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 agants of injustice in the Philippine
society.

It is understandable, thereof, that in 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
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 May 18,
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 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 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 published in
La Voz Española and Diario de Manila on the day of the execution, 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. Vicente Balaguer. However, the “original” text was
only found in the archdiocesan archives on 18 May 1935, after almost four decades
of disappearance.
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 Illostrious 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 accompanied by his
counsel, Señor taviel de Andrade, and the Jesuit priest Vilaclara. At the urgings of
the former and momentsafter entering, he was served a light breakfast. At
approximately 9, the Assistant of the Plaza Señnor 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
those 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 to 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 ere informed. They entered death row and
together with Rizal signed the document that he accused had written.
At 5 this moring 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 of 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

credence. However, nowhere in the account was Fr. Balaguer mentioned, which
makes the friars 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 in 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 been officially part of the Katipunan, but the Katiouneros showed great appreciation of his
work toward the same goals. Out of the 28 members of the leadership of the Katipunan (known as the
Kataastaasang Sangunian ng Katipunan) from 1892-1896, 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 his meeting with Rizal have been greatly doubted
by many scholars, buit 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
sources. 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 informed Rizal that the revolution could
inevitably break out if the Katipunan ere to be discovered by the Spaniards. Rizal advised Valenzuela that the
Katipunan should first secure that Antonio Luna recruited to direct the military movement of the revolution.