FAMILY AND CHILDHOOD

Francisco Mercado • PETS

• Juan Mercado o Pony called ALIPATO
• Cirila Alejandra o Black dog called USMAN
Teodora Alonzo • EARLY READING AND WRITING SKILLS
• Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo o 1st teacher was his mother
• Brigida de Quintos ▪ religious inclination
o Uncle Gregorio (gave him candies)
Descriptions according to Rizal o Uncle Jose (regular lessons)
Francisco Mercado o Drawing, use of clay for molding, wood
• model parent for sculpting
• gave them education which was suitable in a
family neither rich nor poor FORMAL SCHOOLING
• thrifty Early Education
• careful saver, he was able to build a stone • First teacher was his mother
house • number of private tutors
Teodora Alonzo o Maestro Celestino
• religious, had them all say their prayers o Lucas de Padua
together o Don Leon Monroy
• Early education started at age 3 to 7
Children/ household names • The Fable of the Young Moth
Saturnina Rizal Neneng
Paciano Rizal Biñan Boarding House
Narcisa Mercado Sisang • Boarded in Aunt Tomasa’s house
Olympia Mercado Ypia
Lucia Mercado FORMAL SCHOOLING: Biñan
Maria Mercado Biang • Rizal started formal schooling
Jose Rizal Moy/ Ute/ Pepe
• Age of 9
Concepcion Mercado Concha
• Justiniano Aquino Cruz was Rizal’s teacher
Josefa Mercado Panggoy
o used the palmeta (wooden paddle) or
Trinidad Mercado Trining
Soledad Mercado Choleng baston (cane) requiring students to lie
face down on a bench.
Birth o father-in-law named Juancho, an aged
• Born on June 19, 1861 artist let Rizal help him paint.
• Calamba, Laguna • Routine:
• Baptized as JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL MERCADO o Mass at 4 AM or studied then went to
o Rev. Rufino Collantes mass;
o Rev. Pedro Casañas o Breakfast: a plate of rice and two dried
• At age 4, Valentina Alquitran sardines;
o Mauban Quezon o Class work until 10 AM then after lunch
o A.k.a . Yna another study period from 2PM to 5 PM
o Playtime with cousins
As a young boy (patintero/taguan)or study/painting in
• BODY/HEALTH the remainder of the afternoon.
o frail, sickly looking as a boy o Supper: One or two plates of rice and
o wondering and eager eyes ayungin fish; night prayers and if it was
moonlight playtime with cousins
• Studies in Biñan ended in 1870.
 • Bullying?
• Fights with larger school boys;
• “En pie, bobo” – recitation
• “Un poquito?”-recitation
• Almost drowned when pushed off the river
bank by Leandro.
• Corporal punishment (caning and lashing)
Biñan to Calamba to Manila
• Left Biñan by taking a steamer called TALIM.
• He was accompanied by a Frenchman Mr.
Arturo Camps to Calamba;
• Learned of his mother’s charges which resulted
in his distrust in people.
• In Calamba house, the Rizal- Mercado life was
changing: Timeline:
o 1870 Rizal ended Biñan studies; Mother
was charged;
o 1871 entrance exams in Letran and
Ateneo; Paciano did not finish his
studied in the university= student
activism;
o 1872 Execution of the GOMBURZA
The Philippines in the 19th Century
1. ABOLITION OF THE GALLEON TRADE AND
MONOPOLIES = OPENING THE PHILIPPINES TO
WORLD COMMERCE
2. OPENING OF THE SUEZ CANAL= FASTER
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION TO
EUROPE
3. SECULARIZATION MOVEMENT VS. CAVITE
MUTINY= 1872 EXECUTION OF THE GOMBURZA
4. APPOINTMENT OF GOV. CARLOS MA. DELA
TORRE, A LIBERAL SPANISH OFFICIAL.
Biñan to Calamba to Manila
• Went to Manila with Paciano and took entrance
exams:
o San Juan de Letran
o Ateneo de Municipal de Manila.
• Jose Mercado Rizal –name enrolled in Ateneo;
• Ricial= “growing again”
Where to Stay?
• LODGING: In his first year, he lived with TITAY
in Calle Caraballo Intramuros.
• In his second year, he lived with Donya Pepay in
Calle 6 Magallanes Intramuros.
• In his third year, he lived with Paciano.
• In his 4th year he lived in Calle Solana
Intramuros.
FORMAL SCHOOLING: ATENEO
• * In Ateneo, boys were grouped into two (2)
empires:
o ROMANS vs. GREEKS/CARTHAGINIANS
o The leader of each group was called
“Emperor”.
• * He received excellent grades.
• Studied “CLASES DE ADORNO”- included
painting, sculpture, solfeggio
• Rizal on singing: If you hear me sing, you’d think
you were in Spain, for you’d hear the braying of
an ass.”
• At age 13, he studied advanced math, rhetoric,
Greek and always at the top of his class;
o went to his jailed mother to show his
medals= prophesy of his mother’s
freedom
• Bullying?
o Rizal was the smallest in class;
o he was sickly and thin;
o he wore mustard plasters to relieve him
of stiff neck= fights/teasing with other
boys
o “Good day! Gentlemen.” “Thank you
very much, gentlemen.”
• Entered Ateneo de Municipal de Manila and
earned excellent marks in physics, chemistry
and natural history;
• he practiced drawing and painting; wrote
“Junto al Pasig”
• Read literary books including The Count of
Monte Cristo.
• At age 14, he wrote Junto Al Pasig.
• At age 15, he graduated with bachelor’s in arts
in Ateneo
Rizal’s description of Segunda
• “She was small,
• rosy cheeked
• expressive eyes
• provocative smile and beautiful teeth.
• She was not the most beautiful girl I had ever
seen, but I have never seen one more alluring
and enchanting...
 • We have loved each other without having RIZAL’S TRAVELS ABROAD
declared it clearly, except with our glances.” Part one

Return to Calamba Brothers’ Pact

• Discussion about Rizal’s future profession.
• Turkey Trouble: Land Manager vs. Don
Francisco Mercado.
• Similar to Kabesang Tales (Chapter in El Fili)?
FORMAL SCHOOLING: University of Santo Tomas (UST)
• Average grades in Medicine Subjects
• Reason? Interest in Literature than Medicine.
• Joined and Won in Literary Contests:
o Liceo Literario-Artistico sponsored a
poetry contest: Rizal won with his “A la
juventud Filipina”
o Same organization sponsored a contest
in honor of Cervantes: Rizal wrote his
“El consejo de los dioses” under a
pseudonym.
• Paciano observed the restlessness and anger in
Rizal:
o 1. Calamba Affair;
o 2. Whipped for having failed to salute a
lieutenant of the Guardia Civil in
Calamba;
o 3. UST professor(s) delighted at
insulting students in class;
o Paciano left Rizal as boarder in Rivera
Household. Encouraged the affair?
Leonor Rivera: Secret Code
• Wrote to Rizal with the name TAIMIS;
• Photograph “To Jose from his faithful cousin.”
• But the second dedication was in secret code:
“To my unforgettable and dearest lover, this
picture is dedicated by his devoted Leonor.”
• Paciano and Jose decided that one will stay in
the family to take care of them and the other
will expose the abuses of the Spaniards in the
Philippines in Spain.
• Pretense of going abroad to further study
medicine.
• Secret pact was made between brothers only.
Voyage to Europe
• On May 3, 1882, Rizal had no appetite for
breakfast
o the can of cookies, box of chocolate for
his voyage given by Felizarda
Valenzuela a.k.a. Capitana Sanday
(mother of Leonor Valenzuela and aunt
of Pedro Paterno)
o sopas (noodle soup) were consumed
before boarding the ship.
o passport of Jose Mercado, which was
procured for him by his uncle Antonio
Rivera, father of Leonor Rivera.
• Rizal left Philippines for the first time Spain. He
boarded the Salvadora
TRAVELS TO EUROPE
May 4-8, (Manila to Singapore)
1882 • He got seasick on board the
boat.
• He conversed with the
passengers of the ship and
played chess with the
passengers on board.
• He saw mountains and Islands.
May 9- (Singapore to Spain)
13,1882 • Rizal arrived at Singapore. Still
seasick, he spent the night at
Hotel dela Paz.
• He went around the town of
Singapore and made some
observations.
• He boarded the boat Djemnah
to continue his trip to Spain.
• He found the boat clean and
well kept and had a
conversation with the
passengers of the boat.
• Rizal was seasick again.
PUNTA GALLES, COLOMBO AND the SUEZ CANAL
May 14- 26 (Punta de Galles to Colombo)
1882 BAD DREAMS:
1. He dreamed he was traveling
with Neneng (Saturnina) and
their path was blocked by
snakes;
2. He dreamed he returned to
Calamba and after meeting his
parents who did not talk to
him;
3. Paciano died.
• He was so sad and broken
hearted. Soon he woke up and
found himself inside his cabin.
• Rizal arrived at Punta de Galles
or Point Galle.
• Went around and had
breakfast and lunch in Grand
Hotel Oriente.
May 27- (African coast, Aden to Suez Canal)
June7, • Rizal was nearing the African
1882 coast then landed at Aden at
about 8:30 a.m.
• He made observation at the
time.
• He arrived at the Suez Canal en
route to Marseilles.
• He was quarantined on board
the Djemnah in the Suez Canal
for four (4)days.
• Rizal arrived at Port Said.
• In a letter to his parents, He
described his trip en route to
Aden along the Suez Canal.
The Suez Canal
• It was a waterway in Egypt which connected
the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
Ships no longer traversed the African Coast.
ITALY TO SPAIN
June 11- • Rizal went around the City of
15, 1882 Naples with a guide for one
hour.
• At 10 p.m., the boat
anchored at Marseilles then
he boarded at the Noalles
Hotel.
• He left Marseilles for
Barcelona in an express
train.
RIZAL IN SPAIN
June 16- (Rizal in Barcelona)
August • At noon, Rizal arrived at
20, 1882 Barcelona and boarded in
the Fonda De España.
• In a letter, Rizal related to
his parents his experiences
during his trip from Port Said
to Barcelona and requested
them to send him a birth
certificate and statement
showing that he had parents
in the Philippines.
• Fr. Leoncio Lopez of
Calamba issued a certified
copy of Rizal’s birth
certificate.
• His article "Amor Patrio"
was published in the
Diarong Tagalog, a Manila
newspaper edited by Basilio
Teodoro.
• This was the First article he
wrote abroad.
October Enrollment in Medicine and
1882 Philosophy
• Madrid, Spain. Enrolled in
both Medicina and Filosofia
y Letras.
• Finished Medicine in June
1884 and
• Philosophy in June 1885.
• He became the clinical
assistant of Dr. Louis de
Weckert, a Parisian ocultist.
Rizal in Paris, France (1883)
June 25, • Rizal visited Paris, France.
1883 • He visited the Arch of
Triumph, Opera House and
beautiful parks and
boulevards.
A toast to Filipino painters
June 25, • a speech was delivered
1884 addressed to an Ilocano
painter Juan Luna and Felix
Resurreccion Hidalgo in
Restaurant Ingles with 60
people in attendance.
• After Rizal’s speech, this was
followed by Lopez Jaena (who
spoke against the frailes) and
more speeches from notable
attendees.
• Banquet ended at 12 Midnight
Remaining months in Spain
• He studied how to establish
fortifications/ kuta written in
English with drawings/
illustrations and
explanations: “Parapeto
Simple”, “Caballo de frisa”,
“Trampas de lobo”,
“Estacada” , “Estacada de
perfil” , “Reglas para
determinar las dimensiones
de los parapetos”
• Travelled in Andalucia and
Valencia Spain to understand
the land and culture of the
people.
November • He joined a student
1884 demonstration on November
1884 along with Miguel
Morayta. The
demonstrations declared
liberal views which were
condemned by the Spanish
bishops.
Rizal in Germany (1886)
Reasons for staying in Germany:
1. He wanted to further his studies in Ophthalmology;
2. Further his studies of the German and French
languages;
3. Meet ups with scholars/ scientists in Germany
including Blumentritt.
• Lived in Heidelberg, Leipzig and Berlin
(Germany).
• In Leipzig where he worked as a proofreader for
his livelihood. He stayed in Leipzig for almost
three months because the cost of living was
inexpensive.
Leipzig, Germany
• Rizal translated the works of Schiller William
Tell and the Fairytales of Hans Christian
Andersen from German to Tagalog.
Rizal in Germany
1887 • Correspondences with Ferdinand
Blumentritt and Feodor Jagor
• Berlin where he met Dr. Rudolf
Virchow.
• Rizal became a member of the
“Sociedad Anthropologica
Berlines
• Or Berlin Anthropological Society
• Met Dr. Adolf Meyer, a
filipinologist and director of the
Museo Etnografico.
1887 • Rizal left Dresden and proceeded
to Leimeritz (Bohemia) and lodged
in the house of his correspondent
and friend Ferdinand Blumentritt
for almost a month.
• Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere in
1887 Berlin and published the
same.
 From Germany to Switzerland to Italy
• Rizal travelled to Prague, Vienna, Nuremberg
and Munich, Germany.
• In June, he arrived in Geneva then proceeded to
Lausanne, Switzerland.
• He also travelled to Milan, Venice, Florence,
Rome at Génova to Marseilles, Italy.
From Italy to Saigon to Manila
June 1887 • From Marseilles, he boarded
the ship Djemnah which
proceeded to Saigon
• From Saigon, he boarded the
ship Haiphong which
proceeded to Manila.
The Noli in Manila
August 18, In the Philippines, the copy of Noli was
1887 read by Archbishop Pedro Payo
• sent a copy to Fr. Gregorio
Echevarria, rector of the Real y
Pontificia Universidad de Santo
Tomas de Manila to
review/investigate the novel
with the Council of Dominican
friars.
August 30, • Archbishop Payo with the
1887 Council declared the Noli a
heresy; anti-cleric/ religion,
anti-Spain.
• He writes to capitan general
Don Emilio Terrero to decide
on the matter.
• Terrero sends the Noli copy to
"Comisión Permanente de
Censura” headed by
• Fr. Salvador Font.
Effect of the publication of the Noli and the decision of
Fr. Font:
1. Popularity of the Noli
2. Limited distribution of the Noli due to
censorship resulted in overpricing of the book
A copy of the Noli was placed in a tampipi
Rizal in Manila
The teniente of the Guardia Civil, Jose Taviel de
Andrade, accompanied Rizal when he arrived in Manila.
1. Rizal went to Ateneo and was greeted by Fr.
Pablo Ramon and Fr. Federico Faura.
2. Rizal wrote a petition letter on behalf of the
people of Calamba against the increase in the
exaction of taxes by the Dominican friars.
RIZAL’S TRAVELS ABROAD
Part two
Leaving early
• After six (6) months of his stay in Manila, his
family and friends advised Rizal to leave the
country to avoid persecution of the friars.
• He wrote to Blumentritt “They forced me to
leave my country.”
• He travelled to Hongkong.
Rizal in Hongkong and Macao
• Rizal met a certain Balbino Mauricio who was
imprisoned because of the 1872 Mutiny.
• He stayed in the house of Don Jose M. Basa.
• Rizal studied Chinese language while in
Hongkong and
• Observations:
o Dominican friars dominated the arsenal
in Hongkong.
o Rizal was impressed by the methods of
education in the British colony with the
spirit of patriotism developed thereby.
o Landlords from the Philippines also had
large investments in Hongkong.
o Rizal was also interested in Chinese
theater/drama.
Public outcome of the Noli
March 1, • a “procesion civica” was
1888 established along Escolta with a
petition signed by Filipinos to
expel the friars in the
Philippines.
• The petition was called the
Manifestation of 1888.
• It was handed to the Civil
Governor Jose Centeno.
From Hongkong to Japan
February • Rizal boarded the ship
22, 1888 "Oceanic” and reached
Yokohama, Japan on the 28th.
• He was invited to stay in the
Spanish consulate and was
offered high positions so that
he could remain in the country.
• He refused the offer and
proceeded to observe Japan.
Rizal in Japan
• Rizal studied the Japanese language, social
classes and culture.
• O Sei San, a Japanese samurai’s daughter
taught Rizal the Japanese art of painting known
as su-mie.
o She also helped Rizal improve his
knowledge of Japanese language.
Romance in Madrid
• Consuelo Ortiga y Reyes was Rizal’s A la
Senorita C.O. y R.,
o became one of his best poems.
o Consuelo asked him for romantic
verses.
• He backed out because he wanted to remain
loyal to Leonor Rivera and he did not want to
destroy his friendship with Eduardo de Lete.
Rizal in America
April 13, • Rizal leaves Yokohama on board
1888 the Belgic, bound for the United
States.
• On board he met Suehiro Tetcho,
who would later write a Japanese
novel set in the Philippines that
was influenced by both the Noli
and Rizals own biography.
• He also met a couple named
Jackson who have read the Noli.
28th of • the ship docked in San Francisco,
April but the passengers were
quarantined. The first-class
passengers were allowed to land,
he went to Palace Hotel.
• Rizal proceeded to Chicago
• Observations:
• noticed large cigar
factories guarded by
American Indians.
• He was fascinated with
the houses, electricity
and the Niagara Falls and
the Hudson River.
• industriousness of the
working class
• learned that in many
state blacks and whites
were not allowed to
marry.
Rizal in London
May 16, • he boarded “City of Rome” and
1888 proceeded to Liverpool,
England.
• He visited Don Antonio Maria
Regidor.
• He was a doctor who was
implicated in the ‘72 Mutiny and
was doing business there.
• He stayed at the Beckett house
and annotated Morga’s
Succesos.
• Mr. Beckett toured Rizal in
zoological gardens and the
British Museum.
• He met his three daughters and
used “hand tricks/magic” to
their delight.
• He purchased “Modern Magic”
and Mrs. Beckett gifted him
“The life and Adventures of
Valentine Vox the
Ventriloquist”.
• Gertrude, a blue-eyed and
buxom girl was the oldest of the
three Beckett daughters.
• She fell in love with Rizal.
• Tottie helped him in his painting
and sculpture. But Rizal
suddenly left London for Paris to
avoid Gertrude, who was
seriously in love with him.
 • Before leaving London, he was
able to finish the group carving
of the Beckett sisters.
• He gave the group carving to
Gertrude as a sign of their brief
relationship.
Rizal in Paris, France
• While a guest of the Boustead family at their
residence in the resort city of Biarritz, he had
befriended the two pretty daughters of his host,
Eduardo Boustead.
• Rizal used to fence with the sisters at the studio
of Juan Luna.
Rizal in France
• Antonio Luna courted Nellie but she was deeply
infatuated with Rizal.
• In a party, the drunken Antonio Luna uttered
unsavory remarks against Nellie Boustead.
o This prompted Rizal to challenge Luna
into a duel.
o Fortunately, Luna apologized to Rizal,
thus averting tragedy for the
compatriots.
• Their love affair failed because Rizal refused to
be converted to the Protestant faith,
o as Nellie demanded and Nellie’s mother
did not like a physician without enough
paying clientele to be a son-in-law.
La Solidaridad (1889)
February • the La Sol was founded to
15, 1889 advance the Propaganda in
Spain, is published in
Barcelona.
• Graciano Lopez Jaena served
briefly as chief editor.
• The first issue of La Sol was
printed in Madrid, the
newspapers new base.
• Marcelo H. Del Pilar served as
the new editor in chief until
the newspaper’s last issue in
1895.
Rizal in Brussels 1890
1890 • Rizal moved to Brussels because
of the high cost of living in
Paris.
• In Brussels, he lived in the
boarding house of the two
Jacoby sisters.
• In time, they fell deeply in love
with each other.
• Suzanne cried when Rizal left
Brussels and wrote him when
he was in Madrid.
• Kidlat Club and Indios Bravos
o He and other Filipino
expatriates attend the
Paris Exposition.
• By October, Rizal’s annotated
Morga bears the publication of
1890, comes off to the press.
September • September- the El
Filibusterismo, the second novel
was published in Ghent,
Belgium
October • Rizal’s annotated Morga bears
the publication of 1890, comes
off to the press.
News in Calamba
Rizal’s family was persecuted:
1. Lucia’s husband died and the corpse was
refused internment in consecrated ground;
2. Deportation of some family members in the
provinces.
October= Rizal writes his decision to return to the
country for good. “The field of battle is the
Philippines:that’s where we should meet.”
Leaves for Hongkong
Death of Rizal: 1891-1896
June 26, • he returned to Manila under
1891 Gov. Gen. Despujol’s safe
conduct.
• Rizal organized mutual aid
and a civic society, La Liga
Filipina.
LA LIGA FILIPINA
• Rizal met with the Masonic Balagtas Lodge in
the house of Doroteo Onjungco,
• including Ambrosio Salvador, Tomoteo Paez,
Pedro Serrano, Domingo Franco and Andres
Bonifacio with a crowd of about 30 individuals.
LA LIGA and the Katipunan
• After Rizal’s banishment, attendees of the La
Liga including Andres Bonifacio secretly met in
Azcarraga in the apartment of Deodato
Arellano.
• This meeting launched the Katipunan.
Dapitan exile
July 6 • he was exiled to Dapitan.
Charges against him were kept
secret.
• He practiced medicine in
Dapitan. Part of his income
were used to build water wells
and had the plaza lighted.
August 1, • he volunteered as a surgeon for
1896 the Spanish Army in Cuba with
the letter of recommendation
from Gov. Gen. Blanco,
• but there was the yellow fever
outbreak also Cuban Civil War.
August 7- • Gov. Gen. Blanco was promoted
September and a new Gov. General-
3 Polavieja was appointed.
• Boarded the Spanish cruiser
Castilla bound for Barcelona.
Rizal was kept as a prisoner in
his cabin.
• Upon reaching Barcelona, he
was immediately deported to
Manila.
Events after Rizal’s exile
• Paciano was tortured nearly to death in an
attempt to suborn a confession implicating Jose
in a rebellion.
Rizal opposed violence and wrote a statement which
was not published.
Rizal’s statement
• Jose Rizal made a statement to clarify his stand
on the rebellion; the statement was NOT
PUBLICLY RELEASED.
• He opposed the use of his name in an
impending rebellion
Desires liberty of the Philippines through education and
civic duties.
Efforts to spare Rizal from imprisonment
• Friends from the Philippines and London made
an effort to petition a Writ of Habeas Corpus in
a court in Singapore
• Rizal was imprisoned in Fort Santiago.
Charges against Rizal
December 3 • he was charged with
Treason, Sedition and
Forming of Illegal Societies.
December 12 • he gave a lamp with a poem
“My Last Farewell” inside.
December 26 • he was formally condemned
to death by the Spanish
Court Martial.
• Pi y Margall, the president
of the Republic pleaded for
the life of Rizal, but the
Queen Regent refused
pardon.
Marriage and the issue of retraction
December 30 • he was married to an Irish
woman, Josephine Bracken.
• Archbishop Nozaleda and
Father Padre Pio Pi,
demanded that Rizal put his
signature on a “retraction of
his errors”, which the Church
claimed that he did.
Rizal’s Grave
December 30 Shot on Luneta at 7:30 AM and
was buried in a secret grave at the
Paco Cemetery.
December his ashes were interred in the Rizal
30, 1912 Mausoleum in Luneta.
RETRACTIONS OF RIZAL
• Jose Rizal was imprisoned in Fort Santiago for
treason.
• Moments before Rizal was executed, Jesuit
priests handed to him drafts of retraction.
• Rizal allegedly signed the retraction document.
• On May 13, 1935, Fr. Manuel Garcia allegedly
discovered the retraction in the Catholic
Archive in Manila.
o The original was never shown in public
only reproductions of it.
CATHOLIC RIZALISTAS PERSPECTIVES ON THE
RETRACTION
SOURCES OF THE ALLEGED RETRACTION
1. From a draft sent by Archbishop Bernardino
Nozaleda. Rizal rejected it because it was
too lengthy;
2. Based on the account of Fr. Vicente
Balaguer, Rizal accepted a shorter
retraction prepared by Fr. Pio Pi, superior
of the Jesuit missionary;
3. Cuerpo de Vigilancia de Manila- body of
document on Philippine revolutions
(confidential matters);
4. Jesuit friars who were witnesses to the
signing of Rizal’s retraction.
MASONIC RIZALISTAS PERSPECTIVES ON
RETRACTION
SOURCES OF ALLEGED RETRACTION
TWO REPRODUCTIONS WERE REPORTED:
1. by Fr. Pio Pi in 1907; he copied the
retraction verbatim and published it in
Spain;
2. by Fr. Manuel Garcia who allegedly found
the original retraction and copied it
verbatim.
QUESTIONs ON ALLEGED RETRACTION
1. Date signed “December 29, 1890”
2. Date signed “December 29, 189C” and
another with “December 29, 1896”
• A certain Roman Roque allegedly forged
the signature of Rizal on the retraction
document;
• Antonio K. Abad heard this from Roman
Roque, his neighbor.
• He was hired by Lazaro Segovia when they
were approached by Spanish friars during
the final days of the Philippine-American
War;
• Roque also forged Urbano Lacuna’s
signature to capture Emilio Aguinaldo
CRITICS ON THE RIZAL RETRACTION:
1. Augusto De Viana (UST): Retraction =
human character;
a. “Rizal was not a perfect
person...Rizal awakened our
knowledge of nationalism. The issue
will not invalidate his works
anyway.”
2. Victor Torres (DLSU): retraction = means
nothing;
a. “The retraction is just one aspect of
the life, works and writings of Rizal.”
3.