Reaction Paper: Indictment of Rizal's Case

His goals for a better Philippines incurred the ire from the people who enjoys the status quo especially from the friars who got threatened by Rizal’s writings like the exploitation of native Filipino women for personal benefit of some friars in their respective parishes. His writings was the cause of his unjustified death in the hands of the friars on 30 December 1896.

Rizal did not approve of the rebellion and desired to issue a manifesto to those of his countrymen who had been deceived into believing that he was their leader. But the proclamation was not politic, for it contained none of those fulsomely flattering phrases which passed for patriotism in the intense days of 1896. The address was not allowed to be made public but it was passed on to the prosecutor to form another count in the indictment of Jose Rizal for not esteeming Spanish civilization.

Most of the documents did not constitute proofs against Rizal at all, since he never talked of separatism nor of insurrection. There were some Masonic letters mentioning the matter of liberty, of oppressing as well as some protests against deportation without trial.

What Rizal was responsible for was his awakening the Filipino people to awareness of their rights, and urging them to work for obtaining the same rights as those enjoyed by the peninsulares; he was responsible for having inculcated a sense of dignity. In truth, it is a serious thing to awaken the political conscience of the people, even without recommending violent means as in the case of Rizal.

Jose Rizal was the person who inspired the Filipinos to fight for independence from Spain even though he himself was not in favor for total independence from Spain.