Ronald Varrie G.

Bautista
BSA 103

Evidence that Rizal did Retraction

The Original text containing rizal did the retraction

The Document was founded by Father Manuel Garcia in the archdiocesan archives on May 18,1935
thirty-nine years after Rizal execution    It was supposed to have been signed by Jose Rizal moments
before his death. There were many witnesses, most of them Jesuits. The document only surfaced for
public viewing on May 13, 1935. It was found by Fr. Manuel A. Gracia at the Catholic hierarchy’s
archive in Manila. But the original document was never shown to the public, only reproductions of
it.

      However, Fr. Pio Pi, a Spanish Jesuit, reported   that as early as 1907, the retraction of Rizal was
copied verbatim and published in Spain, and reprinted in Manila. Fr. Gracia, who found the original
document, also copied it verbatim.

      In both reproductions, there were conflicting versions of the text. Add to this the date of the
signing was very clear in the original Spanish document which Rizal supposedly signed. The date was
“December 29, 1890.”

      Later, another supposedly original document surfaced, it bears the date “December 29, 189C”.
The number “0” was evidently altered to make it look like a letter C. Then still later, another
supposedly original version came up. It has the date “December 29, 1896”. This time, the “0”
became a “6”.
The Great Debate: “The Rizal’s Retraction” Eyewitnesses

Fr. Vicente Balaguer. According to the priest's testimonies, the reasonable Rizal had several
rude awakenings; confessed, celebrated mass, had Communion, and prayed the Rosary four
(4) times.

-THE CUERPO DE VIGILENCIA

Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia stationed in Fort Santiago to report on
the events during the [illegible] day in prison of the accused Jose Rizal, informs me on this date
of the following:

At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his counsel, Señor
Taviel de Andrade, and the Jesuit priest [Jose] Vilaclara. At the urgings of the former and
moments after entering, he was served a light breakfast. At approximately 9, the Adjutant of
the Garrison, Señor [Eloy] Maure, asked Rizal if he wanted anything. He replied that at the
moment he only wanted a prayer book which was brought to him shortly by Father [Estanislao]
March.

Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with the Jesuit fathers,
March and Vilaclara, regarding religious matters, it seems. It appears that these two presented
him with a prepared retraction on his life and deeds that he refused to sign. They argued about
the matter until 12:30 when Rizal ate some poached egg and a little chicken. Afterwards he
asked to leave to write and wrote for a long time by himself.

At 3 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed him what he had
written. Immediately the chief of the firing squad, Señor [Juan] del Fresno and the Assistant of
the Plaza, Señor Maure, were informed. They entered death row and together with Rizal signed
the document that the accused had written. It seems this was the retraction.

From 3 to 5:30 in the afternoon, Rizal read his prayer book several times, prayed kneeling
before the altar and in the company of Fathers Vilaclara and March, read the Acts of Faith,
Hope and Charity repeatedly as well as the Prayers for the Departing Soul.

At 6 in the afternoon the following persons arrived and entered the chapel; Teodora Alonzo,
mother of Rizal, and his sisters, Lucia, Maria, Olimpia, Josefa, Trinidad and Dolores. Embracing
them, the accused bade them farewell with great strength of character and without shedding a
tear. The mother of Rizal left the chapel weeping and carrying two bundles of several utensils
belonging to her son who had used them while in prison.
A little after 8 in the evening, at the urgings of Señor Andrade, the accused was served a plate
of tinola, his last meal on earth. The Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure and Fathers March and
Vilaclara visited him at 9 in the evening. He rested until 4 in the morning and again resumed
praying before the altar.

At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison accompanied by his sister
Pilar, both dressed in mourning. Only the former entered the chapel, followed by a military
chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain. Donning his formal clothes and aided by a soldier of
the artillery, the nuptials of Rizal and the woman who had been his lover were performed at the
point of death (in articulo mortis). After embracing him she left, flooded with tears.

Rizal heard mass and confessed to Father March. Afterwards he heard another mass where he
received communion. At 7:30, a European artilleryman handcuffed him and he left for the place
of execution accompanied by various Jesuits, his counsel and the Assistant of the Plaza. Father
March gave him a holy picture of the Virgin that Rizal kissed repeatedly.

When the accused left, I noticed he was very pale but I am very certain that all the time he was
imprisoned he demonstrated great strength of character and composure.

God grant Your Excellency.

Manila 30 December 1896.

Chief Inspector Federico Moreno (Harper 1997)

MY OPINION:

-Yes, I believed that Rizal did the retraction according to the sources that I found

specially in the Cuerpo de Vigilancia. First I didn’t believed on father Balaguer account because

when I read his statement and when I watched the Bayaning 3rd World its kinda weird what

father Balaguer was saying that rizal sleep and woke up and he confessed, he sleep again and

woke up then he want to mass and communion he do this 4 times according to father Balaguer
its kinda weird because in the portrayal Rizal is weird,like Rizal seems to have become

irrational. But when I watched the Webinar of Xiao Chua he explained it very briefly and he

compare the account of father Balaguer and the account of Federico Moreno “Cuerpo de

vigilancia” it seems rizal did retraction based on what xiao chua said and on the account of

Moreno

- I believed that Rizal did the retraction because in the Cuerpo de Vigilancia there is no

reason for rizal's guard and moreno to lie especially since they also made the note at the same

time at December 29,1896 and they are independent people they don’t have interest unlike on

Father Balaguer, And at the document found in 1935 there are two person signed with Rizal

and it matched in the Moreno’s account that Senor Juan del Fresno and Senor Maure they

entered in the death row and together with Rizal signed the document that the accused had

written

- The retraction is true maybe he wants to marry Josephine no one knows but he did that in

Dapitan and he can do it again that he wants to marry Josephine its probably the last thing the

he could do for the last love is to marry her, So he was married it was witnessed by the guard

and it was written the rizal also signed the paper which maybe the retraction. So the retraction

is true he married with Josephine What now?, Yes Retraction is true what now?

Rizal's work cannot be erased by a signature and a paper. He has already contributed, he has

written a novel, which has been published, he has inspired many Filipinos, it is done. It is really

important to know if Rizal did retract? Will the stand and courage of a paper he signed on the

day of his death change Rizal's stance and accomplishment in his whole life? NO NO NO
REFERENCES:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXJ2R4S87CM

https://englishkyoto-seas.org/2019/12/vol-8-no-3-rene-escalante/?fbclid=IwAR1DbujYo8Ai-

NMKzS80bxh_fj0zir1XXhSn7KzehAtq_ucXharQv_y3Q0Y

https://elms.sti.edu/files/4039736/The_Great_Debate_-_The_Rizal_Retraction.pdf?

lmsauth=c00d51be0135e24a535e7059518cc19d27aba9e4

https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-rizal-retraction-and-other-cases/