GE 2-Readings in

Philippine History

Module 8

GODOFREDO P. CALMANTE
Instructor
 I. Overview

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 contribute to
creating the Filipino nation. The great volume of Rizal's lifework 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 friars and the Catholic Church in the Philippines could deal heavy damage to his image as a
prominent Filipino revolutionary. Such document purportedly exists, allegedly signed by Rizal a few hours
before his execution. This document, referred to as "The Retraction," declares Rizal's belief in the Catholic
faith, and retracts everything he wrote against the Church.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of the week, you will be able to:

[Link] and
Self-Assessment
Activities(SAA)

Primary Source: Rizal's Retraction

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 conduct 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 abominate 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:

• First Retraction File- published in La Voz Española and Diario de Manila on the day of the execution, 30
December 1896.
• Second Retraction File- 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. Vicente
Balaguer.
• Third Retraction File- "original" text was discovered in the archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935.
• Fourth Retraction File- appeared in El Imparcial on the day after Rizal's execution.

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 Jesuit friar Fr. Vicente Balaguer. According to his testimony, Rizal woke
up several times, confessed four times, attended a Mass, received communion, 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 authenticity of the document.
The Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia

Another eyewitness account surfaced in 2016, through the research of Professor Rene R. Escalante. In
his research, documents 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: Mga Bagong Dokumento at Pananaw," GMA
News Online, published 29 December 2016.

Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia stationed in 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 accomoanied 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 at the moment he only wanted a prayer book, which was brought to him shortly by
Father March.

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 a 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 signed 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 a military chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain. Donning his formal clothes and aided by a
soldier of the artillery, the nuptials od Rizal and 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 document, giving it credence. However, nowhere
in the account was Fr. Balaguer mentioned, which makes the friar a mere secondary source to the writing of
the document.

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 decided to band 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 accounts of his meeting with Rizal have been greatly doubted by many scholars, but according to him, Rizal have been objected
to the plans, saying that doing such 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 Valenzuela 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.
 IV. Summary/Key
Points

Please visit:

[Link]
at-pananaw/story/

V. End of Module
Assessment (EMA)

To be submitted on November 7...

Tell if the following statements are True or False. (5points) Then, explain why you say so. (2points)

1. Jose Rizal's essays go against the Catholic faith.

2. There is no doubt that Rizal retracted his writings to be able to marry Josephine Bracken.

VI. Looking Ahead

Have an advance research/study about our last case study, "Where Did the Cry of Rebellion Happen?"

VII. Self and Module

Rate your learning experience in using this module according to the following scale.

Put a check mark on your response.

 4 – I learned a lot from this module.

Candelaria, J.L.P., & Alporha V.C. (2018). Readings in Philippine History. Rex Book Store

[Link]
pananaw/story/