Chapter 5

Rizal’s Exile, Trial, and Death

I. Exile, Rizal was sent to Dapitan

Reasons Rizal was sent to Dapitan
 He published books and articles abroad that shows disloyalty to Spain, anti-
Catholic, and anti-friar
 He was accused that the novel “El Filibusterismo” was dedicated to the three
priest (GomBurZa) which was proven traitors against Spain.
 He was also believed to be an advocate of separation from Spanish for “El
Fili” contained an inscription written by Bluementritt stating that “Filipino,
there is no salvation except through separation from the Mother country.”
 He was also charged for seeking to “de-catholicize” Philippines.

Rizal’s Arrival in Dapitan

On July 15, 1892, aboard a steamer from Cebu, Rizal sailed to Dapitan. He
arrived at Dapitan at July 17 1892 at 7 in the evening.Captain Delgra handed Rizal to
Don Ricardo Carcinero who was the Spanish commandant of Dapitan.

Rizal could live under the parish convent under the following conditions:
Dapitan is a province in Zamboanga Del Norte, Mindanao

 Rizal publicly retract his errors concerning religion, and make statements
that were clearly pro-Spanish and against revolution.
 That he perform church rites and make a general confession of his past
life.
 He conduct himself as a model for Spanish subject and man of religion.

Important Individuals Rizal met During Exile

Don Ricardo Carcinero

Rizal lived with Don Ricardo Carcinero’s house for him to oversee Rizal’s
activities. Rizal admired the kind, generous Don Ricardo even though he is a Spanish
captain. During his exile, Rizal became close with Captain Ricardo Carnicero for
allowing him to roam the place on the condition that Rizal will relay his activities in his
office once a week. In return, Don Ricardo sent good reports regarding Rizal to Gov.
Despujol. As a gift to Captain Carnicero, Rizal wrote a poem entitled, “A Don Ricardo
Carnicero” on August 26, 1892.
 Marie Josephine Leopoldine Bracken

Josephine Bracken together with her step father Mr. Taufer arrived at Dapitan
at 14th of March 1894 in search for cure for Mr. Taufer’s blinding eye illness.
Rizal fell in love with Josephine Bracken which lead to Rizal asking for her
hand in marriage.
They applied for marriage while in Dapitan however it was denied by Padre
Obach unless Rizal was willing to retract his anti-friar views.
Their love for each other bloomed and resulted to Josephine Bracken getting
pregnant. However, it was born prematurely and died few hours after birth.
Family of Rizal wasn’t really supportive and in fact was ashamed of Rizal’s live-in
relationship with Josephine as for them it’s considered a “sin” to live together without
the blessings of marriage.
Josephine was married to Rizal few hours before his death at Bagumbayan
on Dec. 30, 1896. Josephine was only 20 years old during that time. This marriage
spiked a controversy about its authenticity, as there was no legal document that
testifies its occurrence.
Pio Valenzuela

Pio arrived at Dapitan on June 15, 1896. He was a member of the Katipunan
seeking advice from Rizal regarding the upcoming revolution. However, according
also to Pio Valenzuela that Rizal opposed the armed rebellion for it was premature.

Life of Rizal in Dapitan

In Dapitan, he continued his medicine, research and continued his talent in

sculpture, painting, sketching and poetry writing. He put up a school for boys and
introduced projects for the community. As a gift to Captain Carnicero, Rizal wrote a
poem entitled, “A Don Ricardo Carnicero” on August 26, 1892.
Rizal helped the people of Dapitan with their livelihood — he did farming and
business and even invented a wooden equipment in making bricks. On September 21,
1892, Rizal together with Carnicero and another Spaniard, won a lottery ticket. The
amount given to him as his share was P6,200. Part of his share was used to buy a
land
in Talisay. He built a house, a clinic and a school within the area. He sent letters to
Blumentritt, narrating his daily activities in Dapitan: He wrote poems, performed
operation on his mother’s eyes, and studied on medicinal plants of Dapitan to be
prescribed to his patients.
That time, Rizal had been known to be one of the best ophthalmologist. Upon
hearing this, George Tauffer who had an eye ailment, together with her adopted
daughter, Josephine Bracken, traveled from Hong Kong to Dapitan. Rizal developed
an attraction with Josephine and soon, they became husband and wife even if it was
against Father Obach and both their relatives.
 Another project of Rizal for Dapitan was the creation of a big map of Mindanao
at the plaza to be used for geography class. He explained the position of Dapitan to
the town people in relation to other places in Mindanao. With the help of Rizal’s
students, he invented a water system that gave the town people water for their drinking
and irrigation. He also helped the people in putting-up lamp posts in every corner of
the town.
When revolution commenced in Manila in 1896, Dr. Pio Valenzuela together
with Raymundo Mata, a blind man, visited Rizal in Dapitan to narrate to him the
founding of Katipunan and its plan for revolution. For awhile, Rizal sent letters to
Governor General Ramon Blanco from 1894 to 1895. He wanted his case be reviewed
so Blumentriit proposed that Rizal may offer his services as a surgeon to the Spanish
government in Cuba to end his exile. That time, Cuba was also a colony of Spain and
was raged by a yellow-fever epidemic. On July 30,1896, Governor-General Ramon
Blanco granted Rizal’s request to go to Cuba. Rizal left Manila, embarked the steamer
España and on September 3, 1896 he went to Barcelona boarded the steamer Isla de
Panay. When he at the port, Governor-General Despujol told Rizal that there was a
command to return him back to Manila. Rizal was arrested while on his trip at the
Mediterranean Sea. He was put into prison in Barcelona, Spain and was brought back
to the Philippines. Safely guarded while on the way from Barcelona to Manila, Rizal
reached the capital on November 3,1896 and was soon brought to be imprisoned at
Fort Santiago.

II. Trial

On November 20, 1896, the assigned Judge to summon Rizal was Colonel
Francisco Olive, an Advocate of the Spanish military tribunal. The preliminary
investigation began, and a five-day investigation was conducted. He was blamed for
being the leader of the revolution by increasing the people’s ideas about rebellion and
making illegal organizations. As expected, Rizal was not given the chance to
interrogate
his witnesses. He was only allowed to choose his lawyer from a list of young Spanish
officers who were not into law. He chose Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, who was the
bodyguard of Rizal when he first came home. There were two kinds of evidences
presented to him during the investigation: documentary and testimonial. There were
fifteen documents against Rizal and ten witnesses for testimonial. All efforts were
made
by Lt. Taviel de Andrade to defend Rizal of his innocence but as obvious as it may
have
seemed, Rizal was still found guilty.

Note that Rizal cited twelve points to prove his innocence:

1. Rizal was against rebellion as testified by Pio Valenzuela.
2. No letter consisting of revolutionary elements was addressed to the Katipunan
was
written
3. Without his consent, the Katipunan used his name as one of the passwords.
4. If he was guilty, he could have left the country while in exile; he would not have
built a
home, and would not have bought a parcel of alnd to put up a hospital in Dapitan.
5. The revolutionists could have consulted him if he was the leader.
6. He did not deny that he wrote the by-laws of the Liga Filipina, but to make things
clear, it is a different organization from Katipunan. The former being a civic
association
and the latter being a revolutionary society.
7. After the first meeting of the Liga, the association banished because of his exile in
Dapitan and it did not last long.
8. He had no idea, that the Liga was reorganized nine months after.
9. If the Liga had a revolutionary purpose, then Katipunan should not have been
founded.
10. If the Spanish authorities found his letters offending, it was because in 1890, his
family has been persecuted.
11. He lived a good life in Dapitan – the politico military commander and missionary
priest in the province could attest to it.
12. The witnesses said that if the speech delivered at Doroteo Ongjunco’s house had
inspired the revolution, he should be given a chance to confront these persons. If he
was in the revolution, the Katipunan should not have sent an unfamiliar emissary to
him
in Dapitan. For this, his friends knew that he never promoted violence.

RIZAL’S REMAINING DAYS AND THE LAST FAREWELL

When Rizal heard the court decision, he knew that there will be no chance of
changing his fate. At six o’ clock in the morning of December 29, 1896, Captain Rafael
Dominguez, read him the official notice of his execution. Rizal spent his last hours by
going to the prison chapel. His mother and sisters visited him on the same day. He
then
gave them his remaining possessions, reached out for the gas lamp and gave it to his
sister, Trinidad and carefully whispered, “There is something inside.” Then Trinidad
and
his sister Maria got a copy of Rizal’s last poem from the lamp. Unfortunately, it was
said
that on his last days that Rizal was not allowed to embrace his mother.
He took time to write his last letter to his best friend Bluementrit. The last poem
he composed was the longest he ever written, it was entitled “Mi Ultimo Adios” or My
Last Farewell.
 My Last Farewell

Farewell, dear Fatherland, clime of the sun caress'd

Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!,
Gladly now I go to give thee this faded life's best,
And were it brighter, fresher, or more blest
Still would I give it thee, nor count the cost.
On the field of battle, 'mid the frenzy of fight,
Others have given their lives, without doubt or heed;
The place matters not-cypress or laurel or lily white,
Scaffold or open plain, combat or martyrdom's plight,
T is ever the same, to serve our home and country's need.
I die just when I see the dawn break,
Through the gloom of night, to herald the day;
And if color is lacking my blood thou shalt take,
Pour'd out at need for thy dear sake
To dye with its crimson the waking ray.
My dreams, when life first opened to me,
My dreams, when the hopes of youth beat high,
Were to see thy lov'd face, O gem of the Orient sea
From gloom and grief, from care and sorrow free;
No blush on thy brow, no tear in thine eye.
Dream of my life, my living and burning desire,
All hail ! cries the soul that is now to take flight;
All hail ! And sweet it is for thee to expire ;
To die for thy sake, that thou mayst aspire;
And sleep in thy bosom eternity's long night.
If over my grave some day thou seest grow,
In the grassy sod, a humble flower,
Draw it to thy lips and kiss my soul so,
While I may feel on my brow in the cold tomb below
The touch of thy tenderness, thy breath's warm power.
Let the moon beam over me soft and serene,
Let the dawn shed over me its radiant flashes,
Let the wind with sad lament over me keen ;
And if on my cross a bird should be seen,
Let it trill there its hymn of peace to my ashes.
Let the sun draw the vapors up to the sky,
And heavenward in purity bear my tardy protest
Let some kind soul o 'er my untimely fate sigh,
And in the still evening a prayer be lifted on high
From thee, 0 my country, that in God I may rest.
Pray for all those that hapless have died,
For all who have suffered the unmeasur'd pain;
For our mothers that bitterly their woes have cried,
For widows and orphans, for captives by torture tried
And then for thyself that redemption thou mayst gain.
And when the dark night wraps the graveyard around
 With only the dead in their vigil to see
Break not my repose or the mystery profound
And perchance thou mayst hear a sad hymn resound
'T is I, O my country, raising a song unto thee.
And even my grave is remembered no more
Unmark'd by never a cross nor a stone
Let the plow sweep through it, the spade turn it o'er
That my ashes may carpet earthly floor,
Before into nothingness at last they are blown.
Then will oblivion bring to me no care
As over thy vales and plains I sweep;
Throbbing and cleansed in thy space and air
With color and light, with song and lament I fare,
Ever repeating the faith that I keep.
My Fatherland ador'd, that sadness to my sorrow lends
Beloved Filipinas, hear now my last good-by!
I give thee all: parents and kindred and friends
For I go where no slave before the oppressor bends,
Where faith can never kill, and God reigns e'er on high!
Farewell to you all, from my soul torn away,
Friends of my childhood in the home dispossessed !
Give thanks that I rest from the wearisome day !
Farewell to thee, too, sweet friend that lightened my way;
Beloved creatures all, farewell! In death there is rest !

Rizal had his last supper in the evening of December 29, 1896. At that time, he
said to Captain Dominguez that he has already forgiven his enemies including thosewho
wanted him dead. At three in the morning on the day of his execution, he prayed and
confessed his sins in the chapel. At exactly 5:30 in the morning, he had his last breakfast
of three hard boiled eggs. After breakfast, he singed some memorabilia including religious
pictures and books, some of which he gave to his mother and sister, To his wife
Josephine, he gave the Imitacion de Cristo as a gift.
He once again wrote a letter to his family, sisters and brother that said:

To my family, I ask you for forgiveness for the pain I cause you, but some day I
shall have to die and it is better that I die now in the plentitude of my conscience.
Dear parents and brothers: give thanks to God that I may preserve my tranquility
before my death. I die resigned, hoping that with my death you will be left in peace. Ah! It
is better to die han to live suffering. Console yourselves.
I enjoin you to forgive one another the little meanness of life and try to live united
in peace and good harmony. Treat your old parents as you would like to be treated by
your children later. Love them very much in my memory.
 Bury me in the ground. Place a stone and a cross over it. My name, the date of my
birth and of my death. Nothing more. If later you wish to surround my grave with a fence,
you can do it. No anniversaries. I prefer Paang Bundok.
Have pity on poor Josephine.
My Dear Brother, It is now four and a half years since we have seen one another,
or have we exchanged letters. This I think is not because of any lack of love on my part
or yours, but because, knowing one another so well, we do not need to talk in order to be
understood by one another.

Now I am about to die, and it is to you I dedicate my last line, to tell you how sorry
I am to leave you alone in this life, burdened with the weight of the family and of our old
parents. I am hinking how hard you have work to give me a career; I have tried not to
waste my time. My brother, if the fruit been bitter, it is not my fault, but the fault of
circumstances. I know that you have suffered much for me, and I am sorry.
I assure you, brother, that I die innocent of this crime of rebellion. That my former
writings may have contributed toward it, I cannot wholly deny; but then, I thought I had
expiated for the pass in my deportation.
Tell our father that I remember him, and how much! I remember his affection and
his love
since my earliest childhood. Ask him to forgive me for the pain I have unwillingly caused
him.
(Signed)
Jose Rizal

III. Death
Wearing a black suit, black pants, black bowler hat, and white shirt with his arms
tied behind his back, Rizal walked to Bagumbayan at 6:30 in the morning of December
30, 1896. He walked along with his defense lawyer, Andrade, and two Jesuit priests,
March and Vilaclara. In front of them were the advance guard of armed soldiers and
behind them were another group of military men. The sound of a trumpet signaled the
start of the death march and the muffled sound of drums served as the musical score of
the walk.
People were lined up in the streets, some were sympathetic to him, others,
especially the Spaniards, wanted nothing less than to see him die. Some observed that
his family or the katipuneros would make a last minute effort to sprint him from the trap
Prior to his death, it was believed that Rizal has managed to remain calm.
Spectators said Rizal acknowledged the familiar faces in the crowd by nodding his head
from left and right. Some people even saw that Rizal smiled from time to time.
At the time of his death, Rizal refused to kneel and declined the traditional blindfold.
Maintaining that he was not a traitor to his country and to Spain, Rizal then turned his
back to the firing squad but requested that he be shot not in the head, but in the small of
the back instead. When agreement has been reached, Rizal shook the hand of his
defense lawyer. The military physician asked permission to feel the pulse of the man who
had only a few minutes to live and the doctor was startled to find it normal. Before leaving
Rizal in his appointed place, the priests offered him a crucifix to kiss, but he turned his
head away and silently prepared for his death. When the command had been given, the
executioners’ guns barked at once. Rizal yelled Christ’s two words, “Consummatum est!”
(It is finished!) simultaneously with his final effort to twist his bullet-pieced body halfway
around.
Silence was all over. Unfortunately, the Captain did not keep his words about the
request made by Rizal of not shooting his head, but one of his men came near to the
body and gave Rizal “coup de grace” or the mercy shot in the head to make sure that
Rizal is dead.
The Spaniards shouted, “Viva Espana! Muerte a los Traidores!” But the crowd
did not respond. To break the ice, the military band played “Marcha de Cadiz,” and so
they cheered.