Rizals homecoming in 1896, the last in his life, was his
saddest return to his beloved native land. He knew he
was facing the supreme test, which might mean the
sacrifice of his life, but he was unafraid.
The trial that was held shortly after Rizals homecoming
was one of historys mockeries of justice
A Martyrs Last Homecoming
October 6,1896 Tuesday, Rizal leaved Barcelona, Rizal
conscientiously recorded the events on his diary.
October 8,1896 a friendly officer told Rizal that the Madrid
newspaper were full of stories about the bloody revolution in the
Philippines and were blaming him for it.
October 11,1896 before reaching Port Said, Rizals diary was
taken away and was critically scrutinized by authorities
November 2,1896 the diary was returned to Rizal
Attorney Hugh Fort-an English lawyer in Singapore
Chief Justice Loinel Cox - denied the writ on the ground that the
Colon was carrying Spanish troops to the Philippine
November 3,1896 - the Colon reached Manila, where it was greeted
with wild rejoicings by the Spaniards and friars because it brought
more reinforcements and military supplies
November 20,1896 - the preliminary investigation on Rizal began
Colonel Francisco Olive - the judge advocate
Documentary evidence
A letter of Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce, dated Madrid, October 16, 1888, showing Rizals
connection with the Filipino reform campaign in Spain
A letter of Rizal to his family, dated Madrid, August 20, 1890, stating that the deportations are
good for they will encourage the people to hate tyranny
A letter from Marcelo H. del Pilar to Deodato Arellano, dated Madrid, January 7, 1889,
implicating Rizal in the Propaganda campaign in Spain
A poem entitled Kundiman, allegedly written by Rizal in Manila on September 12, 1891
A letter of Carlos Oliver to an unidentified person dated Barcelona, September 18, 1891,
describing Rizal as the man to free the Philippines from Spanish oppression
A Masonic document, dated Manila, February 9, 1892, honoring Rizal for his patriotic services
A letter signed Dimasalang (Rizals pseudonym) to Tenluz (Juan Zuluetas pseudonym), dated
Hong Kong, May 24,1892, stating that he was preparing a safe refuge for Filipinos who may be
persecuted by the Spanish authorities
A letter of Dimasalang to an unidentified committee, dated Hong Kong, June 1, 1892, soliciting
the aid of the committee in the patriotic work
An anonymous and undated letter to the Editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph, censuring the
banishment of Rizal to Dapitan
A letter of Idefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Manila, September 3, 1892, saying that the Filipino
people look up to him (Rizal) as their savior
A letter of Idefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Manila, September 17, 1893, informing an unidentified
correspondent of the arrest and banishment of Doroteo Cortes and Ambrosio Salvador
Transcript of a speech of Pingkian (Emilio Jacinto), in reunion of the Katipunan on July 23, 1893,
in which the following cry was, uttered Long Live the Philippines! Long live Doctor Rizal! Unity!
Transcript of a speech of Tik-Tik (Jose Turiano Santiago) in the same Katipunan reunion, where in
the katipuneros shouted: Long live the eminent Doctor Rizal! Death to the oppressor nation!
A poem by Laong Laan (Rizal), entitled A Talisay in which the author makes the Dapitan
schoolboys sing that they know how to fight their rights
Testimonial Evidence
Martin Constantino
Aguedo del Rosario, Ambrosio Salvador,
Jose Reyes Pedro Serrano Laktaw
Moises Salvador Dr. Pio Valenzuela
Jose Dizon Antonio Salazar
Domingo Franco Francisco Quison
Deodato Arellano Timoteo Paez
November 26, 1896- after the preliminary investigation, Colonel Olive transmitted the records of
the case to Governor Dominguez as special Judge Advocate to institute the corresponding
action against Rizal
December 8, 1896- Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, a list of 100 first and second
lieutenants in the Spanish Army was presented to Rizal
Don Luis Taviel de Andrade- 1st Lieutenant of the Artillery, chosen by Rizal to defend him
-brother of Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade, Rizals bodyguard in
Calamba in 1887
December 11, 1896- the information of charges was formally read to Rizal in his prison cell, with
his counsel present
December 13, 1896- Dominguez forwarded the papers of the Rizal case to Malacanang Palace
December 15, 1896 - Rizal wrote the Manifesto to His People in his prison cell at Fort Santiago,
appealing to them to stop the necessary shedding of blood and to achieve their liberties by
means of education and industry
December 25, 1896 - a dark and cheerless Christmas for Rizal, his last on earth, was the saddest
in Rizals life
December 26, 1896 - at 8:00am, the court-martial of Rizal started in the military building called
Cuartel de Espana
Lt. Col. Togores Arjona - considered the trial over and ordered the hall cleared. After a short
deliberation, the military court unanimously voted for the sentence of death
December 28, 1896 - Polavieja approved the decision of the court-martial and ordered Rizal to
be shot at 7:00 in the morning of December 30 at Bagumbayan Field (Luneta)
Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
Rizals last visitors on his last 24 hours:
Santiago Mataix
Pearl of the Orient Sea
Pearl of the Orient
Last Hours of Rizal
December 29,1896
6:00 am Captain Rafael Domingues took charge of all
7:00 am Rizal was moved to the prison chapel
7:15 am Rizal reminded Fr. Viza of the stattuete of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
8:00 am Fr. Antonio Rosell arrived
9:00 am Fr. Federico Faura arrived
10:00 am Fr. Jose Vilaclara and Vicente Balaguer visited
12:00 nn 3:30 pm Rizal was left alone in his cell
3:30 pm Fr. Balaguer returned
4:00 pm Rizals mother arrived
6:00 pm Rizal received a new visitor
8:00 pm Rizal had his last supper
9:30 pm Don Gaspar Cestao visited
10:00 pm Rizal rejected the retraction
December 30,1896
3:00 am Rizal heard mass, confessed his sins and took Holy Communion
5:30 am Rizal took his last breakfast
Josephine Bracken arrived
6:00 am Rizal wrote his last letter to his parents
About 6:30 am a trumpet sounded at Fort Santiago
Rizal was dressed elegantly
7:03 am Rizal died in the bloom of manhood
After Rizals execution the Spanish spectators shouted Viva Espaa! Muerte a los Traidores and
the Spanish Military Band, joining the jubilance over Rizals death, played the gay Marcha de Cadiz.
By Rizals writings, which awakened Filipino nationalism and paved the way for the Philippine
Revolution, he proved that
Views on Retraction Issue
Father Balaguer
According to the Jesuit Friars, after Jose Rizal signed the retraction
document, Rizal and Bracken were permitted to have a Catholic marriage,
hours before his execution
This Memorandum-record was personally written by Father Balaguer when he
accompanied Rizal in prison chapel; it was also recorded right I the prison
chapel from 11:30pm(29th of December) to the wee hours of the following
day
According to Father Balaguer, it was Rizal who personally drafted the letter
of retraction; the letter was also signed by Rizal
Views on Retraction Issue
Robert Medina Bernardo
If the Jesuit Congregation trusted the accuracy of Balaguers
memorandum-record, then why did they only release the docuent a few
years after the retraction issue was publicized?
If Father Balaguer was the officiating priest when the retraction took place,
why did the Jesuit priests and the Archbishop did not support his name on the
day when the controversy emerged?
Bernardo stated that the greatest evidence that Rizal did not retract was the
composition of Mi Ultimo Adios
Views on the Retraction Issue
Ambeth Ocampo
It is inevitable for the Filipinos to defend or deliver a person from public
scrutiny who has been regarded as the greatest Filipino who ever lived.
The study of history is prone to a large number of discrepancies and
inconsistencies; these gaps are ready to be filled in by historians imagination
and biases.
Historians Views on the Retraction
Issue
Gregorio Zaided
The retraction controversy should not be given much emphasis because of
Rizals greatness
Whether her retracted or not, the fact remains that he was the Greatest
Filipino Hero. This applied to the controversy as to whether Rizal married
Josephine Bracken before his execution or not.