2nd Semester, A.

Y 2023-2024
Life, Works, and Writings of Jose P. Rizal
Final Period
Module 13
Last Trip Abroad of Rizal and his Martyrdom

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Lesson Objectives:
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
 Discuss how Rizal’s death became the crowning glory of his leadership.
 Expound how Rizal awakened national consciousness among Filipinos.
 Evaluate how Rizal’s efforts in nation building influenced Philippine Revolution.
 Examine Rizal’s advocacy on peaceful revolution.
 Discuss Rizal’s execution in Bagumbayan.

Discussion
Last Trip Abroad

Rizal left Dapitan on July 31, 1896 on board the steamer España. From the steamer that ferried him from Dapitan, he was
transferred to the cruiser Castilla, where he stayed for almost a month, pending the vailability of a vessel bound for Spain.
On September 3, 1896, Rizal sailed to Spain for Cuba. While on travel, the captain of the ship notified him that he was
under arrest for being the guiding force of the Philippine Revolution that broke out in August 1896. By October 3, 1896,
Rizal reached Barcelona heavily guarded and was detained as a prisoner at the steamer Isla de Panay; he was transferred
to the SS Colon bound for Manila. On November 3, 1896, Rizal arrived in Manila under heavy guard. He was brought to Fort
Santiago pending the prosecution of his case and was held incommunicated in his detention cell.

Trial of Rizal
Rizal was accused of the complex crime of rebellion as he was the principal organizer and the living soul of the insurrection,
the founder of societies, periodicals, and books dedicated to the formenting and propagating the ideas of rebellion (Palma,
1949). He pleaded not guilty to the crime charged against him and his case was tried in the jurisdiction of a military tribunal.
The evidences of his guilt had been gathered by Captain Francisco de Olive. On November 20, 1896, Colonel Rafael
Dominguez, a special judge, conducted the preliminary investigation. Rizal was interrogated without the presence of a
counsel. He was not allowed to meet the witnesses face to face. He was questioned, among other things, on his
participation in various political activities, about his membership in Masonic lodges, concerning his appointment as honorary
president of the Katipunan, about Pio Valenzuela’s meeting with him at Dapitan, and concerning the testimonies of arrested
Katipunero’s implicating him.

At the trial, Lieutenant Enrique de Alcocer presented a detailed presentation of Rizal’s case, which culminated in his call on
the members of the military tribunal to render a decision by imposing death penalty on the accused. Alcocer’s argument
rested on Rizal’s admission of the founding of La Liga, which to his mind had something to do with Bonifacio’s revolution.
He showed that Rizal’s writings were designed to incite anti-friar, anti-Spanish, and separatist sentiments. Alcocer exposed
Rizal as the “soul of the rebellion”.
Luis Taviel de Andrade cited the technicality of the law for Rizal’s defense that his clients guilt had not been proven through
any of the following means: Ocular inspection, confession of the accused, credible witnesses, expert opinion, official
documents or conclusive evidences (Guerrero, 1998).
As none of these existed, Rizal was not guilty of the crime charged against him. As to the charge of founding illegal
associations, Andrade argued that the Constitution of the La Liga Filipina did not specify any illegal objectives. Furthermore,
Andrade said, the Liga was short-lived because Rizal was deported to Dapitan before it could be fully organized and if it was
revived, it was done without Rizal’s knowledge.
After Andrade’s brilliant defense, Rizal was asked by the judge advocate whether he had something to add to what his
cpunsel and presented. Rizal stood up and presented his own brief (Zulueta, 2004; Guerrero, 1998).
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 any 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?
5. I was not the founder of La Solidaridad and the Association Hispano-Filipino.
6. I had nothing to do with the introduction of massory in the Philippines.
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 totally very unaware of it.
9. It was true that I wrote the statutes if La Liga. The La Liga, however, is a civic association whose pruposes are unity
and development of commerce and industry.
10. While it was true that there were bitter statements in my letters, it was because they were written when my family
was being persecuted, being dispossessed of their houses and lands; and my brother and brother-in-law were
rusticated without due process of law.
11. It was not true that the revolution was inspired in one of my speeches. My friends knew very well about my
vehement opposition to an armed rebellion.
12. 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.
13. 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.

On the same day, the verdict of the military court, signed by Jose Togores, was submitted to Governor-general Polaveja.
Rizal was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt and therefore should be condemned to death by firing squad at the place
and time to be chosen by the Governor-general Polaveja approved Judge Advocate general Nicolas dela Pena’s
recommendations on December 30 at 7:00 in the morning at Bagumbayan Field.

Execution At Bagumbayan
Rizal was convicted of rebellion and was sentenced to death through musketry. The verdict of death sentence was read to
Rizal on December 29, 1896 (Romero, et al., 1978). At the outset, Rizal refused to sign it owing to his innocence and
objective to his being labeled as a Chinese mestizo. Later, realizing that the law required it, he affixed his signature on the
notification of the court’s decision.
On December 30, 1896, Josephine Bracken arrived at 5:30 in the morning accompanied by Josefa. Rizal embraced her and
gave his last gift; the book of Thomas kemphis entitled Imitation of Christ. The death march began at exactly 6:30 in the
morning. Rizal sported a black suit and vest with a black hat as he came out of his cell. Rizal walked to the place of
execution between father Villaclara and Father March.
At the execution square, the military physician, Dr. Felipe Ruiz y Castillo, felt his pulse and found it normal. Rizal requested
the commander of the cavalry that he be shot facing his executioners considering that he was not a traitor. The request,
however, was denied as the Spanish officer had a standing order from higher authorities that Rizal should be shot at the
back.
Rizal’s execution became the vehicle to awaken the national consciousness of the Filipinos. It sparked the fire of the
Philippine revolution against the Spanish colonizers, which elevated him as the national hero of the country.

Rizal’s Retraction Issue

Did Rizal really retract? Did he show weakness in the face of death? What really happened at the last days of Rizal’s Life?
One of the most controversial points on Rizal’s was his alleged retraction where he renounced masonry and his religious
beliefs that were anti-catholic. Some are arguing that Rizal retracted his Masonic views and embraced his Catholic faith
before he died.
The Roman Catholic is the greatest exponent of the view that Rizal died a Catholic and retracted his Masonic views. Father
Cavanna (1956) presented the following evidences to prove the veracity of its claim:
1. 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.
2. The testimony of the press at the time of the event, of eyewitnesses, like the head of the Jesuit order, attested that
Rizal’s retracted and signed a retraction document.
3. Rizal performed acts of piety during his last hours, as testified by the witnesses.
4. The Church through the Jesuits, solemnized Rizal’s marriage to Josephine Bracjen, as attested by witnesses. The
Catholic Church will not officiate a marriage ceremony without Rizal’s retraction of his religious errors.

While Cavanna and other pro-retraction scholars presented to the following evidences to support their cliam the Rizal did
not retract (Hessel, 1965)
1. The retraction document is a forgery. As pointed out by pascual (1950), the handwriting in the document is
questionable, as only one man prepared it. The point stressed by Pascual was corroborated by the confession
 made by the forger to Antonio Abad on August 13, 1901, employed by the friars earlier that same year to make
several copies of the retractions document (Runes and Buenafe, 1962).
2. The other acts and facts do not fit well with the story of retraction. Some of these are the following.
a. The retraction document was not made public until 1935. Even members of Rizal’s family did not see it.
b. No effort was made to save rizal from death penalty after saying his retraction.
c. Rizal’s buried was kept secret. He was buried outside the inner wall of Paco cemetery.
d. The record of his burial was not placed on the page of entries of December 30 th but on a special page, where at
least one other admitted non-penitent is recorded.
e. There is no marriage certificate or public record of Rizal’s marriage with Josephine Bracken.
f. Rizal’s behavior did not point to a conversation during his last 24 hours. His Ultimo Adios and the letters he
wrote during his remaining hours do not indicate conversion.
3. The retraction is out of character. It is not in keeping with Rizal’s character and faith. It is incongruent with his
previous assertions and declarations of religious thoughts.

While historians, biographers and students of Rizal’s life, works and writings are divided on the issue of his retraction, it
cannot be denied that this issue neither adds nor diminishes his greatness as a Filipino. His contribution to nation-building
makes the people revere him. In the words of Hessel (1995): “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.

Rizal Remains
What happened to his remains after he was shot in Bagumbayan field on December 30, 1896? Hereunder is what
happened according to Rizal’s biographer Jose Baron Fernandez:
The body of Rizal was buried in the old and unused Paco cemetery. In his grave, they placed a plaque with the initials of his
brother in reverse, R.P.J., which means Rizal, Protacio Jose. There were no funeral ceremonies for Rizal.
A few days after the Americans took Manila in August 1898, Rizal’s sister, Narcisa,asked permission of the new authorities
to exhume the remains of Rizal. Permission was granted. When the body was exhumed, it was discovered that Rizal’s body
had not even been palced in a coffin. The remains were placed in appropriate condition and reinterred in the proper manner
at the Paco cemetery. Then the sepulcher was well-tended.
In 1911, the remains of Rizal were transferred from the Paco cemetery to the base of the monument which had earlier been
erected at the Luneta (now Rizal Park).

Mi Ultimo Adios
Jose Rizal, before his execution by firing squad ar Rizal or Luneta Park (formerly Bagumbayan), wrote his last poem Mi
Ultimo Adios (My Last farewell). Interestingly enough, his original writing was said to have no title; the title Mi Ultimo Adios
was given by Mariano Ponce.
The peom was Rizal’s farewell to his native land. It is an epic poem expressive of idealism, morality and spirituality. In this
peom, Rizal presented a character of a dutiful son, an understanding brther, an ardent lover, and a faithful friend. He also
demonstrated his willingness, as a patriot, to offer his life for the love of a country.

Activity # 13
Journal Writing
Write a journal entry summarizing what you learned from the lesson. Include in your journal your answer on the following
questions. (20 points)
a. How did Rizal defend himself when he was given the opportunity by the military tribunal to do so?
b. What values did Rizal manifest during the trial?
The journal entry should be nearly encoded and should have a cover. Take a picture of your journal and send to our google
classroom.

Assessment # 13
Essay Type
Make a persuasive essay to prove that Rizal’s trial is a clear case of mistrial. Include convincing arguments to support your
claim.
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Collage Making
Each of you is tasked to prepare a collage on the impact of Rizal’s execution in awakening Filipino national consciousness.
Use materials from old magazines or any internet based. The use of scissors is NOT ALLOWED in this activity. Explain in
not more than 100 owrds the message of your collage. Your output should be presented via a video and send to our Group
chat. Your output shall be evaluated based on the following criteria: quality of information, layout, knowledge gained,
graphics originality, and use of class time.
Prepared by: Checked and Noted by: Approved by:

JOMAR R. FABROS, MPA, AGR., HGE Raymond N. Claro, Ph. D. EVELYN A. TOMBOC, DBA
Instructor-CTE Dean CTE University President