Rizal's

Martyrdom at
Bagumbayan
CHAPTER 25
 • After being court-martialed, Rizal returned to his cell
in Fort Santiago to prepare his rendezvous with
destiny.
 • During his last 24 hours on earth – from 6:00 A.M. of
Dec. 29 to 6:00 A.M. of Dec. 30, 1896 – he was busy
meeting visitors which includes his family and friends.
 • He was also able to write his last poem – his final
contribution for the emancipation of the Filipino
people.
 • 6:00 A.M. – Captain Rafael Rodriguez read Rizal’s
death sentence – he will be shot at the back by firing
squad at 7:00 A.M. in Bagumbayan.
 • 7:00 A.M. – Rizal was moved to the prison chapel
where he spent his last moments. His first visitors were
Jesuit priests.
 • 7:15 A.M. – Rizal reminded Fr. Luis Viza the
statuette of the Sacred Heart of Jesus whom he carved
as a student in Ateneo.
 • 8:00 A.M. – Rizal had a breakfast with Fr. Antonio
Rosell. After breakfast, his attorney, Lt. Luis Taviel de
Andrade came.
 • 9:00 A.M. – Fr. Frederico Faura arrived. Rizal
reminded the priest of his earlier ‘prophecy’ about
Rizal.
 • 10:00 A.M. – More Jesuit priests had visited him.
After then, he was interviewed by Santiago Mataix for
the newspaper El Heraldo de Madrid. Last Hours of
Rizal 05Martyrdom at Bagumbayan December 29, 1896
 • 12:00 – 3:30 P.M. – Rizal was left alone in his cell. He
took his lunch and continued writing his farewell poem
which he hid in an alcohol cooking stove. He also wrote
his last letter to Professor Blumentritt.
 • 3:30 P.M. – Father Vicente Balaguer returned to his
cell and discussed with Rizal his retraction letter. Last
Hours of Rizal 06Martyrdom at Bagumbayan December
29, 1896
 • 4:00 P.M. – Teodora Alonzo visited him. They had a very
emotional encounter. Rizal gave the alcohol cooking stove
to Trinidad which contains his farewell poem. Several
priests have visited him afterwards.
 • 6:00 P.M. – Don Silvino Lopez, dean of the Manila
Cathedral visited him.
 • 8:00 P.M. – Rizal had his last supper. He told Captain
Dominguez that he forgave his enemies including the
military judges.
 • 9:30 P.M. – Rizal was visited by Don Gaspar Cestano,
fiscal of the Royal Audience de Manila.
 • 10:00 P.M. – The draft of the retraction letter sent by
the anti-Filipino Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda was
given by Fr. Balaguer to Rizal for his signature. He had
rejected it. Last Hours of Rizal 09Martyrdom at
Bagumbayan December 29, 1896
 • Upon Rizal’s death, his supposedly ‘retraction letter’
became of one of the most controversial documents in
our history.
 • This ‘retraction letter’ allegedly contains his
renunciation of the Masonry and his ‘anti-Catholic
religious ideas.’
 • Depending on whose side you are on, some Rizalists
claims that it is fake while some believe it to be
genuine.
 • There had been some evidences but so far these had
only heated up the debate between the two factions.
Retraction Letter 10Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
 • 3:00 A.M. – Rizal heard Mass, confessed his sins and
took Holy Communion.
 • 5:30 A.M. – He took his last breakfast. After which he
wrote his last letters for his family and his brother,
Paciano.
 • 5:30 A.M. – Josephine Bracken arrived together
with Rizal’s sister, Josefa, with tears in her eyes,
bade him farewell. Rizal embraced her for the
last time, and before she left, Rizal gave her a
last gift – a religious book, Imitation of Christ by
Father Thomas Kempis.
 • 6:00 A.M. – As the soldiers were getting ready
for the death march to Bagumbayan, Rizal wrote
his last letter to his beloved parents
 • At about 6:30 A.M., a trumpet sounded at Fort
Santiago, a signal to begin the death march to
Bagumbayan.
 • Rizal walked calmly with his defense counsel
and two Jesuit priests at his sides. • He was
dressed elegantly in a black suit, black derby hat,
black shoes, white shirt and black tie. His arms
were tied behind from elbow to elbow.
 • There a lot of spectators lining the street from Fort
Santiago to Bagumbayan.
 • As he was going through the narrow Postigo Gate,
Rizal looked at the sky and said to one of the priests:
“How beautiful it is today, Father. What morning could
be more serene! How clear is Corregidor and the
mountains of Cavite! On mornings like this, I used to
take a walk with my sweetheart.”
 • While he was passing in front of the Ateneo, he saw
the college towers above the walls. He asked: “Is that
the Ateneo, Father?” “Yes”, replied the priest.
 • Rizal bade farewell to Fathers March and Vilaclara
and to his defender, Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade.
Although his arms were tied, he had firmly clasped their
hands in parting.
 • One of the priests blessed him and offered him a
crucifix to kiss.
 • He requested the commander of the firing squad that
he be shot facing them. His request was denied for the
captain had implicit orders to shoot him at his back.
 • A Spanish military physician, Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo,
asked his permission to feel his pulse. He was amazed to
find it normal, showing that Jose Rizal was not afraid to
die.
 • The death ruffles of the drums filled the air. Above
the drum beats, the sharp command “Fire” was heard,
and the guns of the firing squad barked. Rizal, with
supreme effort, turned his bullet-riddled body to the
right, and fell on the ground dead – with face upward
facing the morning sun. It was exactly 7:03 in the
morning – aged 35 years, 5 months and 11 days.