Jose Rizal Dies By Firing Squad

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

DECEMBER 30, 1896

At 6:30 in the morning, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, who was dressed in a black suit and white vest was taken from his prison cell in Fort Santiago and was marched towards Bagumbayan (now the Luneta), to be executed by firing squad. 

Rizal, holding a rosary in his right hand and tied at the elbows, was accompanied by counsel Lt. Luis Taviel de Andrade, Fathers Estanislao March and Jose Villaclara. 

They walked behind four Spanish guards who were armed with bayonets. 

In the execution field, a squad composed of six to eight Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army prepare their task as executioners. 

According to some accounts, only one of the rifles has a live bullet while the rest were blanks. 

Spanish troops were positioned at the back of the executioners and prepared to shoot them should they fail to fire their shots. 

The Spanish Army Surgeon General, Dr. Felipe Ruiz Castillo took Rizal’s vital signs and pulse rate and found everything normal. 

The commanding officer raised his saber, a signal for the squad to take their aim. He shouted “fuego” (fire) simultaneously swinging the saber downwards, followed by a burst of rifle fire.

Rizal turned his face towards the squad and then fell face up, with his derby hat thrown ahead. His last words were “consummatum est" (It is finished). 

He was secretly buried in an unmarked grave in Paco cemetery. 

His sister Narcisa went to find him in all grave sites and saw Spanish guards posted at the cemetery gate. She found freshly turned earth at the site and assumed it was Rizal’s burial spot. She then asked the caretaker to mark the site “RPJ” (Rizal Protacio Jose) and gave him a gift. 

In 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree ordering December 30 of every year as Rizal Day. Jose Rizal’s remains are now rested at his monument at the Luneta.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia org