The Trial and

Martyrdom of
Rizal
Tottoc, Angel Arne
Tugguin, Sherie Anne
Valdez, Ednaly Jane
Varas, Angeline
Velasco, Kimberly Faith
Overview
 Investigation
 The Trial of Rizal
 Last Remaining Hours
 Execution
 Retraction
The Preliminary Investigation
(November 20, 1896)
 Rizal appeared to Colonel Francisco Olive
 He was informed of charges against him, he answered the
questions asked by Judge Advocate, Colonel Francisco
Olive, but he was not permitted to confront those who
testified against him.
 There were two kinds of evidences presented:
Documentary and Testimonial
Documentary Evidences

1. A letter from Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce dated Oct. 16,

1888, Madrid.
2. A letter of Rizal to his family dated Aug. 20, 1890, Madrid.
3. A letter from M.H. Del Pilar to Deodato Arellano dated Jan
7, 1889, Madrid
4. A poem entitled “Kundiman” allegedly written by Rizal.
Documentary Evidences

5. A letter of Carlos Oliver to an unidentified person, Sept. 18,

1891.
6. A Masonic document dated Feb. 9, 1892.
7. A letter signed “Dimasalang” to Ten Luz (Juan Zulueta)
dated May 24, 1892, HongKong
8. A letter signed Dimasalang to unidentified committee dated
June 1, 1892, Hong Kong.
Documentary Evidences

9. An anonymous and undated letter to the Editor of the Hong Kong

Telegraph.

10.A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Sept. 3, 1892.

11.A letter of Rizal Segundo, dated Sept. 17, 1893.

12.A letter to M.H. Del Pilar to Juan A. Tenluz

Documentary Evidences

13.A transcript of the speech of Pinkian (Emilio Jacinto) in a meeting of

the Katipunan on July 23, 1893.

14.Transcript of a speech Tik-Tol (Jose Turiano Santiago) during the

same Katipunan meeting.

15.A poem by Laon Laan (Rizal) entitled A Talisay.

Testimonial Evidence
1. M
2. A
3. Jo
4. M
5. Jo
6. P
7. A
 The report of Appointed by The summary
Conducted Blanco as a
Colonel of charges
the Special Judge
Olive was Advocate to
against Rizal
preliminary was endorsed
transmitted evaluate the
investigation
Colonel Francisco Olive to him.
to him. Captain Rafael Dominguez
case

Governor-General Ramon Blanco Nicolas dela Peña

Peña’s Recommendations:
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.
Rizal’s Defender
Lt. Luis Taviel de
Andrade
 1st Lieutenant of the
Artillery, brother of Jose
Taviel de Andrade, the
bodyguard of Rizal.
 Rizal’s Arraignment
• Rizal was charged with the crime of rebellion, and the formation
of illegal associations
• Rizal replied that:
o He does not question the jurisdiction of the court
o He has nothing to amend except that during his exile in Dapitan in
1892, he had not dealt in political matters;
o He has nothing to admit on the charges against him
o He had nothing to admit on the declarations of the witnesses, he had
not met nor knew, against him.
While in Detention…

Rizal released a
manifesto that he
denounces the
revolution and
condemned Katipunan
for using his name
without his permission.
The Trial of Rizal
• December 26, 1896
• Hall of Banners of the Cuartel de España
• There are seven members of the Military Court:
 Col. Jose Togores –
 president
Ricardo Muñoz Arias
 Manuel Reguera
 Santiago Izquierdo
 Brauilio Rodriguez
 Manuel Escribano
 Fermin Rodriguez
Detailed presentation of Rizal's case
by Alcocer
● He culminated in his call on the members of the
military tribunal to render a decision by imposing
death penalty
● Alcocer’s argument rested on Rizal's admission of
the founding of La Liga Filipina
● “In a crime founded on rousing the passions of the
people against governmental powers, the main
burden of guilt is on the man who awakens
dormant feelings and raises false hopes for the
 Taviel de
Andrade's defense

Based on the rule of evidence and

the law applying the Penal Code
of Spain in the Philippines.
Defense of Rizal
1. I am not guilty of rebellion as I even advised Dr. Pio Valenzuela in Dapitan
not to rise in revolution.
2. The revolutionists used by name without my knowledge. If I were guilty, I
could have escaped from Singapore.
3. If I had a hand in the Katipunan revolution, I could have escaped Dapitan and
should have not built a house there.
4. If I were the chief of the revolution, why did they not consult me on their
plans?
Defense of Rizal
5. I was not the founder of La Solidaridad and the Associacion Hispano-
Filipino.
6. I had nothing to do with the introduction of masonry in the Philippines.
Francisco Laktaw Serrano, founder of the Lodge Nilad, had a higher
degree than I had. If I were the head, since when does an officer permit
himself to be promoted to a captain general?
7. The La Liga did not live long. It died a natural death after my banishment
to Dapitan.
8. If the La Liga was re-organized nine months later, I was totally unaware of
Defense of Rizal
9. It was true that I wrote the statutes of the La Liga. The La Liga, however, is a
civic association whose purposes are unity and development of commerce
and industry
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.It was not true that the revolution was inspired in one of my speeches at the
house of Doroteo Ongjungco, as alleged by the witnesses whom I would like
to confront. My friends knew very well about my vehement opposition to an
Defense of Rizal
13.Why did the Katipunan send an emissary to me in Dapitan, who was a total
stranger to me? Because those who knew me were cognizant that I would
never sanction any violent movement.
14.My life in Dapitan had been exemplary, as evidenced by my productive
activities for the welfare of the people. Even the politico-military commanders
and missionary priests could attest to this.
 Governor-General
Camilo de Polavieja

December 28, 1896 .He approved the

decision of the court-martial and ordered
Rizal to be shot at 7:00 o’clock in the
morning of December 30 at
Bagumbayan Field .
The decree:
Manila, December 28, 1896
Conformably to the foregoing opinion, I approve the
sentence dictated by the Court Martial in the present case, by
virtue of which the death penalty is imposed on accused Jose
Rizal Mercado, which shall be executed by shooting him at
7:00 o’clock in the morning of the 30th of this month in the
field of Bagumbayan.
For compliance and the rest that may correspond, let this
be returned to the Judge Advocate, Captain Don Rafael
Dominguez.
Rizal's Trial and His Alleged Guilt
It was a deliberate effort to condemn Rizal to death for the following
reasons:
1. Rizal was a civilian but was tried by a military tribunal;
2. Rizal was already condemned guilty even before the trial;
3. All allegations against Rizal were accepted by the court but not the arguments and
evidence in his favor;
4. Rizal was not allowed to confront witnesses against him nor his counsel to cross-
examine them;
5. Evidences to convict Rizal did not have any bearing on his alleged commission of the
complex crime of rebellion; and
6. In military tribunals, the accused is almost certain to be found guilty
 The Last Remaining Hours on
Earth December 29,
1896

6am

7am

7:15am
 The Last Remaining Hours on
Earth December 29,
1896

9am

10am

11am-
3pm
The Last Remaining Hours on
Earth December 29,
1896

4pm
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.
Rizal’s gift to his
family
 Narcisa- wicker chair
 Angelica- handkerchief
 Mauricio, nephew-Belt,
watch, and chain
 Trinidad- alcohol burner
 The Last Remaining Hours on
Earth December 29,
1896
6pm

8pm

9:30pm

10pm
 Mi Ultimo Adios
 It is a poem of farewell.
 It is an appeal to the Filipinos, not forget
him.
 It is Rizal's last will and testament.
 It is Rizal's autobiography.
Analysis of the poem
 The whole poem depicts Rizal, the supreme patriot.
 Rizal bid his parents, goodbye showing that he was dying young.
 He expressed his grief leaving his parents, brother, and sisters,
whom he considered his childhood friends in the lost paradise.
 He bid farewell to Josephine-his dulce extranjera, a friend, a wife
and a source of delight.
 The last stanza of the poem articulates Rizal's inspiring faith.
The Death March and Execution of Rizal
December 30,
1896

3pm
Rizal heard Mass, confessed his sins and
took Holy Communion.
5:30pm
He took his last breakfast. After which he
wrote his last letters for his family and his
brother, Paciano.
 Letter to his family
To My Family,
I ask you forgiveness for the pain cause you, but someday I shall have to die
and it is better that I die now in the plenitude bf my conscience
Dear Parents, brother, and sisters, give thanks to God that I may preserve my
tranquility before my death. I die resigned, hoping that my death you will be left in
peace. Ah! It is better to die than to live suffering Console yourselves.
I enjoin you to forgive one another the little meanness of life and try to live
united in peace and good harmony Treat your old parents, as you would like to be
treated by your children later Love them very much in my memory:
Bury me in the ground. Place a stone and a cross over if-my name, the date of
my birth, and of my death. Nothing more. if later you wish to surround my grave
with fence, you can do so No anniversaries I prefer Paang Bundok
Have pity on poor Josephine.
 Letter to Paciano
My Dear Brother
It has been four and a half years that we have not seen each other or have
addressed one another in writing or orally. 1 do not believe this is due to lack of
affection either on my part or yours, but because knowing each other so well, we had no
need of words to understand each other
Now I am going to die, it is to you I dedicate my last words to tell you how much I
regret to leave you alone in bearing all the weight
I think of how you have worked to enable me to have a career. I believe that I have
tried not to waste my time. My brother: f the fruit has been bitter, it is not my fault, it is
the fault of circumstances. I know that you have suffered much because of me. I am
sorry.
I assure you, brother, that I die innocent of this crime of rebellion. If my former
writings had been able to contribute towards it, I should not demy absolutely, but then I
believe I expiated my past with my exile.
Tell our father that I remember him, but how? I remember my whole childhood,
his tenderness and his love Ask him to forgive me for the pain I cause him unwillingly.
The Death March and Execution of Rizal
December 30,
1896

5:30pm
Josephine Bracken arrived together with Rizal’s siters,
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, “Imatition of Christ”
6pm
by Father Thomas Kempis.
As the soldiers were getting ready for the death march to
Bagumbayan, Rizal wrote his last letter to his beloved
parents.
 Letter to his father
My Beloved Father.
Pardon me for the pain I repay you for sorrows and
sacrifices for my education. I did not want or prefer I
Goodbye. father, goodbye.
The Death March and Execution of Rizal
6:30 am: a trumpet sounded at Fort Santiago to signal
the death march to Bagumbayan.

Rizal 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.
Rizal walked calmly with his defense counsel and two Jesuit priest
at his sides.
The Death March and Execution of Rizal
The Death March and Execution of Rizal
Rizal bid goodbye to Lieutenant Luis Taviel de Andrade, the two priests
who accompanied him in the march and finally, to Josephine.
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.
He requested the commander of firing squad that he be shot facing them.
His request was denied for the captain had implicit orders to shoot him at
his back.
The Death March and Execution of Rizal

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, 5 months and 11 days. Rizal had
been executed.
The Death March and Execution of Rizal
Rizal’s Retraction
One of the controversial issues
about Rizal was on the question
of whether he died a Catholic or
a Mason.
This was all about his rejection
of Masonry and withdrawal of all
his writings against the Catholic
Church.
Evidences used by the Church
1.The Retraction document is the chief witness to the reality
of the retraction itself, since its discovery in 1935. The
burden of proof rests with those who question the retraction.
2.Rizal recited and signed the prayer book entitled Acts of
Faith, Hope and Charity This book was offered to Rizal after
his signing of the retraction document according to Father
Balaguer.
Part of what Rizal signed states:
I believe in God the Father, believe in God the Son, the Holy Ghost,
Three Distinct Persons, and only one true God… I believe that the Roman
Pontiff Vicar of Jesus Christ, Visible head of the Church, is the Pastor and
Teacher of all Christians; that He is infallible when He teaches doctrines
of faith and morals to be observed by the Universal Church and his
definitions are in themselves binding and immutable; and I believe all that
the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church believes and teaches,
since God who can neither deceived nor be deceived, has so revealed it;
and in this faith I wish to live and die.
 Evidences used by the Church
1. The testimony of the press at the time of the event, of eyewitnesses,
especially those who were closely associated with events, like the
head of the Jesuit order, attested that Rizal did retract and sign a
retraction document.
2. Rizal performed acts of piety during his last hours, as testified by the
witnesses.
3. The Church, through the Jesuits, solemnized Rizal's marriage to
Josephine Bracken, as attested by witnesses. The Catholic Church
will not officiate a marriage ceremony without Rizal's retraction of
Claims against Rizal’s Retraction

1. The retraction document is a forgery.

2. The other acts and facts do not fit well with the story of
retraction.
3. The retraction is out of character. It is not in keeping with
Rizal's character and faith.
Catholic or Mason, Rizal is still
Rizal; the hero who courted death to
prove those who deny our patriotism
that we know how to die for our
duty and our beliefs.
THANK