THE FINAL

JOURNEY
Jose Rizal’s: Trial and Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

A week after the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, on

September 2, 1896, Jose Rizal left Manila for Spain. Going back
to Governor General Ramon Blanco’s last letter to Rizal, the
former approved the latter’s request that has be sent to Cuba as
military doctor. As such, Rizal was go to Spain first before going
to Cuba. But even before he reached his first destination, he was
arrested by the Spanish authorities on board, jailed in
Barcelona and shipped back to Manila and was jailed at Fort
Santiago for the last 3 months of his life.
Rescue Attempt by the Katipunan

While Rizal was still in exile in Dapitan, the Katipunan emissary, Dr. Pio
Valenzuela, informed the former of the secret organization’s attempt to rescue him
and to sneak him on a ship destined to Japan. However, Rizal was not in favor of this
as he had no plan of breaking his promises to the Spanish authorities.
For the second time, in August 1896, during Rizal’s stopover in Manila Bay,
Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and other selected Katipuneros disguised as sailors
of the motor Caridad so that they can easily penetrate the cruiser Castilla, then
harbored at Manila Bay
Rizal was on deck at that time when he was approached by Jacinto who whispered that they were
Katpuneros and were there to rescue him. However, despite the opportunity given to him, Rizal
refused to be rescued.
On board Castilla, Rizal heard of the outbreak of the revolution and was not surprised.
However, his worry was that Spanish authorities might think that he incited the said struggle. Two
recommendation letters from Governor Blanco diverted Rizal’s anguish – one for the Minister of
War, General Marcelo de Azcarraga; and the second, for the Minister of Colonies.

Aboard the steamer, Isla de Panay, Rizal left Manila for Spain on September 2, 1896, not
knowing that this will be his last travel abroad. The night before his departure, he wrote a letter to
Doña Teodora Alonzo telling her that his task required strength and dedication, and if he died, at
least he had done something good for mankind.
By the eve of September 7, the steamer reached Singapore and on the 3oth, while Isla
de Panay was on its voyage along the Mediterranean Sea, a telegraphic message was
received by Captain A. Alemany, the ship skipper, ordering him to arrest and confine Jose
Rizal in his cabin until they arrive in Barcelona on the 3rd of October. Early morning of
October 6, Rizal was transferred to Montjuich Castle where he was visited by Eulogio
Despujol who was then military Commander of Cataluña. By 8 o’clock in the evening,
aboard the steamer Colon, Rizal left Barcelona for Manila.
Such occurrences had already been known among Rizal’s friends in Europe and
Singapore. His friends from London, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor and Sixto Lopez exerted all
their efforts to find a lawyer in Singapore who could aid their friend in need. They sent a
telegraph to a certain Atty. Hugh Fort whom they requested to do the task of rescuing
Rizal- by issuing writ of habeas corpus on the steamer Colon. Unfortunately, the judge in
Singapore denied Fort’s request and contention that Rizal was illegally detained in the
said steamer because the voyage cannot be delayed since it was, according to the judge,
a warship carrying Spanish troops to Manila.
Thus, on November 3, Colon arrived in Manila – Jose Rizal, under heavy security, was
brought immediately to Fort Santiago. During his stay, Spanish authorities were
searching for evidence against him. In fact, Filipinos who had been recognized at his side
were brutally tortured to implicate him. Some of them were as follows: Deodato
Arellano, Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Moises Salvador, Jose Dizon, Domingo Franco and
Timoteo Paez. Even his only brother, Paciano was arrested and inflicted with pains
which the latter endured for his younger brother’s sake.
 After fishing as much evidence as possible, on
November 20, 1896 the preliminary
Preliminary investigation on Rizal began. During the five-

Investigation
day investigation, Rizal was informed of the
charges against him before Judge Advocate
Colonel Francisco Olive. He was put under
interrogation without the benefit of knowing
who testified against him. Presented before him
were two kinds of evidences documentary and
testimonial.
There were a total of fifteen exhibits for the documentary evidence.

Testimonial evidences, on the other hand, were comprised of oral proofs

provided by Martin Constantino, Aguedo del Rosario, Jose Reyes, Moises Salvador, Jose
Dizon, Dominggo Franco, Deodato Arellano, Pio Valenzuela, Antonio Salazar,
Francisco Quison, and Timoteo Paez.
These evidences were endorsed by Colonel Olive to Governor Ramon Blanco
who designated Captain Rafael Dominguez as the judge Advocate assigned with the task
of deciding what corresponding action should be done. Dominguez, after a brief review,
transmitted the records to Don Nicolas de la Peña, the Judge Advocate General, for an
opinion. Peña’s recommendations were as follows:
1. Rizal must be immediately sent to trial.
2. He must be held in prison under necessary security.
3. His properties must be issued with order of attachment, and as
indemnity, Rizal had to pay one million pesos.
4. Instead of a civilian lawyer, only an army officer is allowed to
defend Rizal.

Although given the “privilege” to choose his own defense counsel,

this was limited to a list of 100 names- both first and second
lieutenants- that the Spanish authorities provided him. Of the list,
one familiar name stood out- Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade. Rizal
discovered that the said lieutenant was the brother of Lt. Jose
Taviel de Andrade who worked as Rizal’s personal bodyguard in
Calamba in 1887
Charges On the 11th of December 1896, in the presence of his Spanish
counsel, charges against Rizal were. When asked regarding his

Against sentiments or reaction on the charges, Rizal replied that:

Rizal 1. He does not question the jurisdiction of thecourt.

2. He had nothing to amend except that during his exile in
Dapitan in 1892, he had not dealt in political matters;
3. He had nothing to admit on the charges against him.
4. He had nothing to admit on the declarations of the
witnesses he had not met nor knew, against him.
Two days after, Rizal’s case was endorsed to Blanco’s successor,
Governor Camilo de Polavieja, who had the authority to command
that he case be court martialed. On December 15, inside his cell at
Fort Santiago, Rizal wrote the controversial Manifesto addressed to
his countrymen- a letter denouncing bloody struggle., and
promoting education and industry as the best means to acquire
independence. However, Judge Advocate General Nicolas de la Peña
requested Governor Polavieja that the publication of the manifesto
be prohibited, and so, the governor did.
Jose Rizal’s Accustomed to share the merry season with
family, friends and relatives, he 1896 Christmas
Trial was indeed, Rizal’s saddest. Confined in a dark,
gloomy cell, Rizal was in despair and had no idea
of what his fate may be. Under this delusion, he
wrote a letter to Lt. Taviel Andrade requesting
the latter to visit him before his trial for there
was a very important matter they need to
discuss. Likewise, Rizal greeted the lieutenant a
joyous Christmas
The next day, December 26, about 8 o’clock in the morning, the court-martial of Rizal commenced. The
hearing was actually a kind of moro-moro – a planned trial wherein Rizal, before hearing his verdict, had
already been prejudged. Unlike other accused, Rizal had not been allowed to know the people who witnessed
against him. The trial took place of Cuartel de España, a military building, with a court composed of seven
military officers headed by Lt. Col. Jose Togores Arjona. Present at the Courtroom were Jose Rizal, the six
others officers in uniform (Capt. Ricardo Muñoz Arias, Capt. Manuel Reguera, Capt. Santiago Izquierdo
Osorio, Capt. Braulio Rodriguez Nuñez, Capt. Manuel Diaz Escribano, and Capt. Fernando Perez Rodriguez),
Lt. Taviel Andrade, Judge Advocate Capt. Rafael Dominguez, Lt. Enrique de Alcocer (prosecuting attorney)
and a number of spectators, including Josephine Bracken.
After Judge Advocate Dominguez opened the trial, it was followed by Atty. Alcocer’s reiteration of the charges
against Rizal, urging the court that the latter be punished with death. Accordingly the three crimes accused to
him were rebellion, sedition and illegal association- the penalty for the first two being life imprisonment to
death, while the last, correctional imprisonment and a charge of 325 to 3250 pesetas
Lt. Taviel de Andrade, on the other hand, later took the floor reading his speech in
defense of Rizal. To supplement this, Rizal read his own defense which he wrote in his cell
in Fort Santiago. According to Rizal, there are twelve points to prove his innocence:

1. As he testified by Pio Valenzuela, Rizal was against rebellion.

2. He had not written a letter addressed to the Katipunan comprising revolutionary
elements.
3. Without hi knowledge, his name was used by the Katipunan; if he really was guilty, he
could have escaped while he was in Singapore.
4. If he was guilty, he should have left the country while in exile; he shouldn’t have built
a home, bought a parcel of land or established a hospital in dapitan.
5. If he was really the leader of the revolution, the revolutionaries should have consulted
him.
6. He did not deny that he wrote the by-laws of the La Liga Filipina, but to make things
clear, the organization was a civic association not a revolutionary society.
7. After the first meeting of La Liga Filipina, the association banished because of his exile
in Dapitan, thus, did not last song.
8. If the La Liga Filipina was reorganized nine months later, he had no idea about it.
9. If the La Liga Filipina had a revolutionary purpose, then Katipunan should not have
been organized.
10. If the Spanish authorities found his letters having bitter atmosphere, it was because in
1890 his family was being persecuted resulting to their dispossession of properties and
deportation of all his brothers-in-law.
11. He lived an exemplary life in Dapitan- the politico-military commanders and
missionary priests in the province could attest to that.
12. If according to witnesses the speech he delivered at Doroteo Ongjunco’s house had
inspired the revolution, then he want to confront these persons. If he really was for the
revolution, then why did the Katipunan send an unfamiliar emissary to him in Dapitan? It
is so because all his friends were aware that he never advocated violence.