Account of Rafael Palma

The death of Dr. Jose P. Rizal: Eyewitness Accounts

Every December 30 ,Filipinos throughout the world remember the heroic death of Dr.Jose P. Rizal in

Bagumbayan ("New Town") , a city promenade that also served as a killing field for those who

opposed Spanish colonial rule in the 19th century Philippines.

Rafael Palma ,then a young man and who later on became the president of the University of the

Philippines,witnessed the last moments in the life of the great Filipino Nationalist and Martyr. This is

what he wrote in the December 3o,1896 entry of his diary:

"I attended the execution this morning. A great multitude invaded the field of Bagumbayan where

the execution was to take place.

I was anxious to know the hero .I wanted to see his face ,the face that had challenged the tyrants;

his head that had borne such a grand idea-the creation of a nation.; in short I wanted to see the

figure of that illustrious patriot who was willing to shed his blood for his country.

I saw him two times, I imagine that he would be serene,tranquil as he marched to the scene of his

glory and immortality and I can say I was not deceived. His face was pale and serene and bright like

the sky above;he laugh at times as he joked with two Jesuit priests and the officer near him.

His lips shaded by thin mustache smiled at the world,as if he wanted to bid goodbye to all. His eyes

were small ,but mobile and vivacious and seemed to play within their sockets. He walked with noble

bearing ,his body was upright ,erect yet without affectation. To me that represented his whole

character-inflexible, daring -I could understand why he did not bend either to tyranny or to death...
He hurried as he neared the place of the great sacrifice .One may say he ran after the glory that

began to clear at the border of his sepulcher and which might be lost by his tardiness.

From that time on ,he disappeared in my sight.The people crowded around the scene and in spite of

my efforts, I failed to see the moment of his death. A shot rang out and something like -an immense

sigh arose from the multitude,indicating that all was over...

Shouts of 'Long Live Spain! Death to the Traitors!' could be heard three or four times.People began

to disperse and to leave the place, contented and happy at satisfying their curiosity .I even saw some

Filipinos laughing."

What Palma was not able to witness can be supplemented by the account of Alberto B.Mendoza,

then a twenty year old member of the drum corps of the 'Leales Voluntarios de Manila'(Loyal

Volunteers of Manila) who later on joined the revolutionists:

"When I saw him I know he was Jose Rizal. He was of regular built,unshaven and quite pale perhaps

on account of his confinement, but was visibly composed and serene.

Amidst the silence,Rizal began to move his head very slowly up and down,his lips moving as if in

prayer. Then the commanding officer,by means of a saber,signaled the firing squad to aim.The saber

dropped and there was a simultaneous crackle of rifle-fire.Jose Rizal wheeled in one last effort and

toppled forward with a thud,his face turned toward the sky and his derby hat thrown forward.He

had fallen facing the bay.

Then suddenly ,as if from nowhere ,a small dog appeared and ran in circles around the body of

Rizal,barking and whimpering.The Capitan Militar de Sanidad,or medical officer, knelt before the

fallen man ,and felt his pulse.Looking up ,the medical officer beckoned a mmember of the firing
squad to come forward and give the body the 'tiro de gracia': a shot done at close range. I thought I

saw a faint haze rise from Rizal's coat,but it might have been a wisp of morning mist.Seeing the body

before me,I felt faint.

I wanted to see the face of the man for the last time.Rizal lay dead on the dewy grass.The day had

started and little did I realize that I gazing on the face of the greatest Malayan of them all,that I was

witnessing history in the making."

A British writer ,Howard W.Bray,an eye witness commented:"Never while life last,shall I forget that

awful morning nor the whrilling sensation I felt when the rifles cracked and his mangled body fell on

the public promenade amid the jeers of Spaniards and monks,thus consummating one of the most

cold blooded crimes registered in history since the tragedy of Golgotha".

Additional notes:

Rizal was found by the military court guilty of the crimes of rebellion,sedition and illegal association

and was sentenced to death on December 26,1896.On December 28,Gov.Gen.Camilo de Polavieja

fixed the date of execution for the date of execution,December 30 at 7:00 in the morning. It was

only on December 29,that he officially informed about the court's decision.

6;30 A.M start of the death march to Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park).Rizal wore a white shirt with a

black tie,black coat and black pants.He was bound elbow to elbow,accompanied by Jesuit

priests.Villaclara and March and his counsel Lt.Taviel de Andrade.

Simultaneous with the firing of the Remington rifles,Rizal shouted his last words."Consumatum

Est".His last word,echoed one of the seven last words of Jesus Christ in the Latin Vulgate translation
of the Gospel of John 19:30:"Cum ergo accepisset Jesus acetum,dixit:Consumatum est."translated by

Mons.Knox,as"It is achieved"

The Firing squad was composed of Filipino soldiers belonging to Regiment No.70. at their back was

an squad of Spanish "cazadores" ready to fire at them if they,the Filipino soldiers,disobeyed their

superior's command to fire.(9)

Well known Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno gave the title "El Cristo Tagalo" or the

"Tagalog Christ"/ "Kristong Kayumanggi" in the vernacular to our martyred hero. Rizal was secretly

buried without a coffin in an unmarked grave at the Paco Catholic Cementery,in an area where the

government buried those who died outside of the grace of the Church among them were the Filipino

priests Mariano Gomez,Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora ,executed in as alleged leaders of the 1872

Cavite Mutiny. During the American Regime,his remains was transferred to Bagumbayan/Luneta and

buried with honors under the present Rizal Monument a few feet where he was executed. The park

now bears his name-Rizal Park.

Account of Carlos Quirino