presented.
Rizal stood up and presented his
Trial of Rizal
Rizal was accused of the complex crime of
rebellion as he was the principal organizer and
the living soul of the insurrection, the founder of
societies, periodicals, and books dedicated to
the fermenting and propagating the ideas of
rebellion (Palma, 1949). He pleaded not guilty to
the crime charged against him and his case was
tried in the jurisdiction of a military tribunal.
The evidences of his guilt had been gathered by
Captain Francisco de Olive. On November 20,
1896, Colonel Rafael Dominguez, a special
judge, conducted the preliminary investigation.
Rizal was interrogated without the presence of
a counsel. He was not allowed to meet the
witnesses face to face. He was questioned,
among other things, on his participation in
various political activities, about his membership
in Masonic lodges, concerning his appointment
as honorary president of the Katipunan, about
Pio Valenzuela’s meeting with him at Dapitan,
and concerning the testimonies of arrested
Katipunero’s implicating him.
At the trial, Lieutenant Enrique de Alcocer
presented a detailed presentation of Rizal’s
case, which culminated in his call on the
members of the military tribunal to render a
decision by imposing death penalty on the
accused. Alcocer’s argument rested on Rizal’s
admission of the founding of La Liga, which to
his mind had something to do with Bonifacio’s
revolution. He showed that Rizal’s writings were
designed to incite anti-friar, anti-Spanish, and
separatist sentiments. Alcocer exposed Rizal as
the “soul of the rebellion”.
Luis Taviel de Andrade cited the technicality of
the law for Rizal’s defense that his clients guilt
had not been proven through any of the
following means: Ocular inspection, confession
of the accused, credible witnesses, expert
opinion, official documents or conclusive
evidences (Guerrero, 1998).
As none of these existed, Rizal was not guilty of
the crime charged against him. As to the charge
of founding illegal associations, Andrade
argued that the Constitution of the La Liga
Filipina did not specify any illegal objectives.
Furthermore, Andrade said, the Liga was short-
lived because Rizal was deported to Dapitan
before it could be fully organized and if it was
revived, it was done without Rizal’s knowledge.
After Andrade’s brilliant defense, Rizal was
asked by the judge advocate whether he had
something to add to what his cpunsel and
own brief (Zulueta, 2004; Guerrero, 1998). 1. I
am not guilty of rebellion as I even advised Dr.
Pio Valenzuela in Dapitan not to rise in
revolution. 2. The revolutionists used any name
without my knowledge. If I were guilty, I could
have escaped from Singapore.
3. If I had a hand in the Katipunan revolution, I
could have escaped Dapitan and should have
not built a house there.
4. If I were the chief of the revolution, why did
they not consult me on their plans?
5. I was not the founder of La Solidaridad and
the Association Hispano-Filipino.
6. I had nothing to do with the introduction of
massory in the Philippines.
7. The La Liga did not live long. It died a natural
death after my banishment to Dapitan. 8. If the
La Liga was re-organized nine months later, I
totally very unaware of it.
9. It was true that I wrote the statutes if La Liga.
The La Liga, however, is a civic association
whose pruposes are unity and development of
commerce and industry.
10. While it was true that there were bitter
statements in my letters, it was because they
were written when my family was being
persecuted, being dispossessed of their houses
and lands; and my brother and brother-in law
were rusticated without due process of law.
11. It was not true that the revolution was
inspired in one of my speeches. My friends
knew very well about my vehement opposition
to an armed rebellion.
12. Why did the Katipunan send an emissary to
me in Dapitan, who was a total stranger to me?
Because those who knew me were cognizant
that I would never sanction any violent
movement.
13. My life in Dapitan had been exemplary, as
evidenced by my productive activities for the
welfare of the people. Even the politico-military
commanders and missionary priests could attest
to this.
On the same day, the verdict of the military
court, signed by Jose Togores, was submitted
to Governor general Polaveja. Rizal was found
guilty beyond reasonable doubt and therefore
should be condemned to death by firing squad
at the place and time to be chosen by the
Governor-general Polaveja approved Judge
Advocate general Nicolas dela Pena’s
recommendations on December 30 at 7:00 in
the morning at Bagumbayan Field.
Execution at Bagumbayan
Rizal was convicted of rebellion and was
sentenced to death through musketry. The
verdict of death sentence was read to Rizal on
December 29, 1896 (Romero, et al., 1978). At
the outset, Rizal refused to sign it owing to his
innocence and objective to his being labeled as
a Chinese mestizo. Later, realizing that the law
required it, he affixed his signature on the
notification of the court’s decision.
On December 30, 1896, Josephine Bracken
arrived at 5:30 in the morning accompanied by
Josefa. Rizal embraced her and gave his last
gift; the book of Thomas kemphis entitled
Imitation of Christ. The death march began at
exactly 6:30 in the morning. Rizal sported a
black suit and vest with a black hat as he came
out of his cell. Rizal walked to the place of
execution between father Villaclara and Father
March.
At the execution square, the military physician,
Dr. Felipe Ruiz y Castillo, felt his pulse and
found it normal. Rizal requested the
commander of the cavalry that he be shot facing
his executioners considering that he was not a
traitor. The request, however, was denied as the
Spanish officer had a standing order from
higher authorities that Rizal should be shot at
the back.
Rizal’s execution became the vehicle to awaken
the national consciousness of the Filipinos. It
sparked the fire of the Philippine revolution
against the Spanish colonizers, which elevated
him as the national hero of the country.
Rizal’s Retraction Issue
Did Rizal really retract? Did he show weakness
in the face of death? What really happened at
the last days of Rizal’s Life?
One of the most controversial points on Rizal’s
was his alleged retraction where he renounced
masonry and his religious beliefs that were anti-
catholic. Some are arguing that Rizal retracted
his Masonic views and embraced his Catholic
faith before he died.
The Roman Catholic is the greatest exponent of
the view that Rizal died a Catholic and retracted
his Masonic views. Father Cavanna (1956)
presented the following evidences to prove the
veracity of its claim: 1. Rizal recited and signed
the prayer book entitled Acts of Faith, Hope and
Charity. This book was offered to Rizal after his
signing of the retraction document according to
father Balaguer.
2. The testimony of the press at the time of the
event, of eyewitnesses, like the head of the
Jesuit order, attested that Rizal’s retracted and
signed a retraction document.
3. Rizal performed acts of piety during his last
hours, as testified by the witnesses.
4. The Church through the Jesuits, solemnized
Rizal’s marriage to Josephine Bracjen, as
attested by witnesses. The Catholic Church will
not officiate a marriage ceremony without
Rizal’s retraction of his religious errors.
While Cavanna and other pro-retraction
scholars presented to the following evidences to
support their claim the Rizal did not retract
(Hessel, 1965)
1. The retraction document is a forgery. As
pointed out by Pascual (1950), the handwriting
in the document is questionable, as only one
man prepared it. The point stressed by Pascual
was corroborated by the confession made by
the forger to Antonio Abad on August 13, 1901,
employed by the friars earlier that same year to
make several copies of the retractions
document (Runes and Buenafe, 1962).
2. The other acts and facts do not fit well with
the story of retraction. Some of these are the
following. a. The retraction document was not
made public until 1935. Even members of
Rizal’s family did not see it. b. No effort was
made to save Rizal from death penalty after
saying his retraction.
c. Rizal’s buried was kept secret. He was buried
outside the inner wall of Paco cemetery. d. The
record of his burial was not placed on the page
of entries of December 30th but on a special
page, where at least one other admitted non-
penitent is recorded.
e. There is no marriage certificate or public
record of Rizal’s marriage with Josephine
Bracken. f. Rizal’s behavior did not point to a
conversation during his last 24 hours. His Ultimo
Adios and the letters he wrote during his
remaining hours do not indicate conversion.
3. The retraction is out of character. It is not in
keeping with Rizal’s character and faith. It is
incongruent with his previous assertions and
declarations of religious thoughts.
While historians, biographers and students of
Rizal’s life, works and writings are divided on
the issue of his retraction, it cannot be denied
that this issue neither adds nor diminishes his
greatness as a Filipino. His contribution to
nation-building makes the people revere him. In
the words of Hessel (1995): “Catholic or mason,
Rizal is still Rizal; the hero who courted death
to prove those who deny our patriotism that we
know how to die for our duty and our beliefs.
Rizal Remains
What happened to his remains after he was
shot in Bagumbayan field on December 30,
1896? Hereunder is what happened according ______________________________________
to Rizal’s biographer Jose Baron Fernandez: ______________________________________
The body of Rizal was buried in the old and ________________
unused Paco cemetery. In his grave, they ______________________________________
placed a plaque with the initials of his brother in ______________________________________
reverse, R.P.J., which means Rizal, Protacio ________________
Jose. There were no funeral ceremonies for ______________________________________
Rizal. ______________________________________
A few days after the Americans took Manila in ________________
August 1898, Rizal’s sister, Narcisa,asked ______________________________________
permission of the new authorities to exhume ______________________________________
the remains of Rizal. Permission was granted. ________________
When the body was exhumed, it was Collage Making
discovered that Rizal’s body had not even been Each of you is tasked to prepare a collage on
palced in a coffin. The remains were placed in the impact of Rizal’s execution in awakening
appropriate condition and reinterred in the Filipino national consciousness. Use materials
proper manner at the Paco cemetery. Then the from old magazines or any internet based. The
sepulcher was well-tended. use of scissors is NOT ALLOWED in this
In 1911, the remains of Rizal were transferred activity. Explain in not more than 100 words the
from the Paco cemetery to the base of the message of your collage. Your output should be
monument which had earlier been erected at presented via a video and send to our Group
the Luneta (now Rizal Park). chat. Your output shall be evaluated based on
Mi Ultimo Adios the following criteria: quality of information,
Jose Rizal, before his execution by firing squad layout, knowledge gained, graphics originality,
at Rizal or Luneta Park (formerly Bagumbayan), and use of class time.
wrote his last poem Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last
farewell). Interestingly enough, his original
writing was said to have no title; the title Mi
Ultimo Adios was given by Mariano Ponce.
The poem was Rizal’s farewell to his native
land. It is an epic poem expressive of idealism,
morality and spirituality. In this poem, Rizal
presented a character of a dutiful son, an
understanding brother, an ardent lover, and a
faithful friend. He also demonstrated his
willingness, as a patriot, to offer his life for the
love of a country.
Activity
Journal Writing
Write a journal entry summarizing what you
learned from the lesson. Include in your journal
your answer on the following questions. (20
points)
a. How did Rizal defend himself when he was
given the opportunity by the military tribunal to
do so? b. What values did Rizal manifest during
the trial?
The journal entry should be nearly encoded and
should have a cover. Take a picture of your
journal and send to our google classroom.
Assessment
Essay Type
Make a persuasive essay to prove that Rizal’s
trial is a clear case of mistrial. Include
convincing arguments to support your claim.