DATE June 21, 1896
PLACE Dapitan
Early days of August 1896 August 6Septemb er 2, 1896 August 26, 1896
August 29, 1896 August 30, 1896 Septemb er 3, 1896 Septemb er 30, 1896 October 3, 1896 October 6, 1896
Manila Bay
Cry of Balintawak/Cry of Pugadlawin - the cry that started the Philippine Revolution. Rizal expected it but his only worry was that the Spanish authorities might implicate him with the bloody struggle. Katipunan plot to rise in arms against Spain was discovered by Fr. Mariano Gil, Augustinian parish priest of Tondo. Rizal received a letter from Gov-Gen Ramon Blanco wishing him happiness. Rizal left for Spain on board the steamer Isla de Panay. Mediterrane Rizal was placed under arrest by the ship skipper, Captain A. Alemany, an Sea upon telegraphic orders from Manila. Rizal was bitterly disgusted at Spanish injustice. Barcelona The Isla de Panay arrived in Barcelona, with Rizal a prisoner on board. Montjuich Castle
Singapore
Novemb er 3, 1896
THE TRIAL OF RIZAL EVENT Dr. Pio Valenzuela told Rizal of the Katipunan plan to rescue him and smuggle him on board a ship to Japan. Rizal disapproved this plan so that it was not carried out. Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and other brave katipuneros plotted to rescue Rizal from the cruiser, Castilla. Jacinto and katipuneros disguised as sailors on the motor launch Caridad were able to board the cruiser. Jacinto approached Rizal but he refused to be rescued. Rizal stayed on board the Castilla.
Manila
Rizal was jailed at Montjuich Castle. General Despujol (the same man who banished him to Dapitan in 1892 and now military Commander of Cataluña with jurisdictionover Montjuich Castle), visited Rizal in his prison cell. At 8:00 pm, Rizal, on board Colon, left Barcelona. Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor and Sixto Lopez dispatched frantic telegrams to an English lawyer in Singapore named Mr. Fort to rescue Rizal from the Spanish steamer when it reached Singapore by a writ of habeas corpus. When Colon arrived in Singapore, Mr. Fort instituted proceedings at the Singapore Court for the removal of Rizal from the steamer. Unfortunately, the Singapore judge denied the writ on the ground that the Colon was carrying Spanish troops to Philippines, hence it is a warship of a foreign power. The steamer Colon arrive in Manila. Rizal, under heavy guard, was brought to Fort Santiago. While Rizal was held incomunidado in Fort Santiago, the Spanish authorities fished for evidences against him. Many Filipino patriots - Deodato Arellano, Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Moises Salvador , Jose Dizon, Domingo Franco, Timoteo Paez, etc. - were brutally tortured to implicate Rizal.
Novemb er 20, 1896
Paciano was arrested and cruelly tortured. He endured all pains inflicted by Spain’s diabolical tortures, rather sign a damaging statement incriminating his younger brother. His body was shattered on the torture rack and his left hand was crushed Rizal appeared before the Judge Advocate, Colonel Francisco Olive. He was subjected to a gruelling five-day investigation. Rizal was not permitted to confront those who testified against him. 2 kinds of information presented to Rizal: Documentary and Testimonial Documentary evidences: 1. A letter of Antonio Luna to Mariano Ponce (Madrid, October 16, 1888) showing Rizal’s connection with the Filipino reform campaign in Spain. 2. A letter of Rizal to his family (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 (Madrid, January 7, 1889) implicating Rizal in the Propaganda campaign in Spain. 4. A poem entitled Kundiman, allegedly written by Rizal (Manila, September 12, 1891) 5. A letter of Carlos Oliver to an identified person (Barcelona, September 18, 1891) describing Rizal as the man to free the Philippines from Spanish oppression. 6. A Masonic document (Manila, February 9, 1892) honouring Rizal for his patriotic services. 7. A letter signed Dimasalang to Tenluz (Juan Zulueta) (Hong Kong, 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 (Hong Kong, June 1, 1892) soliciting the aid of the committee in the “patriotic work” 9. Anonymous and undated letter to the Editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph, censuring the banishment of Rizal to Dapitan. 10. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal (Manila, September 3, 1892) saying that Filipino people look up to Rizal as their savior. 11. A letter of Rizal Segundo, (Manila September 17, 1893) informing an unidentified correspondent of the arrest and banishment of Doroteo Cortes and Ambrosio Salvador. 12. A letter of M. H. Del Pilar to Do Juan A. Tenluz (Juan Zulueta) (Madrid, June 1, 1893) recommending the establishment of a special organization, independent of Masonry, to help the cause of the Filipino people. 13. Transcript 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 Dr. Rizal! Unity!” 14. Trancript of a speech of Tik-Tik (Jose Turiano Santiago) in the same Katipunan reunion, wherein the katipuneros shouted: “Long live the eminent Dr. Rizal! Death to the oppressor nation!” 15. A poem by Laong Laan, entitled A Talisay, in which the author makes the Dapitan schoolboys sing that they know how to fight for their rights. Testimonial Evidences: Oral testimonies of : Martin Constantino, Aguedo del Rosario, Jose
Reyes, Moises Salvador, Jose Dizon, Domingo Franco, Deodato Arellano, Ambrosio Salvador, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Antonio Salazar, Francisco Quison, and Timoteo Paez. At the conclusion of the preliminary investigation, Colonel Olive transmitted the records of the case to Gov-Gen Ramon Blanco, who in turn, appointed Captain Rafael Dominguez as the Judge Advocate to institute the corresponding action against Rizal. Dominguez made a brief resumé of the charges and returned the papers to Gov-Gen Blanco who thereupon, transmitted them to the Judge Advocate General, Don Nicolas de la Peña, for an option. After studying the papers, Peña submitted the following recommendations: 1. the accused be immediately brought to trial. 2. he should be kept in prison 3. an order of attachment be issued against his properties to the amount of one million pesos as indemnity 4. he should be defended in court by an army officer, not by a civilian lawyer. The only right given to Rizal was to choose his defense counsel. Rizal chose Don Luis Taviel de Andrade. He was the brother of Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade. The charges were read to Rizal. Replies of Rizal: 1. He did not question the jurisdiction of the court. 2. He did nothing to amend, except that since his deportation to Dapitan in 1892 he did not engaged in politics. 3. He did not admit the charges preferred against him. 4. He did not admit the declaration of the witnesses against him. The case of Rizal was referred to Gov-Gen Camilo C. Polavieja (replaced Ramon Blanco).
Decembe r 8, 1896 Decembe r 11, 1896
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Fort Santiago
Rizal wrote a manifesto to his people appealing to them to stop the unnecessary shedding of blood and to achieve their liberties by means of education and industry. Fortunately, for Rizal, Judge Advocate General Nicolas de la Peña recommended to Gov-Gen Polavieja that the manifesto be suppressed. Its publication was prohibited. Rizal was “saved from the shame of his manifesto’s being misinterpreted and disobeyed by the Filipinos in arms” The saddest and last Christmas of Rizal. He wrote to Lt. Taviel de Andrade over his hopeless case. The trial was opened by Judge Advocate Rafael Dominguez who explained the case against Rizal. Atty. Alcocer delivered a long and bitter speech summarizing the charges against Rizal and urged the court to give the verdict of death to the accused. Rizal was accused of 3 crimes: 1. rebellion - penalty: from life imprisonment to death 2. sedition- penalty: from life imprisonment to death 3. illegal association - penalty: correctional imprisonment and a dine of 325 to 3,250 pesetas
Defense Counsel Taviel de Andrade defended Rizal.”The judges cannot be vindictive; the judges can only be just.” Rizal proved his innocence by 12 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 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? 6. It was true he wrote the by-laws of the La Liga Filipina, but this is duly a civic association - not a revolutionary society. 7. The La Liga Filipina did not live long, for after the first meeting he was banished to Dapitan and it died out. 8. If the La Liga Filipina was reorganized nine months later, he did not know about it. 9. The Liga did not serve the purpose of the revolutionists, otherwise they could not have supplemented 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 dispossessed of houses, warehouses, lands, etc., and his brother and all brothers-in-law were deported. 11. His life in Dapitan had been exemplary as the politico-military commander and missionary priests could attest. 12. It was not true that the revolution was inspired by one of his speech at the house of Doroteo Ongjunco, as alleged by witness 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.
Decembe r 28, 1896
The president, Lt. Col. Togores Arjona, considered the trial over and ordered the hall cleared. After a short deliberation, the military court unanimously voted for the sentence of death. The court decision was submitted to Gov-Gen Polavieja Polavieja sought the opinion of Judge Advocate General Nicolas de la Peña on the court decision. Nicolas dela Peña affirmed the death verdict. Gov-Gen Polavieja approved the decision of the court-martial and ordered the execution of Rizal on December 30, 1896 at Bagumbayan by shooting.
