RIZAL LAW (SENATE BILL NO. 348 / HOUSE BILL NO.

5561)

1. THE MAKING OF RIZAL LAW

         • Author: Sen. Claro M. Recto (Senate bill)
         • Sponsored: Sen. Jose P. Laurel, Sr. (Chairman of the Senate 
Committee on Education)
         • Legislative Process
             1. Bill is filed in the senate office of the secretary. It is given a number and calendared
for 1st reading.
             2. First Reading
             3. Committee Hearings
             4. Second Reading
             5. Voting on 2nd Reading
             6. Voting on 3rd Reading
             7. Consolidation of Version from the House
             8. Transmittal of the final version to Malacanang

          • On April 3, 1956, Senate Bill No. 438 was filed by the Senate committee on Education
Chair Jose P. Laurel, sponsored the bill and began delivering speeches for the proposed
legislation. Soon after, the bill became controversial. Normally, before the bill was approved and
implemented in all schools and was signed into a law known as Republic Act 1425, it had been
brought to the Upper and Lower House of the Congress for deliberations. But what made it
controversial is that the bill was not just fiercely opposed by people from Legislative Arm but
also by the Catholic Church due to the inclusion of compulsory reading of Rizal’s novels in
which according to them, catholic dogmas are humiliated. 

      2. NOTABLE PEOPLE WHO OPPOSED

           SENATORS:
              • Sen. Francis Rodrigo (former Catholic Action President)
              • Sen. Mariano Cuenco
              • Sen. Decoroso Rosales (brother of Arch. Julio Rosales)
           LOWER HOUSE:
              • Cong. Ramon Durano
              • Marciano Lim
              • Jose Nuguid
              • Manuel Soza
              • Godofredo Ramos
              • Miguel Cuenco
              • Lucas Paredes
              • Cong. Carmen Consing
              • Tecia San Andres Ziga
           GROUPS WHO OPPOSED THE BILL:
              • Catholic Action of the PH
              • Congregation of the Mission
              • Knights of Columbus
              • Catholic Teachers Guild
      2. REASONS TO BLOCK/OPPOSE
          The oppositors argued that the bill would violate freedom of conscience and religion.
According to the letter submitted by the CBCP, Rizal violated the Church’s laws specifically
Canon Law 1399, which forbids books that attack or ridicule any of the catholic dogmas or
which defend errors condemned by the Holy See. Not only that, they argue that among the 333
pages of Noli Me Tangere, only 25 passages are patriotic while 120 passages are anti-catholic.
Rizal admitted before that in these passages he did not only attack the friars that acted falsely on
the Filipinos but also attacked the Catholic Faith itself. Rizal himself included in his last will the
retraction of his statements about the Church in his two novels. They also stated that it is not
necessary to attack the Faith of the church to imbue nationalism on the Filipinos. They suggest a
Rizalian Anthology, where a compilation of all his works which contains the nationalistic
philosophy will be provided as reading material for the students instead of his two novels.
Francisco Rodrigo even said in a statement that Filipinos can still venerate Rizal without having
to read his works. Rizal would still be a hero even if he didn’t write these two novels. 

      4. NOTABLE PEOPLE WHO PUSHED/SUPPORTED

          LAWMAKERS:
             • Cong. Jacobo Z. Gonzales
             • Emilio Cortez
             • Mario Bengzon
             • Joaquin Roxas
             • Lancap Lagumbay
             • Quintin Paredes
             • Sen. Domocao Alonto of Mindanao

      5. REASONS TO PUSH/SUPPORT

          The sponsors argued that in reading Rizal’s words, we are able to see ourselves. It is
through the works of Rizal, the greatest Filipino patriot, which show not only the strengths and
virtues of the Filipinos but the Filipino’s defects and vices as well. Making the Filipinos realize
their flaws will prepare themselves for the sacrifices they have to make to attain freedom. The
only objective of the bill is to foster the better appreciation of our national hero’s role in fighting
for freedom under the colonialism of the Spaniards, not to go against any religion.
References:
1. https://teamcrisostomo.wordpress.com/noli-filirizal-bill-one-of-the-most-controversial-
bills-in-phil-history/
2. Topic: Understanding Rizal Law (R.A. 1425); https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=LavJBDt0M-o
3. https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/university-of-the-east-philippines/life-and-works-
of-rizal/senate-bill-438-known-as-the-rizal-bill-first-authored-by-senator-claro-m/
23859866
4. https://www.coursehero.com/file/21591139/Genesis-of-Rizal-Law-or-Republic-Act-
1425-2/