Formation of a Filipino

National Community:
The Founding of Liga
Filipina
Antecedents
• Publication of the annotations of
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (1899)

• Cases of evictions and deportations of

Calamba Tenants (1899-1891)

• Founding of La Solidaridad as the

mouthpiece of the propaganda
movement (1899)

• Rizal’s break with M.H. Del Pilar (1891)

• Publication of El Filibusterismo (1891)

Rizal’s break with Del Pilar
• Rizal was made the honorary president of the Solidaridad
association; Del Pilar, as the editor of La Solidaridad, was
the de-facto leader of the Filipino colony in Madrid.

• The conflict occurred when it was proposed that the

Filipino colony be organized under a single leader (called
responsable).

• The elections polarized the colony between Rizal and Del

Pilar factions.

• Rizal was eventually elected, but declined the position

and decided to leave the Filipino colony for good.
Rizal-Del Pilar conflict was based on
ideological differences
• J. Rizal to M. H. Del Pilar (Ghent, 12 August 1891):

• “If I stopped writing for La Solidaridad, it was because of several

reasons: 1st, I need time to work on my book; 2nd, I want other
Filipinos to work also; 3rd, I considered it very important to the
party that there be unity in the work: and as you are already at
the top and I also have my own ideas, it is better to leave you
alone to direct the policy such as you understand it and I do not
meddle in it…”
Rizal the radical

• Galicano Apacible’s testimony (1935):

• “In the famous election that lasted three days held in Madrid by the Filipino
colony to elect a Responsable, a Filipino who would direct and be responsible
for the Philippine policy in Europe, there were two candidates: Rizal and
Marcelo H. del Pilar. Many of us who supported Rizal's candidacy did so on the
conviction that Rizal was a separatist and the more radical one” (Quibuyen
2010, as cited in Alzona, 1971).

• Rizal began to assume a more radical and separatist role especially

after the publication of Noli.
Disassociation from
the Filipino colony

• Laong Laan (Europe, October

1891, fragments of a letter:

• If our countrymen are

counting on us here in
Europe, they are very much
mistaken… we can help
them with our life in our
country… the battlefield is
the Philippines…”
Disassociation from the Filipino colony

• J. Rizal to F. Blumentritt (30 December 1891)

• “Life in the Philippines has become impossible: without courtesy,

without virtue, without justice! That is why I think that La
Solidaridad is no longer the place to give battle; this is a new
fight. I should like to follow your wishes, but I believe that it will all
be in vain; the fight is no longer in Madrid. It is all a waste of
time…”
Interlude in Hong Kong (1891-1892)
Interlude in Hong Kong (1891-1892)

• Rizal was considering his options while in Hong Kong:

a) Establishment of a Filipino colony in Sandakan, North Borneo

(for evicted farmers of Calamba)

b) Returning to the Philippines and the establishment of Liga

Filipina

• Nonetheless, he was already convinced at this point that

independence from Spain was inevitable.
Interlude in Hong Kong (1891-1892)
Interlude in Hong Kong (1891-1892)

• Had Rizal toyed with the idea of a revolution while in Hong

Kong?

• F. Blumentritt to J. Rizal (30 January 1892)

• “…not to meddle in revolutionary agitations. Because one who
initiates a revolution ought at least to have the probability of
success, if he does not wish to burden his conscience with useless
bloodshed…”
Rizal’s homecoming is not unplanned

• J. Rizal to the Filipinos (Hong Kong, 20 June 1892)

• “I cannot live seeing my brothers and their large families

persecuted like criminals. I prefer to face death cheerfully and
gladly give my life to free so many innocent persons from unjust
persecution…

• I wish to show those who deny us patriotism that we know how to

die for our duty and convictions…

• Publish these letters after my death…”

Rizal’s blueprint on his return
Exclusive group of Filipinos advocating for reforms in Spain

Incorporating more Filipinos in the reform movement by

bringing the struggle to the Philippines (A requisite for
independence)
Constitution and
By-laws of Liga
Filipina
Aims of Liga Filipina
1) To unite the whole archipelago into one
compact, vigorous, and homogenous body;
2) Mutual protection in every want and
necessity;
3) Defense against all violence and injustice;
4) Encouragement of instruction, agriculture,
and commerce; and
5) Study and application of reforms
Some excerpts from the statute of the
Liga
• “Duties
• Of the members:
• 2nd – To obey blindly and punctually all orders emanating from the chief of a
council.
• 5th – To give preferential treatment to members of Liga in all his acts; he shall
not buy except in the store of a member of if he sells him something, he should
give him a discount. Other things being equal, he shall always favor a fellow
member. Every violation of the article shall be severely punished.
• 6th – If a member who is able to help another in case of trouble or danger
refuses to do so, a penalty shall be imposed on him equivalent at least to what
the other has suffered.”
• Of chiefs:
• 8th – The offenses of the officials are punished more severely than those of
ordinary members
Pursuit of nationhood
• Any individual must be instilled with moral obligation to contribute to
the welfare of the society.
• “There is then individual progress or improvement in the Philippines, but there is
no national, general progress” (J. Rizal to V. Garcia, 7 January 1891).

• Prior to independence… “it was necessary to be worthy, to be

united, so that when the time came, we might not fall into the
hands of Japan, or of England, or of Germany.” (J. Rizal, Data for my
defense, 12 December 1896).

• Nation-building is achieved through national unity. Hence, Rizal

envisioned the Liga as an important step towards nationhood.
Rizal’s deportation and schism among
Liga’s members
• Liga was a short-lived society because of Rizal’s banishment to
Dapitan in July 1892.

• Liga was eventually dissolved to arrest the possibility of being

discovered by the authorities due to the disagreements among its
members.

• Those former members who agreed to continue paying monthly

contributions for Soli formed a group called Compromisarios, while
Andres Bonifacio reorganized the Liga into Katipunan with
independence as its primary objective.

(See The Philippine Revolution by Apolinario Mabini (1901-1903), http://malacanang.gov.ph/8143-the-philippine-revolution-by-apolinario-mabini/)

The Liga from the words of Rizal
• Excerpts from “Addition to my defense” (J. Rizal, Real
Fuerza de Santiago, 26 December 1896).

• “It is true that I framed its statutes. It is also true that its aims were
to promote commerce, industry, the arts, etc. by means of
cooperation…”

• “The Liga died stillborn..”

• “Liga was not a subversive organization…”

The Liga from the words of Rizal
• Excerpts from “Data for my defense” (J. Rizal, 12
December 1896).

• “Now if I’m to be punished or condemned for having desired the

unity of my fellow countrymen, the welfare of my country, her
material development, her equality as far as possible to the
provinces in Spain in order not to be called colony, if this is
punishable, condemn me.”