Jessica I.

Recaido
3ABP6C
Activity no.5 – An Analysis regarding Rizal’s Trial and Execution

Upon reading the articles and imagining the scenarios during Rizal’s trial and execution, I

realized two things that really led me to ponder and asked many questions about the process and

rule of law under Spanish Colonization, thus these two realizations are the following;

First, the rule of law was biased and distorted. According to Zaide (1997), when Rizal

was subjected to a five-day grueling investigation, the colonel prohibited him to confront who

testified against him. For me, this is very unjust because they did not gave Rizal to defend

himself for those who persecuted him because as a matter of fact he does have the right to

demand it. Zaide also mentioned in his book that the Spaniards harassed and forced those who

testified. They even harassed the brother of Rizal, Paciano to testify against his brother but he

remained faithful to Rizal. They even gave Rizal an army officer instead of a civil lawyer. Of

course, a civil lawyer is the proper one and suitable in defending an accused person because civil

lawyer has the proper knowledge in the process and rule of trial yet they not gave it to Rizal

however, they permitted Rizal to chose by his preference but unfortunately with a limited list of

choices. Zaide also posited that Blanco, the governor general before Polavieja was replaced

immediately by the powerful dominican friars because they knew that Blanco was just and

humane and also Polavieja believed that Rizal was not a traitor hence if he remained as governor

general their desire to execute Rizal will not happen. At last, the abovementioned events only

manifests that the rule of Law during the Spaniards was always in favor of them because they

even controlled it. Those injustices and inequalities can surely led anyone to be have wrath

towards Spaniards but what do we expect? They colonized us therefore they have the freedom to
do what they wanted to their colony which only gave us the proof that Spaniards or any

colonizers were inhumane and biased in imposing rule of law. Of course, they will impose what

only benefits them.

Second, Rizal’s death was already in planned. I came up to this idea not because of

nothing but because I thematically analyzed the accounts, articles and books that I’ve read about

Rizal specifically his trial and execution. I’ve realized that Spaniard’s military, Dominican

Spaniard friars and Spaniard’s government officials were have a mutual desire that time and that

was to execute Rizal immediately. Surely, they came up to this desire and idea simply to end the

revolution as Melendez (2012) postulated that the reason why the Spaniards eventually executed

Rizal was because they believed that Rizal was the head of the rebellion and dispatching him was

the possible and easy way to demise the rebellion. Additionally, Melendez also urges that during

the revolution in the Philippines, the Spaniards was also facing a revolution in Cuba thus it was

ill-affording to them because revolution requires arms and war forces and equipments. As I said

in my previous paragraph, the rule of law was always in favor of the Spaniards and they even

controlled it, therefore, in able to grant the desires of their hearts and to lessen the financial

spenses allotted to any conflicts of revolution the only thing and answer to this problem of them

was to executed Rizal unjustly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t discontinued the revolution instead

Rizal’s death was the reason why the revolution detonated because it led the revolutionaries to

reached the peak of their anger and patriotism, an evidence that Rizal was really innocent in

leading the revolution because he actually against into it and his writings and death were the

reasons why the revolution began and not Rizal himself.

Overall, my take away learnings in reading and pondering the life of Rizal during his trial and

execution are the following; rule of law can be nonsensical as the friars controlled the law by
replacing the just and humane governor general and withholding Rizal’s rights as accused person

to an alleged crimes. The powerful people will surely use their power to deprive the weak

and unprivileged as they forced the people who testified against Rizal even they were not

agreed into it. Next, an individual’s principles in life will be challenge when he or she face

sufferings as Paciano remained faithful and stand the beliefs of his younger brother even it led

him to be tortured severely and repeatedly. Last but foremost no matter what happened, stick

to what is right and just as what Taviel de Andrade did, the defender of Rizal who gave his

efforts to defend Rizal and also have the guts and boldly to say infront of the Spaniards during

the trial that the judges should not be vengeful but should be just.

Reference:

• Melendez, C. (2012). Rizal Issue a Manifesto to Proclaim his innocence.

https://nhcp.gov.ph/rizal-issues-a-manifesto-to-proclaim-his-innocence/

• Zaide, G. & Zaide, S. (1997). Jose Rizal : Buhay, Ginawa at mga Isininulat, ng isang

Henyo, Manunulat, Siyentipiko at Pambansang Bayani. All-Nations Publishing Co.,

Lexicon Press.