dt vise weil Bon sens. siden, Hoke deci soring tacked ig he ‘coffe ingthe ese too. 21856 dead tofthe veto spe novels sions would teat History Wars: Rizal in 1956 hapter 8 1 Api nd May 1956, over Kal entry after Spin bad clings control over “Lis bas Filipino the United Stes, “Span ines” returned with vengeance 16 the plc consciousness Senate Bill 38, the so-led "Ral Bl wae dested inthe hal of Congres Senior palin argued pasionately about whether a tops a lw hat would equre two nintenthcenurynovlJse Ras Nl me Tange aE ‘listerome—which were eal of Spanish Cathle priests ay wel the eet of Flpino soca tht time, to he ed in their nexpurated fom by stents in both pull and prints school, The debate was echoed by sewopaper columniss, Catolic piste leaders, students and ennary Flpins making his an se af atonal proportions. On the ee ofthe 100 !niversiry of independence from the United States on July 1946, there seemed to bean inordinate concer soothe story ole Spanish rule This Chapter explores the reons wy ‘The Rizal Bll was sponsored by Senstor Jone Lael, who chaired the Senate Commitee on Education from which he documeatoigiatd: One tcl member of his commit, Senator lato Ret, played major tole inthe conception nd weting of th i So vigorously dé Recto defend ‘Bil 438 at on opponent cynical eferred to ta he "Recto Bil abe hich Recto angry denounce. This ape oka the iumsances hat le both senor lawmakers, who in 1956 were inthe fal sags the polit ical eaeers—to sponsor a Bl that retively brings the ps into the present ‘in onder to shape he fture ofthe nation In parc, paper explores ‘he ghowly presence of thee distin periods of Pape history Spanish American a Japanese imperil rule—inthe eto hiking and vitons of ‘hese two pains and other oftheir generation 2s226 KoonleggeandPactcation Ghost of Spain Born n 1891 and 1890, respectively, Laurel and Recto wer too young to ‘hve ememiered much ofthe revolution agaist Spain, but thy cera eld shildhood memories ofthe Flipin- American wa, epeily the horrors of [ste 1901 to cry 1902 when their hometowns in the southern Tagalog region were tured Ino “protected zones” while the countryside was ravaged by ‘he US, Cay. The involvement in the zevoltion runs des in the fy Laurets nck, Talay mayor Aridi Laurel, patted inthe sucess see ofthe Spanish garcisom at Tayabus in 1898? And in the estan tothe American occupation of Batangs, various members of the ean played civ ‘nd mata oes inthe owns of Tanausn and Talis, and sfered for i at 'ichands ofthe US, Army? Laurels ater, Sotero, ws tortured by the Amet> ican ina “protect zone” in Batangas Reco, for his pat in his meses recall ering his mother weeping ashe was being interrogated by Amer- ‘ean ocers onthe whereabouts of her rather Cl. Norberto Mayo, one of Tiaon’ gurls commanders? Although educated during the American colonial ra Laurel andRectowere brought up ina thoroughly Hispanized environment which continued beyond lildhod though Laurels education at the San Juande Letan and Rect atthe Ateneo de Mana Laurel went onto the Unies ofthe Philippines, ‘an American creation to obtain is first dere in Law, but tack up advanced leglsties tthe Escueh de Derecho (Law School ofthe University of Santo “Tomas where Recto also trained in Law, Both were hen in Sens Recto ‘ven wrote por in that language: Neverthls they also mastered English 2 the language of the empire to which the Philippines then belonged. Thee ‘ttle britlance ensured the prospering af their careers nthe Amrican colonia bureaurcy In terms of personal experience, then, Laurel and Recto studded the Sponsh and American empires Thi elected in the ing character language and eos beng inseparable here—of thei speeches throughout the Senate debte. Tere iin facta dlstinet Spanish Naor in the very format of the sesions of Congress inthe 18505. Inthe Congesional Record (Senate forthe months of Apriland May, 1956, which we usefor his section, he ter nation of languages is quite striking Fr exanple session 3 in which Laurel ntrodoces Bl 438 begins ik this story Wars. 22 ‘Mares, 17 de Abide 1956- Apertura de a Sci Se bre a sesién als 10:25 am. ccupande ol exvado ol Presidente, Hon Elon Rodgues, se EIPRESIOENTE: Se declara abit la ses DISPENSACION DE LALECTURA DEA LISTA DEL ACTANO. 54 Senator Primi: | move thatthe caling of he rll andthe Reading of the minutes be dsponse th Tho PRESIDENT: there any objection? (Silence) The Chai hews none The mation approved DDESPACHO DE LOS ASUNTOS QUE ESTAN SOBRE LA MESA DEL. PRESIDENTE. Lease lerden de azuntos £1 Socretrio: RESOLUCIONES,etétea,etétera ‘SEGUNDA LECTURAY CONSIDERACION DELS. NO. 438 Senator Primicas: Mr. President, | ak hat we now consider Senate Bil No 438 “The PRESIDENT: Consideration of Sente Gill No. 438s now inorder “The Secretary wil plese reodthe bl “The SECRETARY: An Actto make Nolime Tangere and El Flute compulsory reading matter in all public and private alleges and Uunertter and for ther purposes" -Aswe cans, the Congressional Records in 1956 were fly lingual I member ofthe Senate or House spoke in Spanish, no translation was provided, for knowledge of Spanish was sessed smong the polis And inthis partcalr debate over Rizals nove number af the privileged spechss were totaly in Span and all the Seatrs in atendance includ the Maslin senator Domocao Alon) wee expected to follow sich presentations, even ‘though they might ask questions in English In his sponsorship spech Laurel sumed that everyone inthe Senate wis uma with Rizals works in thet orginal language. He even noted that there ae members of this honorable body who Know from memory, at only passages, bt in some case almost the whole books writen by Rizal” He admite, with undve modesty, that "every year, echo forthe purpose more of improving my litle knowledge of Spanish, Tread the works of Rizal expecially forthe purpose of making commencement speeches and pubic ultersnces"™ze Knowledge and Paceaton ‘Te language of Laurels sponsorship specch delivered oer thre sessions ofthe Senate, i forthe mos part in English, bt whenever there was occasion land there were many to cite passge rom the novels Noor Fi orate writen by Rizal or any supporting document in Spanish, Laurel read them in Spnish The Senate debate wan fact a casio forthe dseminaton of Spanish documents exerts of which were read bythe proponent ofthe Sill ba wit the al texts appended to the pulsed version. Daring Laurel’ sponsorship speech lng, for example the folowing Spanish texts were ead ‘he prefaces to Riza two novels long sesh ited “Rizal y Expai”dlv- «xed in 1954 by Dr. Ernesto Gimenez Caballero ofthe Universe Cental haunted by Spain and the Uitd States. But Ihave also shown how Japan ¢ rd though short-lived empire functioned to enable a reative tension tobe _sablished between thetwo major empire that gure inthe Flin historical Inthe Senate debates, we find ecogetion of the coexistence of two Spsins—Itherl and conservative—present in Rial’ life and thought. Tis cate understanding of nnetenth-ceatury Spnish-Flpino history by Laurel. snd Recto (through thee reading of Spanish books nd Rizal's orginal works) ‘abled these politicians topos the Spanish colonial era a a more soi foun lation fr Philippine history than the American er of “democratic tutelage? he sponsors ofthe Rial Bilargued thatthe epic strug gains Japan could lor serve a the foundation of truly Fina national narrative. The Cold ‘ria show the limits of Blind acceptance of American partnership. What "2s neded was a return to the ideals ofthe unfinished revlution of 1896, ‘for this to happen, the ives and works of the two leading figures of hat ‘voltion—Rizal nd Bonfaio~needed tobe intralzed by the youth The ‘ponents ofthe Bll onthe other hand, argued thet was not necessary for iipnos patriot to have ead Rizas novels in order to sarc thet Hes _shting the Japanese. They were perfectly satisfied with he Flipne-Amercan, ative of epic resistance to apanese occupation ulanaing in iteration ‘enerl MacArthur’ forces and the granting of independence in 1946. ‘The Church hierarchy under Archbishop Santos had an ace up is sleve ‘ost allo the Senators were practicing Catholics, Santos had made it learme oowlasge ond Pctation the hrc’ Statement was binding under Canon Law He warned th “without permission iti sn foray Cathal to read thse noel in the ave oF to keep,pblsh ell ual or oni the sae to other any form” Were the Senator edyto pt Catholic tens nan by Iai them choose between obedience tthe stat aw antec ‘compromise was vet each: the unexpired nove would bese 1% required reading in college courses, Bt ister ope in wring thehendofthe college tat using an oegiel nexpurgaed edition othe nave onl cls with his religous ilies he would Be exempted rom sing th don but trom aking the course sl.” (On 12 June 1956, the 58th anniversary of Agua’ proclamation 0 {ndpendenee from pin the amended Senate Bl 38 was fal turned it law as Republic Act 1425 * The passing fis aw shouldbe see in wads tht publication nth same year of Agoncl'sbook os Boia andthe Katipunan. The cottons were Being pt in ple fora espe uadertaning ‘of thetwo main gues ofthe Revltion Rival and Bonfaciowhich would fata the ite of student eats stating inthe mid 19608 This won involve not jut students in seule schools ike UR, but those in Catote ‘choo and seminaries aswel What pa 199 through the beers of resident Laurel an Bishop Guerrero ithe sido the paneseempce ‘asgivenaboostn 195 and weal inditsclinton in thelate 1960 The ‘pit ofthe late Spanish empire woud fal animae the presen to bing stout profound changes in the newy-independent ration