THE EXECUTION OF A HERO:
DR. JOSE P. RIZAL
7:15 A.M. - Rizal asked
9:00 A.M. - Fr. Federico
December 29, 1896 Fr. Viza for the Sacred Faura, who once said
Heart statuette which that Rizal would lose
(6:00AM) – Judge Advocate
Dominguez read the official he carved when he his head for writing the
notice of Dr. Rizal’s death was an Ateneo Noli Me Tangere,
penalty and execution on
him.
student. From his arrived. Rizal told him,
pocket the statuette “Father you are
appears indeed a prophet.”
7:00AM, he was transferred 8:00 A.M - Fr. Viza was
from his prison cell to the relieved by Fr. Antonio
prison chapel where he Rosell who joined Rizal
stayed till six thirty in the for breakfast. Lt. Luis
morning , ,his first visitors were Taviel de Andrade joins
Jesuit priests Fathers Miguel
them
Saderra Mata and Luis Viza.
3:00 P.M.- According to an
account of the agent of the
December 29, 1896 Cuerpo de Vigilancia guarding 6:00 P.M. - Rizal was
Rizal’s cell, Rizal signed what
visited by the Dean of
10:00 A.M. - Fathers José the Manila Cathedral,
seems to be the document
Vilaclara and Estanislao
March visited Rizal, followed
retracting his anti-Catholic Don Silvino Lopez
writings and his membership in Tuñon. Father March
by a Spanish journalist,
masonry. This event is a left Father Vilaclara to
Santiago Mataix of El
contentious issue among Rizal
Heraldo de Madrid, for an be with the two.
interview. experts.
.
4:00 P.M. - Visit of Rizal’s mother, Teodora Alonso.
Then Rizal’s sister Trinidad entered to get her mother
and Rizal whispered to her in English referring to the
12:00nn-3:00pm – he wrote his alcohol stove, “There is something inside.” They
his last poem, Mi Ultimo Adios, were also accompanied by Narcisa, Lucia, Josefa,
inserted and hid it inside an Maria and son Mauricio Cruz. Leoncio Lopez Rizal,
alcohol cooking stove. Gave Narcisa’s eleven-year-old son, was not allowed to
it to Trinidad enter the cell. While leaving for their carriages, an
official handed over the alcohol stove to Narcisa.
After their visit, Fathers Vilaclara and Estanislao
March returned to the cell followed by Father
Rosell.
The Old Lamp given to Mi Ultimo Adios
Trinidad
29 December, 8:00 PM
➢ Rizal’s
last supper where he informed Captain
Dominguez that he already forgave those who
condemned him.
29 December, 9:30 PM
➢ Rizalwas visited by the fiscal of the Royal
Audiencia of Manila, Don Gaspar Cestaño with
whom Rizal offered the best chair of the cell.
According to accounts, the fiscal left with “a good
impression of Rizal’s intelligence and noble
character.”
Other activities of Rizal
❖ signing of the
retraction
paper
(disputed)
Other activities of Rizal
❖ The writing of his last 3 letters, one for
Paciano, the other is for Blumentritt,
and the last one is for his parents
❖ Read Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity,
Aceptacion de la Muerte, and signing
page 49 of the said prayer book
❖ Kneeling before the chapel altar, with
rosary in hand
❖ Confession to Fr. Villaclara three times
❖ Gives a wedding gift, Imitacion de
Cristo, to Josephine Bracken with the
following dedication: “To my dear and
unhappy wife, Josephine. December
30 December, 5:00 AM
➢ Teary-eyed Josephine Bracken and Josefa Rizal
came. According to the testimony of the agent of
the Cuerpo de Vigilancia, Josephine and Rizal
were married. Josephine was gifted by Rizal with
the classic Thomas á Kempis book Imitations of
Christ in which he inscribed, “To my dear and
unhappy wife, Josephine, December 30th, 1896,
Jose Rizal.” They embraced for the last time.
30 December, 5:30 AM
➢ Rizaltook his last meal. According to stories told
to Narcisa by Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, Rizal
threw some eggs in the corner of a cell for the
“poor rats,” “Let them have their fiesta too.”
Rizal also wrote to his family and to his brother.
30 December, 6:00 AM
➢ Rizal wrote his father, Francisco Mercado “My
beloved Father, Pardon me for the pain with
which I repay you for sorrows and sacrifices for my
education. I did not want nor did I prefer it.
Goodbye, Father, goodbye… Jose Rizal.” To his
mother, he had only these words, “To my very
dear Mother, Sra. Dña Teodora Alonso 6 o’clock
in the morning, December 30, 1896. Jose Rizal.”
30 December, 6:30 AM
➢ Death march from Fort Santiago to
Bagumbayan begins. 4 soldiers with bayoneted
rifles lead the procession followed by Rizal, Taviel
de Andrade, Fathers Vilaclara and March and
other soldiers. They passed by the Intramuros
plaza, then turned right to the Postigo gate then
left at Malecon, the bayside road now known as
Bonifacio Drive.
30 December, 7:00 AM
➢ Rizal,after arriving on the execution site at the
Luneta de Bagumbayan, was checked with his
pulse by Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo. It was perfectly
normal. Rizal once wrote, “I wish to show those
who deny us patriotism that we know how to die
for our duty and our convictions.”
30 December, 7:03 AM
➢ “Preparen.” “Apunten.” Rizal shouted,
“Consummatum est.” It is done.
➢ With the captain shouting “Fuego!” Shouts rang
out from the guns of eight indio soldiers. Rizal,
being a convicted criminal was not facing the
firing squad. As he was hit, he resists and turns
himself to face his executors. He falls down, and
dies facing the sky.
Rizal wore:
- an elegant black suit
- black tie
- white vest
- black hat
- black shoes
The Execution of Dr. Jose Rizal
A few minutes before seven on the
morning of December 30, Dr. Jose Rizal
walked from Fort Santiago to
Bagumbayan Field (now the Luneta).
His arms were tied behind his back.
Beside him walked Lt. Luis de Andrade,
who had defended him in the trial,
Fathers Vilaclara and March. Before
and behind him were soldiers.
His last words were those of Jesus Christ:
“consummatum est”,--it is finished.
Then Roll of drums and a volley of artillery accompany
the firing of the soldiers.
And even at the moment of his fall, Rizal turns his body
so that he ends up lying on his back, with his face to the
sun.
While the Filipinos see the execution in enraged silence,
calls of "Viva España!" resound thunderously.
Rizal was secretly buried in Paco
Cemetery in Manila with no
identification on his grave.
His sister Narcisa toured all possible
gravesites and found freshly turned
earth at the cemetery with guards
posted at the gate.
she made a gift to the caretaker to
mark the site "RPJ", Rizal's initials in
reverse.
END of Rizal’s Life
