Rizal’s saddest Christmas

. December 25, 1896 was Christmas. On the day all Christendom joyously celebrated the birthday of
Christ who was born to redeem mankind and to bring peace and brotherhood to all men on earth..
Truly , the Christmas of 1896, his las on earth wa

s the saddest in Rizal’s life. He was in despair for , he had no illusions about his fate.

Brooding over his hopeless case, hewrote a letter to Lt. Taviel Andrada, as follows:

The Trial of Rizal

. The trial of Rizal was an eloquent proof of Spanish injustice and misrule. More than a farce, it was
patently a mistrial. A military court met not to give him justice, but to accuse and condemn him tried
Rizal, a civilian. It accepted all charges and testimonies against him. And ignored all arguments and
proofs in his favor, moreover. Rizal was not given the right to face the witnesses against him in open
court. At 8:00am December 26, 1896, the court martial of Rizal started in the military building called
Cuartel de España. Seated behind a long table on an elevated dais were the seven members of the
military court , dressed in their respective army uniforms as follows : Lt. Col. Jose Togores Arjona
( President ), Capt. Ricardo Muñoz Arias, Capt . Manuel Reguera , Capt Santiagio Izquierdo Osorio, Capt.
Braulio Rodrigez Nuñez, Capt. Manuel Diaz Escribano. And Capt. Fermin Perez Rodriguez. Rizal sat on a
bench between two soliders . His arms were tied behind, elbow to elbow, like a common felon. He was
dressed in black woolen suit with a white vest and black tie he was calm and dignified in appearance.
The Trial was opnend by the Judge Advocate Dominguez who explained the case against Rizal . After him,
Prosecuting Atty.Alcoicer arose and delivered a long speech summarizing the charges against rizal and
urged the court to give the verdict of death to the accused.The Spanish spectators applauded noisily
Alcocers petition for the sentence death After the prosecuting attorney finished his spirited harangue,
Defense Counsel Taviel De Andrade took the floor and read his eloquent defens of Rizal. He ended his
defense with a noble but futile , admonition to the members of the military : The Judges cannot be
vindictive; the judges can only be just

Incidentally , his admonition fell on deaf ears. The Spanish army officers who were trying Rizal were both
vindictive and unjust. When Lt. Taviel De Andrade took his seat the court asked Rizal whether he had
anything to say. Rizal then read a supplement to his defense which he wrote In his prison cell. In his
supplementary defense, he further proved his innocence by twelve points.

The military Court , prejudiced as it was , remained indifferent to Rizal’s pleading. The President, Lt. Col.
Togores Arjona.

Considered the trial over and ordered the hall cleared. After a short deliberation, the military court
unanimously voted for the sentence of death. On the same day , the court decision was submitted to the
Governor General Polavieja, Immidiately, Polavieja sought the opinion of Judge Advocate General Nicolas
dela Peña on the court decision./ The Latter affirmed the death verdict.