Rizal and the Revolution of 1896

As stressed in the previous chapter, Rizal demonstrated the real essence of community leadership and practical nationalism in Dapitan. Within the span of four years, he had learned to love Dapitan and its people. Nonetheless, the swift change of events led him to leave for Cuba. This chapter is an exposition of other developments in the life of Rizal, while he was an exile in Dapitan and how these affected his decision to volunteer as a medical surgeon in the Spanish Army in Cuba in 1896.

Rizals Plea for the Lifting of His Rustication Order

Rizals political ideas did not change even if he was an exile in Dapitan. This point was evident in the reforms he identified, which have to be implemented in the country by the Spanish government. For Rizal, the granting of these reforms, which were the same reforms sought by the propagandists in peninsular Spain, will definitely redound to making the Philippines the happiest country in the world. Carnicero, who was then the politico-military commander of Dapitan sympathized with Rizal and assured him of possible support from Carniceros friends in Madrid. Nonetheless, he told Rizal the possibility of friars obstruction to the granting of these reforms.

Aware that Rizal had come to love Dapitan, and that Rizal and Carnicero became good friends, Despujol directed Carnicero to convince Rizal, to put down on his writing his intention of staying in Dapitan. Thus, on October 25, 1892, Rizal sent Despujol his correspondence. In ths letter, Rizal stated his intention of staying n Dapian to devote himself in agriculture provided he would be given full freedom, with the assurance that he would not abuse the same.

Despujol, however, turned down Rizals appeal for the lifting of his banishment order. Rizal, therefore, threatened the governor-general that he would be writing his friends in Madrid of the banishment order, should it not be lifted. Responding to the threat, Despujol ordered Carnicero to ensure the no letters coming from Rizal would reach their destination.

Meanwhile, Federico Ochando replaced Despujol as governor-general on May 24, 1893. In like manner, Juan Sitges replaced Carnicero as the politico-military commander of Dapitan. The relationship between Sitges and Rizal was entirely different from what the latter had with Carnicero. At the start of Sitges stint at Dapitan, rumors spread that Ochando ordered Sitges to shoot Rizal the moment he attempts to escape. Rizals movement in Dapitan was, therefore, closely monitored. As a proof, Sitges required Rizal to report to his office thrice a day.Moreover, Rizal was prohibited from leaving the town or walking beyond the street of Dapitan without permission from the new politicomilitary commander. Later on, the relationship between the two changed from bad to good.

The control of the national government by Ochando was short-lived. Ramon Blanco soon took over the reins of the colonial government as governor-general. At this point, Rizal reiterated his appeal for the lofting of his deportation order to Governor-General Blanco. Rizal justified his appeal by asserting that there was injustice in his rustication in Dapitan as there were no evidences to support the charges imputed on him by the government. Thus, he averred that his unjust detention had resulted into his separation from his home and family. To strengthen his plea, Rizal argued that the accusations against him will not be considered a crime if he were a Spanish citizen. He sent his letter of reconsideration of his situation to Governor Blanco on February 13, 1894. Owing to Blancos involvement in the Muslim campaign, he did not reply to Rizals correspondence.

Meanwhile, Blanco visited Dapitan in November of the same year. Blanco called for Rizal on board his vessel. In the course of their conversation, Blanco promised Rizal that he would be relocated either at Vigan or La Union. He even suggested that Rizal should go to Spain owing to his poor health. Rizal was quite happy with the outcome of his audience with Blanco. Thus, in February 1895 Rizal sought the permission of Blanco in opening an agricultural settlement at Sindangan Bay. Nonetheless, Rizal did not receive any reply for this.

Attempts to Win Back Rizal to Catholicism

While in Dapitan, attempts were made by the Catholic Church through the Jesuits to win back Rizal to the fold of the Church. Efforts exerted by Fr. Obach, the parish priest of Dapitan; Fr. Villaclara, the parish priest of Dipolog; and Fr. Sanchez, his former teacher at Ateneo, failed. Fr. Pablo Pastells, the Superior of the Jesuit Order, continued the work of his predecessors. He sent Rizal a series of letters convincing Rizal of the flaws of his religious views, which led to a religious debate between Rizal and Pastells. In the end Rizal was not persuaded as the debate ended in stalemate. Fr. Juan Ricart attributed the failure of the Jesuits could be attributed to Carnicero, who entertained Rizals political and religious views.

The arrival of Josephine Bracken in Dapitan aggravated the situation. In his love for Josephine, Rizal requested Fr. Obach to officiate a church wedding to legalize his union with the young Irish lady. Nonetheless, two conditions were given by Fr. Obach for him to solemnize Rizals marriage with Josephine: retraction of Rizals religious errors; and a general confession. Since Rizal did not concur with these requirements, no church wedding took place. The friars were closely monitoring what the Jesuits were doing. Having known of the failure of the Jesuits, the friars attempted to win back Rizal to Catholicism. One strategy they employed was bribery. They offered Rizal a professorial chair in a university, a landed estate, and 100,000 Php on the condition that Rizal would repudiate his Noli Me Tangere and El Fili. Maria, Rizals sister urged him to accept the offer. Rizal responded by saying: what my right hand did, my left hand will not undo.

A second strategy applied by the friars was the use of a spy to trap Rizal. Pablo Mercado, whose real name was Florencio Namanan of Cagayan de Misamis, was sent by the friars to Dapitan to spy on the activities of Rizal. Namanan agreed to work for the friars due to the promise of the Recollects that he shall be conferred the title, friar curator of the Recollects should he succeed in his missionthat of securing letters and other articles that would show that Rizal was a separatist. He then went to Dapitan and offered himself as a courier of Rizals letters and writings for the patriots in Manila. Since Rizal was an intelligent man and could not recall any relative having the surname of Mercado, he was able to detect that Pablo Mercado was an impostor and had him arrested by Commander Juan Sitges.

Attempts to Rescue Rizal from Dapitan Rizals friends in Manila and Europe learned about Governor Blancos suggestion for Rizal to leave the country. The Grand Regional Council of the Philippine Masonry reacted to this by generating funds for Rizals trip to Spain. Members of the said council were so eager to see Rizal leave the country, as his presence is a threat to the existence of masonry. With Rizal around, they feared that the friars would always be blaming the masons for all agitation for change in the Philippines.

While the masons wanted Rizal to leave the country for good, for their personal advantage, his friends in Europe had other purpose in mind. They had to rescue Rizal at all cost. Paez, for instance, was commissioned by the propagandists to find a suitable vessel in Hongkong or Singapore to rescue Rizal but failed in chartering one. Basa and Regidor, however, worked out a more rational scheme to rescue Rizal. Based on Basas plan, he would be working for Rizals release through his friends among the ministers in Madrid. But for Regidor, it would be wise to work out for Rizals freedom in Manila. The problem, nonetheless, was no one would intercede with Blanco on this matter.

Regidor, therefore, finally arrived at a solution: ESCAPE FROM DAPITAN. If Rizal would not escape, the alternative was to work for his election as a deputy in Spanish Cortes. If this would not be acceptable to Rizal, then the other option was to ensure the election of Marcelo del Pilar to the Cortes and let him work for Rizals liberation. The last attempt to rescue Rizal came from the Katipunan. Based on the Katipunans plan, Rizal had to be kept in the Philippines for him to freely lead the revolution. Bonifacio, the Supremo of the Katipunan commissioned Pio Valenzuela to be his emissary to Rizal. So on July 21, 1896, he arrived at Dapitan posing as a companion of Raymundo Mata, a blind man who shall be seeking Rizals medical assistance. Valenzuela informed Rizal of the plan of the Katipunan and the need for his support to the revolution.

In the course of the conversation between Rizal and Valenzuela, the former clearly expressed his rejection of the plan for a bloody revolution of the Katipunan. His disapproval of the scheme rested on two grounds: the unpreparedness of the people; and the lack of funds and weapons. Rizal further stressed the point that pursuing the revolution would tantamount to national suicide. Rizal expressed his gratitude for the concern of the Katipunan for his welfare. Nonetheless, he was not persuaded by Valenzuela to escape Dapitan as he had given his word to the Spanish authorities.

Meanwhile, Blanco approved Rizals letter requesting the opening of a settlement along Sindangan Bay. Rizal, however, had dropped the idea as he was considering the possibility of leaving for Spain, as suggested by the governor-general. Regidor took last option to free Rizal from Dapitan. He requested Blumentritt to persuade Rizal to volunteer as a doctor for the Spanish army in Cuba. As the advice came from his best friend, rizal acceded to the scheme. Dona Teodora and Don Francisco did not favor Rizals decision, as the latter will be risking his life since the revolution if raging on in Cuba that time.

Despite the expressed disapproval of his parents, Rizal applied as a volunteer doctor to Cuba through Goernor Blanco on December 17, 1895. In as much as no reply from Blanco came, he was no longer expecting that his application would be approved. Six month after, however, Blanco suddenly act favorably to his letter. The said correspondence reached Rizal on July 30, 1896. This letter stated that a safe conduct pass shall be given to Rizal to come to Manila and upon reaching Spain, shall be given assignment to the army operations in Cuba. At first Rizal thought of no longer accepting the appointment. Later he backed down. This change of decision stemmed from his thinking that if he rejects the appointment and the revolution of the Katipunan breaks out, he would be suspected of desiring to stay in the country to spearhead the revolution. In the words of Guerrero, Rizal opted to run a race with Bonifacios revolution.

Adios Dapitan Rizal left Dapitan on July 31, 1896 on board the steamer Espana. He arrived in Manila on August 6, 1896. From the steamer that ferried him from Dapitan, Rizal was transferred to the cruiser Castilla, where he stayed for almost a month, pending the availability of a vessel bound for Spain. Although no longer an exile, Rizal was detached from the rest of the world, as no one was allowed to see him except his family. His frequent visitor, however, was Josephine, the beautiful Irish lady with whom Rizal gave his name and heart.

The Revolution Breaks Out

The discovery of the Katipunan, as a result of Teodoro Patinos disclosure of the organizations secrets to Fr. Mariano Gil on August 19, 1896, resulted in mass arrests of Katipuneros and and non-Katipuneros in Manila. Bonifacio summoned all the leaders for a meeting to work out the steps the society will take to cope with the crisis. On August 23, the historic Cry of Pugadlawin took place wherein Bonifacio asked the Katipuneros if they were ready to fight the Spaniards whatever be the cost. All those who attended the assembly at Pugadlawin expressed their willingness to fight to the last. Upon hearing the response of his men, Bonifacio ordered them to take out their cedulas and tore them to pieces, shouting Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. This event marked the beginning of the Philippine Revolution agains Spain.

Although held incommunicado at the steamer Castilla, Rizal learned of the outbreak of the revolution and the skirmishes that had erupted around Manila through the newspapers he was able to read. On August 30, 1896, Governor Ramon Blanco issued a gubernatorial decree declaring a state of war in Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac and placing them under martial rule. On the same date, Rizal received the letters of recommendation to Azcaraga and the colonial minister, which absolved him from the insurrection that was then raging on.

Rizal Sails to Spain for Cuba On September 3, 1896, Rizal boarded the steamer Isla de Panay, which shall ferry him to Barcelona, Spain. He was so happy. He felt that he succeeded in his race against the revolution, spearheaded by the Katipuneros. Before leaving the country, Rizal wrote his sisters:

Without his knowledge, the sinister plan of Blanco was already in place at the very moment he left Manila for Spain. Coded telegrams and confidential messages for Rizals arrest were exchanged between Blanco and the Ministers of War and Colonies. While the ship was sailing the Mediterranean Sea, the captain of Isla de Panay informed Rizal that he received an order through a telegram from the Minister of war that the former has to be arrested and detained in capatains cabin. This shocked Rizal so much.

By October 3, 1896, Rizal reached Barcelona. He was heavily guarded and detained as a prisoner as the steamer Isla de Panay. On October 6, at 3:00 in the morning, he was informed that he would be taken to Fort Monjuich, the prison citadel of the city. Upon arriving at the fort, General Despujol, the governor general who decreed his deportation to Dapitan, told Rizal that he would be shipped back to the Philippines on board the ship Colon. Thus, on the same date, he left Barcelona for Spain. At this point, Rizal had realized that he had lost race against the revolution in the Philippines.

Rizal could have not suffered this fate if only listened to the suggestion of Don Pedro Roxas, a fellow passenger at the Isla de Panay. Don Pedro advised him to take advantage of the protection of the British law, while their ship was temporarily docked at Singapore. Rizal, however, did not heed the said advice on his belief that Governor Blanco was a friend, considering that he allowed him to go as a free man to Spain to become a medical surgeon of the Spanish Army in Cuba.

Rizals friends in Europe learned of what happened to him and decided to come to his rescue. Regidor and Lopez transmitted telegrams to an English lawyer in Singapore, Hugh Fort to rescue Rizal by means of a writ of habeas corpus. This, however, failed as Chief Justice Lionel Cox did not grant the writ of habeas corpus, as the steamer Colon, carrying Spanish troops, a war vessel, was not within the jurisdiction of Singaporean authorities based on existing international law. The steamer arrived in Manila on November 3, 1896. Under tight security, Rizal was brought and incarcerated at Fort Santiago. Meanwhile, the Spanish authorities commenced their expedition of fishing all evidences that can be used against Rizal. Those who sympathized with Rizal were harassed and tortured.