PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AND TRIAL OF RIZAL

Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Y Alonso

Realonda

(June 19, 1861 - December 30, 1896)

Commonly known as Dr. Jose Rizal

and was a national hero of the
Philippines. He expressed the
growing national consciousness of
many Filipinos who opposed
Spanish colonial tyranny and
aspired to attain democratic rights.
Jose Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna. He studied at the Jesuit Ateneo Municipal in Manila
and won many literary honors and prizes. He took up preparatory course on law at University
of Santo Tomas. In May 1882, he earned his licentiate in Medicine at University Central de
Madrid in Spain.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AND TRIAL OF RIZAL

November 20, 1896, the preliminary investigation on Rizal began. During the Five-day investigatioin,
Rizal was informed of the charges against him before Judge Advocate Colonel Francisco Olive. He was
put under interrogation without the benefit of knowing who testified against him.

Two kind of evidence presented against Rizal were as follows:

1. Documentary
2. Testimonial

Documentary evidence consisted of:

1. Letter of Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce

2. Letter of Rizal to his family
3. Letter from Marcelo Del Pilar to Deodato Areliano
4. Poem entitled Kundiman
5. Masonic document
6. Letter of Carlos Oliver to an Unidentified person
7. Letter signed Dimasalang
8. Letter of Dimasalang to an unidentified committee
9. Poem by Laong Laan
10. Transcript of speech of Pingkian
11. Letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal
12. Letter of Rizal Segundo
13. Letter of Marcelo Del Pilar to Don Juan Tenluz
14. Transcript of speech of Tik-Tik
15. An anonymous and undated letter to Editor of the Hongkong Telegraph
Testimonial evidence consists of:

1. Martin Constantino
2. Ague Del Rosario
3. Jose Reyes
4. Moises Salvador
5. Jose Dizon
6. Domingo France
7. Deadoto Arellano
8. Ambrosia Salvador
9. Pedro Serrano Laktaw
10. Dr. Pio Valenzuela
11. Francisco Quison
12. Timoteo Paez

Judge Advocate Colonel Francisco Olive transmitted the records of the case to Governor Ramon Blanco
who appointed Captain Rafael Dominguez as the Judge Advocate assigned with the task to institutes the
corresponding action against Rizal.

Judge Advocate Colonel Fracisco Olive

Governor Ramon Blanco
Transmitted the record case to Governor
Ramon Who appointed Capt. Dominguez
 Captain Rafael Dominguez

Appointed Judge Advocate to institute the

corresponding action against Rizal

After the brief review of Domiguez, the record was

transmitted to Don Nicolas de la Pena, the Judge Advocate
General. Pena’s recommendation was as follows:

1. Rizal must be immediately sent to trial

2. He must be held in prison under necessary security
3. His properties must be issued with order of attachment
and indemnity, Rizal had to pay 1,000,000 pesos
4. Instead of a civilian lawyer, only an army officer is allowed
to defend Rizal

Judge Advocate Nicolas de la Pena

Rizal chooses Don Luis Taviel de Andrade as his

defender. Don Luis was a first Lieutenant of the Artillery and brother of Jose Taviel, the body guard of
Rizal.

December 11, 1896, charges read to Rizal in the presence of his counsel, Rizal replied:

1. He did not question the jurisdiction of the court

2. He has nothing to amend, except that since his deportation to Dapitan in 1892, he had not
engaged in politics
3. He did not admit the charges preferred against him
 4. He did not admit the declarations of the witness against him

Don Luis Taviel de Andrade

Two days after, Rizal’s case was endorsed to Governor General Camilo de
Polavieja, who had the authority to command that the case be court-
martialed. On December 15, Rizal was in his cell at Fort Santiago and wrote
the controversial manifesto addressed to his countrymen.

Governor General Camilo de Polaviejaa

December 26, 1896, Dr. Rizal’s court martial. Present in the courtroom were:

 Dr. Jose Rizal (Accused)

 Lt. Taviel de Andrade (defense council)
 Capt. Rafael Dominguez (Judge advocate)
 Lt. Enrique de Alcocer (prosecuting attorney)

Prosecuting Attorney Alcocer arose and delivered aa long and bitter speech summarizing the charge of
Rizal and urged to give verdict of death to the accused. Rizal was accused of three crimes: Rebellion,
Sedition and Illegal Association.

Rebellion and sedition was from life imprisonment to death while the Illegal association was correctional
imprisonment and fine of 325 to 3250 pesetas (basic monetary unit of Spain).