Rizal spent his last 24 hours in Fort Santiago meeting with visitors and writing. On the morning of December 30, 1896 he was awoken at 6:00 AM and wrote final letters to his family before beginning the death march to Bagumbayan around 6:30 AM. Despite having his arms tied, Rizal walked calmly with priests at his side as spectators lined the street. At Bagumbayan, Rizal was tied to a post and refused a blindfold before being shot by a firing squad at 7:03 AM.

1. Martyrdom at
Bagumbayan
RIZAL’S LIFE, WORKS AND WRITINGS
© 2010
01

2. • After being court-martialed, Rizal returned to
his cell in Fort Santiago to prepare his
rendezvous with destiny.
• During his last 24 hours on earth – from 6:00
A.M. of Dec. 29 to 6:00 A.M. of Dec. 30, 1896
– he was busy meeting visitors which includes
his family and friends.
• He was also able to write his last poem – his
final contribution for the emancipation of the
Filipino people.
INTRODUCTION 02Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

3. Rizal’s Prison Cell 03Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

4. • 6:00 A.M. – Captain Rafael Rodriguez read
Rizal’s death sentence – he will be shot at the
back by firing squad at 7:00 A.M. in
Bagumbayan.
• 7:00 A.M. – Rizal was moved to the prison
chapel where he spent his last moments. His
first visitors were Jesuit priests.
• 7:15 A.M. – Rizal reminded Fr. Luis Viza the
statuette of the Sacred Heart of Jesus whom
he carved as a student in Ateneo.
Last Hours of Rizal 04Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
December 29, 1896

5. • 8:00 A.M. – Rizal had a breakfast with Fr.
Antonio Rosell. After breakfast, his attorney,
Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade came.
• 9:00 A.M. – Fr. Frederico Faura arrived. Rizal
reminded the priest of his earlier ‘prophecy’
about Rizal.
• 10:00 A.M. – More Jesuit priests had visited
him. After then, he was interviewed by
Santiago Mataix for the newspaper El Heraldo
de Madrid.
Last Hours of Rizal 05Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
December 29, 1896

6. • 12:00 – 3:30 P.M. – Rizal was left alone in his
cell. He took his lunch and continued writing
his farewell poem which he hid in an alcohol
cooking stove. He also wrote his last letter to
Professor Blumentritt.
• 3:30 P.M. – Father Vicente Balaguer returned
to his cell and discussed with Rizal his
retraction letter.
Last Hours of Rizal 06Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
December 29, 1896

7. • 4:00 P.M. – Teodora Alonzo visited him. They
had a very emotional encounter. Rizal gave
the alcohol cooking stove to Trinidad which
contains his farewell poem. Several priests
have visited him afterwards.
• 6:00 P.M. – Don Silvino Lopez, dean of the
Manila Cathedral visited him.
• 8:00 P.M. – Rizal had his last supper. He told
Captain Dominguez that he forgave his
enemies including the military judges.
Last Hours of Rizal 07Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
December 29, 1896

8. Mi Ultimo Adios 08Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

9. • 9:30 P.M. – Rizal was visited by Don Gaspar
Cestano, fiscal of the Royal Audience de
Manila.
• 10:00 P.M. – The draft of the retraction letter
sent by the anti-Filipino Archbishop
Bernardino Nozaleda was given by Fr.
Balaguer to Rizal for his signature. He had
rejected it.
Last Hours of Rizal 09Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
December 29, 1896

10. • Upon Rizal’s death, his supposedly ‘retraction
letter’ became of one of the most controversial
documents in our history.
• This ‘retraction letter’ allegedly contains his
renunciation of the Masonry and his ‘anti-Catholic
religious ideas.’
• Depending on whose side you are on, some
Rizalists claims that it is fake while some believe
it to be genuine.
• There had been some evidences but so far these
had only heated up the debate between the two
factions.
Retraction Letter 10Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

11. • 3:00 A.M. – Rizal heard Mass, confessed his
sins and took Holy Communion.
• 5:30 A.M. – He took his last breakfast. After
which he wrote his last letters for his family
and his brother, Paciano.
Last Hours of Rizal 11Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
December 30, 1896

12. Letter to Paciano 12Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
Now I am about to die,
and it is to you I dedicate
my last lines, to tell you
how sad I am to leave you
alone in life, burdened
with the weight of the
family and our old parents.
“
”

13. • 5:30 A.M. – Josephine Bracken arrived
together with Rizal’s sister, Josefa, with tears
in her eyes, bade him farewell. Rizal
embraced her for the last time, and before she
left, Rizal gave her a last gift – a religious
book, Imitation of Christ by Father Thomas
Kempis.
Last Hours of Rizal 13Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
December 30, 1896

14. • 6:00 A.M. – As the soldiers were
getting ready for the death march to
Bagumbayan, Rizal wrote his last
letter to his beloved parents.
Last Hours of Rizal 14Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
December 30, 1896

15. Letter to his Father 15Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
My beloved Father, pardon
me for the pain with which
I repay you, for sorrows
and sacrifices for my
education. I did not want it
nor did I prefer it.
Goodbye Father, goodbye.
“
”

16. Letter to his Mother 16Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
To my very dear Mother,
Sra. Dona Teodora Alonso
6 o’oclock in the morning,
December 30, 1896.
“
”

17. • At about 6:30 A.M., a trumpet sounded at Fort
Santiago, a signal to begin the death march to
Bagumbayan.
• Rizal walked calmly with his defense counsel
and two Jesuit priests at his sides.
• He was dressed elegantly in a black suit,
black derby hat, black shoes, white shirt and
black tie. His arms were tied behind from
elbow to elbow.
• There a lot of spectators lining the street from
Fort Santiago to Bagumbayan.
Death March to Bagumbayan 17Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

18. • As he was going through the narrow Postigo
Gate, Rizal looked at the sky and said to one
of the priests: “How beautiful it is today,
Father. What morning could be more serene!
How clear is Corregidor and the mountains of
Cavite! On mornings like this, I used to take a
walk with my sweetheart.”
• While he was passing in front of the Ateneo,
he saw the college towers above the walls. He
asked: “Is that the Ateneo, Father?” “Yes”,
replied the priest.
Death March to Bagumbayan 18Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

19. 19Martyrdom at BagumbayanDeath March to Bagumbayan

20. • Rizal bade farewell to Fathers March and
Vilaclara and to his defender, Lt. Luis Taviel
de Andrade. Although his arms were tied, he
had firmly clasped their hands in parting.
• One of the priests blessed him and offered
him a crucifix to kiss.
• He requested the commander of the firing
squad that he be shot facing them. His
request was denied for the captain had implicit
orders to shoot him at his back.
Martyrdom of a Hero 20Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

21. • A Spanish military physician, Dr. Felipe Ruiz
Castillo, asked his permission to feel his pulse.
He was amazed to find it normal, showing that
Jose Rizal was not afraid to die.
• The death ruffles of the drums filled the air.
Above the drum beats, the sharp command “Fire”
was heard, and the guns of the firing squad
barked. Rizal, with supreme effort, turned his
bullet-riddled body to the right, and fell on the
ground dead – with face upward facing the
morning sun. It was exactly 7:03 in the morning –
aged 35 years, 5 months and 11 days.
Martyrdom of a Hero 21Martyrdom at Bagumbayan

22. 22Martyrdom at BagumbayanMartyrdom of a Hero

23. 23Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
I die just when I see the dawn
break, through the gloom of
night, to herald the day; And if
color is lacking my blood thou
shalt take, pour’d out at need
for thy sake, to dye with its
crimson the waking ray.
“
”
Martyrdom of a Hero

24. • It is interesting to know that 14 years before
his execution, Rizal predicted that he would
die on December 30th. He was then a medical
student in Madrid, Spain.
24Martyrdom at BagumbayanMartyrdom of a Hero

25. 26Martyrdom at Bagumbayan
There can be no
tyrants where
there are no
slaves.
“
”
Jose Rizal
Taken from ‘El Filibusterismo’