Rizal's Retraction Letter

Rizal's retraction is still one (1) of the country's greatest historical issues. The story of the Retraction has been told and retold and has created tremendous ambiguities in national history on the credence of the national hero.

Rizal Retracted

Archivist Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M.  discovered the “original" text containing the so-called retraction formula in the archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935, thirty-nine years after Rizal’s execution.

The Text appears to have been released to the press and published after the death of rizal but the original document was not produced until 1935. Because, immediately after Rizal's death, Fr. Balaguer gave it to Fr. Pi and Fr. Pi gave it to Fr. Nozaleda in order for his secretary to keep it. 

There are two (2) major arguments that support Rizal's Retraction. These are:

1. The Retraction “Document” found in 1935 was considered imperative evidence to the Retraction, itself; and

2. There were eyewitnesses closely associated with the events.

According to Ricardo P. Garcia’s “The Great Debate: The Rizal’s Retraction”, there were two (2) great testimonies of eyewitnesses who were privy to what happened in Rizal’s cell from early morning of December 29 to 6:30 am of December 30. They are:

1. Fr. Vicente Balaguer. According to the priest's testimonies, the reasonable Rizal had several rude awakenings; confessed, celebrated mass, had Communion, and prayed the Rosary four (4) times.

2. Former Lieutenant of the Infantry, Mariano Martinez Gallegos. He confirmed that Rizal himself signed a document called a retraction along with key eyewitnesses Juan del Fresno and Eloy Moure. Both named eyewitnesses confirmed Gallegos' statements.

To further cement the arguments, new documents were released with new interpretations. These are:

• The Cuerpo de Vigilencia

Translation of the Transcript:

“At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his counsel, Señor Taviel de Andrade, and the Jesuit priest Vilaclara. At the urgings of the former and moments after entering, he was served a light breakfast. 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 brought to him shortly by Father March.

“Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with the Jesuit fathers, March and Vilaclara, regarding religious matters, it seems. It appears that these two presented him with a prepared retraction on his life and deeds that he refused to sign. They argued about the matter until 12:30 when Rizal ate some poached egg and a little chicken. Afterwards he asked to leave to write and wrote for a long time by himself.

“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. It seems this was the retraction.”

• Rizal's short writing in Josephine Bracken's copy of, "De la Imitacion de Cristo (The Imitations of Christ)"; and

Source:  Manalo, F. C., & Silao, J.R. (2017). Jose Rizal's retraction controversy [PowerPoint slide]. Manila: Lyceum of the Philippines University - Manila 

• Rizal's frequent mentions of "cross" in his final writings.

Rizal Died Defiant

Arguments that counter the Pro-Retraction have been proposed by some historians due to some loopholes that the pro-Retraction has failed to overlook. These are:

1. The Retraction letter itself is not authentic according to some historians;

2. Josephine Bracken herself remains unmarried; and

3. The aftermath of the pro-Retraction's arguments point to a different direction.

So, what kind of hero is Jose Rizal? Is he a fickle-minded individual?

According to Austin Coates, a British author and historian, 

“Before God, he (Dr. Rizal) had nothing to retract. And from Dr. Jose Rizal himself, I quote, "I go where there are no slaves, no hangmen, no oppressors… where faith does not slay… where He who reigns is God,"."