“El Filibusterismo”

[Synopsis]

Crisostomo Ibarra is back as Simoun in El Filibusterismo. Ibarra left

the Philippines and became a prosperous jeweler during the 13-year stretch
between Noli Me Tangere's and El Filibusterismo stories. He returned to the
Philippines as the bearded Senor Simoun. His once hope of ending Spain's
despotism by language and reconciliation seems to have long been lost. He
hungers for revenge for all the misfortune faced by our nation under Spain's
dictatorship. And as the book ends, he becomes all the more angry when he
learns that the monastery's lover Maria Clara has disappeared. Simoun is
Captain General's trustee. He urges the government to take wrong decisions
and misuse its authority to spark a mass revolution. Basilio, now grown-up,
at first hesitates to participate in the idea of Simoun, but finally becomes
part of the scheme. In the shop of an ally, Simoun began plotting uprisings
and stashing arms. At the wedding reception of newly married couples,
Simoun told Basilio that his intention was to hide an explosive containing
nitroglycerin in the pomegranate-styled lamp Kerosene, which Simoun gives
newly married couples at a wedding reception.

The reception in the former home of late Captain Tiago, now full of
Simoun farm explosives, will take place. The lamp will remain lighted just
20 minutes until it flicks according to Simoun; it will burst and destroy all—
significants of civil society and the elite of the Church—inside the house if
anyone try to turn the wick. Simoun exits the reception early and leaves a
note with the words, "Mene Thecel Phares" which suggests that "the future
is predetermined." With the real name "Juan Crisostomo Ibarra," Simoun
signed the agreement. The receptionist was saddened by the alleged death of
Ibarra. The lamp began to shrink... Outside the door, Basilio was about to
go away because he knew that the light would quickly blow when he saw
Isagani, an old friend whose heart was already shattered, who received the
bride at Capitan Tiago's house. Isagani said he wanted to just congratulate
the newly married couples.

He told him about the Simoun Plan, Basilio who was then afraid of his
friend's safety. He ran home to Isagani. A priest was about to repair the
lamp, but when the lamp arrived, Isagani saw it and hurled it outside the
residence out of the window. As the guards chased Isagani, he also sprung
into the river from the window. At the reception there was a rebellion
planned by Simoun. Simoun led them, it was captured and confessed. Now
both Ibarra and Simoun was desired. Days past and Simoun was discovered
by a decent priest, wounded and tired, wandering along the banks. The
noble priest tended to Simoun, and the latter clarified that he is Ibarra and
that he was very saddled and angry with the loss of the revolt and
questioned God as to why the person suffered and not the people of the
Philippines abandoned him. The priest states that all penalties are due. He
died while holding the priest's hand weakly. The latter thanked the former
and threw away all of Ibarra's remaining jewels, hoping to still be used for
the better.
 “El Filibusterismo”
[Critique-Analysis]

El Filibusterismo or the greedy dictatorship was Rizal's second novel

that clearly dedicates three martyr friars, notably: Gomez, Burgos and
Zamora, to his nation. The Spaniards had charged the three priests of being
a government spy and condemned to life. The continuation of Noli Mi
Tangere was this one novel. But, while Noli speaks of romance and passion,
El Filibusterismo speaks of politics and government problems in our
country. It is indirectly targets the Spanish Government. This book tells us
how barbaric the Spaniards were and how simply inhuman. However, the
courage of the Filipino people is also tackled. It displays our compatriots'
unprecedented courage in combating Spaniards' greed and brutality.

You can assume from reading this exquisite novel: the sword is not
the only one to slash through the steel armor, but words can even break
everybody's ego. It cannot result in fatal illness, but it can eventually
consume you with the wound it can inflict. I would certainly lose my mind
in rage and grudge if I were a Spaniard who read his book. Not only would I
thank Jose Rizal, but all the people who are battling in a war of words and
thoughts to achieve independence. Even if it is not explicitly in battle, the
result for the enemy was quite uneasy. The novel El Filibusterismo is about
the word fighting for independence.