Rizal-Del Pilar Rivalry

When the year 1890 was about to end, an unwanted rivalry between Rizal and Del Pilar
nonetheless arose. By the time, Del Pilar had become the owner of La Solidardad and had taken
the place of Graciano Lopez Jaena as its editor. Del Pilar’s management and editorial policy
were occasionally dissimilar to Rizal’s political vision.

The editorial policy of La Solidaridad under Del Pilar’s management enhanced the cleavage
between Rizal and Del Pilar. Rizal and his close friends objected to the periodical’s editorial
policy which was occasionally contrary to Rizal’s political views.

Ideally to fix differences and solidify the unity among them, about 90 Filipinos in Madrid met on
the New Year’s Day of 1891. It was agreed upon in the gathering that a leader called
Responsable, be elected to administer the campaigns for reform of the Filipinos.

The voting happened during the first week of February that year. It was decided that the
‘Responsible’ must be elected by a two-thirds vote of the participants. The supposedly healthy
election for a leader produced divisive unpleasant split among the Filipinos, the Rizalistas and
the Pilaristas, as both camps zealously campaigned for their respective choice.

Rizal won the election but his votes fell short of the required two-thirds vote to be declared
Responsable. He won again on the second day, but then again, the votes counted for him did not
reach the needed fraction. On the third day, since Mariano Ponce appealed to some Pilaristas to
surrender their will to what the majority wanted, the election resulted in Rizal’s becoming the
‘legal’ Responsable.

Rizal, however, courteously declined the position. He knew that there were ‘Pilaristas’ who did
not like either his views or personality. Jose Rizal, a man of delicadeza, thus decided to abdicate
his leadership and leave Madrid, lest his presence results in more serious faction among
Filipinos in Madrid.

Inactive in the Propaganda Movement, Rizal also stopped contributing to La Solidaridad.

Realizing that Rizal’s involvement in the reform campaigns was necessary, the humble Del Pilar
wrote to Rizal on August 7, 1891, saying, “If you have any resentment, I beg you to put it aside; if
you consider me at fault, and this fault is pardonable, forgive me… We would much like that you
resume writing for it; not only would we strengthen La Solidaridad but we would defeat the friar
intrigue in the Philippines.”

In his reply, Rizal denied any resentment and enumerated his reasons for stopping to write for
La Solidaridad:

“I am extremely surprised at your letter, telling me about resentments, disagreements, and

reconciliations, etc. I believe it is useless to talk about what does not exist, and if it has existed, it
ought to have evaporated in the past. I think like you do, that there being nothing, one ought not
to waste time talking about it.’

“If I stopped writing for La Solidaridad, it was because of several reasons, 1st, I need time to
work on my book; 2nd, I wanted other Filipinos to work also; 3rd, I considered it very important
to the party that there be unity in the work; and you are already at the top and I also have my
own ideas, it is better to leave you alone to direct the policy such as you understand it and I do
not meddle in it. This has two advantages: It leaves both of us free, and it increases your
prestige, which is very necessary, inasmuch as men of prestige are needed in our country. This
does not mean to say that I need not work and follow the course of your work. I am like an army
corps who, at a needed moment, you will see arrive to descend upon the flanks of the enemy
before you. Only I ask God to give me the means to do it… I fight for the nation, the Philippines.”

(as quoted in Zaide, p. 188)

After Rizal’s El Filibusterismo came off the press, Del Pilar frankly commented that it was
inferior compared to Noli. This remark was freely acknowledged and granted by the author.
Reading the La Solidaridad from Hong Kong, Rizal was however disgusted with the articles’
allegations about him. On May 23, 1892, Rizal sent a letter of protest to Mariano Ponce against
Eduardo Lete’s article which alleged, among other things, that Rizal was a coward and had
abandoned the patriotic cause. Rizal wondered why Del Pilar allowed the publication of such an
article, fearing that it would lead the readers to believe in the existence of division among them.

During Rizal’s exile in Dapitan, he nonetheless received a letter dated July 20, 1892 from Del
Pilar, stating his grievance on Rizal’s case. In his last letter to Rizal, Del Pilar explained Lete’s
article, saying, “How could I allow him to attack you when I am interested in your prestige? …I
am sure that when Lete wrote the article he did not intend to allude to you and much less to
molest you. He described an individual whose methods are diametrically opposed to yours.”
Ever wishing to reconcile with Rizal, Del Pilar lovingly said, “I have not stopped wishing for the
renewal of our former ties, for I believe that slight differences in procedure are not enough to
destroy our common principles, purposes, and feelings…”

Last days and legacy

Del Pilar became a close friend of Miguel Morayta, a professor at the Universidad Central de
Madrid and his co-member in the Freemasonry. Before he died, Del Pilar abandoned the
‘assimilationist’ stand, that is, the advocacy to have the Philippines be treated as one of Spain’s
provinces. Wanting an armed revolution, Del Pilar bravely stated, “Insurrection is the last
remedy, especially when the people have acquired the belief that peaceful means to secure the
remedies for evils prove futile.” This pronouncement inspired the establishment and mission of
Andres Bonifacio’s revolutionary society, the Katipunan.

Shortly before his 46th birthday, Del Pilar died of tuberculosis on July 4, 1896, barely six months
before Rizal’s execution. Initially buried at the ‘Cementerio del Sub-Oeste’ (Southwest Cemetery)
in Barcelona, his remains were brought to the Philippines on December 3, 1920. Buried at
the ManilaNorth Cemetery, it was later transferred to his birthplace in Bulacán, Bulacan, under
a monument, on his 134th birth anniversary celebration (August 30, 1984).

Other notable writings of Del Pilar were “Pasiong Dapat Ipag-alab nang Puso nang Tauong
Babasa” (Passion That Should Inflame the Heart of the Reader, 1888), “La Frailocracia
Filipina” (Friarocracy in the Philippines, 1889), and “Sagot ng España sa Hibic ng
Filipinas” (Spain's Reply to the Cry of the Philippines, 1889).

Del Pilar had seven children by his wife Marciana, but only two of whom (Sofia and Anita) grew
to adulthood.The building that houses the PolytechnicUniversity of the Philippines Graduate
School was named after Marcelo H. Del Pilar. (© 2013 by Jensen DG. Mañebog)