Clintwod Iverson C.

Barruga
BSSW 1-A
Position paper: The Retraction of Dr. Jose Rizal
History is ever-changing, historians could find new evidences and may change the way
we see the events that we are familiar with. Much like the retraction of Dr. Jose Rizal, it has been
a subject of controversy and debate for many years. He is a polymath and played a pivotal role in
the Philippine struggle for independence against Spanish colonial rule. He is a figure of bravery
and an icon as he revealed the truth about the Spaniards. With the actions that our hero have
shown, the controversy about his retraction has low chance of being true.

The retraction have stated: “I declare myself a Catholic and in this religion in which I was
born and educated I wish to live and die. I retract with all my heart whatever in my words,
writings, publications and conduct has been contrary to my character as son of the Catholic
Church.” Dr. Augusto De Viana, head of UST’s Department of History, also believes that Rizal
retracted and said the National Hero just renounced from the Free Masonry and not from his
famous nationalistic works. “He (Rizal) retracted. He died as a Catholic, and a proof that he died
as a Catholic was he was buried inside the sacred grounds of Paco Cemetery,” said De Viana,
who compared the martyr with Apolinario Mabini, a revolutionary and free mason who was
buried in a Chinese cemetery. De Viana said it is not possible that the retraction letter had been
forged because witnesses were present while Rizal was signing it. Supporters argue that Rizal's
retraction was a pragmatic move to save his life. By renouncing his anti-Catholic views, he may
have hoped for a more lenient sentence or even clemency from the Spanish authorities. Some
proponents believe that Rizal genuinely reconsidered his views, acknowledging the importance
of religion and expressing remorse for any offense caused by his writings.

In the Spanish era, we know that some of the priest in the catholic church have done evil
deeds and Dr. Jose Rizal was the one that revealed to the Filipinos about that action in his book,
“Noli me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo”, where he portrayed the priest (Padre Damaso) as an
evil and a greedy person. I personally believe that Jose Rizal wouldn`t retract something that he
had put a lot of effort in and that he would not tell a lie just so that the Filipinos would unite and
fight the oppressor. Also, there are evidences that shows the evil plot of the Catholicism and the
Spanish state and according to the publication of Harvard Divinity School, “Catholicism and the
Spanish state were inseparable, and the religious played a predominant role in the administration
of the Philippines. As a result, they were deeply implicated in the exploitation of Filipinos;
religious orders including the Augustinians, Dominicans, and Recollects, held the largest tracts
of land, haciendas and encomiendas granted by the Spanish government, renting plots to tenant
farmers.” It could be interpreted that they have exploit the Filipinos which was revealed by Jose
Rizal in his books. I think that he knew about the danger that might happen if he opposed the
Spaniards and yet, he still chose to do so. I personally believe that the braveness of Jose Rizal is
not something to be trifled with so retracting his statements is not something that he would do.
Historians have also stated that there is an absence of the original retraction document, it rely on
copies and translations that may have been altered or misinterpreted over time and there are
linguistic inconsistencies between the retraction document and Rizal's known writing style,
suggesting that it may have been authored by someone else.

Whatever the truth may be, whether Dr. Jose Rizal have retracted or not, it won`t change
the fact that his writings began the wheels of change in Philippine colonial society during the
Spanish period—a change that led to our independence. Regardless of the truth, it is crucial to
appreciate the broader context of Rizal's life and works, focusing on his contributions to the
Filipino struggle for independence and the enduring impact of his ideals. He will remain as the
Philippines` hero and always will be.