CHAPTER 22

THE TRIAL OF RIZAL

Unknown to Rizal was the Machiavellian plot hatched by his enemies to liquidate him.
On September 2, 1896, a week after the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, he left
Manila Bay for Spain. His destination was Cuba, where he hoped to. contribute his
medical skills to combat the fever epidemic. Before reaching Spain, he was placed ow
aced under arrest. He was jailed in Barcelona and later shipped back to Manila and
imprisoned at Fort Santiago. His enemies howled for his blood, and they got it. His trial
by. court-martial on December 26, 1896 was a farce. The verdict was death by firing
squad and this was approved by Governor Camilo G. de Polavieja who ordered his
execution on Dec ember 30th.

RESCUE ATTEMPTS BY THE KATIPUNAN

 The Katipunan- a secret revolutionary society founded by Bonifacio. 

Dr. Pio Valenzuela- secret emissary of the Katipunan to Dapitan. Persons who plotted to
rescue Rizal from the cruiser, Castilla, which was then anchored at Manila Bay: Andres
Bonifacio Emilio Jacinto Other brave Katipuneros

Rizal could have escaped with the aid of the Katipunan. But he chose to remain within
the clutches of Spain rather than flee like a common felon. Being a man of honor, he
thought that the Spanish colonial authorities were also honorable men. This was his
mistake, his tragic undoing.

LAST TRIP TO SPAIN

Cry of Balintawak- the cry that started the Philippine Revolution.

(On 23 of August 1896, Bonifacio and his fellow katipuneros tore their cedulas
(residence certificate) during their revolution : "Long live the Philippines". This was
marked as the historic "Cry of Balintawak", which actually occurred in Pugadlawin. Thus
it is also called "Sigaw ng Pugadlawin".)

Fr. Mariano Gil- augustinian parish priest of Tondo. After the “ the Cry of Balintawak ”,

Rizal receive letters from: Governor Blanco- wishing him happiness. 

Two additional letters from the Minister of War 

(General Marcelo de Azcarraga – Philippine-born Spaniard and the Minister of
Colonies.) 
Isla de Panay- the steamer were Rizal board when he left for Spain.

RIZAL IN SINGAPORE

The steamer reached the Singapore, British Colony, on the night of September 7th . The
next morning Don Pedro Roxas and his son (Periquin), Rizal ‘s friends in Singapore
including Roxas, urged him to remain.
ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT

Captain A. Alemany- a ship skipper who arrested Rizal. 

General Despujol- the man who banished him to Dapitan in 1892 and now military
Commander of Cataluṅa which jurisdiction over Montjuich Castle. 
Colon- the steamer were Rizal board when he left Barcelona. 

At 5:00 a.m. , October 6 Rizal was moved ashore and jailed at Montjuich Castle.

UNSUCCESSFUL RESCUE IN SINGAPORE:

 Persons who dispatched frantic telegrams:

 1. Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor 
2. Sixto Lopez 

 Mr. Fort- an English lawyer in Singapore. •

The dispatched frantic telegrams contain that Mr. Fort should rescue Rizal from the
Spanish steamer when it reached Singapore by a writ of Habeas Corpus. 

• Habeas Corpus- is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released
from unlawful detention, that is, detention lacking sufficient cause or evidence.

BACK TO MANILA:

• Filipino Patriots: 
1. Deodato Arellano 
2. Dr. Pio Valenzuela 
3. Moises Salvador 
4. Jose Dizon 
5. Domingo Franco 
6. Timoteo Paez 

• Paciano was arrested and cruelly tortured.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

• Two kinds of evidence presented against Rizal, namely:

 1. Documentary 
2. Testimonial 

• The documentary evidence consisted of fifteen exhibits as follows: 

1. A letter of Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce 
2. A letter of Rizal to his family 
3. A letter from Marcelo H. del Pilar to Deodato Areliano 
4. A poem entitled Kundiman 
5. A letter of Carlos Oliver to an unidentified person 
6. A Masonic document 
7. A letter signed Dimasalang 
8. A letter of Dimasalang to an unidentified committee
9. An anonymous and undated letter to the Editor of the Hongkong Telegraph 
10. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal 
11. A letter of Rizal Segundo 
12. A letter of Marcelo H. del Pilar to Don Juan A. Tenluz 13.Transcript of a speech of
Pingkian 
14. Transcript of speech of Tik-Tik 
15. A poem by Laong Laan

The testimonial evidence consists of the oral testimonies of: 

1. Martin Constantino 
2. Aguedo del Rosario 
3. Jose Reyes 
4. Moises Salvador 
5. Jose Dizon 
6. Domingo Franco 
7. Deodato Arellano 
8. Ambrosio Salvador 
9. Pedro Serrano Laktaw 
10. Dr. Pio Valenzuela 
11. Antonio Salazar 
12. Francisco Quison 
13. Timoteo Paez

Colonel Olive- transmitted the records of the case. 

Governor Ramon Blanco- who, in turn, appointed Captain Rafael Dominguez as the
Judge Advocate to institute the corresponding action against Rizal. 
Don Nicolas de la Pena- Judge Advocate General, whom General Blanco transmitted the
papers for an opinion. 

After studying the papers, Pena submitted the following recommendations: 

The accused be immediately brought to trial. He should be kept in prison. An order of
attachment be issued against his properties to the amount of one million pesos as
indemnity. He should be defended in court by an army officer, not by a civilian lawyer.

 RIZAL CHOOSES HIS DEFENDER 

Don Luis Taviel de Andrade - 1st Lieutenant of the Artillery, brother of Jose Taviel de
Andrade, the bodyguard of Rizal.

CHARGES READ TO RIZAL 

December 11, the charges were read to Rizal in the presence of his counsel to questions
asked, Rizal replied: 
1.He did not question the jurisdiction of the court. 
2.He had nothing to amend, except that since his deportation to Dapitan in 1892 he had
not engaged in politics.
 3.He did not admit the charges preferred against him. 
4.He did not admit the declarations of the witness aginst him.

RIZAL MANIFESTO TO HIS PEOPLE:

On December 15, Rizal wrote a manifesto to his people appealing to them to stop the
unnecessary shedding of blood and to achieve their liberties using education and industry.

RIZAL SADDEST CHRISTMAS

December 25 1896 was Christmas. On that day all Christendom joyously celebrated the
birthday of Christ who was born to redeem mankind from injustice. He wrote a letter to
Lt. Taviel de Andrade.

THE TRIAL OF RIZAL

 December 26, 1896- the court-martial of Rizal.

Cuartel de Espana- military building.

Seven Members of the Military Court: 
Lt. Col. Jose Togores Arjona (president) Capt. Ricardo Munoz Arias Capt. Manuel
Reguera Capt. Santiago Izquierdo Osorio Capt. Braulio Rodriguez Nunez Capt. Manuel
Diaz Escribano Capt. Fernando Perez Rodriguez

 Also present in the courtroom were: 

Dr. Jose Rizal (the accused) 
Lt. Taviel de Andrade (his defense council) 
Capt. Rafael Dominguez (Judge Advocate)
Lt. Enrique de Alcocer (prosecuting Attorney) 
The Spectators 
Josephine Bracken 
-a sister of Rizal 
-some newspapermen 
- many Spaniards Prosecuting Attorney Alcocer arose and delivered a long and bitter
speech summarizing the charges against Rizal and urged the court to give the verdict of
death to the accused. The Spanish spectators applauded noisily Alcocer’s petition for the
sentence of death.

Rizal was accused of three crimes: 

1. Rebellion 2. Sedition 3. Illegal Association Penalty Rebellion

Sedition- was from life imprisonment to death. 

Illegal Association- was correctional imprisonment and a fine of 325 to 3,250 pesetas.

In his supplementary defense he further proved his innocence by twelve points: 

1. He could not be guilty of rebellion, for he advised Dr. Pio Valenzuela in Dapitan not to
rise in revolution. 
2. He did not correspond with the radical, revolutionary elements. 3.The revolutionists
used his name without his knowledge. If he were guilty he could have escaped in
Singapore.
 4. If he had a hand in the revolution , he could have escaped in a Moro vinta and would
not have built a home, a hospital, and bought lands in Dapitan. 
5. If he were the chief of the revolution, why was he not consulted by the revolutionists? 
7. It was true he wrote the by-laws of the Liga-Filipina, but this is only a civic association
– not a revolutionary society. 
8. The Liga Filipina did not live long, for after the first meeting he was banished to
Dapitan and it died out. If the Liga was reorganized nine months later, he did not knoe
about it. 
9. The Liga did not serve the purpose of the revolutionists, other wise they would not
have supplanted it with the Katipunan. 
10. If it were true that there were some bitter comments in Rizal’s letters, it was because
they were written in 1890 when his family was being persecuted, being dispossesssed of
houses, warehouses, lands, etc… and his brother and brother-in-law were deported.
11 His life in Dapitan had been exemplary as the politico-military commanders and
missionary priests could attest. 
12. It was not true that the revolution was inspired by his one speech at the house of
Doroteo Ongjunco, as alleged by witnesses whom he would like to confront. His friends
knew his opposition to armed rebellion. 

Why did the Katipunan send an emissary to Dapitan who was unknown to him? Because
those who knew him were aware that he would never sanction any violent movement.
 Lt. Col. Togores Arjona – considered the trial over and ordered the hall cleared.

POLAVIEJA SIGNS RIZAL’S EXECUTION

December 30 – the execution of Rizal at Bagumbayan Field (Luneta).

 PHILIPPINE REHABILITATION INSTITUE FOUNDATION INCORPORATED
SAN MATIAS, GUAGUA PAMPANGA

CHAPTER 22
THE TRIAL OF RIZAL
I. RESCUE ATTEMPTS BY THE KATIPUNAN
II. LAST TRIP TO SPAIN
III. RIZAL IN SINGAPORE
IV. ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT
V. UNSUCCESSFUL RESCUE IN SINGAPORE
VI. BACK TO MANILA
VII. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
VIII.  RIZAL CHOOSES HIS DEFENDER 
IX. CHARGES READ TO RIZAL
X. RIZAL MANIFESTO TO HIS PEOPLE
XI. RIZAL SADDEST CHRISTMAS
XII. THE TRIAL OF RIZAL
XIII. POLAVIEJA SIGNS RIZAL’S EXECUTION

SUBMITTED BY:
JEWEL ANNE D. SANTOS
BSRT- 2ND YEAR

SUBMITTED TO:
MRS. AVELINA C. SAPLALA, M.A
COLLEGE PROFESSOR