THE FINAL JOURNEY

JOSE RIZAL’S TRIAL AND MATYRDOM AT BAGUMBAYAN

A week after the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, on September 2, 1896,
Jose Rizal left Manila for Spain. Going back to Governor General Ramon Blanco’s last
letter to Rizal, the former approved the latter’s request the he be sent to Cebu as
military doctor. As such, Rizal was to go to Spain first before going to Cuba. But even
before he reached his first destination, he was arrested by the Spanish authorities on
board, jailed in Barcelona and shipped back to manila and was jailed at Fort Santiago
for the last 3 months of his life.

RESCUE ATTEMPT BY THE KATIPUNAN

 Dr. Pio Valenzuela, informed the former of the secret organization’s
attempt to rescue him and to sneak him on a ship destined to Japan .
However, Rizal was not in favor of this plan as he had no plan of breaking
his promises to the Spanish authorities.
 For the second time, in August 1896, during Rizal’s stopover in Manila
Bay, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and other selected Katipuneros
disguised as sailor of the motor Caridad so that they can easily penetrate
the cruise Castilla, then harbored at Manila Bay. Rizal was on deck at that
time when he was approach by Jacinto who whispered that they were
Katipuneros and were there to rescue him. However, despite the
opportunity given to him, Rizal refused to be rescued.
On board Castilla, Rizal heard of the outbreak of the revolution and was not
surprised. However, his worry was that Spanish authorities might think that he incited
the said struggle. Two recommendation letters from Governor Blanco diverted Rizal’s
anguish-one for the Minister of War, General Marcelo de Azcarraga; and the second, for
the Minister of Colonies.
 September 2, 1896, Rizal aboard the steamer, Isla de Panay and left
Manila for Spain, not know that this will be his last travel abroad. The night
before his departure, he wrote a letter to Doña Teodora Alonzo telling her
that his task required strength and dedication, and if he died, at least he
had done something good for mankind.
 By the eve of September 7, 1896, the steamer reached Singapore and on
the 30th, while Isla Panay was on its voyage along the Mediterranean Sea,
a telegraphic message was received by Captain A, Alemany, the ship
skipper, ordering him to arrest and confined Jose Rizal in his cabin until
they arrive in Barcelona on 3rd of October.
 Early morning of October 6, Rizal was transferred to Montjuich Castle
where he was Visited by Eulogio Despujol who was then military
 Commander of Cataluña. By 8 o’clock in the evening, aboard the steamer
Colon, Rizal left Barcelona for Manila.
 November 3, 1896, Colon Arrived in Manila- Jose Rizal, under heavy
security, was brought immediately to Fort Santiago. During his stay ,
Spanish authorities were searching for evidence against him. In fact,
Filipinos who had been recognized at his side were brutally tortured to
implicate him. Some of them were as follows; Deodato Arellano, Dr. Pio
Valenzuela, Moises Salvador, Jose Dizon, Domingo Franco and Timoteo
Paez. Even his only brother, Paciano was arrested anf inflicted with pains
which the latter endured for his younger brother’s sake.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
 On November 20, 1896, the preliminary investigation on Rizal began.
During the five-day investigation, Rizal was informed of the charges
against him before Judge Advocate Colonel Francisco Olive.
 He was put under interrogation without the benefit of knowing who testified
against him. Presented before him were two kinds of evidences
documentary and testimonial.
 There were a total of fifteen exibits for the documentary evidence.
 Testimonial evidence, on other hand, were comprised of oral proofs
provided by Martin Constantino, Aguedo del Rosario, Jose Reyes, Moises
Salvador, Jose Dizon, Domingo Franco, Deodato Arellano, pio
Valenzuela, Antonio Salazar, Francisco Quizon, and Timoteo Paez.
These evidences were endorse by Colonel Olive to Governor Ramon Blanco who
designated Captain Rafael Dominguez as the judge Advocate assigned with the task of
deciding what corresponding action should be done. Dominguez, after a brief review,
transmitted the reords Don Nicolas de la Peña, the Judge Advocate General, for an
opinion. Peña’s recommendations were as follows.
 Rizal must be immediately sent to trial.
 He must be held in prison under necessary security.
 His properties must be issued with order of attachment, and as indemnity, Rizal
had to pay one million pesos.
 Instead of a civilian lawyer, only an array officer is allowed to defend Rizal.
Although given the “privilege” to choose his own defense counsel, this was limited to
a list of 100 names – both first and second lieutenants – that the Spanish authorities
provided him. Of the list, one familiar name stood out – Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade. Rizal
discovered that the said lieutenant was he brother of Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade who
worked as Rizal’s personal bodyguard in Calamba 1887.

CHARGES AGAINST RIZAL

 On the 11th of December 1896, in the presence of his Spanish counsel, charges
against Rizal were read. When asked regarding his sentiments and reaction on the
charges, Rizal replied that;
He does not question the jurisdiction of the count.
He had nothing to attend except that during his exile in Dapitan in 1892, he had
not dealt in political matters.
He had nothing to admit on the charges against him.
He had nothing to admit on the declarations of the witnesses, he had not met nor
knew, against him.
Two days after, Rizal’s case was endorsed to Blanco’s successor, Governor Camilo
de polavieja, who had the authority to command that the case be court martialed. On
December 15, inside his cell at Fort Santiago, Rizal wrote the controversial Manifesto
addressed to his countrymen – a letter denouncing, bloody struggle, and promoting
education and industry as the best means to acquire independence. However, Judge
Advocate General Nicolas de la peña requested Governor Polavieja that the publication
of the manifesto be prohibited, and so, the government did.

JOSE RIZAL TRIAL

Accutomed to share the merry season with family, friends and relatives, the 1896
Christmas was indeed, Rizal’s saddest Confined in a dark, gloomy cell, Rizal was in
despair and had no idea of what his fate may be. Under
this delusion, he wrote a letter to Lt. Taviel de Andrade
requesting the latter to visit him before his trial for there
was a very important matters they need to discuss.
Likewise, Rizal greeted the lieutenant a joyous
Christmas.
The next day, December 26, about 8 o’clock in
morning, the court martial of Rizal Commenced. The hearing
was actually a kind of moro moro – a planned trial wherein
Rizal, before hearing his verdict, had already been
prejudged. Unlike other accused, Rizal had not been allowed
to know the people who witnessed against him. The trial took
place at Cuartel de España, a military building, with a court
composed of seven military officers headed by Lt.
Col.Jose Togores Arjona. Present at the courtroom were
Jose Rizal, the six other officers in uniform (Capt. Ricardo Muños. Arias, Capt Manuel
Reguera, Capt Santiago Izquierdo Osorio, Capt. Braulio Rodriquez Nuñes, Capt Manuel
Diaz, Escribano, and Judge Advocate Capt. Rafael Dominguez, Lt. Enrique de Alcocer
(prosecuting attorney) and a number of spectator, including Josephine Bracken.
After Judge Advocate Dominguea opened the trial, it was followed by Atty.
Alcocer’s reiteration of the charges against Rizal, urging the court that the latter be
punished with death. Accordingly, the three crimes accused to him were rebellion,
sedition and illegal association – the penalty for the first two being life imprisonment to
death, while the last, correctional imprisonment and a charge of 325 to 3,250 pesetas.
Lt. Taviel de Andrade, on the other hand, later took the floor reading his speech
in defense of Rizal. To supplement this, Rizal read his own defense which he wrote in
his cell in Fort Santiago. According to Rizal, there are twelve points to prove his
innocence.
 As testified by Pio Valenzuela, Rizal was against rebellion.
 He had not written a letter addressed to the Katipunan comprising
revolutionary elements.
 Without his knowledge, his name was used by the Katipunan; if he really was
guilty, he could have escape while he was in Singapore.
 If he was guilty, he should have left the country while in exile; he shouldn’t
have built a home, bought a parcel of land or established a hospital in
Dapitan.
 If he was really the leader of the revolution, the revolutionaries should have
consulted.
 He had not deny that he wrote the by-laws of the La Liga Filipina, but to make
things clear, the organization was a civic association, not a revolutionary
society.
 After the first meeting of La Liga, the association banished because of his
exile in Dapitan, Did not last long.
 If the La Liga was reorganized nine months later, he had no idea about it.
 If the La Liga ha revolutionary purpose, then Katipunan should not have been
organized’
 If the Spanish authorities found his having bitter atmosphere, it was because
in 1890 his family was being persecuted resulting by their dispossession of
properties and deportation of all his brothers – in- law.
 He lived an exemplary life in Dapitann – the politico – military commanders
and missionary priest in the province could attest to that.
 If according to witnesses the speech he delivered at doroteo Ongjunco’s
house had inspired the revolution, then he want to confront these persons. If
he really was for the revolution, then why did the Katipunan send an
unfamiliar emissary to him in Dapitan? It is so because all his friends were
aware that he never advocate violence.
But the military court remained indifferent to the pleads of Rizal. Rizal was
civilian, but was tried by a military court composed of military officials. The case was
already prejudged in the absence of due process. After a short deberation he was
sentenced to be shot in musketry until death at 7 o’clock in the morning on December
30, 1896 at Bagumbayan . The decision was submitted to Gov. Polavieja who
immiditely sought the opinion of Nicolas de la Peña - the latter found the court’s
decision and ordered Rizal execution with all the formalities as required by the law.

MARTYRDOM AT BAGUMBAYAN
 Upon hearing the court’s decision, Rizal
already knew that there is no way that his destiny
would be change-Rizal knew it was his end. And
had accepted his fate. Captain Rafae
Dominguez, at 6 o’clock in the morning of his
execution, scheduled the next day. Rizal was
immediately transferred to the prison chapel where
he spent his last hours on earth.
Inside
the chapel,
Rizal busied himself by writing. Correspondences to
friends and family, bidding everyone farewell, and
conversing with his Jesuit priests’ friends. He had a
lot of visitors, arriving one or two after the other.
 Fr. Miguel Saderra Mata – the Rector of
the Ateneo Municipal, arrive in the prison
early in the morning.
 Fr. Luis Viza – came with Fr. Mata; the priest to whom Rizal asked for the
image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which he made during his stay in Ateneo.
 Fr. Antonio Rosell – another friend of Rizal who Rizal gladly ate a fine
breakfast with him, returned in the afternoon to resume his talk with Rizal.
 Lt. Taviel de Adrade – Rizal extended his appreciation for Andrade’s services
as his defense counsel.
 Fr. Federico Faura – had prophesied earlier rather comically that Rizal would
lose his head for writing the Noli Me Tangere, and the latter “ congratulated “
the priest for being right.
 Fr. Jose Villaclara – Rizal’s former teacher in Ateneo ; ate lunch with him.
 Fr. Vicente Balaguer – accompanied Fr.
Villaclara; ate lunch with Rizal as well.
 Santiago Mataix – contributor in the El
Heraldo de Madrid.
 Teodora Alonzo – Rizal Knelt before his
beloved mother, begging for forgiveness and
understanding; the mother and son were
separated by the strong grip of the prison guard.
 Trinidad – arrived when Doña Teodora Left the
chapel; to her, Rizal handed down an alcohol
cooking stove and whispered that something was
inside it (turned out to be his last piece, the Mi
Ultimo Adios, Written in a small piece of
paper).
 Gaspar Castaño – fiscal of the Royal Audiencia; had a good conversation
with Rizal.
 Late at night around 10 o’clock a retraction letter prepared by Archbishop
Bernardino Nozaleda was presented to Rizal, however, he rejected it for being too long.
Fr. Balaguer, on the other hand, showed another draft from Fr. Pio Pi, Which Rizal liked
but wanted some parts of which be changed. By 11:30 P.M. Rizal wrote and signed the
retraction letter in which he renounced the mason movement – witnesses to this event
were Juan del Fresno (Chief of the, Guard Detail) and Ely Moure (Assistant of the
Plaza). Rizal then confessed to Father Villaclara, and after which, slept. Two hours
later, he rose up and prayed and confessed again. Inside the chapel he knelt before the
altar and prayed with the rosary. He, for the third time, confessed to Fr. Villaclara and
once finished, read Imitacion de Cristo by Tomas Kempis.
At 3:30 in the morning of December 30. 1896, Fr.
Balaguer lead a mass – Rizal, once again, made a confession
and received Communion. At 5:00 A.M., he ate his last breakfast
and autographed some memorabilia including religious picture
and books which will be passed on to his mother, and her sister,
Trinidad. Accompanied by his sister Narcisa, Josephine Bracken
arrive and requested by Rizal, the couple was canonically
blessed as husband and wife by Fr. Balaguer. To Josephine,
Rizal gave the Imitacion de Cristo as a wedding gift. For the last
time, he wrote a letter to his parents Ferdinand Blumentritt and
Paciano.
Rizal’s march to
Bagumbayan commenced
6:30 in the morning. He is inblack
suit, black necktie, black hat,
black shoes and white vest. With Lt. Taviel de Andrade
on one side, and Fathers Estanislao March and Jose
Villaclara, on the other side, He calmly walked from his
proson cell in Fort Santiago to the execution site. They
walked behind four advanced guards armed with bayonets.
Jose Rizal was tied behind from elbow
to elbow, although, still had the freedom to move
his arms. In his right arm was a rosary which he kept on holding until his
final breath. Meters before the execution place a number of spectators
awaited Rizal. During his long march. Rizal saw familiar faces and places,
he spent his time reminiscing his childhood, the fun he had with his family
and friends.
 In Bagumbayan Field, Rizal shook
the hands of the two priest and his
defender, bidding them farewell. A priest
bleeds and offered him a crucifix which he
gently kissed. Rizal had one request, that
is, that he be shot facing the firing squad,
however, in vain since
the captain of the squad
ordered a back shot.
As such, Rizal had no
choice but to turn back. A Physician by the name of Dr. Felipe Ruiz
Castillo was amazed that Rizal’s vital sign were normal,
particularly his pulse rate – was Rizal really unafraid to die?
The Firing squad was commanded in unison with
drumbeats Upon the brick command “Fire”, the guns of the squad
flared Rizal, by his sheer effort and remaining, energy, twisted his
body around to face the firing squad, and so, fell on the ground
with.
 His face forward the blue sky, his head slightly inclined toward the rising sun in
the east. What can be heard from the crowd of Spaniards was their loud, and audible
voice, shouting :Long live Spain! Death to Traitors!” Jose Rizal died at exactly 7:00 in
the morning of December 30, 1896.

MY LAST FAREWELL ( Mi ultimo Adios)

My last Farewell was Rizal’s last and greatest
poem written before his execution, December 29, 1896,
this poem is considered a priceless gem of the
Philippines literature.
The poem was given by Rizal to his sisters at the
eve of his execution. Rizal gave to his sister, Trinidad
the alcohol stove though the guard, and said” there is
something inside” The sisters discover inside the stove an
untitled poem with 14 stanzas. The sister
reproduce the poem and sent it to Rizal’s friend abroad.
Later Mariano Dacana, a Filipino Priest, entitled the poem Mi
Ultimo Dios and Published it in La independencia of Antonio
Luna on September 25, 1898.
The Mi Ultimo could be the most translated poem in
the world Presently, it has been translated into 40
language/dialects. The languages are: Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Chinese, Czeck,
Danish, Dutch, English, Fijian, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew,
Hidi, Hungarian, Igbo,, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Korean, Latin, Maori,
Norwegian, Portuguses, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Sinhalese, Somali, Tahitian,
Thai, Tongan, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Wolof, and Yoruba.

Mi Ultimo Adios

Adios, Patria adorada, region del sol querida,

Perla del Mar de Oriente, nuestro perdido Eden!
A darte voy alegre la triste mustia vida,
Y fuera más brillante más fresca, más florida,
Tambien por tí la diera, la diera por tu bien.
En campos de batalla, luchando con delirio
Otros te dan sus vidas sin dudas, sin pesar;
El sitio nada importa, ciprés, laurel ó lirio,
Cadalso ó campo abierto, combate ó cruel martirio,
Lo mismo es si lo piden la patria y el hogar.

Yo muero cuando veo que el cielo se colora

Y al fin anuncia el día trás lóbrego capuz;
Si grana necesitas para teñir tu aurora,
Vierte la sangre mía, derrámala en buen hora
Y dórela un reflejo de su naciente luz.

Mis sueños cuando apenas muchacho adolescente,

Mis sueños cuando joven ya lleno de vigor,
Fueron el verte un día, joya del mar de oriente
Secos los negros ojos, alta la tersa frente,
Sin ceño, sin arrugas, sin manchas de rubor.

Ensueño de mi vida, mi ardiente vivo anhelo,

Salud te grita el alma que pronto va á partir!
Salud! ah que es hermoso caer por darte vuelo,
Morir por darte vida, morir bajo tu cielo,
Y en tu encantada tierra la eternidad dormir.

Si sobre mi sepulcro vieres brotar un dia

Entre la espesa yerba sencilla, humilde flor,
Acércala a tus labios y besa al alma mía,
Y sienta yo en mi frente bajo la tumba fría
De tu ternura el soplo, de tu hálito el calor.

Deja á la luna verme con luz tranquila y suave;

Deja que el alba envíe su resplandor fugaz,
Deja gemir al viento con su murmullo grave,
Y si desciende y posa sobre mi cruz un ave
Deja que el ave entone su cantico de paz.

Deja que el sol ardiendo las lluvias evapore

Y al cielo tornen puras con mi clamor en pos,
Deja que un sér amigo mi fin temprano llore
Y en las serenas tardes cuando por mi alguien ore
Ora tambien, Oh Patria, por mi descanso á Dios!

Ora por todos cuantos murieron sin ventura,

Por cuantos padecieron tormentos sin igual,
Por nuestras pobres madres que gimen su amargura;
Por huérfanos y viudas, por presos en tortura
Y ora por tí que veas tu redencion final.

Y cuando en noche oscura se envuelva el cementerio

Y solos sólo muertos queden velando allí,
0No turbes su reposo, no turbes el misterio
Tal vez acordes oigas de citara ó salterio,
Soy yo, querida Patria, yo que te canto á ti.

Y cuando ya mi tumba de todos olvidada

No tenga cruz ni piedra que marquen su lugar,
Deja que la are el hombre, la esparza con la azada,
Y mis cenizas antes que vuelvan á la nada,
El polvo de tu alfombra que vayan á formar.

Entonces nada importa me pongas en olvido,

Tu atmósfera, tu espacio, tus valles cruzaré,
Vibrante y limpia nota seré para tu oido,
Aroma, luz, colores, rumor, canto, gemido
Constante repitiendo la esencia de mi fé.

Mi Patria idolatrada, dolor de mis dolores,

Querida Filipinas, oye el postrer adios.
Ahi te dejo todo, mis padres, mis amores.
Voy donde no hay esclavos, verdugos ni opresores,
Donde la fé no mata, donde el que reyna es Dios.

Adios, padres y hermanos, trozos del alma mía,

Amigos de la infancia en el perdido hogar,
Dad gracias que descanso del fatigoso día;
Adios, dulce extrangera, mi amiga, mi alegria,
Adios, queridos séres morir es descansar.