Reasons why the Rizal was passed by Recto

Conditions of our country/ Confusing times 1950’s

1.Ravaged by Hukbalahap insurgency

2. Parity Rights with the US (granted in Phil. Constitution-allowed Americans to exploit the country’s
natural resources, 1956 Laurel-Langley agreement ensured free entry of American products
3. Corruption was rampant

Catholic Organizations who opposed the Bill

a. Accion Catolico
b. Congregation of the Mission,
c. Knights of Columbus,
d. Catholic Teacher’s Guild)

Seminars were held countryside to oppose the Rizal bill

Fr. Jesus Cavana-”Rizal’s novels belonged to the past and it would be harmful to read them because it
presented a false picture of the country at that time. 333 passages, 25 patriotic, 120 anti catholic

Jesus Paredes- said that the novels contained objectionable matter and the Catholics had the right to
refuse to read them as to not endanger their faith

Narciso Pimentel-speculated that politics was involved in Recto’s drafting of the bill. It was to punish
the Catholics which Pimentel believed was responsible why Recto did not won in the election in 1955
elections

Congressman Miguel Cuenco- opposed the bill in the Congress

Senator Francisco Rodrigo they voiced the opposition of the church in both houses. He would not let
his teenage son read the novels because it would endanger his faith. Proposed that the novels be
footnoted and annotated versions instead of unexpurgated versions required in Recto’s bill

Catholic Church Continued opposition

1.Calling all Catholics to reject lawmakers who supported Recto’s bill

2. Pastoral letters read during mass voicing opposition
3. Bishops threatened to close down Catholic Schools
4. Archbishop Rufino Santos protested in a pastoral letter saying that Catholic Students would be
affected if compulsory reading of unexpurgated version were pushed through

Senator Recto’s reaction…… He stood the ground and dared Catholic church to shut down their schools
and he rejected Senator Soc Rodrigo’s suggestion that annotated or edited edition of the novels should
be used.

Another supporter of the bill

Mayor Arsenio Lacson-he walked out of mass when the circular from the archbishop was read in the
mass

Groups who supported the Bill

1.Veteranos de la Revolucion
2. Alagad ni Rizal
3. Knights of Rizal
4. Freemasons
After a month-long standoff, a compromised bill was filed authored by Sen. Jose P. Laurel based on the
proposals of Sen. Roseller Lim and Emmanuel Pelaez

June 12, 1956 _Rizal law came into effect Republic Act 1425 signed by Pres. Ramon Magsaysay