A friend from schooldays recently asked for my opinion on an article titled “If Rizal were alive, he’d visit his old Jesuit mentors here” published in another newspaper. The article explicitly discussed the controversy surrounding Rizal’s alleged retraction and the role of a former Jesuit teacher in persuading him to retract. According to reports, this teacher brought along a statue of the Sacred Heart, believed to be carved by Jose Rizal during his time at Ateneo.
The Jesuit reminisced about his education at the Ateneo and its significance to him as he approaches the end of his life. I informed my friend that he had chosen the wrong person to approach, as even if it were proven that a retraction occurred, I would still be curious about the motives behind the Jesuits’ efforts to prompt it. I would have titled it differently, posing a question: “If Rizal were alive today, would he have visited his former Jesuit mentors here?” This approach might be more contentious but would emphasize the influences that molded our country’s formation. Regrettably, there was no national discourse on this matter, depriving Filipinos of valuable insights they could have gained. These insights encompass scrutinizing both positive and negative roles played by Jesuits in our nation’s progress. To this day, it is widely believed that he indeed retracted, with any objections to this belief being dismissed over time.
Despite the controversy surrounding Rizal’s alleged retraction, his heroism has been tarnished. If there had been no debate about Rizal’s actions before his execution, it would have greatly influenced the intellectual progress of Filipinos. The legacy of a hero who remained firm in his beliefs until death would have been immensely powerful. Both the people of that era and future generations would have known that Jose Rizal was unwavering in his defense of his countrymen until the end.
The symbol cannot be fabricated or eliminated and would have enhanced the determination of the Filipino people in other important principles. I do not intend to disrespect Rizal’s Jesuit instructors who undoubtedly provided him with a solid Christian education. In fact, it could be the quality of that education that motivated him to seek more than what an Ateneo school could provide. He discovered intellectual freedom in Europe where enlightenment and reformation (now known as thinking outside the box) had spread throughout what was previously a solely Christian Europe.
The exploration of questioning despotic religion and the pursuit of liberal ideas, along with defiance against Spanish friar colonization, infused him with a reformist spirit that ultimately led to his execution. This intellectual inquiry prompted him to delve into the essence of the Philippines prior to Spanish conquest. Were we merely a colonized people devoid of our own culture and identity? This investigation took him to the British Museum, where he penned notes on Antonio de Morga’s “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas” from 1609 to underscore his country’s pre-Christian Spanish colonization identity.
However, when examining the execution and retraction controversy surrounding him, it becomes clear that he did not retract. On December 30, 1896, the day of his execution, it is logical to conclude that he did not retract based on the sequence of events. His Spanish jailers supposedly offered him two concessions in exchange for his retraction. Firstly, he would be granted a Catholic burial, and secondly, he would be permitted to marry Josephine Bracken in Catholic rites prior to his execution. However, there is no evidence to suggest that both concessions were granted, further supporting the argument that he did not retract.
However, if those who advocate for retraction insist, we can deduce that the Spanish colonizers were deceitful: they presented terms only to betray their end of the agreement after it was fulfilled. Following his execution in Bagumbayan, his body was clandestinely laid to rest in an unmarked grave at Paco Cemetery in Manila. His sister, Narcisa, had to extensively search in order to locate the burial place of her beloved brother. Furthermore, it was to her that he entrusted the lamp concealing his “Mi Ultimo Adios.”
Despite the assistance of informants, she eventually discovered it within a guarded cemetery plot that had recently been dug up. The evidence convinced her that her brother was buried there, leading her to pay a caretaker to label it with his name reversed as “RPJ.” It is important to note that these events do not provide any evidence of a deal being made between our national hero and those holding him captive. Many articles advocating for Jose Rizal’s retraction were written long after his execution and raise suspicions about their motives.
The purpose of the text was to frighten Filipinos from rebelling against colonial authority. Regardless of whether Rizal retracted or not, his fate was used as an example for future reformists. Thus, his resistance to the attempt to degrade his heroism is considered his greatest gift to the country. Filipinos have the capability to revive that greatness, even if our GDP may not match that of other countries in the region. Our history is comparable to any in terms of sacrificing for our country.
Indeed, insufficient attention is given to the significance of Rizal’s peaceful advocacy for institutional reforms in Asia. This role is acknowledged by other Asian nations. Rizal pioneered the concept of peaceful resistance while acknowledging the possibility of violence from colonial authorities if they ignore the pleas of a suffering population. Jose Rizal stands alongside Asia’s esteemed figures such as Gandhi, Tagore, and Sun Yat Sen, who all played a pivotal role in the decolonization movement across the region.
Together, in their own countries, they both fought for freedom and democracy during the Western conquest. It is important to teach our children that a Filipino holds the honor of being the initial Asian hero. We must keep this in mind as we observe and rejoice in Rizal’s execution at Bagumbayan, presently known as Rizal Park, on Wednesday, December 30, 2009. Visit the site to recall the cause he gave his life for. Visit and refute the misconception that it was the West that enlightened us about freedom and democracy due to our alleged lack of comprehension.
