RIZAL'S LIFE: EXILE,

TRIAL & DEATH

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be
able to:

1. Analyze the factors that led to Rizal's execution.

2. Analyze the effects of Rizal's execution on Spanish
colonial rule and the Philippine Revolution.
 RIZAL'S LIFE: EXILE, TRIAL
& DEATH

As soon as Rizal arrived in Manila on June 26,

1892, he was welcomed by Apolinario Mabini,
Andres Bonifacio, Ambrosio Salvador, Pedro
Serrano Laktaw, Deodato Arellano and other
patriots, who althogether founded La Liga
Filipina (The Filipino League).
• They discuss the plan for La Liga
Filipina which was held in a house on
Calle Ylaya.

• That time, Rizal was able to talk to

Governor General Despujol on July 1892,
saying his gratitude for lifting the order of
exile for his sisters.
Dapitan is a remote town in Mindanao, which
served as an outpost of the Spaniards in the
Philippines. Dapitan became the only witness to
Rizal's fate since July 1896. During his exile, Rizal
became close with Captain Ricardo Carnicero for
allowing him to roam the place on the condition
that Rizal will relay his activities in his office once a
week.
IN DAPITAN:
• Rizal continue his medicine.
• Research
• Sculpture, painting, sketching and poetry writing
• Put up a school for boys and introduced projects for
the following community
• Wrote a poem entitled, "A Don Ricardo Carnicero", on
August 26, 1892 , a gift to Captain Carnicero
• Helped the people of Dapitan with their livelihood (he
did farming and business and even invented a
wooden equipment in making bricks)
On September 21, 1892, Rizal together with
Carnicero and other Spaniard, won a lottery
ticket. P6,200 was given to him as his share.
• Buy land in Talisay
• Built a House
• A Clinic
• A School within the area
Rizal sent letters to Bluementritt, narrating his daily
activities in Dapitan:

1.He wrote poems.

2.Performed operation on his mother's eyes.
3.Studied on medicinal plants of Dapitan to be
prescribed to his patients.
That time, Rizal had been known to be one of
the best opthalmologist. Upon hearing this,
George Tauffer who had an eye ailment,
together with his adopted daughter, Josephine
Bracken, traveled from Hongkong to Dapitan.
Rizal developed an attraction to Josephine
and soon, they became husband and wife
even if it was against Father Obach and
both relatives.
Another project of Rizal in Dapitan was the
creation of a big map of Mindanao at the
plaza to be used for geography class. He
explained the position of Dapitan to the town
people in relation to other places in Mindanao.
With the help of Rizal's students, he invented
a water system that gave the town people for
their drinking and irrigation. He also helped the
people in putting-up lamp posts in every
corner of the town.
When revolution commenced in Manila in
1897, Dr. Pio Valenzuela together with
Raymundo Mata, a blind man, visited Rizal in
Dapitan to narrate to him the founding of
Katipunan and its plan for revolution.
Rizal sent letters to Governor General
Ramon Balnco from 1894 to 1895. He
wanted his case to be reviewed so Bluementritt
proposed that Rizal may offer his services as a
surgeon to the Spanish government in Cuba to
end his exile. That time, Cuba was also a colony
of Spain and was raged by a yellow-fever
epidemic.
On July 30, 1896, Governor General Ramon
Blanco granted Rizal's request to go to Cuba.
Rizal left Manila, embarked the streamer
España and on September 3, 1896 he
went to Barcelona boarded the streamer
Isla de Panay.
When Rizal arrived at the port, Governor
General Despujol told Rizal that there was a
command to return him back to Manila. Rizal
was arrested while on his trip at the
Mediterranean Sea. He was put up into prison
in Barcelona, Spain and was brought back to
the Philippines.
Safety guarded while on the way from
Barcelona to Manila, Rizal reached the
capital on November 3, 1896 and was
soon brought to be imprisoned at Fort
Santiago.
 TRIAL AND DEATH OF RIZAL

On November 20, 1896, the assigned Judge

to summon Rizal was Colonel Francisco
Olive, an Advocate of the Spanish military
tribunal. The preliminary investigation began,
and a five-day investigation was conducted.
Rizal was blamed for being the leader of the
revolution by increasing the people's ideas about
rebellion and making illegal organization.

As expected, Rizal was not given the chance to

interrogate his witnesses. He is only allowed to
choose his lawyer from a list of young Spanish
officers who were not into law.
Rizal chose Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, who was
the bodyguard of him when he first came home.
There were two kinds of evidences presented to
him during the investigation: documentary and
testimonial.
There were 15 documents against Rizal
and 10 witnesses for testimonial. All
effort were made by Lt. Taviel de Andrade to
defend Rizal of his innocence but as obvious
as it may have seemed, Rizal was still
found guilty.
Note that Rizal cited 12 points to prove his
innocence:

1.Rizal was against rebellion as testified by Pio

Valenzuela.
2.No letter consisting of revolutionary elements
was addressed to the Katipunan was written
3.Without his consent, the Katipunan used his
name as one of the passwords.
4. If he was guilty, he could have left the country
while in exile, he would not have built a home,
and would not have bought a parcel of land to
put up a hospital in Dapitan.
5. The revolutionists could have consulted him if
he
was the leader.
6. He did not deny that he wrote the by-laws of
the Liga Filipina, but to make things clear, it is
a
different organization from Katipunan. The
former being a civic association and the latter
being a revolutionary society.
7. After the first meeting of the Liga, the
association banished because of his exile in
Dapitan and it did not last long.
8. He had no idea, that the Liga was reorganized
nine months after.
9. If the Liga had a revolutionary purpose, then
Katipunan should not have been founded.
10. If the Spanish authorities found his letters
offending, it was because in 1890, his family
has
been persecuted.
11. He lived a good life in Dapitan-- the politici military
comander and missionary priest in the province
could attest to it.
12. The witness said that if the speech delivered at
Doroteo Ongjunco's house had inspired the
revolution, he should be given a chance to confront
these persons. If he was in the revolution, the
Katipunan should not have sent an unfamiliar
emissary to him in Dapitan. For this, his friends knew
that he never promoted violence.
 RIZAL'S REMAINING DAYS AND
THE LAST FAREWELL

When Rizal heard the court decision, he knew

that there will be no chance of changing his
fate. At six o'clock in the morning of
December 29, 1896, Captain Rafael
Dominguez, read him the official notice of his
execution.
Rizal spent his last hours by going to the prison
chapel. His mother and sisters visited him on
the same day. He then gave them his
remaining possessions, reached out for the gas
lamp and gave it to his sister, Trinidad and
carefully whispered, "There is something
inside."
Then Trinidad and his sister Maria got a copy of
Rizal's last poem from the lamp. Unfortunately, it
was said that on his last days that Rizal was not
allowed to embrace his mother.

He took time to write his letter to his best friend

Bluementritt. The last poem he composed was
the longest he ever written, it was entitled "
Mi Ultimo Adios" or My Last Farewell.
 MY LAST FAREWELL

Farewell, my adored Land, region of the sun

caressed,
Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost,
With gladness I give you my Life, sad and repressed;
And were it more brilliant, more fresh and at its
best,
I would still give it to you for your welfare at most.
On the fields of battle, in the fury of fight,
Others give you their lives without pain or
hesitancy,
The place does not matter: cypress laurel, lily
white,
Scaffold, open field, conflict or martyrdom's site,
It is the same if asked by home and Country.
I die as I see tints on the sky b'gin to show
And at last announce the day, after a gloomy night;
If you need a hue to dye your matutinal glow,
Pour my blood and at the right moment spread it so,
And gild it with a reflection of your nascent light!
My dreams, when scarcely a lad adolescent,
My dreams when already a youth, full of vigor to
attain,
Were to see you, gem of the sea of the Orient,
Your dark eyes dry, smooth brow held to a high plane
Without frown, without wrinkles and of shame without
stain.
My life's fancy, my ardent, passionate desire,
Hail! Cries out the soul to you, that will soon part from
thee;
Hail! How sweet 'tis to fall that fullness you may
acquire;
To die to give you life, 'neath your skies to expire,
And in your mystic land to sleep through eternity!
If over my tomb some day, you would see
blow,
A simple humble flow'r amidst thick grasses,
Bring it up to your lips and kiss my soul so,
And under the cold tomb, I may feel on my
brow,
Warmth of your breath, a whiff of your
tenderness.
Let the moon with soft, gentle light me descry,
Let the dawn send forth its fleeting, brilliant
light,
In murmurs grave allow the wind to sigh,
And should a bird descend on my cross and
alight,
Let the bird intone a song of peace o'er my
site.
Let the burning sun the raindrops vaporize
And with my clamor behind return pure to
the sky;
Let a friend shed tears over my early demise;
And on quiet afternoons when one prays for
me on high,
Pray too, oh, my Motherland, that in God
may rest I.
Pray thee for all the hapless who have died,
For all those who unequalled torments have
undergone;
For our poor mothers who in bitterness have
cried;
For orphans, widows and captives to tortures were
shied,
And pray too that you may see you own
redemption.
And when the dark night wraps the cemet'ry
And only the dead to vigil there are left
alone,
Don't disturb their repose, don't disturb the
mystery:
If you hear the sounds of cithern or psaltery,
It is I, dear Country, who, a song t'you
intone.
And when my grave by all is no more
remembered,
With neither cross nor stone to mark its place,
Let it be plowed by man, with spade let it be
scattered
And my ashes ere to nothingness are restored,
Let them turn to dust to cover your earthly
space.
Then it doesn't matter that you should forget
me:
Your atmosphere, your skies, your vales I'll
sweep;
Vibrant and clear note to your ears I shall be:
Aroma, light, hues, murmur, song, moanings
deep,
Constantly repeating the essence of the faith I
keep.
My idolized Country, for whom I most gravely
pine,
Dear Philippines, to my last goodbye, oh,
harken
There I leave all: my parents, loves of mine,
I'll go where there are no slaves, tyrants or
hangmen
Where faith does not kill and where God alone
does reign.
Farewell, parents, brothers, beloved by me,
Friends of my childhood, in the home
distressed;
Give thanks that now I rest from the wearisome
day;
Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, who
brightened my way;
Farewell, to all I love. To die is to rest.
Rizal had his last supper in the evening of
December 29,1896. At that time, he said to
Captain Dominguez that he has already forgiven
his enemies including those who wanted him
dead.

At three in the morning on the day of his

execution, he prayed and confessed his sins in
the chapel. At exactly 5:30 in the morning, he had
his last breakfast of three hard boiled eggs.
After breakfast, he signed some memorabilia
including religious pictures and books, some of
which he gave to his mother and sister, Trinidad.
To his wife Josephine, he gave the Imitacion de
Cristo as a gift.

He once again wrote a letter for his family,

sisters and brother said:
To my family,
I ask you for forgiveness for the pain I cause you, but
some day I shall have to die and it is better that I die
now in the plentitude of my conscience.
Dear parents and brothers: give thanks to God that I
may preserve my tranquility before my death. I die
resigned, hoping that with 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 it.
My name, the date of my birth and of my death. Nothing
more. If later you wish to surround my grave with a
fence, you can do it. No anniversaries. I prefer Paang
Bundok.
Have pity on poor Josephine.
My Dear brother, it has been four years a half that we have not
seen each other, addressed each other in writing or orally. I
don't think this is due to a lack of affection on my part or yoys
but, knowing each other so well, we has no need of words to
understand ech other.

I think of how you have worked to enable me to have a career. I

believe I have not tried to waste my time. Brother, if the fruit
has been bitter, it's not my fault, it is the fault of
circumstances. I know that you have suffered much because of
me, I am so sorry.
I assure you that I am innocent of this crime of rebellion. If
my former writings had contributed this, I should not deny
it but then I believe I have cleansed myself of this with my
exile.

Tell our father I remember him, and how much! I

remember my whole childhood, his tenderness, his love.
Ask him to forgive me for the pain I caused him unwillingly.

Signed Jose Rizal

Wearing a black suit, black pants, black bowier
hat and white shirt with his arms tied behind
his back, Rizal walked to Bagumbayan at
6:30 in the morning of December 30,
1896. He walked along with his defense lawyer,
Andrade, and two Jesuit priests, March and
Villaclara.
The sound of trumpet signaled the start of the death
march and the muffled sound of drums served as the
musical score of the walk.

Prior to his death, it was believe that Rizal has

managed to remain calm. Spectators said Rizal
acknowledged the familiar faces in the crowd by
nodding his head from left and right. Some people
even saw that Rizal smile from time to time.
At the time of his death, Rizal refused to kneel and
declined the traditional blindfold. Maintaining that he
was not a traitor to his country and to Spain, he even
requested to face the firing squad. The Commander
of the firing squad denied his request but after some
time, Rizal agreed to turn his back to the firing squad
but requested that he be shot not in the head- but in
the small of the back instead.
When the command had been given, the
executioners guns barked at once. Rizal yelled
Christ's two words, "Consummatum est!" ( It
is finished!) simultaneously with his final effort
to twist his bullet-pieced body halfway around.
REFLECTION: Do you think Rizal's dying
for the country was really worth it?
Prove your point.