Joe Rizal's Death - PDF

Lesson 9: Joe Rizal Death JOSE RIZAL LEFT DAPITAN ON THE MIDNIGHT OF JULY 31. 1896 THE ESPANA ARRIVED IN THE MANILA BAY EARLY MORNING OF AUGUST 6, 1896. UNFORTUNATELYS RIZAL DID NOT CATCH THE MAIL BOAT OF SPAIN. ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1896, BEARING LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION FROM T...

Lesson 9: Joe Rizal Death JOSE RIZAL LEFT DAPITAN ON THE MIDNIGHT OF JULY 31. 1896 THE ESPANA ARRIVED IN THE MANILA BAY EARLY MORNING OF AUGUST 6, 1896. UNFORTUNATELYS RIZAL DID NOT CATCH THE MAIL BOAT OF SPAIN. ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1896, BEARING LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION FROM THE GOVERNOR GENERAL TO THE SECRETARIES OF WAR AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN SPAIN JOSE RIZAL DEPARTED FOR BARCELONA ON BOARD THE ISLA DE PANAY. FIFTEEN DAYS BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE THE KATIPUNAN WAS BETRAYED ON AUGUST 19. 1896, THE KATIPUNAN WAS DISCOVERED BY FR MARIANO GIL MEMBERS AND SUPPOSED MEMBERS OF THE KATIPUNAN WERE ARRESTED AND TORTURED UNTIL THEY REVEALED THE NAMES OF OTHER SUPPOSED MEMBERS AT LEAST THERE WERE 4.377 PEOPLE ARRESTED BONIFACIO HIMSELF AND MOST OF THE LEADERS ESCAPED TO SAFE HIDING PLACES WHEN ISLA DE PANAY DEPARTED FOR SPAIN REACHED SINGAPORE, PEDRO B ROXAS, A FILIPINO FELLOW PASSENGER, AND CAPTAIN CAMUS AN AGENT OF TABACLARA, TRIED TO PERSUADE RIZAL TO STEP ASHORE AND SAVE HIS LIFE. BUT RIZAL GAVE A ROUND NO FOR AN ANSWER THE SPECIAL MILITARY COURT SUMMONED RIZAL TO APPEAR BEFORE THEM WHEN THE ISLA DE PANAY REACHED SUEZ, A CABLE AWAITED IT, ORDERING THE IMMEDIATE ARREST OF JOSE RIZAL AND HIS RETURN TO MANILA FOR TRIAL ON NOVEMBER 3, 1896, RIZAL HEAVILY GUARDED, REACHED MANILA AND WAS LOCKED IN FORT SANTIAGO HIS BROTHER PACIANO WAS TORTURED WITH A SCREW WHICH WAS TWISTED INTO HIS LEFT HAND, WHILE A PEN WAS THRUST INTO HIS RIGHT HAND TO MAKE HIM SIGN A STATEMENT THAT HIS BROTHER RIZAL HAD BEEN CONNECTED WITH THE KATIPUNAN, PACIANO WOULD NOT SIGN 5-day investigation Rizal was informed of the charges against him before Judge Advocate Colonel Francisco Olive. two kinds of evidences against him- documentary and testimonial. The Judge Advocate General's opinion after the investigation 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 army officer is allowed to defend Rizal. December 26 - Rizal in Court Marshall before hearing his verdict, had already been prejudged. 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 and a number of expectators like Josephine Bracken. 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. After a short deliberation, he was sentenced to be shot in musketry until death at 7 o'clock in the morning of December 30, 1896 at Bagumbayan. On December 29 at 6 a.m., Capt. Rafael Dominguez read before Rizal his death sentence. His execution was scheduled the following day. At around 7 a.m. of December 29, Rizal was transferred to his death cell in Fort Santiago. The Archbishop of Manila, Rev. Bernardino Nozaleda, recalled: "During that day, although Rizal did not reject [the Jesuits], he persisted in his errors contrary to the Catholic faith.... However, at the last hour, Rizal abjured, in writing, his religious errors." In other words, Rizal, a Mason, was said to have recanted his statements against the Church and to have returned to the Catholic faith In his last hours Rizal read the Bible and Thomas à Kempis's Imitation of Christ, which he later dedicated to Josephine Bracken. He also wrote the poem "Mi Ultimo Adiós," which he concealed in an alcohol burner. When his family came to see him, he asked pardon from his mother and talked to his sisters as they entered his cell one by one. He also wrote letters. In his last letter, addressed to Paciano Rizal, he asked his brother to ask their father for forgiveness for all the pain he had caused him. To his friend Ferdinand Blumentritt, he wrote: "When you receive this letter, I shall be dead by then.... Tomorrow at seven, I shall be shot; but I am innocent of the crime of rebellion.... I am going to die with a tranquil conscience." Some Facts on Rizal's Death 1. Rizal knew he was a dead man since his trial had been a moro- moro (sham). 2. By 6:30 of the morning of Dec. 30, Rizal, dressed in a black suit with white vest, began his march to the field of his execution in Bagumbayan, now the Luneta, from his prison cell in Fort Santiago. 3. Rizal was accompanied by his military appointed counsel Lt. Taviel de Andrade, and Fathers Estanislao March and Jose Villaclara. 4. Holding a rosary in his right hand, Rizal was tied at the elbows as his group walked behind four advance guards armed with bayonets. 5. six to eight Filipino volunteer troops composed the firing squad designated by Spanish authorities to execute Rizal. 6. A descendant of one of the executioners, Adolfo Pastor Quetcuti, related that only one of the rifles was loaded with a live bullet while the rest were blanks. This is to ease the guilt of Rizal's executioners who knew he was innocent, he explained. 7. Another group of peninsular troops also stood behind them as an additional measure just in case the Filipino troops decided to back out. 8. Rizal refused to be blindfolded and insisted on facing his executioners, but this was denied 9. Rizal wanted to show he was no traitor and that he was willing to die for his country. Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo, who took Rizal's vital signs and pulse rate before the execution, was amazed to find that the national hero was calm and unafraid. 10. Upon hearing the squad commander's shout of "Fuego (Fire)," Rizal turned to face the firing squad. 11. Rizal fell face up and was able to see the dawn breaking before he uttered in his final breath: "Consummatum est (It is finished)." 12. In 1898, the first Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo issued his first decree marking Rizal's death anniversary on Dec. 30 rather than his birthday on June 19 to commemorate his heroism and sacrifice for the country.