retraction and cry

• Rizal


  Hero of Revolution
• Rizal's writings


  • Ending Colonialism and Liberating Filipino Minds
  • Great Volume of Rizal's Lifework: Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
  • Vilify Catholic Religion and Friars, the main agents of injustice in Philippines
• Retraction


  Allegedly signed documents few hours of death declaring belief to Catholic Church and retract everything he wrote against The Church
• Jose Rizal: 'I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and educated I wish to live and die. I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct has been contrary to my character as son of the Catholic Church. I believe and I confess whatever she teaches and I submit to whatever she demands. I abominate Masonry, as the enemy which is of the Church, and as a Society prohibited by the Church. The Diocesan Prelate may, as the Superior Ecclesiastical Authority, make public this spontaneous manifestation of mine in order to repair the scandal which my acts may have caused and so that God and people may pardon me.'
• The "original" of Rizal's retraction was discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M. on May 18, 1935
• 4 Iterations of the Text

  • Published in La Voz Española and Diario De Manila on 30 December 1896
  • Barcelona, Spain in the La Javentud magazine on 14 February 1897 from anonymous writer (Fr. Vicente Balaguer)
  • Original text was only found in archdiocesan archives on 18 May 1935 after almost 4 decades of disappearance
• Fr. Vicente Balaguer


  One of the Jesuit priests who visited Rizal during his last hours in Fort Santiago and claimed that he managed to persuade Rizal to denounce Masonry and return to the Catholic fold
• Fr. Vicente Balaguer: 'In an affidavit executed in 1917 when he had returned to Spain, Balaguer also claimed that he was the one who solemnized the marriage of Josephine Bracken and Rizal hours before the hero's execution'
• Fr. Pio Pi


  The Jesuit Superior in the Philippines during the time when Rizal was executed. In 1917, he issued an affidavit recounting his involvement in the alleged retraction of Rizal.
• Fr. Pio Pi's account of Rizal's retraction

  1. A long discussion with Father Balaguer happened before Rizal willingly surrendered to turn back to Catholicism

  2. Rizal found certain objections with first composition presented by Fr. Balaguer

  3. Fr. Balaguer had to dictate from the short composition of Fr. Pio

  4. Rizal wrote down what was dictated to him but he insisted on adding the phrases "in which I was born and educated" and "Masonry" as the enemy that is of the Church

  5. When Rizal was satisfied with the composition presented by Fr. Balaguer he made some little modifications to make it Rizal's own and spontaneous work, then wrote it with Rizal's hand and signed it
• Cuerpo de Vigilancia


  The agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia stationed in Fort Santiago to report on the events during the day in prison of the accused Jose Rizal
• Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia

  1. At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his counsel, Señor Taviel De Andrade, and the Jesuits priest Vilaclara

  2. At approximately 9, the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure, asked Rizal if he wanted anything. He replied that at the moment he only wanted a prayer book, which was bought to him shortly by Father March

  3. Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long time while with others the Jesuit fathers, March and Vilaclara, regarding religious matters, it seems. It appears that these to presented him with a prepared retraction on his life and deeds that he refused to sign

  4. At 3 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed him what he had written. Immediately the chief of the firing squad, Señor del Fresno and the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure, were informed. They entered death row and together with Rizal signed the document that the accused had written

  5. At 5 in the morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison..dressed in the mourning. Only the former entered the chapel, followed by a military chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain. Donning his formal clothes and aided by a soldier of the artillery, the nuptials of Rizal and the woman who had been his lover were performed at the point of death.
• The retraction is still a controversy but the documents don't tarnish the heroism of Rizal. His relevance still remained solidified to Filipinos that pushed revolution and 1898 independence.
• La Liga Filipina


  An organization Rizal founded, with Andres Bonifacio as one of its members
• Rizal was not part of Katipunan, but Katipuneros showed great appreciation of his work toward the same goals. Out of 28 members of the leadership of the Katipunan (known as the Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng Katipunan) from 1892 to 1896, 13 were former members of La Liga Filipina. Katipuneros even used Rizal's name as a password.
• Pio Valenzuela's visit to Rizal in Dapitan

  1. Valenzuela informed Rizal that Revolution could inevitably break out once discovered by Spaniards

  2. Rizal advised Valenzuela that the Katipunan should first secure the support of wealthy Filipinos to strengthen their cause, and suggested that Antonio Luna be recruited to direct the military movement of the revolution
• El Grito de Rebelion


  The start of these revolutionary events, identifying the place where it happened - Philippines, August 1896, northeast of Manila, declaring rebellion against Spanish Colonial Government
• Teodoro Agoncillo emphasizes the event when Bonifacio tore the cedula or tax receipt before the Katipuneros who also did the same
• Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an "himno de Balintawak" to inspire the renewed struggle after the Pact of the Biak-na-Bato failed
• Monument to the Heroes of 1896

  Erected in the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos(EDSA) Avenue and Andres Bonifacio Drive-North Diversion Road
• From then on until 1962, the Cry of Balintawak was celebrated every 26th of August. The site was chosen for an unknown reason.
• Different dates and places of the Cry

  • Lt. Olegaripo Diaz, a guardia civil: Balintawak on 25 August 1896
  • Teodoro Kalaw, Kangkong Balintawak
• Cry of Rebellion


  The start of revolutionary events in the Philippines against the Spanish colonial government in the 19th century
• The Cry of Rebellion happened


  August 1896
• Bonifacio tore the cedula (tax receipt) before the Katipuneros who also did the same
• The Cry of Balintawak was celebrated every 26th of August


  From 1896 until 1962
• Different dates and places of the Cry

  • Lt. Olegaripo Diaz: Balintawak on 25 August 1896
  • Teodoro Kalaw: Kangkong Balintawak, last week of August 1896
  • Santiago Alvarez: Bahay Toro in Quezon City in Pugad Lawin on 24 August 1896
  • Pio Valenzuela: Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896
  • Gregorio Zaide: Balintawak on 26 August 1896
  • Teodoro Agoncillo: Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896
  • Milagros Guerro, Emmanuel Encarnacion, Ramon Villegas: Tandong Sora's barn in Gulod, Barangay Banlat, Quezon City, on 24 August 1896
• Guillermo Masangkay: 'On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio Samson, then cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who attended, I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Romas Remigio, Briccio Pantas,Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco and Francis Carreon. They were all the leaders of the Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the organization. Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, and Morong were also present.'
• Guillermo Masangkay: 'At about nine o'clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with Andres Bonifacio pressing and Emilio Aguinaldo acting as secretary. The purpose was to discuss when the uprising was to take place. Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the revolution too early...Andres Bonifacio, sensing the he would lose in the discussion then, left the session hall and talked to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the leaders. He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the revolution early, and appealed to them in a fiery speech in which he said: "You remember the fate of our countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now the towns, the Spaniards will only shoot us. Our organization has been discovered and we are all marked men. If we don't start the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What then, do you say?" "Revolt!" the people shouted as one.'
• Guillermo Masangkay: 'Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. He told them that the sign of slavery of the Filipinos were the cedula tax charged each citizen. "If it is true that you are ready to revolt...I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be a sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards."'
• Pio Valenzuela: 'The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio,Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was balintawak, the first five arriving there on August 19, and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan met on August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at Kangkong.'
• Pio Valenzuela: 'Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those who were there Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only exchanged, and no resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1896. The discussion was on whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be started on August 29, 1896.. After the tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedulas certificates and shouted " Long live the Philipines! Long Live the Philippines!"'
• Eyewitness accounts marked disagreements to the time and place of the Cry
• Using primary and secondary sources, 4 places have been identified: Balintawak, Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and Bahay Toro, while the dates vary 23, 24, 25, or 26 August 1896
• Gregoria De Jesus and Julio Nakpil gave accounts of the Cry happening on August 25, 1896 at Balintawak and August 24, 1896 at Kangkong respectively
• Valenzuela's account should be read with caution as he gave inconsistent accounts to Spanish investigators and in his own memoirs
• According to Guerrero, Enacarnacion, and Villegas, all these places are in Balintawak, then part of Caloocan, now in Quezon City. Bonifacio and his troops may have been moving from one place to another to avoid being located by the Spanish government, which could explain the multiple accounts
• The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) states that the First Cry of the Philippine Revolution of 1896 happened on August 23, 1896 at Pugad Lawin (Project 8 in Quezon City Today)
• Significance of the Cry of Rebellion


  • Contribution in Revolution and Nationalism
  • Local History
  • More than time and place