MARK ADRIAN ENCILAY

GE9 SECTION BU

Assignment 9: Rizal’s life, Trial and Death

Rizal after finishing publication of his novel Noli Me Tangere (Touch me not) he decide to return home
upon to his novel the reason of the uproar it caused to among the friars, Rizal was warned by his brother
Paciano, Silvestre Ubaldo his brother-in-law, Cengoy and other friends. But he didn’t heed their warning.
He was determine to return to the Philippines for the following reason: (1) to operate on his mother’s
eye; (2) to serve his people who had long been oppressed by Spanish tyrants; (3) to find out for himself
how the novel his Noli and his writings were affecting Filipinos and Spaniards in the Philippines; and (4)
to inquire why Leonor Rivera remained silent. Rizal left by train for Marseilles, a French port, which he
reached without mishap. On July 3, 1887, he boarded the streamer Djemnah, the same steamer which
brought him to Europe five years ago. Near midnight of August 5, the Haiphong arrived in Manila. Rizal
went shore with a happy heart for he once more trod his beloved native soil. On August 8 th, he returned
to Calamba. His family welcome him affectionately, with plentiful tears of joy. The rejoicing of Rizal’s
return over, his family became worried for his safety. Paciano didn’t leave him during the first day after
arrival to protect from any enemy assault. His own father wouldn’t let him go alone, lest something
might happen to him. In Calamba, Rizal established a medical clinic. His first patient was his mother, who
was almost blind. He treated her eyes, but could not perform any surgical operation because her eye
cataracts were not yet ripe. Rizal suffered one failure during his six moth of sojourn in Calamba, his
failure to see Leonor Rivera. He tried to go to Dagupan, but his parents absolutely forbade him to go
because Leonor’s mother did not like him for a son-in-la. A few weeks after arrival, a storm broke over hi
novel. One day Rizal received a letter from Governor General Emilio Terrero requesting him to come to
Malacanan Palace. Rizal went to Manila and appeared at Malacanang. When he was informed by
Governor General Terrero of the charge, he denied it, explaining the he merely exposed the truth, but
he didn’t advocate subversive ideas. Rizal gave copies of his novel Noli to Governor General Terrero and
read it found nothing wrong with it. But Rizal’s enemies were powerful. The copies of Noli Me Tangere
of Rizal were sent to the University of Santo Tomas for examination by a committee of the faculty. The
committee, which was composed of Dominicans professors, submitted to father recto. In their
examination the report of the faculty members of the University of Santo Tomas stated that the Noli
was “heretical”, impious, and scandalous in the religious order, and anti-patriotic, subversive of public
order, injurious to the government of Spain and its function in the Philippines Island in the political
order. Governor General Terrero was dissatisfied with the report of the Dominicans, for he knew that
the Dominicans were prejudice against Rizal. He sent the novel to the Permanent Commission of Censoir
which was composed of priest and laymen. The report of the commission was drafted and submitted to
the governor general on December 29. It found the novel to contain subversive ideas against the Church
and Spain, and recommended”that the importation, reproduction and circulation of the pernicious book
in the island be absolutely prohibited. The friars exerted pressure on Malacanan Palace to eliminate
Rizal. They asked Governor General Terrero to deport him, but the latter refused because there was no
valid charge against Rizal in court. Anonymous threats against Rizal’s life were received by his parents.
The alarmed parents, relatives and friends advised him to go away, for his life was in danger.
Immediately after Rizal’s departure from Hong kong, the Spanish consul-general, who issued the
government guarantee of safety, sent a cablegram to Governor Despujol that victim “in in the trap”. On
June 21, 1892 a secret case was filed in Manila against Rizal and his followers “for anti-religious and anti-
patriotic agitation”. Rizal and his sister were peacefully crossing the China Sea. They were fully unaware
of the Spanish Dduplicity. At noo of June 26, 1892, Rizal and his widowed sister Lucia arrived in Manila.
On Wednesday, July 6, Rizal went to Malcanan Palace to resume his series of interview with the
governor general. During his interview Governor General Depujol suddenly showed him some printed
leaflets which were allegedly found in Lucia’s pillow cases. These incriminatory leaflets were entitled
Pobre Frailes (Poor Friar) under the authorship of Fr. Jacinto and printed by the Imprenta delos Amigos
del Paris, Manila. Rizal denied having those leaflets in either his or Llucia’s baggage. Despite his denial
and insentient demand for investigation in accordance with the due process of law, he was placed under
arrest and escorted to Fort Santiago by Ramon Despujol. Two kind of evidence were presented against
Rizal, namely documentary and testimonial. On December 11, the information of charges was formally
read to Rizal in his prison cell, with his counsel present. He was accused of being “the principal organizer
and the living soul of the Filipino insurrection, the founder of societies, periodicals and books dedicated
to fomenting and propagating ideas of rebellion”. At 6:00 A.M, December 29, 1896, Captain Rafael
Dominguez, who was designated by Governor General Camilo Polavieja to take charge of all the
arrangement for the executuion of the condemned prisoner, read the death sentence to Rizal, to be
shot at the back by firing squad at 7:00 A.M in Bagumbayan (Luneta). Formidable champion of Filipino
freedom was gone. In fact, immediate after the hero’s execution the Spanish spectators shouted “Viva
Espana!” Muerte a los Traidors”, (“Long live Spain! “Death to the Traitors!”) And the Spanish band,
joining the jubilance over Rizal’s death, played the gay Marcha de Cadiz. By writing of rizal and his
execution, which awakened Filipino nationalism and paved the way for the Philippine Revolution.