HIST17 Rizal Course

Name: Maria Kathryna E. Denaga

Course and Yr: BSChE-2
Schedule: 7:30 9:00 AM MW
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THE WRIT THAT COULD HAVE CHANGED HISTORY

Based on the Article by Ambeth Ocampo (Rizal Without the Overcoat)

What could have happened if the national hero that we know today was
rescued during the course of his trial? What could have happened if he were not
executed? There are a lot of prospects that would have happened during the course
of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish armada. Millions of outcomes would
have had changed the course of Philippine history. As the inquisitive Filipino would
have pondered on these, there could have been a time that he would have come to
contemplate on the likelihood that the hero, Jose Rizal, could have been saved.
There were many attempts to save Rizal from his execution. To name a few:
(1) He would have been rescued from his exile in Dapitan by sailing to Japan. (2) He
would have been rescued from the Spanish warship that led him back to the
Philippines from Barcelona. (3) A writ of habeas corpus would have been ordered to
release Rizal from the hands of the Spanish guards.
During his exile in Dapitan, one of his colleagues in the Katipunan, by name,
Dr. Pio Valenzuela, conversed with Rizal to sail with him to Japan for revolutionary
purposes. Pio Valenzuela was a doctor who was under the committee in the
Katipunan to smuggle arms in Japan. Valenzuela pointed out in his testimony, as
written in the Archivo del Biblio Filipino, Volume II by Wenceslao E. Retana, that he
had a conversation with Rizal. Their conversation supposedly led to the point
wherein Rizal pointed out that there should be no uprising until they were provided
with arms. During their conversation at this time, the Katipunan was at risk of being
discovered. Valenzuela asked Rizal to support him by acquiring arms from Japan.
Knowing that Rizal was not a fan of revolution and war-induced uprisings, Rizal
refused to go with him.
The second attempt was to rescue Rizal from the Spanish warship S.S. Colon
armed with Spanish guards. After receiving recommendations to serve as a doctor in
Spain, he left Manila. At September 26, 1896, he received bad news that he was
responsible for the disturbances in Manila and was practically involved in the
Katipunan. Rumors fled on board the ship concerning this issue and he informed his
good friend, Prof. Blumentritt, about this. The rumors led him to his arrest by the
captain of the ship, Capt. A. Alemany. His arrival in Barcelona lasted for three days
and he was sent back to Manila on November 3, 1896. As the ship arrived, Andres
Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and Guillermo Masangkay, disguised themselves as sailors

to save the captive Rizal. They attempted to convince Rizal to go with them. But he
refused.
The third attempt would have been one of the controversial attempts ever
thought out through. This was the writ of habeas corpus. Antonio Maria Regidor
along with Sixto Lopez, good friends of Rizal and supporters of the Propaganda
Movement, sent telegrams to a British lawyer in Singapore by name, Mr. Fort.
However, Mr. Fort refused. The S.S. Colon was a warship and the court had no
jurisdiction over it.
Going back to the question: What could have happened if Rizal were saved by
the hands of the Spanish troops? One obvious and evident answer to that basically
would be that he would have survived as far as the execution is concerned. On
another note, the course of Philippine revolution could have changed. And chances
are Jose Rizal may not be the national hero that we know today. The possibilities are
endless.