GROUP 1 PRESENTATION

Case Study 3: Did Rizal Retract?

Jose Rizal is identified as a hero of the revolution for his writings that
center on ending colonialism and liberating Filipino minds to contrib-
ute to creating the Filipino nation. The great volume of Rizal's life-
work was committed to this end, particularly the more influential
ones, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. His essays vilify not the
Catholic religion, but the friars, the main agents of injustice in the
Philippine society."
It is understandable, therefore, that any piece of writing
from Rizal that recants everything he wrote against the fri-
ars and the Catholic Church in the Philippines could deal
heavy damage to his image as a prominent Filipino revolu-
tionary. Such document purportedly exists, allegedly
signed by Rizal a few hours before his execution. This doc-
ument, referred to as "The Retraction," declares Rizal's be-
lief in the Catholic faith, and retracts everything he wrote
against the Church.
Primary Source: Rizal's Retraction

Source: Translated from the document found by Fr. Manuel Garcia,C.M. on 18 May
1935

I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and educated I
wish to live and die.

I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and con-
duct has been contrary to my character as son of the Catholic Church. I believe and
I confess whatever she teaches and I submit to whatever she demands. I abomi-
nate Masonry, as the enemy which is of the Church, and as a Society prohibited by
the Church. The Diocesan Prelate may, as the Superior Ecclesiastical Authority,
make public this spontaneous manifestation of mine in order to repair the scandal
which my acts may have caused and so that God and people may pardon me.
Manila 29 of December of 1896

Jose Rizal

There are four iterations of the texts of this retraction; the first was pub-
lished in La Voz Española and Diario de Manila on the day of the execu-
tion, 30 December 1896. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, in
the magazine La Juventud, a few months after the execution, 14 February
1897, from an anonymous writer who was later on revealed to be Fr. Vi-
cente Balaguer. However, the "original" text was only found in the arch-
diocesan archives on 18 May 1935, after almost four decades of disap-
pearance.
The Balaguer Testimony

Doubts on the retraction document abound, especially because only one

eyewitness account of the writing of the document exists that of the Je-
suit friar Fr. Vicente Balaguer. According to his testimony, Rizal woke up
several times, confessed four times, attended a Mass, received commu-
nion, and prayed the rosary, all of which seemed out of character. But
since it is the only testimony of allegedly a "primary" account that Rizal
ever wrote a retraction document, it has been used to argue the authen-
ticity of the document.
The Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia

Another eyewitness account surfaced in 2016, through the re-

search of Professor Rene R. Escalante. In his research, docu-
ments of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia included a report on the last
hours of Rizal, written by Federico Moreno. The report details
the statement of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia to Moreno.
Primary Source: Eyewitness Account of the Last Hours of Rizal

Source: Michael Charleston Chua, "Retraction ni Jose Rizal: Mg Bagong

Dokumento at Pananaw," GMA News Online, published 2 December 2016.

Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia stationed it Fort
Santiago to report on the events during the [illegible] day in prison of the
accused Jose Rizal, informs me on this date of the following:

At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his
counsel, Señor Taviel de Andrade, and the Jesuit priest Vilaclara At the urgings
of the former and moments after entering, he was served a light breakfast. At
approximately 9, the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure, asked Rizal if he
wanted anything. He replied that the moment he only wanted a prayer book,
which was brought to him shortly by Father March. at
Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with the Jesuit
fathers, March and Vilaclara, regarding religious matters it seems. It appears that
these two presented him with a prepared retraction on his life and deeds that he
refused to sign. They argued about the matter until 12:30 when Rizal ate some
poached egg and little chicken. Afterwards he asked to leave to write and wrote
for a long time by himself.

At 3 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed him
what he had written. Immediately the chief of the firing squad, Señor del Fresno
and the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure were informed. They entered death
row and together with Rizal signe the document that the accused had written.
At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison-
dressed in mourning. Only the former entered the chapel, followed by
military chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain. Donning his forms
clothes and aided by a soldier of the artillery, the nuptials of Rizal a the
woman who had been his lover were performed at the point of death (in
articulo mortis). After embracing him she left, flooded with tears

This account corroborates the existence of the retraction documen giving

it credence. However, nowhere in the account was Fr. Balagu mentioned,
which makes the friar a mere secondary source to the writing the docu-
ment.
The retraction of Rizal remains to this day, a controversy; many scholars,
however, agree that the document does not tarnish the heroism of Rizal. His
relevance remained solidified to Filipinos and pushed them to continue the
revolution, which eventually resulted in independence in 1898.

Rizal's Connection to the Katipunan is undeniable-in fact, the precursor of the

Katipunan as an organization is the La Liga Filipina, an organization Rizal
founded, with Andres Bonifacio as one of its members. But La Liga Filipina
was short-lived as the Spaniards exiled Rizal to Dapitan. Former members de-
cided to hand together to establish the Katipunan a few days after Rizal's exile
on 7 July 1892.
Rizal may not have been officially part of the Katipunan,
but the Katipuneros showed great appreciation of his
work toward the same goals. Out of the 28 members of
the leadership of the Katipunan (known as the Kataas-
taasang Sanggunian ng Katipunan) from 1892 to 1896,
13 were former members of La Liga Filipina. Katipuneros
even used Rizal's name as a password.
In 1896, the Katipuneros decided to inform Rizal of their plans to launch the
revolution, and sent Pio Valenzuela to visit Rizal in Dapitan. Valenzuela's ac-
counts of his meeting with Rizal have been greatly doubted by many scholars,
but according to him. Rizal objected to the plans, saying that doing so would
be tantamount to suicide since it would be difficult to fight the Spaniards who
had the advantage of military resources. He added that the leaders of the
Katipunan must do everything they could to prevent the spilling of Filipino
blood. Valenzuela informed Rizal that the revolution could inevitably break out
if the Katipunan were to be discovered by the Spaniards. Rizal advised Valen-
zuela that the Katipunan should first secure the support of wealthy Filipinos to
strengthen their cause, and suggested that Antonio Luna be recruited to direct
the military movement of the revolution.
Case Study 4: Where Did the Cry of Rebellion Happen?

Momentous events swept the Spanish colonies in the late

nineteenth century, including the Philippines. Journalists of
the time referred to the phrase "El Grito de Rebelion" or "Cry
of Rebellion" to mark the start of these revolutionary events,
identifying the places where it happened. In the Philippines,
this happened in August 1896, northeast of Manila, where
they declared rebellion against the Spanish colonial govern-
ment. These events
are important markers in the history of colonies that struggled for their
independence against their colonizers.
The controversy regarding this event stems from the identification of the date
and place where the Cry happened. Prominent Filipino historias Teodoro Ag-
oncillo emphasizes the event when Bonifacio tore the cedula or tax receipt
before the Katipuneros who also did the same. Some writers identified the
first military event with the Spaniards as the moment of the Cry, for which,
Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an "Himno de Balintawak to inspire the re-
newed struggle after the Pact of the Biak-na-Bato failed. A monument to the
Heroes of 1896 was erected in what is now the intersection of Epifanio de los
Santos (EDSA) Avenue and Andres Bonifacio Drive-North Diversion road, and
from then on until 1962, the Cry of Balintawak was celebrated every 26th of
August. The site of the monument was chosen for an unknown reason
Different Dates and Places of the Cry

Various accounts of the Cry give different dates and places. A guardia civil, Lt.
Olegario Diaz, identified the Cry to have happened in Balintawak on 25 August
1896. Teodoro Kalaw, Filipino historian, marks the place to be in Kangkong,
Balintawak, on the last week of August 1896. Santiago Alvarez, a Katipunero
and son of Mariano Alvarez, leader of the Magdiwang faction in Cavite, put
the Cry in Bahay Toro in Quezon City on 24 August 1896 Pio Valenzuela,
known Katipunero and privy to many events concerning the Katipunan stated
that the Cry happened in Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896. Historian Gregorio
Zaide identified the Cry to have happened in Balintawak on 26 August 1896,
while Teodoro Agoncillo put it at Pugal Lawin on 23 August 1896, according to
statements by Pio Valenzuela Research by historians Milagros Guerrero, Em-
manuel Encarnacion, and Ramon Villegas claimed that the event took place in
Tandang Sora's barn in Gulod, Barangay Banlat, Quezon City, on 24 August
1896,
Primary Source: Accounts of the Cry

Guillermo Masangkay Source: Guillermo Masangkay. "Cry of Balintawak" in

Gregorio Zaid and Sonia Zaide. Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Vol-
ume8 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 307-309.

On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolo-
nio Samson, then cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who at -
tended, I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas
Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and
Francisco Carreon. They were all leaders of the Katipunan and composed the
board of directors of the organization. Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan,
Cavite, and Morong were also present.
At about nine o'clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened
with Andres Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary. The
purpose was to discuss when the uprising was to take place. Teodoro Plata,
Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the revolution
too early... Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion
then, left the session hall and talked to the people, who were waiting outside
for the result of the meeting of the leaders. He told the people that the
leaders were arguing against starting the revolution early, and appealed to
them in a fiery speech in which he said: "You remember the fate of our
countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the
towns, the Spaniards will only shoot us. Our organization has been discovered
and we are all marked men. If we don't start the uprising, the Spaniards will
get us anyway. What then, do you say?"

"Revolt!" the people shouted as one.

Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. He
told them that the sign of slavery of the Filipinos were (sic) the cedula tax
charged each citizen. "If it is true that you are ready to revolt... I want to see you
destroy your cedulas. It will be a sign that all of us have declared our severance
from the Spaniards."

Source: Pio Valenzuela, "Cry of Pugad Lawin," in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide,
Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8 (Manila: National Book
Store, 1990), 301-302.

The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio,
Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five ar-
riving there on August 19, and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where some
500 members of the Katipunan met on August 22, 1896, was the house and
yard of Apolonio Samson Pio Valenzuela at kangkong.
Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those who were there were
Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and oth-
ers. Here, views were only exchanged, and no resolution was debated or
adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos,
son of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and
carried out considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1896. The discus-
sion was on whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government
should be started on August 29, 1896... After the tumultuous meeting, many of
those present tore their cedula certificates and shouted "Long live the Philip-
pines! Long live the Philippines!"
From the eyewitness accounts presented, there is indeed marked
disagreement among historical witnesses as to the place and time of the
occurrence of the Cry. Using primary and secondary sources, four places
have been identified: Balintawak, Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and Bahay Toro,
while the dates vary: 23, 24, 25, or 26 August 1896.

Valenzuela's account should be read with caution: He once told a Spanish in-
vestigator that the "Cry" happened in Balintawak on Wednesday, 26 August
1896. Much later, he wrote in his Memoirs of the Revolution that it hap-
pened at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896. Such inconsistencies in accounts
should always be seen as a red flag when dealing with primarysource
According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and Villegas, all
these places are in Balintawak, then part of Caloocan,
now, in Quezon City. As for the dates, Bonifacio and his
troops may have been moving from one place to another
to avoid being located by the Spanish government, which
could explain why there are several accounts of the Cry.
"MARAMING THANKYOU SA PAKIKINIG,SANA MAGING
HAPPY KAYO DAHIL ANG HAPPY AY MASAYA"

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MWAU"

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SAMIN WALANG HALONG SIPSIP SINGHOT MERON"