Lesson 9: Rizal’s Trial

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, students must be able to:
1. Analyze the trial of Jose P. Rizal
2. Evaluate the people and events in Rizal’s trial
3. Analze the documents, testaments, and Rizal’s defense upon his trial

CONTENT:
1. Definition of terms
2. Introduction to Rizal’s Trial

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

PRE-TEST
1. How many day/s was Rizal investigated?
a. 10 days
b. 5 days
c. 3 days
d. 1 day
2. When did preliminary investigation happened?
a. November 20, 1896
b. November 02, 1986
c. November 20, 1986
d. November 20, 1896

3.Who was the Judge Advocate who questioned Rizal in his preliminary trial?
a. Colonel Francisco Olive
b. Colonel Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
c. Colonel Paco Roman
d. Colonel Ramon Blanco
4. What are the two kinds of evidence were presented to Rizal during his preliminary
trial?
a. books and newspapers
b. books and magazines
c. documentaries and testimonials
d. documentaries and newspapers

5. How many documentary evidences were presented in the preliminary trial?

a. 1
b. 10
c. 13
d. 15

6. How many testimonial evidences were presented?

a. 1
b. 10
c. 13
d. 15

7. To whom did colonel olive transmit the record of Rizal’s case?

a. Governor- General Francisco Olive
b. Governor- General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
c. Governor- General Paco Roman
d. Governor- General Ramon Blanco

8. Who was the Judge Advocate to institute the corresponding action against Rizal?
a. Captain Arnold Dominguez
b. Captain Rafael Dominguez
c. Captain Malvar Dominguez
d. Captain Antonio Dominguez
9. The summary of the case was submitted to ______?
a. Judge Advocate General Nicolas Dela Peña
b. Judge Advocate Captain Malvar Dominguez
c. Judge Advocate Governor- General Ramon Blanco
d. Judge Advocate Captain Antonio Dominguez

10. How many points did Rizal’s defense have?

a. 10
b. 11
c.12
d. 13

CONTENT:

Introduction

On December 6, 1896, the trial of Dr. Jose Rizal by a Spanish military court for
sedition, rebellion and conspiracy, began. This trial led to his execution and
martyrdom.

Rizal, who was imprisoned first in Barcelona and later in Fort Santiago, was implicated
in the revolution which was launched in August 1896 by the Katipunan led by Andres
Bonifacio, whose aim was to liberate the country from Spanish colonization.

At the time of his arrest, Rizal was supposed to leave for Cuba after he was allowed
by Spanish Governor-General Ramon Blanco, who was sympathetic to him, to serve
as a military surgeon in Cuba, where there was also a revolution against Spain.
Before he left from his exile in Dapitan for Manila and then for Spain, Rizal had issued
a manifesto disavowing the revolution and declaring that the education of Filipinos and
their achievement of a national identity were prerequisites to freedom.

Rizal was arrested while en route to Spain, imprisoned in Barcelona and sent back
later to Manila to stand trial. He was charged with being a traitor to Spain and the
mastermind of the revolution.

He pleaded his innocence but he was still convicted on all three charges of rebellion,
sedition and conspiracy and sentenced to death.

Earlier, Rizal was already considered as an enemy of the state by the Spanish
authorities with the publication of his two great novels -- Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.

Thus, Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896 in Bagumbayan (Luneta), which has
been renamed Rizal Park in his memory.

Preliminary Investigation (1896 November 20)

Rizal was subjected to a grueling five-day investigation.

On the preliminary investigation happened on November 20, Col.

Francisco Olive interrogated accused Rizal of being the responsible
and master-mind for the uprising in Manila on August 1896.

He was informed of charges against him, he answered the questions

asked by Judge Advocate, Colonel Francisco Olive, but he was not
permitted to confront those who testified against him.

Two kinds of evidence were presented to him - documentary and

testimonial.

Documentary Evidences were:

1. A letter of Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce, dated Madrid, October

16, 1888, showing Rizal's connection with the Filipino reform
campaign in Spain.
2. A letter of Rizal to his family, dated Madrid, August 20, 1890,
stating that the deportations are good for they will encourage the
people to hate tyranny.

3. A letter from Marcelo H. del Pilar to Deodato Arellano, dated

Madrid, January 7, 1889, implicating Rizal in the Propaganda
campaign in Spain.

4. A poem entitled Kundiman, allegedly written by Rizal in Manila on

September 12, 1891.

5. A letter of Carlos Oliver to an unidentified person, dated

Barcelona, September 18, 1891, describing Rizal as the man to free
the Philippines from Spanish oppression.

6. A Masonic document, dated Manila, February 9, 1892 honoring

Rizal for his patriotic services.

7. A letter signed Dimasalang to Tenluz (Juan Zulueta's pseudonym),

dated Hongkong, dated May 24, 1892, stating that he was preparing
a safe refuge for Filipinos who may be persecuted by the Spanish
authorities.

8. A letter of Dimasalang to an unidentified committee, dated

Hongkong, June 1, 1892, solicitating the aid of committee in the
"patriotic work".

9. An anonymous and undated letter to the Editor of Hongkong

Telegraph, censuring the banishment of Rizal to Dapitan.

10. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal, dated Manila, September 3,

1892, saying that the Filipino people look up to him (Rizal) as their
savior.

11. A letter of Rizal Segundo, dated Manila, September 17, 1893,

informing an unidentified correspondent of the arrest and
banishment of Doroteo Cortes and Ambrosio Salvador.

12. A letter of Marcelo H. del Pilar to Don Juan Tenluz, dated Madrid,
June 1, 1893 recommending the establishment of a special
organization, independent of Masonry, to help the cause of Filipino
people.
13. Tranrscript of a speech of Pingkian (Emilio Jacinto), in a reunion
of the Katipunan on July 23, 1893, in which the following cry was
uttered "Long live the Philippines! Long live Liberty! Long live Doctor
Rizal! Unity!

14. Transcript of a speech of Tik-Tik (Jose Turiano Santiago) in the

same Katipunan reunion, wherein the Katipuneros shouted: "Long
live the eminent Doctor Rizal! Death to the oppressor nation!"

15. A poem by LaongLaan, entitled A Talisay, in which the author

makes the Dapitan schoolboys sing that they know how to fight for
their rights.

Testimonial Evidence

1. Martin Constantino

2. Aguedo del Rosario

3. Jose Reyes

4. Moises Salvador

5. Jose Dizon

6. Pio Valenzuela

7. Ambrosio Savador

8. Francisco Quison

9. Timoteo Paez

10. Deodato Arellano

11.Pedro Serrano Laktaw

12. Antonio Salazar

13. Domingo Franco

Governor-General Ramon Blanco

Colonel Olive transmitted the records of the case to Governor-

General Ramon Blanco on November 26. who, in turn, appointed
Captain Rafael Dominguez as the Judge Advocate to institute the
corresponding action against Rizal.

Then, Capt. Rafael Dominguez was assigned to be a special judge

advocate. They made a summary of the case and submitted to
judge advocate general Nicolas Dela Peña.

Peña's Recommendations:

1. Rizal must be immediately sent to trial

2. He must be held in prison under necessary security

3. His properties must be issued with order of attachment, and as

indemnity, Rizal had to pay one million pesos

4. Instead of a civilian lawyer, only an army officer is allowed to

defend Rizal.

Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade

1st Lieutenant of the Artillery, brother of Jose Taviel de Andrade, the

bodyguard of Rizal.

Rizal's Arraignment (December 11, 1896)

Rizal was charged with the crime of rebellion, and the formation of
illegal associations.

• He did not question the jurisdiction of the court

He had nothing to amend 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.

On December 13, 1896 ...

While in Detention... Rizal released a manifesto that he denounces

the revolution and condemned Katipunan for using his name without
his permission.

Actual Trial (December 26, 1896)

Hall of Banners of the Cuartel de España.

Rizal's Trial Among the spectators were Josephine Bracken, some

newspapermen and many Spaniards.

Capt. Dominguez presented Rizal's case on the day of the formal

trial under a Military court (December 26).

He was accused of 3 crimes: rebellion, sedition, illegal associations.

Penalty: Life imprisonment-death for rebellion and sedition,

correctional imprisonment and a fine of 325 to 3250 pesetas for
illegal association.

Twelve-point Defense of Rizal:

✓ 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 escaped 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 revolutionists

should have consulted him.

✓ He did 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, thus, did not last long.

✓ If the La Liga was reorganized nine months later, he had no idea

about it

✓If the La Liga had a revolutionary purpose, then Katipunan should

not have been organized.

✓If the Spanish authorities found his letters having bitter

atmosphere, it was because in 1890 his family was being persecuted
resulting to their dispossession of properties and deportation of all
his brothers-in-law.

✓He lived an exemplary life in Dapitan - the politico-military

commanders and missionary priests 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 sent an unfamiliar emissary to him in Dapitan? It
is so because all his friends were aware that he never advocated
violence.
Governor-General Camilo de Polavieja

On December 28, 1896, he approved the decision of the court-

martial and ordered Rizal to be shot at 7:00 o'clock in the morning of
December 30 at Bagumbayan Field.

This verdict was read to Rizal a day before his execution, December 29, 1896.

POST-TEST
1. How many day/s was Rizal investigated?
a. 10 days
b. 5 days
c. 3 days
d. 1 day

2. When did preliminary investigation happened?

a. November 20, 1896
b. November 02, 1986
c. November 20, 1986
d. November 20, 1896

3.Who was the Judge Advocate who questioned Rizal in his preliminary trial?
a. Colonel Francisco Olive
b. Colonel Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
c. Colonel Paco Roman
d. Colonel Ramon Blanco

4. What are the two kinds of evidence were presented to Rizal during his preliminary
trial?
a. books and newspapers
b. books and magazines
c. documentaries and testimonials
d. documentaries and newspapers

5. How many documentary evidences were presented in the preliminary trial?

a. 1
b. 10
c. 13
d. 15

6. How many testimonial evidences were presented?

a. 1
b. 10
c. 13
d. 15

7. Rizal was accused of how many crimes?

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

8. When did the actual trial of Rizal?

a. December 16, 1896
b. December 26, 1896
c. December 26, 1898
d. December 16, 1898

9. How many points did Rizal’s defense have?

a. 10
b. 11
c. 12
d. 13

10. Who approved the decision of the court-martial and ordered Rizal to be shot at 7:00
o’clock in the morning of December 30 at Bagumbayan Field?
a. Governor General Antonio Malvar
b. Governor General Nicolas Dominguez
c. Governor General Rafael Dela Peña
d. Governor General Camilo de Polavieja