108 the Lite and Works of Jose Rizal Wty, 5 SB! Rizal Life: Exile, Trial and Death Overview This Chapter will cover Dr. Jose Rizal's exile, trial and death. From 1892 to 1896, he was sent to Dapitan as an exile. Rizal did not let his imprisonment in Dapitan prevent him from expressing his concern for his countrymen and love for the Philippines. People considered his stay there to be meaningful because he brought about many changes and accomplished a lot for the benefit of the local community. Rizal made the most of his time in Dapitan by honing his artistic and literary abilities, participating in agricultural and civic projects, conducting business and writing letters to his friends in Europe. In Dapitan, he had Josephine Bracken Rizal was supposed to leave for Cuba after being granted permission by sympathetic Spanish Governor-General Ramon Blanco to serve as a military Surgeon in Cuba, where there was also a revolution against Spain, but was involved in the revolution launched in August 1896 by the Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio, with the goal of liberating the country from Spanish colonization. Rizal was apprehended on his way to Spain, imprisoned in Barcelona, and later brought back to Manila to stand trial. He was accused of being a traitor to Spain and of being the mastermind behind the revolution. He was charged with sedition, rebellion and conspiracy before a Spanish military court. Despite his protests, he was found guilty on all three counts of rebellion, sedition and conspiracy and sentenced to death. As a result, he was executed and martyred. On December 30, 1896, Rizal was executed in Bagumbayan, now known as Luneta. *©) Learning Objectives At the end of this Chapter, the students should be able to: analyze the factors that led to Jose Rizal's execution; © explain the community project Rizal initiated while in exile in Dapitan and © analyze the effects of Jose Rizal's execution on Spanish colonial rule and the Philippine Revolution. Motivational Activity aay Read Dona Teodora Aj tor is provided in this Chapte, cal ie, Ionso's lotter to Governor General Polavieja. The "and Write a similar fetter persuading him to spare r=) Summary This Chapter has shown Rizal returning to the Philippines, believing that he needed to be there to effect change. Before being exiled to Dapitan, he founded the La Liga Filipina. Despite the fact that Rizal founded the Liga Filipino, a reform society that supported nonviolent action, he was stil exiled to Dapitan on the island of Mindanao. in Dapitan, he established a school, repaired the waterworks and composed music. He also won the heart of Josephine Bracken, an irish woman who had accompanied her foster father to his eye surgery. Only a stilborn son marred their brief seaside romance. He was arrested for his role in Andres Bonifacio’s revolution and he was charged with sedition, rebellion and conspiracy. Following a brief trial, he was sentenced to death by a firing squad. He also wrote the poem “Mi Ultimo Adiés,” which he hid in an alcohol burner. When his family visited him, he begged his mother's forgiveness and spoke to each of his sisters as they entered his cell one by one. In his final letter to Paciano Rizal, he begged his brother to beg forgiveness from their father for all the pain he had caused him. On December 30, 1896, he walked to his death in Bagumbayan, a field near Manila Bay that was later renamed Luneta. Because he was not a traitor, Rizal objected to being shot in the back. Arrival in Manila Rizal's daring return to Manila in June, 1892 was his second-homecoming because of his firm belief that the battleground is in the Philippines. It should be fought in the Philippines, not Spain. He told his European compatriots that when he returned home, they should meet there. They will help one another, and they will suffer or triumph together. Rizal and his sister Lucia arrived in Manila on June 26, 1892, at 12:00 noon, and in the afternoon, at 4:00 o'clock, he went 0 Malacanang Palace to seek an audience with the Spanish governor general, : General Eulogio Despyjal. Rizal had the promised interview with the Governor- General after his return to Manila from his railway journey. The discussions had teen quite informal at their previous meetings. Rizal boarded a train in TutubanWorks of Jose Rizal a - Malolos (Bul Staton at 6:00 pm. on Juno 27, 192,10 vist ont : a) a I lation at p.m J ' fampal retur Femando (Pampa). ar (Tr) oe rect in hs efariior mat Manila by train the following day, June 28, at § 0° f La Liga Filipina Hook ape a t zh the La Liga Filipina upon his return to the Philippines in July 1002 reposted a step forsard inthe reforms ideas ofthe tie, ax iy new group sought to involve the people directly 7 the reform movement. The founding of the ‘Liga Filipina,” @ feague or association sought ia unite all Filiping, of good character for concerted action toward the economic advancement of their country, for a higher standard of manhood and to ensure opportunities for education and development for talented Filipino youth, was almost Rizal's last act while at liberty. Resistance to oppression through legal means Was also encouraged, as Rizal believed that no one could fairly complain about bag government until he had exhausted and found ineffective all of the legal resources available to him. This was another expression of his constant teaching that slaves, those who toadied to power, and men without self-respect made possible and fostered tyranny, abuses and disregard of the rights of others. (Craig 1913, D 192). Many members of society seeking change were drawn to the Liga, including Andres Bonifacio, who became one of the organization's founders. The Liga’s goals, as stated in the constitution Rizal drafted, were as follows: To consolidate the entire archipelago into a single compact, vigorous, and homogeneous body; mutual protection in all times of need; defense against all forms of violence and injustice; encouragement of education, agriculture and commerce and research and implementation of reforms. The league, as Rizal envisioned it, would be a sort of mutual aid and self-help society, dispensing scholarship funds and legal aid, lending capital and establishing cooperatives. The Spanish authorities were 80 alarmed that they arrested Rizal on July 6, 1892, just four days after the Liga was formed. These were innocent, even naive goals that could hardly alleviate the Social ills of the time. On July 3, 1892, following his morning interview with Governor General Despujol, Rizal attended a meeting with patriots at the home of the Chinese- Filipino mestizo, Doroteo Ongjunco, on Ylaya Street, Tondo, Manila, on the evening of Sunday. Rizal explained the goals of the Liga Filipina, a civic league of Filipinos he wished to establish, as well as its role in the people’s socioeconomic lives. The following officers were elected to the new league: President Ambrosio Salvador; Deodato Arellano (Secretary), Agustin de la Rosa (Treasurer) and Bonifacio Arevalo (Fiscal)w Le iter Ruma sie 282s 48% The Calle llaya monument to Rizal and his associates of La Liga Filipina. The Liga Filipina's motto is Unus instar Omnium (One Like All). The supreme Council was the league’s governing body, with jurisdiction over the entire country. It was made up of a president, a secretary, a treasurer, and a fiscal. There was a Provincial Council in each province and a Popular Council in each town. The Liga members’ responsibilities are as follows: (1) to obey the Supreme Council's orders; (2) to assist in recruiting new members (3) to keep the Liga authorities’ decisions strictly confidential (4) to have a symbolic name that he cannot change until he becomes president of his council (5) to report to the fiscal anything he hears that affects the Liga (6) to behave well as befits a good Filipino (7) to help fellow members in any way. aa al . See algae slegh ber seen toot Regulations of La Liga Filipina in Rizal's handwritingHAR roe vite oat Works of owe Riva tN, ee and final mooting with the Governor General, hy ,, During Rizal's last et sr a Fiipino colony in British North ty asked i he still supported his plan fe eh, Rizal wrote Despujol when he was in Hongkong that ha should be allonog , build @ Filipino colony in Batish North Bomeo Daspujol had previously stata », with so much Philippine land tying ide due to tack of cultivation, Hdd 16t soe, patrotic to divert labor needed at home fo the development of a foreign fan, Rizal's previous response had dealt with the government's difficulty 1 dealing with the land problems. The tenants who had taken the old renters’ places ry had to be considered as well, and he pointed oul that there was also a bittorns between the parties that neither side could easily forget. So he simply stated thy he had found no reason to change his original viewpoints this time. The Gener then took five small sheets of the “Poor Friars" handbill from his desk, clainieg they had been discovered in the roll of bedding sent with Rizal's baggage to the custom house, and asked who they could be. Rizal responded thal the Gener was well aware that the bedding belonged to his sister Lucia, but she was no toy and would not have hidden five small papers in a place where they wel tin to be discovered, whether hidden within her camisa or stuffed into her stocking (Craig 1913, p 187). Rizal was arrested and exiled to Dapitan three days after the organization was founded but the Liga would soon be overshadowed by another organization The Kataas-taasang Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan which was formally established a day after Rizal's arrest, July 7, 1892, by people who were members of the Liga, led by Andres Bonifacio, a society they had planned to organize since January 1892. Exile in Dapitan Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, Zamboanga Del Norte and a remote town in Mindanao, from 1892 to 1896. He stayed there for four years and his life was monotonous, but he had accomplished a lot. While practicing medicine and pursuing scientific studies, Rizal continued his artistic and literary works. It has also assisted him in improving his language skills, establishing a boys’ school and supporting community development projects. He had invented a wooden machine for making bricks, in addition to farming and commerce. Despite his many activities, fellow reformers, as well as eminent scientists and scholars from all ovel Europe, have praised him. Jose led a very peaceful, happy and enjoyable life in Dapitan, and the way he lived it was admirable and worthy of imitation. He made the most of his time in Dapitan by participating in a variety of activities. Word of his exceptional medical abilities spread like wildfire in Dapitan. His medical practice attracted a large number of low-income patients. He put the curative properties of the Philippine medicinal plants he studied to good use, dispensing them to his poor patients who couldn't afford imported medicine.113 goth wealthy and impoverished patients were welcomed. He usually charged them less, if nol for nothing and accepled any in-kind payments from those with litte oF NO Money. Father Francisco Sanchez, Joso’s former Jesuit teacher, isted him in getting (0 work. He improved the town plaza by incorporating a tage relief map of Mindanao, which is stil visible today. One of Jose's most impressive projects was his water system, which he designed and built so that the people of Dapitan could have access to clean water. Despite lack of funds, limited resources and no government assistance, he was able to build it with nothing more than his Ateneo education, engineering textbook readings and sheer determination and ingenuity Sp HO Plan of the waterworks for Dapitan constructed by Dr. Rizal and the Jesuit lay brother Juan Costa. Rizal’s name was omitted for political reasons. Specimens collected by Rizal and Father Sanchez, now in the Jesuit Museum. To reduce the occurrence of malaria, he drained the marshes where ‘mosquitos thrived. One five-hundred-peso fee from a rich Englishman was devotedfo lighting the town and the community benefited in this way by his char, Se iment given its poor (Craig 1919, p 199). Jose, wha ty, 2 the importance of educetion since clitood, realized his hildtiey eee ae 3 sehool, where he would imploment the education Seton he hed Teemed abroad. The school, including the house sorvan, aga twenty and was faught without books by Rizal, who conducted jy s from @ hammock. Considerable importance was given to mathematic, nouages English was taught as well as Spanish, the entire waking Deron being cievoied fo the language allotted for the day, and whoever so far forgyy {9 utter @ word in any other tongue was punished by having to wear a rattan, ff The use and meaning of this modern police device had to be explaineg 10 the boys, for Spain still tied her prisoners with rope. Nature study consisted in helping the Doctor gather specimens of Flowers. shells. insects and reptiles which were prepared and shipped to German museums. Rizal was paid for these specimens by scientific books and material, The director of the Royal Zoological and Anthropological Museum in Dresden, Saxony. Doctor Karl von Heller, was a great friend and admirer of Doctor Rizal Doctor Heller's father was tutor to the late King Alfonso XII and had many friends at the Court of Spain. Evidently Doctor Heller and other of his European friends did not consider Rizal a Spanish insurrectionary, but treated him rather as a reformer seeking progress by peaceful means (Craig 1913, p 202). Facsimile of Rizal's drawings of fishes caught at Dapitan.Chapter 5 - Rizal's Life: Exile, Trial and Death 115 Jose conducted scientific research and collected animal and plant specimens in Dapitar virgin fold. In xchange for scientific books and surgical instruments, he sent these specimens to the European Museum in Dresden. He has amassed an impressive collection of 346 shells from 203 different species as a result of his resoarch. Some of the rare spacimens named after him include Draco rizali (a flying dragon), Apogonia rizali (a small beetle), and Rhacophorus rizali (a small beetle) (a rare frog). Three new Species discovered by Rizal and named after him. While in Dapitan, Jose studied the Bisayan, Subanum, and Malayan languages and wrote a Tagalog grammar. Some of his poems include A Don Ricardo Carnicero, Himno A Talisay (Hymn to the Talisay Tree), Mi Retiro (My Retreat), El Canto del Viajero (The Traveler's Song) and Josephine. He also made some drawings and sculptures of people and objects he found interesting. Jose bought 70 hectares of land in Dapitan and built a house, school and hospital on it, as well as planted fruit trees, corn, coffee, cacao, sugarcane and hemp. He also drew and sculpted people and objects of interest to him. With the assistance of Ramon Carreon, a Dapitan merchant, Jose was successful in his business ventures in fishing, copra and hemp. He established the Cooperative Association of Dapitan Farmers to break the Chinese monopoly in Dapitan. The confederation's goal, according to Rizal, was to “improve farm products, obtain better outlets for them, collect funds for their purchases, and assist producers and workers by establishing a store where they can buy prime116 The Life and Works of Jos Ho invented the “sulpukan,” @ WOOdeN cigaryy, Commodities at moderate prices nd air Blumontelt thon recoiveg , fighter that worked on the principle of comp pee 88 a gift He also had an iiea for a brick-making machina, J086's Version, baggy, ona Belgian model, could produce 6,000 bricks per day. Despite his achievements in Dapitan, Jose felt empty. He longed y, be with his family, relatives and fiends. He had the impression that he N66¢6q someone to re-energize him. As Josephine Bracken arrived in Dapitan, Joye found his answer. She amved in Dapitan like a ray of sunshine to cheer him iy Josephine Bracken was a sweet eighteen-year-old Irish girl who was slim, hag diond hair blue eyes and dressed elegantly in a light gayety atmosphere. He, Darents are doth Irish. On October 3, 1876, her Irish parents, James Bracken, 4 corpora! in the Bntish garrison and Elizabeth Jane MacBride, gave birth to her in Hong Kong. Jose and Josephine fell in love and decided to marry, but no priest wes willing to marry them. Even without the blessing of the church, Jose ang vosephine joyfully shared each other's lives in Dapitan. His joy was multiplied when he leamed that Josephine was expecting a child. Due to a twist of fate, the baby only lived for three hours. He named his son “Francisco” in honor of his father. Carving of Josephine Bracken On July 7, 1892, Andres Bonifacio established the Kataataasang Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, a revolutionary society, and staged an armed revolt in 1896. Dr. Pio Valenzuela was given the task of informing Jose Rizal of their plans. To keep his assignment a secret, Dr. Pio was accompanied by Raymundo Mata, a blind man, to seek Jose's medical advice.= Chapter 5 « Rizal’ Life: Exile, THal and Death 117 Jose WAS OPPOsed fo the courageous and shocking uprising of the Katipuneros. He was convinced they were unprepared for a revolution. He went on to say that they lacked the necessary weapons and funds and that it would only result in the deaths of Many of his countrymen. He also declined Katipunoron's offer to save him. Several months before the Katlpuneros contacted Jose, Blumantrit informed him of the dire health situation in war-torn Cuba, spocifically the yellow fever epidemic and encouraged him to volunteer as an army doctor there to end his exile. On the advice of a friend, Jose sent a letter to Governor General Ramon Bianco on December 17, 1895, offering his medical services in Cuba. When he hadn't heard back after months, he was about to give up hope. However, on July 30, 1896, he received a letter from the Spanish Governor informing him of his proposal, which surprised him. According to the letter, he would also be allowed to travel to Manila, where he would be given safe passage to Spain and then to Cuba. Jose Rizal emotionally left a town he had grown to love on July 31, 1896. Many teary-eyed Dapitan residents gathered on the beach to say their final goodbyes to a man who gave his all for his hometown. Jose saluted the town's devoted and friendly residents with a weeping heart filled with nostalgic tears. Trial of Rizal On August 26, 1896, Andres Bonifacio and his fearless Katipuneros cried out in the hills of Balintawak (popularly known as ‘Cry of Balintawak’), a few miles north of Manila. They attacked San Juan, a city near Manila, on August 30, but were repulsed with heavy losses. Following the Battle of San Juan, Governor General Blanco declared a state of war in the eight provinces of Manila (as a province), Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Pampanga, Nueva Vizcaya, and Tarlac for their insurgency against Spain. Jose feared that the raging insurgency would result in a great deal of suffering and heinous destruction of human lives and property, He was also concerned about the possibility of Spanish retaliation against all Filipino patriots. During the chaos created by the uprising, Jose received two letters from Governor General Blanco exonerating him from the raging insurgency. Jose’s last trip abroad was on September 3, 1896, when he left for Spain, troubled by the Katipuneros’ violent attempt to overthrow the Spanish government. : He was, however, transferred to another steamer, which he believed would transport him from Spain to Cuba, where he would fulfill his humanitarian offer of serving as a military physician. Before reaching Barcelona, he was unexpectedly apprehended and unlawfully detained as a prisoner on a Spanish steamer, On board the transport ship Colon, he was informed that he would be returned to Manila, The ship Colon arrived in Manila on November 3, 1896, and was greeted118 The tife and Works of Jose Rizal os by Spaniards and friars because it brought more soldiers i ee Way then transferred to Fort Santiago from the ship The preliminary stigatin as 15 pieces of documentary evidence, began on November 20. He was given 8 On November 6, Colonel Olive transmitted the records in one to begin the appropriate action against Rizal. Rizal was only given the option of selecting py, ‘own defense attomey. He was given a list of Spanish Army Heutenants, and ong name caught his eye. Rizal's bodyguard in Calamba was Don Luis Taviel yg Andrade, who was the brother of Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade. On November % 1896, a five-day preliminary investigation was launched. Colonel Francisco Olive, the Judge Advocate, briefed Jose on the charges leveled against him. Genera Camilo G. de Polavieja was appointed Governor General of the Philippines on December 13th. Documentary and testimonial evidence were presented agains, Jose Rizal. Documentary and testimonial evidence were presented against Jose Rizal There were fifteen exhibits of documentary evidences. Captain Dominguez sent a summary of the action to Governor General Ramon Blanco, who forwarded it to Don Nicolas De la Pena, the Judge Advocate General. Pena made the following recommendations after studying the papers: (1) the accused be brought to trial immediately; (2) he be kept in prison; (3) an order of attachment be issued against his property in the amount of one million pesos as indemnity; and (4) he be represented in court by an army officer rather than a civilian lawyer. Cell in which Rizal was imprisoned, and dungeon where he was incommunicado, Fort Santiago.Chapter 5 ~ Rizal's Life: Exile, Trial and Death Beeman eninsitnenemmnniimmmNnNN! On December 1. 1896, charges were road to Jose in his prison coll with his lawyer by his side. Ho was accusod of being living soul of the Filipino insurgency, the founder of societies, poriodicals, and pooks dedicated to fomenting and propagating ideas of rebellion. Jose did not adject £0 the court's jurisdiction, bul claimed that he was not a rovolulionary. Ho acknowledged that he drafted the Liga Filipina's consitulion, emphasizing that it was merely @ civic alliance. He “the principal organizer and the reiterated thal he was not involved in politics duning his exile to Dapitan. General Camilo G, de Polavieja, who replaced General Ramon Blanco as Governor General of the Philippines, received Jose's case on December 13, 1896. Rizal's trial was a powerful example of Spanish injustice and misrule. It was clearly a mistrial, not just a farce. Rizal was tried by a miliary court made up of alien military officers, despite the fact that he was a civilian. His case was prejudged, and he was deemed guilty before the trial even began. The military court convened to accuse and condemn him, not to provide him with justice. All charges and testimonies against him were accepted, while all arguments and proofs in his favor were ignored. The trial of Rizal took place on December 26, 1896. His case is an example of Spanish misrule and injustice. Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, Rizal's counsel worked tirelessly to persuade the members of the military court not to sentence the accused to death. Jose’s defense counsel worked hard to present a convincing defense. He concluded his defense by reminding the judges to be fair and avoid vindictiveness in their decision-making. Following Lt. Don Luis Taviel de Andrade’s defense, the court asked Jose if he had anything to say. Jose confidently read. the following supplement to his defense: 1. He could not be a rebel because he advised Dr. Pio Valenzuela in Dapitan not to revolt. 2. He did not share the radical, revolutionary elements. 3. The revolutionaries used his name without his permission. If he had been found guilty, he could have fled to Singapore. 4. If he had been involved in the revolution, he could have fled in a Moro vinta and not built a house, a hospital, or purchased land in Dapitan. 5. If he were the revolution's commander-in-chief, why hasn't he been consulted by the revolutionaries? 6. It was true that he drafted the Liga Filipina’s bylaws, but this was a civic organization, not a revolutionary society. 7. The Liga Filipina did not last long, as he was exiled to Dapitan after the first meeting and it died out. 8. He was unaware that the Liga had been reorganized nine months later. 9. If the Liga had served the revolutionaries’ needs, they would not have replaced it with the Katipunan. 10. If there were some venomous remarks in Rizal's letters, it was Because they were written in 1890, when his family was being persecuted, being evicted from their homes, warehouses, and lands and his brother and all his brothers-in-law were deported. 11. As far as the politico-military commanders and missionary priests could tell, his life in Dapitan had been exemplary. 12. It was not true that his one speech at Dorotea Ongjunco’s house inspired the revolution, 119120 The Life and Works of Jose Rizal he wishes to confront. His friends were well awarg of Why did the Katipunan dispatch an Unknow, who knew him knew he would never supp, as claimed by witnesses his opposition to armed rebellion. emissary to Dapitan? Because those @ violent movement. Jose's appeal was dismissed by the biased military court. The member, of the military court agreed fo convict Jose and sentenced him to death after brief deliberation. On December 26, 1896, the unjust military court decision wag handed down to Governor General Camilo G. de Polavieja, who sought the opinion of Judge Advocate General Nicolas de la Pena, who confirmed the death sentence. On December 28, 1896, Governor General Camilo G. de Polaviejs signed the decision of the court-martial to execute Jose Rizal. This decree was presented by Medina (1998) as follows: The 28" of December, 1896, in Manila. In accordance with the preceding opinion. | approve the Court Martial’s decision in this case, which imposes the death penalty on the accused Jose Rizal Mercado, which will be carried out by shooting him at 7:00 a.m. on the 30th of this month in the Bagumbayan field. He died a hero and a martyr for Philippine independence, according to them. After learning of the court martial’s unjust decision, Jose spent the next twenty-four hours seeing and speaking with his friends, family and Josephine Bracken. Teodora’s Letter to Governor General Polavieja On December 28, 1896 Dona Teodora Alonzo wrote Governor-General Camilo Polavieja asking for clemency for her son. Here’s the letter she gave to Polavieja: Excellency: Teodora Alonso de Rizal, a resident of Kalamba, born in Sta. Cruz, Manila, with all due respect and esteem has the honor to state to your Excellency: That her son, Jose Rizal y Mercado, having been sentenced by the court- martial to the extreme penalty for the offense charged against him of rebellion against the Mother Country, an offense which in all conscience and strictest justice has not been proved conclusively, all the more since she who has the honor to have recourse to your Excellency is certain of the absolute innocence of her unfortunate son, she is now bound to entreat your generous heart and upright sense of justice to deign to turn your eyes and consider the tribulations of an unhappy mother, who at the close of her life and at the advanced age at Seventy-one, will have to endure the greatest and most bitter of sorrows , which is to witness the death of her unfortunate son, the victim only of fate and of unlucky Sircumstances which have surrounded him. Excellency, | am certain, and it is most evident, that my unfortunate Son Jose Rizal, who suffered with humility and resignation the exile to whichos SS mn tena Naa Chapter 5 - Rizal's Life: Exile, Trial and Death was sent five me anocent of th 2 on a bie 0 the highest eutoty of his erchisage Rec iene ich he fs charged and for which he has fo oansite OF qtesion Ina me penalty. It is not my intention, Excellency, iy ae ny manner the legality of the decision of a just tr . Unfortunate and fatal circumstances, it has apparently made my unhappy Son responsible for the most infamous crimes, when he is in reality innocent (Guerrero 1974, 477-478), : __In view of the foregoing, Your Excellency, | beg Your Excellency to deign take pity on the grief of a poor mother, who in the most crucial moment of witnessing the death of the fruit of her womb, turns to Your Excellency in the name of our God, beseeching him with tears of sorrow in her eyes and her heart in pieces to grant to her unfortunate son the commutation of the death sentence to which he has been condemned. This is a boon which she expects to obtain from the recognized goodness of Your Excellency’s magnanimous heart, and for which the undersigned and all her family will be eternally grateful, raising prayers to heaven to preserve your valuable life for the good and honor of our Mother Spain and the Consolation of mothers. Teodora Alonso Manila 1896 Rizal’s Message of Farewell Jose chose to spend quiet moments in the prison chapel after the death penalty was read aloud. When he was left alone in his cell, he turned to writing. He wrote a letter to his brother Paciano, another to his best friend Dr. Ferdinand. Jose Rizal to F, Blumentritt, 29" December 1896. When you receive this letter | shall be dead. | shall be shot tomorrow at seven o'clock, but | am innocent of the crime of rebellion. | am going to die with a clear conscience. Farewell, my best, my dearest friend, and never think il! of me. Rizal sent regard to all the Blumentritt family, and wrote along the margin: “leave you a book as one last keepsake from me.” It was an anthology of poems ientritt himself has sent him in Dapitan and which he had in German which Blume carefully annotated during his rustication (Guerrero 1974, p 146). Then there was a letter to Paciano. Jose Rizal to Paciano Rizal, 29” December 1896. It had been four ‘and half years that we have not seen or spoken or written to each other, not, | believe, because of any lack of affection on my part or on yours, but because knowing each other so well we did not need to speak to understand each other. 121122 The Life oni Works of Jose Rizal eetascennmsmaencasnuimuannssmmaacnsiiiwwwwww—w—Cwnwiiny, | Now that am to aie, it is to you I write last (0 toll you how sorry I am ), Jeave you alone in life, bearing all burden of the family and our aged parents, | think of how you have worked to give me a career, | believe that | triog not to waste my time. My brother, if the fruit has been bitter, it has not boon my fault but the feult of the circumstances. | know you have suffered a lot for my sake; / am sory / assure you my brother, that | die innocent of this crime of rebellion, ; shall not utterly deny that what | wrote in the past may have contributed (to thy insurrection), but | thought that the past would be expiated with my deportation. Tell our father that | remember him. How? | remember his tenderness and his love. | ask him to forgive me for the grief which unwillingly | cause him (Guerrero 1974, p476-477). ‘tis widely assumed that Jose wrote his final poem, Mi Ultimo Adios, on December 29. 1896. He was able to insert it into an alcohol cooking stove, which he then gave to his sister Trinidad, to whom he revealed, ‘There is something in it’ Jose's final poem, written without a title and unsigned, was translated into English as My Last Farewell by Charles E. Derbyshire. On the eve of his execution, Jose Rizal wrote a letter to his family to bid them farewell, “I would like to see each one of you before dying, though it may cost much pain. Come the most valiant, | have some important things to say.” Serenely accepting his tragic fate, he composed his untitled valedictory poem, which came to be known Mi Ultimo Adios. Before his execution by firing squad on December 30, 1896, Rizal wrote the poem Mi Ultimo Adios. The poem was 14 five-line stanzas long, unsigned, untitled and undated. At 5:30 in the morning of December 30, he wrote one letter to his family. To my Family | beg your forgiveness for the grief | cause you, but one day or another ! had to die, and it is worth more to die today in the fullness of my faculties. Source: Guerrero, L. M. (1974). The First Filipino: A Biography of Jose Rizel. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Dear parents, brothers, sisters: give thanks to God who has kept me tranquil before my death. | die resigned, hoping that with my death they will leave you in peace. Ah, it is better to die than to live in suffering. Be consoled. | commend you to forgive one another the little vexations of this life and to try to live in peace and good harmony. Treat your aged parents as you would wish to be treated afterwards by your own children. Love them much, in memory of me. Bury me in the earth, put a stone on top, and a cross. My name, the date of my birth, and that of my death. Nothing more. If you want to fence in myChapter 5 = Rb »: Exile, Tal and Death 123 2 —emectntttnensenemeenennemetinannne grave afterwards, you can do 80, Bundok! Pity poor Josephine (Guerrero 1974, » 485) Paang Bundok, or Foot of the Mountain in Tagalog, was a common cemetery to the north of the city; Rizal would be buried there, but within the classic columnades and among the lovely gnarled trees of the Paco Comotory. He also found time to write to his father. 6 am. 30" December 1896 My most beloved father: But no anniversary celebrations! | prefer Paang Forgive me the sorrow with which | repay the anxieties and toil you have underwent to give me an education. | did not want this nor expected it. Farewell, father farewell! For his mother words seem to have failed him. To my much beloved mother, Sra. Da. Teodora Alonso, at six o'clock in the morning on the 30” of December 1896 (Guerrero 1974, p 185-186) DE LA IMITACION DE CRISTO Y MENOSPRECIO DEL MUNDO Ss A small book given by Rizal to Josephine Bracken.124 The Life and Works of Jose Rizal Execution and Death On December 30, 1896, at approximately six thirty a.m. The start of Jose, journey to death was signaled by a trumpet blast at Fort See Pode guard, consisting of four soldiers armed with bayoneted ee ; : ca ce calmly a few meters behind, with his defense counsel (Lt Luis Taviel de Anc rad on one side and two Jesuit priests (Father March and Vilaclara) on the other. More heavily armed soldiers marched alongside him. Rizal wore @ black sui, @ lacy derby hat, black shoes, a white shirt, and a black tie. His arms were tied behing his back from elbow to elbow, but the rope was loose enough to allow his arms 1, move freely. The cavalcade marched slowly and somnolently to the muffled sounds of the drums. A small crowd lined the street from.Fort Santiago to the Plaza de Palacio in front of the Manila Cathedral. Everyone seemed to be at Bagumbayan, where a large crowd had gathered to witness the death of a martyr. As Jose walked calmly to Bagumbayan, he remarked on the beauty and serenity of the morning and he made a few observations about Corregidor, the mountains of Cavite and the Ateneo College. When Jose arrived at the execution site, he noticed a large number of curious people and soldiers waiting for them. After receiving final blessings, he bid farewell to Fr. March, Fr. Villaclara, and Lt. Taviel de Andrade. Jose's request to be shot facing the firing squad was denied because he had been ordered to be shot in the back. Troops held back the crowds and left a large square for the tragedy, while artillery stood ready behind them to suppress any attempt at rescuing the prisoner. No one came, however, because, while Rizal's brother Paciano had Joined the insurgent forces in Cavite when the death sentence showed that there was no hope for José, he had discouraged the planned demonstration as soon as he learned how scantily the insurgents were armed, with only a handful of serviceable firearms in the possession of their entire “army.” The firing squad was made up of Filipino soldiers, with Spaniards behind them, better armed in case they tried to avoid the fratricidal role assigned to them. A Spanish military surgeon standing nearby was intrigued by Rizal's calm demeanor and asked, ‘Colleague, may | feel your pulse?" Without saying anything else, the prisoner twisted one of his hands as far away from his body as the cords that bound him allowed, allowing the other doctor to place his fingers on the prisoner's wrist. Later, the report stated that the beats were steady and showed no Signs of excitement or fear. His request to face his executioners was denied because it was beyond the commanding officer's power to grant, despite Rizal's declaration that he did Ms deserve such a death because he was not a traitor to Spain. It was promised, 'owever, that his head would be respected, and as blindfolded and erect RizalExile, Teal and Death 125 pter 5 ~ Rizal’s oO tumed his back to receive their bullets, he twisted a hand to indicate under his shoulder where the soldiers should aim in order fo reach his heart. Then, as the pullet struck, he tured and fell face upwards, receiving the subsequent “shots of grace” that ended his life, so that he did not die a traitors death in form as well as fact. The Spanish national anthem was played, the Cadiz March, which should have reminded people of a broken constitution, because Rizal was executed iiegally under Spanish law. Vivas, laughter, and applause could be heard, as it had been the social event of the day, with breakfasting parties on the walls and carriages, full of interested onlookers of both sexes, lined up conveniently close for the sightseeing. Jose's normal pulse, as measured by Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo, a Spanish military doctor, demonstrated that he did not fear death. His last words were Consummatum Est! Above the cacophony of drums was the cold-blooded command "Fuego" (Fire), which took Jose's life at 7:03 in the morning. He was declared dead after falling to the ground three minutes after seven o'clock in the morning. The death of Jose Rizal was met with joy by his enemies, as was to be expected. Those who loved, respected, and supported him, on the other hand, were heartbroken and painfully inflamed. He died as a hero and a martyr for Philippine independence in their eyes. : e wre ky Execution of Rizal, from a photograph.126 The Life and Works of Jose Rizal The After-Life in Memory - A dead-wagon from San Juan de Diés Hospital took Rizal's body to Pacg sry about an hour after the shooting: The civil governor of Manila was in coe sty whose duty it was to attend CXECution, charge, and members of a Church socie were also present. / Rizal was dressed in a black suit he had purchased for his European trip ‘and a derby hat, which were not only appropriate for a funeral occasion because of their solemn color, but also more desirable than white for the entire day's wear as they had to be put on before the twenty-four hours in the chapel, and for the lying on the ground that would follow the execution of the sentence. The remaing were placed in a plain box, as even the hat had been picked up and encoffined, No visitors were allowed into the cemetery while the interment was taking place, and for several weeks afterward, guards stood guard over the grave, fearing that Filipinos would come by night to steal the body and divide the clothing among themselves as martyr relics. Even the exact location of the interment was kept secret, but friends of the family were among those present at the burial and dropped into the grave a marble slab provided by them, bearing the initials of the full baptismal name, José Protasio Rizal, in reversed order (Craig 1913, p 252). 04 id Uy a sub wlitg Ga Beate, duced, ‘ah AWrg thee ae Ne Ape Re ey ibis Yalaga, sent Burial record of Rizal in the Paco register, Source: Craig, A. C. (1913). Lineage, life and labors of Jose Rizal: Philippine Patriot. Manila: Philippine Education Company. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/6867/6867- h/6867-h.htm#d0e2588