Last Homecoming & Trial

Charges to the accused

 “The principal organizer of the living soul
of the Filipino insurrection, the founder of
societies, periodicals and books dedicated
to fomenting and propagating ideas of
rebellion”.
 Rizal raised no objection on the
jurisdiction of the court but appealed not
guilty to the crime of rebellion.
He admitted the following:
 He wrote the constitution of the La Liga
Filipina which is purely a civic association
 He waived the right to amend or make
further statements already made, except
that he had taken no part in politics since
his exile to Dapitan.
• Withdrawal of Blanco from gubernatorial
office sealed Rizal’s fate
• Polavieja
Rizal’s manifesto to his people
 “Rizal was saved from the shame of his
manifesto’s being misinterpreted and
disobeyed by the Filipinos in arms”
The trial of Rizal
 Proof of Spanish injustice and misrule
 He was considered guilty before the
actual trial.
 It accepted all charges and testimonies
against him and ignored all arguments and
proofs in his favor.
 He was not given the right to face
witnesses against him in open court
The courtroom
 Dr. Rizal – accused
 Lt. Taviel de Andrade – his defense
counsel
 Lt. Enrique de Alcocer – prosecuting
attorney
 The spectators
Rizal’s supplement to his defense
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 was guilty, he could
have escaped in Singapore.
4. If he had a hand in the revolution, he could
have escaped in a 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 Liga
Filipina, but this is only a civic association –
not a revolutionary society
7. The Liga Filipina did not live long, for after
the first meeting he was banished to
Dapitan and it died out.
8. If the Liga was reorganized nine months
later, he did not know about it.
9. The Liga did not serve the purpose of the
revolutionists, otherwise they would not
have supplanted 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 1980 when
his family was being oppressed, being
dispossessed of houses, warehouses, lands,
etc. and his brother and all his brothers-in-
law were deported.
11. His wife in Dapitan had been exemplary as
the politico-military commanders and
missionary priests could attest,

12. It was not true that the revolution was

inspired by his one speech at the house of
Doroteo Ongjunco, as alleged by witnesses
whom he would like to oppose. His friends
knew his opposition to armed rebellion. Why
did the Katipunan send a representative to
Dapitan who was mysterious to him? Because
those who knew him were aware that he
would never endorse any violent movement.
Martyrdom
 His last poem “Pearl of the Orient” in an
article entitled, “Unfortunate Philippines”
published in The Hongkomg Telegraph
- He was serenely resigned to die for his
beloved country
 He wrote letter for his family, Ferdinand
Blumentritt, brother paciano, father,
mother & josephine
 He underwent Death march to
Bagumbayan
 He predicted to die 14 yrs before
 He died aged 35, 5 months and 11 days