His nation's hero, José Rizal was a physician, poet, novelist, sculptor, and more..
An Excerpt. By David Heenan
His nation's hero, José Rizal was a physician, poet, novelist, sculptor, and more..
"I have glimpsed a little light, and I believe I should show it to my countrymen." – José Rizal.
6:45 A.M.
December 30, 1898
Luneta, Manila, Spanish Philippines
Since the predawn hours, thousands of Europeans have been gathering to witness the execution of Dr. José Rizal, sentenced to death by a Spanish military court for the crimes of rebellion and sedition. Dressed in their best finery, the eager onlookers are in a festive mood. Tensions are running high in the capital city, however, and extra security focus are on hand to quash any disturbances from Spanish bystanders.
In a few minutes, Rizal will meet his maker. With his hands bound behind his back, the alleged traitor will leave his prison call for the short walk to the Luneta, the famous public park overlooking Manila Bay.
As the first rays of dawn seep through the night fog, drums announce Rizal's arrival. Accompanied by a military escort and two Jesuit priests, the slight-statured, fine-boned man strides past the whispering trees and murmuring surf, excluding the magnetism of a national hero. Impeccably attired in a black suit, white shirt and tie, black shoes and derby hat, Rizal shows no fear. Quietly, he makes his way through the densely packed crowd. His understated dignity believes his mere thirty0five years and countless hardships. As beloved as Rizal is to the Philippine masses, he is equally abhorred by his Spanish masters.
The procession comes to a halt. Under orders from the Crown, Rizal's own countrymen must perform the execution. Behind the six-man firing squad stand Spanish soldiers ready to dispense with any Filipino who shrinks from the task. Rizal asks to face his executioners. "Impossible," says the lieutenant in charge. "My orders are to shoot you in the back." Rizal then requests that his captors shoot him through the heart. "also impossible," repeats the officer. "Such a favor is only granted to men of rank. You will be shot in the back."
Refusing to be blindfolded or to kneel, the condemned man pivots to face the sea, the island of Corregidor and Bataan's blue mountains in the distance. At the last minute, a Spanish military surgeon asks to feel his pulse, which is surprisingly normal.
"Consomatum est!" – It is finished! – Rizal cries, in a voice audible to everyone in attendance. A hail of bullets strikes him, twisting his body around so his face points towards the sun.. At 7:03 A.M., the Messiah of the Philippines lies dead.
Vivas erupt from the Spaniards. "Hurrah for Spain!" they cheer. In the rear ranks Filipinos whisper, "Hurrah for the Philippine Republic and death to Spain." As morning bursts into midday, their exhortations grow louder and more insistent. There will be no more fealty to Madrid, and life in the Spanish colony will never be the same.
DEFINE SUCCESS IN YOUR OWN TERMS
"What is death to me? I have sown the seeds. Others will reap."
Rizal's executioners wrongly assumed that by silencing one man, they could kill the spirit of insurrection. Instead, they created a martyr whose loss convinced his countrymen that there was no alternative to independence from Spain. "What is death to me?" Rizal had once warned his captors. "I have sown the seeds. Others will reap."
Spurred on by his death, Filipinos from all parts of the vast seven-thousand-island archipelago tppk up the call to arms. Within hours, the first national revolution in Asia had begun. Two years later, three centuries of harsh Spanish rule would end.
José Rizal, a contemporary of Gandhi and Sun Yat-sen, is recognized as the greatest Filipino who ever lived. In his multiple lives, he was more than a patriot; he was also a novelist, poet, painter, sculptor, scientists, educator, and surgeon, as well as an expert swordsman and crack marksman. Having traveled extensively in Europe, America, and Asia, Rizal mastered twenty-two languages, including Spanish, English, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, Greek, and various local dialects. To truly appreciate the fullness of his life, it is crucial to understand the Philippines of that time.
