atter results to the question of

why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
atter results to the question of
why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
atter results to the question of
why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
atter results to the question of
why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
atter results to the question of
why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
atter results to the question of
why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
atter results to the question of
why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
atter results to the question of
why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
atter results to the question of
why would
Dr. Rizal retract all his works
when those works of his was
meant to expose the
atrocities of both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church at the
time in controlling the Filipino
when all of his life, he fought
the same institutions that
imprisoned him, it is in no
doubt an indirect admission of
guilt by both the Spanish
Colonial Government and the
Catholic Church to silence their
critic. Another point is
that of the contents of the Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last
Farewell), which sparked and
ignited the lives of Filipinos to
stand up and fight against the
Spaniards, it is very
contradictory to the retraction
document that he allegedly
signed because the Mil
Ultimo Adios proves that Dr.
Rizal loved his country and
remained defiant until his
death against the oppressors of
his country and his countrymen.
With the evidences presented
and analyzed, I stand by my
point that Dr. Rizal did
not retract as he remained as
defiant as he was to the
oppression that crippled the
lives of Filipinos and proof of
his conviction that he died
loving his country
Dr. Jose Rizal's retraction is a
hot debate by scholars and
historians even until now
as to the matter that if he did
really retract before his
execution. There were accounts
proving that Dr. Rizal did
retract and accounts that he did
not retract at all
Darlyn Mae A. Dimaano Ma’am Rosario B. Tamayo
BSA III- Irregular GEC- RPH

Rizal’s retraction is in question whether Rizal really retracted before his execution
or not. As of now, there are still debate and claims from different authors regarding on
that event but there is no justification or solid evidence that will end the debate.
 There are primary sources or official accounts wherein the two Jesuits named Fr.
Vicente Balaguer and Fr. Pio Pi witnessed the true events about the alleged retraction of
Rizal. However, there are two critical analyses who doubted the story of retraction
which is the Rizal’s scholars named Rafael Palma and Austin Coate. According to Fr.
Vicente Balaguer, he claimed that he persuades Rizal to condemned Masonry and return
to Catholic fold. Also, he was the one who solemnized the marriage of Dr. Jose Rizal and
Josephine Bracken before Rizal’s execution. He also claimed that Dr. Jose Rizal is being
impatient on that day and he always asked for the formula of Prelate. In relation, after
reading the first paragraph, Rizal interrupted and said that the style is different from him
so Father Vicente brought out the shorter formula of Father Pio and then Rizal observed
and adding some phrase to the content. Father Vicente said that Rizal finished his
writing on December 29 and it was signed by him together with Señor Fresno, Chief of
the Picket, and Señor Moure, Adjutant of the Plaza. After that he married Josephine
Bracken who is Rizal’s last love. Moreover, in the account of Father Pio Pi who was
involved only in securing the retraction document from the Archbishop of Manila
Bernardo Nozaleda and writing the shorter version of retraction he also agreed with the
claims of Father Vicente wherein Rizal himself knelt down before the altar of the chapel
and solemnly read his own retraction. In contrast to the two, Rafael Palma who is
lawyer, writer, educator, and politician and author of Biografia de Rizal criticize that Jose
Rizal did not retract because of the evidences which is the document of retraction was
kept secret except from the authorities and the original copy was not found until after
thirty years had passed. Also, when the family was looking for the document of
retraction and the marriage certificate with Josephine Bracken, they have nothing to
show. Also, if he reconciled on the church he will not buried only in the ground with no
cross or mark on his grave instead it should be on Catholic Cemetery of Paco. Also,
Rafael Palma doubted on changing Rizal’s mind before execution wherein his behavior
didn’t point conversion as well as his poem, Mi Ultimo Adios and retraction is out of his
character. Furthermore, on the account of Austin Coate who was interested in Jose Rizal
when he was an assistant colonial secretary and magistrate in Hongkong on 1950 he
also agreed with the assertion of Rafael Palma wherein Rizal’s retraction was an
ecclesiastical fraud and only the friars wanted his retraction. Also, he said that Balaguer
did not mention the poem Ultimo Adios in his account wherein the content is all about
how Jose Rizal put his life in danger and devoted his doings for our country against the
Spaniards which is in contrast on the Retraction wherein he takes back everything what
he said and what he did. These are the claims of the authors regarding the question if
Dr. Jose Rizal really retracted or not. Also, there are opinions and evidences but still
there are others who in doubt on their statements.

For me, I didn’t believe on Rizal’s changing of minds and his retraction before
execution because there are no solid evidences that will prove their claims and if it is
true that Rizal really retracted why he didn’t mention it to their families when they visit
him before his execution. Also, why the authorities are being secretive about the
retraction and only publish it to newspaper after Rizal’s execution. Furthermore, if it is
true or not it will not matter on me since Rizal’s character is undeniably great and fought
for the people and he is willing to devote himself to expose the ill-doings of the
Spaniards and he is the way for the Filipinos to be awaken and fought for the freedom
that we experienced as of now and hopefully in the next generation.