Summary
Highlights
The video discusses Rizal's 'Rizal Manifesto' as evidence of his opposition to revolution, as highlighted in Renato Constantino's essay 'Veneration Without Understanding.' Rizal described the revolution as 'absurd,' 'disastrous,' and 'criminal.' However, Ambeth Ocampo suggests that Rizal favored Philippine liberation but believed in the necessity of preparation and education before achieving it.
On December 29, at 6 AM, Captain Rafael Dominguez read Rizal's death sentence, stating he would be shot by a firing squad at Bagumbayan the next day. Rizal received visits from his mother, Teodora, and sister, Trinidad. During their emotional farewell, Rizal discreetly gave Trinidad an alcohol stove with a hidden poem, 'Mi Ultimo Adios' (My Last Farewell).
In his final moments, Rizal wrote letters to his loved ones, including his close friend Ferdinand Blumentritt and his brother Paciano. He also conveyed his last will and requests regarding his burial and the handling of his remains to his family.
On December 30, Rizal, dressed in black, walked to Bagumbayan with his lawyer, two priests, soldiers, and military personnel. He remarked on the beautiful morning and noted familiar sights like Cavite's mountains, Corregidor, and his former school, Ateneo. Eight Filipino soldiers formed the firing squad, with Spanish troops behind them ready to shoot any hesitant Filipino soldier. Rizal's final requests to be shot without a blindfold and facing his executioners were partially granted, but he was shot from behind, aiming for his back near his heart. His pulse remained normal, and some witnesses claimed he even smiled.
Despite the captain's agreement, Rizal was given a 'tiro de gracia' (mercy shot) to the head after falling. His body was not returned to his family nor given a proper burial but was interred in an unmarked grave. Later, his remains were placed in an ivory urn and eventually at the base of his monument, contrary to his wish for a simple burial. Despite his ambivalent stance on revolution, his last poem, 'Mi Ultimo Adios,' praising the revolutionaries, signifies his eventual agreement with the cause. The video concludes by emphasizing that Rizal's life reflects our own beliefs and perspectives, urging continued study of his life to prevent his 'second death.'