Trial of RizalJoshua De Guzman

I will discuss the following: Arguments on Rizal Defense of Rizal Sentenced to Rizal

Preliminary Investigation November 20, 1896 Rizal appeared to Colonel Francisco

Olive. Rizal was questioned by Col. Olive but

he was not permitted to confront witnesses who testified against him.

Preliminary Investigation Two kinds of evidence presented against

Rizal: Documentary Testimonial

Documentary Evidences1. A letter from Antonio Luna to Mariano

Ponce dated Oct. 16, 1888, Madrid.2. A letter of Rizal to his family dated

Aug. 20, 1890, Madrid.3. A letter from M.H. Del Pilar to Deodato

Arellano dated Jan 7, 1889, Madrid4. A poem entitled “Kundiman” allegedly

written by Rizal.

KundimanTunay ngayong umid yaring dila't pusoSinta'y umiilag, tuwa'y lumalayo,Bayan palibhasa'y lupig at sumukoSa kapabayaan ng nagturong puno.

Datapuwa't muling sisikat ang araw,Pilit maliligtas ang inaping bayan,Magbabalik mandin at muling iiralAng ngalang Tagalog sa sandaigdigan.

Ibubuhos namin ang dugo't babahaMatubos nga lamang ang sa amang lupaHabang di ninilang panahong tadhana,Sinta'y tatahimik, iidlip ang nasa.

Documentary Evidences5. A letter of Carlos Oliver to an unidentified

person, Sept. 18, 1891.6. A Masonic document dated Feb. 9, 1892.7. A letter signed “Dimasalang” to Ten Luz

(Juan Zulueta) dated May 24, 1892, H.K.8. A letter signed Dimasalang to

unidentified committee dated June 1, 1892, Hong Kong.

Documentary Evidence9. An anonymous and undated letter to

the Editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph.10. A letter of Ildefonso Laurel to Rizal,

dated Sept. 3, 1892.11. A letter of Rizal Segundo, dated Sept.

17, 1893.12. A letter to M.H. Del Pilar to Juan A.

Tenluz

Documentary Evidence13. A transcript of the speech of Pinkian

(Emilio Jacinto) in a meeting of the Katipunan on July 23, 1893.

14. Transcript of a speech Tik-Tol (Jose Turiano Santiago) during the same Katipunan meeting.

15. A poem by Laon Laan (Rizal) entitled A Talisay.

Testimonial Evidences1. Martin Constantino2. Aguedo del Rosario3. Jose Reyes4. Moises Salvador5. Jose Dizon6. Pio Valenzuela7. Ambrosio Savador8. Francisco Quison9. Timoteo Paez10. Deodato Arellano11. Pedro Serrano Laktaw12. Antonio Salazar13. Domingo Franco

Peña’s Recommendations: Rizal must be immediately sent to trial He must be held in prison under

necessary security His properties must be issued with order

of attachment, and as indemnity, Rizal had to pay one million pesos

Instead of a civilian lawyer, only an army officer is allowed to defend Rizal.

Rizal’s Defender Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade

1st Lieutenant of the Artillery, brother of Jose Taviel de Andrade, the bodyguard of Rizal.

Rizal’s Arraignment December 11, 1896

Charged with the crime of rebellion, and the formation of illegal associations.

Rizal replied that: He does not question the jurisdiction of the court He has nothing to amend except that during his

exile in Dapitan in 1892, he had not dealt in political matters;

He has nothing to admit on the charges against him He had nothing to admit on the declarations of the

witnesses, he had not met nor knew, against him.

On December 13, 1896…

While in Detention Rizal released a manifesto that he

denounces the revolution and condemned Katipunan for using his name without his permission.

Actual Trial December 26, 1896

@Hall of Banners of the Cuartel de España

He was accused of 3 crimes: rebellion, sedition, illegal associations.

Penalty: Life imprisonment-death for rebellion and sedition, correctional imprisonment and a fine of 325 to 3250 pesetas for illegal association.

Defense of Rizal As testified by Pio Valenzuela, Rizal was against rebellion He had not written a letter addressed to the Katipunan

comprising revolutionary elements Without his knowledge, his name was used by the Katipunan; if

he really was guilty, he could have escaped while he was in Singapore

If he was guilty, he should have left the country while in exile; he shouldn't have built a home, bought a parcel of land or established a hospital in Dapitan.

If he was really the leader of the revolution, the revolutionists should have consulted him.

He did not deny that he wrote the by-laws of the La Liga Filipina, but to make things clear, the organization was a civic association, not a revolutionary society.

Defense of Rizal After the first meeting of La Liga, the association banished

because of his exile in Dapitan, thus, did not last long. If the La Liga was reorganized nine months later, he had no idea

about it If the La Liga had a revolutionary purpose, then Katipunan

should not have been organized. If the Spanish authorities found his letters having bitter

atmosphere, it was because in 1890 his family was being persecuted resulting to their dispossession of properties and deportation of all his brothers-in-law.

He lived an exemplary life in Dapitan – the politico-military commanders and missionary priests in the province could attest to that.

If according to witnesses the speech he delivered at Doroteo Ongjunco's house had inspired the revolution, then he want to confront these persons. If he really was for the revolution, then why did the Katipunan sent an unfamiliar emissary to him in Dapitan? It is so because all his friends were aware that he never advocated violence.

December 28, 1896 Polavieja approved the decision of the

court-martial and ordered Rizal to be shot at 7:00 o’clock in the morning of December 30 at Bagumbayan Field