Valdez Jemma V.

BTLE 4A

CHAPTER V
Exile, Trial and Death
(RIZAL LAST 25 HOURS)

Accounts on Jose Rizal's last hours vary and largely depend on the historian one is
reading.
What happened in Rizal's life from 6 a.m. Of December 29.1896 until his execution was
perhaps the most controversial in his biography. for the divisive claims- like his supposed
retraction and Catholic marriage with Bracken-allegedly occurred within this time frame.
FROM 6am to 12 Noon
Standard biography states that at 6 a.m. of December 29. Judge Advocate Dominguez
formally read the death sentence to Rizal. At about 7 a.m. he was transferred to either his
“death cell” or “prison chapel “He was visited by Jesuit it priests Miguel Saderra Mata
and Luis Viza. They brought the medal of the Ateneo’s Marian Congregation of which
Rizal was a member and the wooden statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus he had carved in
the school. Rizal put the wooden image on his table while he rejected the medal saying
‘I’m little of a Marian, Father.
At 8 am, the priest Antonio Rosell arrived, after his co-priest Viza left. Rizal shared his
breakfast with Rosell. Later. Lt. Andrade came and Rizal thanked his defense lawyer.
Santiago Mataix of the Spanish newspaper El Heraldo de Madrid interviewed Rizal at
about 9 a.m. Then came the priest Federico Faura at about 10 am. He advised Rizal to
forget about his resentment and marry Josephine canonically. The two had a heated
discussion about religion as witnessed by Rosell. Two other priests, Jose Vilaclara and
Vicente Balaguer (missionary in Dapitan),also visited Rizal a t about 11 am. The Jesuits
tried to convince Rizal to write a retraction. Though still believing in the Holy Scripture
Rizal supposedly refused to retract his anti-Catholic views, exclaiming, “Look, Father, if
I should assent to all you say and sign all you want me to, just to please you, neither
believing nor feeling. I would be a hypocrite and would then be offending God”.
 A sketch
From of to
Noon Ferdinand
7pm Blumentritt by
Juan Luna; both are Rizal’s good
9At noon,
friends; theRizal was
former wasleft alone
called by inthehis cell. He had his lunch, read the Bible, and
meditated. About this time.
hero as ‘My best, My dearest’ Balaguer reported to the Archbishop that only a little hope
remained that Rizal would retract. Refusing to receive visitors for the meantime. Rizal
probably finished his last poem at this moment Rizal also wrote to Blumentritt his last
letter in which he called the Austrian scholar ‘My best, My dearest friend’.He then had a
talk with priests Estanislao March and Vilaclara at about 2 p.m. Balaguer then returned to
RizaJ·s cell at 3:30 pm and allegedly discussed (again) about Rizal’s retraction. Rizal
then wrote letters and dedications and rested shortly.
At 4 p.m.. the sorrowful Dona Teodora and Jose's sisters went to see the sentenced Rizal.
The mother was not allowed a last embrace by the guard, but her beloved son. in quiet
grief, managed to press a kiss on her hand. Dominguez was said to have been moved
with compassion at the sight of Rizal's kneeling before his mother and asking for
forgiveness .As the dear visitors were leaving, Jose handed over to Trinidad an alcohol
cooking stove, a gift from the Pardo de Taveras, whispering to her in a language which
the guards could not comprehend. ·There is something in it ‘The something’ was Rizal’s
elegy now known as Mi Ultimo
The Dean of the Manila Cathedral. Don Silvino Lopez Tunon, went to see Rizal to
exchange some views with him at about 5:30 pm Balaguer and March then left,
leaving Vilaclara and Tunon in Rizal’s cell As Rosell was leaving at about 6 p.m..
Josephine Bracken arrived in Fort Santiago Rizal called for her, and they emotionally
talked with each other.
The Night of December 29
At 7 p.m.. Faura returned and convinced Rizal to trust him and some other Ateneo
professors. After some quiet moments, Rizal purportedly confessed to Faura.
Rizal then took his last supper at about 8 p m. and attended to his personal needs. He then
told Dominguez that he had forgiven his enemies and the military judges who sentenced
him to death. At about 9 or 9:30 p.m. Manila's Royal Audiencia Fiscal Don Gaspar
Cestanio arrived and had an amiable talk with Rizal.
Historians Gregorio and Sonia Zaide, alleged that at 10 p.m. Rizal and some Catholic
priests worked on the hero's retraction. Supposedly. Balaguer brought to Rizal a
retraction draft made by Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda. but Rizal did not like it for
being long. A shorter retraction made by Jesuit Pio Pi was then offered to Rizal. which
he allegedly liked. So It was said that he wrote his retraction renouncing freemasonry
and his anti-Catholic ide as. (Zaides’ book, nonetheless. admitted that the supposed
retraction is now a (very) controversial document. For many reasons. Rizal’s assumed
retraction and his supposed church marriage with Bracken have been considered highly
dubious by many Rizal scholars.)
Rizal then spent the night resting until the crack of dawn of December r 30. perhaps
praying and meditating once in a while.
The Early Morning of December 30
The Zaides alleged that at 3 a.m. Rizal heard Mass, confessed sins, and took Communion.
At about 4 a.m., Rizal picked up the book Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis read,
and meditated. At 5 a .m he washed up, attended to his personal needs, read the Bible and
contemplated. For breakfast, he was given three boiled eggs. Rizal’s grandniece
Asuncion Lopez-Rizal Bantug mentioned ‘three soft -boiled eggs’ and narrated that Rizal
ate two of them Historian Ambeth R Ocampo on the other hand, wrote ‘three hard boiled
eggs’ and related that Rizal "did not have any breakfast". Both historians nevertheless
wrote that Rizal placed the boiled egg (or eggs) to a cell corner saying in effect. "This is
for the rats, let them celebrate likewise!’
Afterward, Rizal wrote letters, one addressed to his family and another to Paciano. To his
family he partly wrote. ‘I ask you for forgiveness for the pain, I cause you I die resigned,
hoping that with my death you will be left in peace’. He also left this message to his
sisters ‘I enjoin you to forgive one another. Treat your old parents as you would like to be
treated by your children later, Love them very much in my memory’. To Ponciano, he
partially wrote ‘I am thinking now how hard you have worked to give me a career. I
know that you have suffered much on my account, and I am sorry’.
Though some accounts state that Bracken was forbidden from seeing Rizal on this fateful
day, the Zaides wrote that at 5:30a.m. she and Rizal’s sister Josefa came .The couple was
said to have embraced for the last time. And Rizal gave to Josephine the book Imitation
of Christ on which he wrote the dedication ‘To my dear and unhappy wife Josephine/
December 30th, 1896/ Jose Rizal
Before Rizal made his death march to Bagumbayan he managed to pen his letters to his
beloved parents. To Don Francisco he wrote, ‘Pardon me for the’ which I repay
you,Good bye, Father. Goodbye’ perhaps told by the authorize that the march was about
to begin. Rizal managed to write only the follow his mother

To my very dear Mother,

Sra . Dna. Teodora Alonso
6 o'clock in the morning. December 30 1896
Jose Rizal

In actual picture of Rizal’s execution; Eight native soldiers are in the firing squad and
the dog in the photo was said to run around the lifeless body of Rizal, whining

Slow Walk to Death

At 630 am. Rizal in black suit and black bowler battled elbow to elbow, begin slow walk
to Bagumbayan. He walked along with his defense lawyer and two Jesuit priests. March
and Vilaclara. In front of them were with the guards of armed soldiers and behind them
was another group of military met. The sound of a trumpet signaled the start of the death
march and the military sound of drums served as the musical score of the walk.
Early on that morning many people had eagerly lined the streets. Some were sympathetic
to him, others-especially the Spaniards-wanted nothing less to see him die. Some
observed that Rizal kept keenly looking around. And believed that his family or the
Katipunero would make a last-minute effort to spare him from the trap.
Once in a while. Rizal conversed with the priests. Commenting on things like his happy
years at the Ateneo as they passed by Intramuros. Commenting on the morning , he was
said to have uttered something like “What a beautiful morning. On days like this, I used
to take wake here with my sweetheart”. After some minutes they arrived at the historic
venue of execution. Filipino soldiers were deliberately chosen to compose the firing
squad. Behind them stood their Spanish counterparts ready to execute them as should
they decline to do the job.