family was evicted from their lands and were persecuted by the authorities;

11. His life in Dapitan was exemplary and the politico-military leaders and the missionaries can attest to that;

12. Finally, it was not true that the revolution was inspired by his speech in the house of Doroteo Ongjungco. Rizal asked, why then did it send an emissary to him in Dapitan someone who was unknown to him. The ones who knew him surely knew that he would never sanction to any violent movement.

Despite these arguments, the military court judged Rizal guilty of the charges against him and voted for the death penalty. Rizal challenged the

Spanish government in the Philippines that he would like to meet the leaders of the Katipunan to ask them to lay down their arms and finally abort the rev-olution. Unfortunately this request was not heeded by the Spanish govern-ment. On the same day the decision of the court was forwarded to Governor General Polavieja who sought the opinion of Judge Advocate General Nicolas Pena who affirmed the decision of the court martial.

On December 28, Polavieja signed Rizal death warrant ordering him to be shot at 7:00 o’ clock in the morning at Bagumbayan. He maintained that he is innocent and objected being labeled as a Chinese mestizo. He later signed the document realizing that it was required by law. He then requested to have his family see him for the last time. The Verdict

The following are portions of the translated decision of the Ordinary Court Martial on December 26, 1896: 

The Ordinary Court Martial of the Post declares that it ought to con-demn, that the fact in question does constitute the crimes of founding illegal associations and of promoting and inciting to the crime of Rebel-lion, the first being a necessary means to the commission of the sec-ond, and that the accused Don Jose Rizal is guilty of the said crimes in the capacity of principal agent.

In virtue of which the Court decrees that it ought to condemn, and does, the said Don Jose Rizal to death.

The sentence was submitted to Governor General Camilo G. De Polavieja who confirmed the decision of the Court Martial through the follow-ing terms: 

In virtue of which the penalty of death is imposed on the prisoner Jose Rizal Mercado. Sentence shall be carried out by means of execution by a firing squad at seven o’clock in the morning of the 30th of the present month (December 1896) in Bagumbayan.

After the announcement of heard his death sentence, Rizal was trans-ferred to the prison chapel. He requested that his former professors at the Ateneo join him during his last moments. Among his visitors were Fr. Miguel Saderra Mata, Rector of the Ateneo Municipal, and Fr. Luis Viza who brought with him image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which Rizal sculpted at the Ate-neo. Other visitors who arrived in the morning were Fr. Antonio Rosell who ate breakfast with Rizal. Lt. Taviel de Andrade also arrived and Rizal thanked him for his gallant services. Other visitor who followed were Fr. Federico

Faura followed by Fr. Jose Villaclara and Fr. Vicente Balaguer. A reporter of the newspaper El Heraldo de Madrid named Santiago Matrix arrived, Fr. Balaguer and Villaclara remained with around noon. When he was not watched by his guards Rizal wrote his last poem.

The Retraction Controversy

The retraction controversy haunted Rizal up to his grave. It remains alive even today (depending upon whose version you are reading). The re-traction document was published in newspapers and pamphlets in Spain. It alleged that Rizal retracted his past deeds (such as the Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo and his personal principles written in his poems and essays) and returned to the Catholic fold on the last day of his life. The question lies on the document. Until today, the Jesuits who were responsible for safekeep-ing the retraction documents have not presented the original copy as signed by Dr. Jose Rizal.

At 7:00 a.m. on December 29, 1896, the decision of death by firing squad dated 30th December was formally announced to Rizal. The archbishop gave instructions to the Jesuits to assist Rizal in his final moment. The follow-ing priests attended the spiritual needs of Rizal: 

At 7:00 a.m., Fathers Miguel Saderra Mata and Luis Viza visited Rizal. Father Viza intentionally brought the image of the Sacred Heart carved by Rizal while studying in Ateneo.

At 9:00 a.m., Fr. Rosell Antonio took turns at attending to Rizal’s needs. Afterwards, a newspaperman came and the three talked about studies, infancy and childhood.

At 10:00 a.m., Fathers Jose Villaclara and Vicente Balaguer relieved Fa-ther Rosell. They said that Rizal wanted to confess but Fr. Balaguer did not accede due to this notion that “Rizal’s thinking oscillated between Protestant religion and rationalist.” They informed Rizal that before he could confess it was necessary for him to retract his erroneous beliefs against the Catholic Church.

At lunchtime, Fr. Federico Faura came with Don Manuel Luengo, Gover-nor of Manila. This time Rizal told the priest, “Father, doesn’t your Rev-erence recall the last time we talked and what you predicted would happen to me? You were a prophet; I am going to die on the scaffold.” Rizal was consoled by Father Faura and asked him to pray in front of the sacred heart, that he carved during his young days in Ateneo Mu-nicipal.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, Fr. Balaguer returned and tried to per-suade Rizal to retract his Masonic beliefs but Rizal remained firm. Ac-cording to Father Balaguer, he warned Rizal that his soul will go to hell if he will not rectify his past mistakes against the Catholic Church, he said, “You take pride in being a sincere man; so believe us that if by giving our blood and our lives we, the priest, could achieve the salva-tion of your soul, right now, without hesitation we would give our lives in lieu of yours.” After he left, Rizal’s mother and sister arrived.

After his family left, Fathers Villaclara, March, and Balaguer again ar-rived to convince him to retract. They were joined by Fr. Rosell and later by Don Silvio Lopez Tanon, Dean of the Manila Cathedral. Fathers Balaguer and March later left leaving Fr. Villaclara alone with Rizal. By eight in the evening, Fr. Balaguer returned with Fr. Viza and again talked with Rizal on religious matters. At this point, they were joined by Fiscal Gaspar Castano of the Royal Audiencia. At around 10:00, a draft of retraction arrived from Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda. Rizal re-jected it because it was so too long. Fr. Balaguer showed him another draft which was done by Fr. Pio Pi, the superior of the Jesuit Mission in the Philippines. He liked this draft but he wanted some changes made and at 11:30 in the evening, Rizal signed his retraction from the freemasonry. It was witnessed by Juan Del Fresno the chief of the guard detail and the Adjutant of the Plaza Elroy Moure. After signing the re-traction, Rizal had confession with Fr. Villaclara and rested afterwards. In this conversation at 11:30 p.m. of December 29, 1896, Rizal signed the formula of retraction after adding some insertions on his education and abomination of his being a Mason.

 The Jesuit Conspiracy 1. Up to this day historians and biographers of Rizal doubted his retraction.

Fr. Balaguer’s account of Rizal’s last hours is the only source of this story. The authenticity of the retraction document itself has been questioned for various reasons. For one things, there was no mention on how and when the Chief Picket and Adjutant served as witnesses, signed the retraction documents.

2. After Rizal’s death, his alleged retraction was published in the newspa-pers. The document itself appeared only 35 years after the event. Rizal’s family claimed that his signature on it was forged.

3. His family requested from the Spanish authorities the original copy of the retraction and Rizal’s alleged marriage to Josephine Bracken. They failed to get any document from the Spanish government or from the Catholic Church which further raised their suspicion.

4. Also one of the bugging question surrounding this controversy is that, if Rizal really retracted and returned to the Catholic fold, then why was his body was not given to his family as requested nor was he given a decent Catholic burial? Why was he buried in an unidentified location in Paco cemetery?

The Death of Rizal

The dramatic death of Rizal in Bagumbayan on December 30, 1896 was one of the most captured moments in the history of the Philippines. He was the first historical celebrity in the 19th century Philippines to be executed in public. Rizal's prophecy of his death at the age of 30 was a miscalculation because he lived for five more years at the age of 35. He was consoled by his family early morning of the day. They were more melancholic than Rizal who was waiting his death sentence by firing squad.

While talking to Trinidad in Tagalog, Spanish and English in order to confuse the guardia civil about the secret conversation, Rizal clandestinely instructed her that “there is something inside that alcohol lamp,” the last let-ter of Rizal commonly known today as Mi Ultimo Adios. It was a customary tradition to entrust all the personal belongings of the prisoner to any relative present. The last poem ever written by Rizal is now being immortalized by most Filipinos and this is even translated in 22 languages.

In one of the last letters poignantly written by Rizal to his family (espe-cially to Paciano) before his execution, he thanked his brother for the sacri-fices he did for his education. In the letter he wrote the following: 

Dear Brother, It has been four-and-a-half years that we have not seen each other, it is not because of any lack of affection on my part or yours, but be-cause knowing each other so well we did not need to talk to under-stand each other. Now that I am about to die, it is to you that I dedicate my last line to tell you how sorry I am to leave you alone in life, bearing all the bur-dens of the family and our aged parents. I think of how you have worked hard to give me a career; I believe that

I tried not to waste my time brother, if the fruit has been bitter, it has not been my fault but the fault of circumstances. I know you have suf-fered so much in my account and I am sorry. I assure you, my brother, that I die innocent of this crime of rebellion. I shall not utterly deny that what I wrote in the past may have contrib-uted to the revolution, but I thought that the past would be expiated with my deportation. Tell our father that I remember him. How I remember his affection and his love. I ask him to forgive me for the pain which I unwillingly caused him.” 

Your brother

At 1:30 in the morning Rizal woke up, prayed and confessed again, He would confess four times that early morning. In between confession, Rizal prayed the rosary and wore a blue scapular of the Immaculate Virgin. He read the act of Faith, Hope, and Charity from the Spanish prayer book enti-tled Aceptacion de la Muerte (Acceptance of Death). After confessing for the last time, Rizal heard the mass from Fr. Balaguer and received a communion on bended knees.

At 5:00 a.m., Rizal had his last breakfast, autographed his remaining books which became his last souvenirs. Josephine arrived together with Nar-cisa. Rizal requested that he and Josephine be finally married. Fr. Balaguer performed the marriage rites and gave to Josephine the book, Imitacion de Cristo by Thomas Kempis which he autographed. Afterwards, he wrote three farewell letters, one to his father, another to his mother, one to Dr. Blumen-tritt, and the last to Paciano.

At around 6:30, Rizal was taken from his cell. He was elegantly dressed in black and his arms were tied from elbow to elbow. He had a small black rosary under his right arm. He put on his chistera hat. He was pale from fa-tigue and unshaven. The march to Bagumbayan began with four soldier with rifles and bayonets preceding Rizal who had Lt. Taviel de Andrade on his side and Fr. March and Villaclara on the other side. Behind him was a platoon of soldier rifles with fixed bayonets. The sound of muffled drums accompanied the marchers.

There were spectators lining the route from Fort Santiago to Bagum-bayan. As the party moved passing Paseo de Maria Cristina (now A. Bonifacio Avenue) Rizal said to his Jesuit companion, “We are on the road to Calvary, I can well realize now the passion of Christ; mine is so insignificant.” As Rizal marched to Bagumbayan, he was serene and tranquil, his body, poised and erect. His eyes were glad and bright. Still on the march, Rizal stated to one of

his companions, “What a beautiful morning! On mornings like this, I used to walk here to spend time with my sweetheart.” Upon passing in front of Ate-neo, Rizal asked, “Is that the Ateneo?” “Yes,” his companions replied, and he continued, “I spent many happy years there.” Spectators account stated that Rizal was laughing at times and gazing at all as if looking for a known face among the crowd unfortunately, all the persons who knew him were in hiding or fighting in the Philippine Revolution.

Near the place of execution in Bagumbayan, Rizal’s plotters, the friars and Spaniards, awaited. Governor General Camilo de Polavieja, however, stayed in Malacañang Palace. He never felt any compassion for Rizal whose mother Doña Teodora had written him a letter of appeal, who the day before the execution, begged on her knees to spare Rizal’s life.

As Rizal approached the place of execution, he hastened his steps as if catching the glory he might miss. While standing, he asked permission that he should be shot facing the firing line, but the Captain refused.

Even at the last hour, Jose Rizal wanted to prove that he was not a traitor to Spain and the Philippines, therefore he needed to fall down face-up, to the sky. Rizal then requested the Captain of the picket to shoot him at the back and spare his head. The request was granted. After a handshake with his defender, Lieutenant Luis Taviel de Andrade and to the Jesuits who gave him a crucifix to kiss.

Nearby was a group of Filipino soldiers who comprised the firing squad. Behind them were a group of peninsular soldiers who would do the execution in case the Filipino refuses to obey their orders. Then the colonel who served as the Mayor de la Plaza made an announcement to the spectator “In the name of the king anyone who raises his voice in favor of the traitor will be executed.” It was a warning for those who would oppose the execution of Rizal.

A colonel took Rizal to the site of his execution, between two lamp posts. The drums were made ready to drown out his voice just in case Rizal would like to address the crowd. He was actually spared from the additional humiliation of being shot kneeling and blindfold like other people before him. Then a priest blessed him. A medical officer Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo took his pulse and found to his surprise that it was normal. With his right hand, Rizal took off his hat. The drums sounded out a roll and the commanding officer ordered his men to aim by means of his saber. When the saber dropped there was a simultaneous crack of gunfire and Jose Rizal made one last effort to drop on his back with his face facing the sky. He intended not to die as a traitor. It was exactly 7:03 in the morning. Then suddenly as if from nowhere small dog ran in circles around the body of Rizal barking and whimpering. The witnesses especially those in the drum unit included that it was a premo-

nition of a coming misfortune.

The medical officer stepped forward and felt Rizal’s pulse. He was still alive and he motioned to a member of the firing squad and gave Rizal a coup de grace at close range. After it was confirmed that Rizal was really dead, the soldiers marched off and ordered turn their heads towards the body. The Spanish spectators shouted Viva España! And the military band played Mar-cha de Cadiz. The spectators left laughing and jovial. Rizal was a traitor to Spain but Spain made him a martyr for the Filipinos.

Rizal’s body was secretly buried at the Paco Cemetery where later it traced by his sister. Four days after Manila fell to the Americans on August 13, 1998. The Rizal’s family requested the authorities to exhume his body. What remained were bones, the shoes, hat, his silk handkerchief, and the rope that bound him. Whatever Rizal placed in his shoes before he was exe-cuted apparently disintegrated after his death. The remains were cleaned in Higino Mercado’s house in Binondo and were given to Dona Teodora.

 Aftermath of Rizal’s Death

Wenceslao E. Retana who was once his rabid critic, had a change of heart and wrote his story entitled The Biography of Rizal where he wrote that, “...the thread of blood that sprang from Rizal’s heart to the sinister chords of the Marcha de Cadiz (the music played after Rizal was executed), turned at that very moment into a surging Amazon that forever - definitely forever - separated the Filipinos from the Spanish race.”

Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt wrote to Wenceslao Retana in 1887 that he had in his possession 73 clippings of anecdotes and personal accounts on Jose Rizal. These articles came from New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, France, Holland, London Switzerland, United States, Shanghai, Macao, Singa-pore, Germany, and Latin America.

Many titles were given to Rizal in history. Rizal’s Austrian Friend, Pro-fessor Blumentritt said in 1897 that Rizal is the “most prominent man of his own people but the greatest man the Malayan has produced.” The American Governor General William Cameron Forbes, called Rizal the “greatest Filipino patriot.” Don Vicente Barrantes called him the “first among Filipinos.” His works catalyzed the 19th century colonial politics that led to the overthrow of a colonial government. He became the soul and inspiration of the revolution. His death became the source of political upheavals that led to radical changes. It eventually led the country towards independence signaling the birth of the new republic. His Mi Ultimo Adios was translated in different lan-guages such as Italian, Tagalog, English, German, French and others.

After his death on December 30, 1896, other provinces decided to join

the fight for freedom. The province of Tarlac on January 1897 declared its Cry of Tagumpay and attacked the Spaniards in the provincial capital. Later on, Ilocano and Visayan provinces followed. Rizal was the best battle flag that the Spaniards had created in favor of the Philippine Revolution after his exe-cution in Bagumbayan.

MI ULTIMO ADIOS 

According to Austin Coates (Rizal's British biographer), this poem is remarkable for it achieves four separate purposes. 

It is a poem of farewell It is an appeal to the Filipinos not to forget him It is Rizal's last will and testament It is Rizal's autobiography

It was Andres Bonifacio who translated the poem in Tagalog. Mariano Ponce was the first to use the title Mi Ultimo Pensamiento (My Last Thought). When it was published in La Independencia, the title was changed to Mi Ul-timo Adios which it is popularly known today. The poem is translated into twenty-two languages across the globe. 

The original manuscript that Rizal gave to his sister disappeared and was believed to have been taken by Josephine Bracken when she returned to Hong Kong in 1897.

Reading between the lines, the poem reveals Rizal's spirit of fairness and justice despite the oppression and injustice he had suffered. The poem itself is his farewell to his native land which he calls the Pearl of the Orient Seas, Beloved Region of the Sun, and his Lost Eden.

 Rizal’s Wish after His Death To My Family 

I ask you for forgiveness for the pain I cause you, but someday I shall have to die and it is better that I die now in the plentitude of my con-science. Dear Parents and brothers: Give thanks to God that I may preserve my tranquility before my death I die resigned, hoping that with my death you will be left in peace. Ah! It is better to die than to live suf-fering. Console yourselves. I enjoin you to forgive one another the little meanness of life and try

to live united in peace and good harmony. Treat your old parents as you would like to be treated by your children later. Love them very much in my memory. Bury me in the ground. Place a stone and a cross over it. My name, the date of my birth and of my death. Nothing more. If later you wish to surround my grave with a fence, you can do it. No anniversaries. I prefer Paang Bundok (North Cemetery, Manila). Have pity on poor Josephine.

This was a letter given by the Spanish government to the Philippines government on February 26, 1953. This work was written by Rizal upon knowing his fate while he was in Fort Santiago. This letter was published in Ducomentos Rizalianos in the same year. From this letter, Rizal never had any idea that he would become the greatest Philippine Hero. He just want to die for his principles but not to become a hero.