Disclaimer :
I seem to get a couple of e-mails from students
asking for help. If you are doing research on the court hearing/trial of
Rizal you can use the following transcript as a reference. Please don't base
your whole research or paper on it. I can't guarantee its accuracy or if
the transcript is complete.
Note: For the convenience of the reader, we have changed the indirect
to direct form of discourse, the testimony given by Dr. Rizal in his own
behalf.
On November 20, 1896, there appeared before the
Honorable Court and his Secretary, the accused, and after he had been admonished
to tell the truth, declared:
Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso, of age, single, a
physician, resident of Calamba, province of Laguna, had never before been
indicted.
Q-Do you know Pio Valenzuela? Is he a relative, a friend, an
enemy or in any way a suspect?
Q-Do you know Martin Constantino Lozano? Is he a relative,
a friend, an enemy, or in any way a suspect?
Q-Do you know Aguedo del Rosario?
Q-Do you know Reyes Tolentino?
Q-Do you know Antonio Salazar?
(Santos, E. de los, Proceso del Dr. Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso, pp. 5-14.)
Q-Do you know Jose Dizon?
Q-Do you know Moises Salvador?
Q-Do you know Domingo Franco?
Q-Do you know Irineo Francisco?
Q-Do you know Deodato Arellano?
Q-Do you know Lieutenant Ambrosio Flores, President of the
Masonic Regional Council of the Philippines?
Q-Do you know Teodoro Plata?
Q-Do you know Ambrosio Salvador?
Q-Do you know Bonifacio Arevalo?
Q-Do You know Tirnoteo Paez?
Q-Do You know Francisco Cordero?
Q-Do You know Estanislao Legaspi, who lives at No. 36 Encarnacion
street 2 District Of Tondo?
Q-Do you know the brothers, Alejandro and Venancio Reyes, who
had a tailoring shop tit the Escolta street, Manila?
Q-Do you know Arcadio del Rosario?
Q-Do You know Apolinario Mabini?
Q-Do You know Pedro Serrano?
Q-Besides, bringing you a patient at Dapitan, what other purpose
had the trip of Pio Valenzuela there, and what matters had you taken up?
Q-Was there ever established a Filipino Association in Madrid,
and what was its purpose and end in view?
Q-What was the relation between the aforesaid Association and
the newspaper, La Solidaridad?
Q-What was the political tendency of the said Association?
Q-Have you entrusted any person or worked for the establishment
of Masonic lodges in the Philippines?
Q-Did you draw up the by-laws of the association, entitled,
Liga Filipina; and to what purpose did you distribute said by-laws and for
what object?
Q-For what purpose and object was the Liga Filipina
organized?
Q-What were the political aims of the Liga Filipina?
Q-Did you write any one to take active interest in the bylaws
of the Liga"?
Q-Do you recall the purpose of your round trip to Tarlac on
June 27 and 28, 1892, in company with Pedro Serrano?
Q-Was it at your instance that a gathering was held at the
house of Doroteo Ong-jungco, before or after your trip to Tarlac?
Q-What did they talk about in said meeting?
Q-What were more or less, the tenor of your address at the
gathering held at the house of Doroteo Ong-jungco?
Q-Is it true, that before the adjournment of the meeting held
at the house of Doroteo Ong-jungco, there was an election of officers of
the Liga, of which the following resulted provisionally elected: Ambrosio
Salvador, President and Deodato Arellano, Secretary? And that the witness
recommended to President Salvador to be more active and that the members
be more united and harmonious with each other?
Court suspended session for continuance.
In Manila on November 21, 1896, appeared Jose Rizal,
expressing conformity with the above proceedings, making, however, some little
rectification in some details. After having been admonished by the Court
to tell the truth, he was asked:
Q-Have you attended the meeting held in June or July 1892 in
the house of Estanislao Legaspi, located on Encarnacion street, Tondo district,
where you were introduced by Juan Zulueta and Timoteo Paez?
Q-Did you take the initiative in the organization of the Liga
Filipina, which took place in the first months of 1893?
Q-Do you know Andres Bonifacio, President of the Supreme Council
of the Katipunan, and have you anything to do with him?
Q-How do you explain the appearance of your pictures among
the members of the said association?
Q-Have you been informed of the plot to arrange your escape
from Dapitan?
Q-Are there any important persons in the Islands who sympathize
and support your ideas?
Q-Do you know Jose Ramos and Doroteo Cortes, and what is your
relation with them?
Q-If you happened to have escaped from Dapitan, were you going
to Japan to join Doroteo Cortes and Marcelo H. del Pilar there, to interest
that Government to extend aid to the Philippines?
Q-What steps have you already taken for the establishment of
a Filipino colony in Sandakan?
Q-Showing you this note found among your papers, which refers
to deviation of a compass with relations to Dapitan, will you explain the
purpose of said note?
Note: At this stage of the hearing the Court ordered adjournment, to which
the accused acquiesced.
A-In Dapitan I knew a physician by the name of Don Polo, who
brought me a patient for examination. I never knew him before, nor saw him
again. He was friendly to the members of my family, as they received from
him during the voyage together, a present of traveling medicine-test.
A-I do not know any person by that name, although if I see
him, I might recognize him.
A-I do not know any one by that name, but I might know him
personally.
A-No, I do not know him.
A-I know some one with the surname Salazar, who is the owner
of Bazaar "Cisne", where I have my shoes made-to-order. I do not know him
personally, nor if his name is Antonio.
A-I have heard an engraver by that name, but I do not know
him personally.
A-I knew Moises Salvador in 1890 in Madrid. We are not related
but at that time, we treated each other as countrymen, nor am I suspicious
of him.
A-No, I do not, know him.
A-No, I do not know him.
A-Yes, I know him because when I came to Manila in 1887, he
came to congratulate me on my "Noli Me Tangere". That in 1890 I had some
differences with Marcelo H del Pilar, brother-in-law of Deodato Arellano,
who did not speak well of me and even manifested pleasure when he heard that
I was deported to Dapitan, hence I am suspicious of him.
A-I do not know him personally nor by his name.
A-I do not know him personally nor by his name.
A-Yes, because his son Moises Salvador introduced me to him.
A-Yes, because one Sunday I ate dinner in his home, but since
then, I did not see him again.
A-Yes, I -knew him since 1892, as he was introduced to me by
Pedro Serrano, and hence I had some intimacy with him, but later when I was
in Dapitan I learned that he was against me.
A-No, I do not know him, neither personally nor by name.
A-No, I do not know him personally nor by his name, but I remember
having seen his signature in one of the letters addressed to Marcelo H. del
Pilar or from some other person.
A-I knew a fellow collegian whose surname was Reyes, who had
a tailoring establishment at the Escolta, where I had a suit of clothes made
but I had no intimacy with him.
A-Yes, I knew him while still young in Manila and then in Madrid,
where I had some dealings with him.
A-No, I do not know him neither personally nor by name.
A-Yes, I knew him in Manila in 1887 and later in Europe I had
some intimacy with him, but subsequently I learned that he was working against
me, hence I am suspicious of him.
A-The physician Don Pio told me that there will be an uprising
and that I should be careful of my involvement in it while in Dapitan. I
told him that the time is not opportune to attempt such venture; that there
was no unity among the diverse elements in the Philippines, nor were there
arms, warships, nor was there sufficient intellectual progress among the
people, nor were there sufficient means for resistance; that they should
take Cuba for an example, where in spite of their great means and the help
of a great Power and were already accustomed to fight, yet they could not
achieve their purpose, and that whatever be the result of their struggle,
Spain would be benefited by extending concession to the Philippines, for
which in my opinion, we should wait.
A-A Filipino Association, whose name I do not now recall, was
organized in Madrid. Its existence was a short one and its aim was to look
after the moral well-being of the Filipino colony there.
A-They were independent from each other; that Marcelo H. del
Pilar labored so that La Solidaridad and the Association could be managed
by said Marcelo; that the declarant being of determined opposition in their
fusion against the wishes of the aforesaid Marcelo, he left the management
of the Association and went to Paris.
A-None. Its political aim was entrusted to La Solidaridad,
directed by Marcelo H. del Pilar.
A-I wish to assure you that I had not the least intervention
whatsoever, in the Masonry of these Islands.
A-In 1891 when I arrived at Hongkong, I lodged at the home
of Jose Basa, and in our various conversations, he told me that the Masonry
was having a great success in the Philippines, though the Masons were complaining
of its maladministration. Persuaded by Jose Basa, I drew up the by-laws of
the association, named Liga Filipina, under the rules which govern Masonic
practices.
A-The object of the association was to secure the unity among
the different elements of the country, with the end of encouraging commerce
and establishing a sort of Cooperative Associations.
A-At the moment I cannot recall any political aim having been
provided for in any articles of its by-laws, which I gave to Jose Basa, nor
the person to whom it was sent.
A-It is possible that I had written to some person, but I can
not remember it at this moment.
A-I do not recall the date, but it may had been on June 30th
or July lst, when on taking the train at Malolos for Tarlac, I met Pedro
Serrano with. a young man, who was introduced to me as Timoteo Paez. They
were with me in my trip of sightseeing of the new railroad line and in the
provinces the railroad line terminating at Tarlac.
A-I attended said gathering but it was not held at the instance
of my initiative. It took place some days after my aforementioned trip to
Tarlac. Timoteo Paez told me that some Filipinos desired to see and greet
me personally, to which I acceded, and so we attended together the said
gathering.
A-They talked about the Liga Filipina and the Masonry and I
remember that Pedro, Serrano spoke, proposing the fusion of the Liga with
the Masonry. I tried to adjust and settle some of the complaints, which I
believe had been accepted as we separated cordially.
Were they somewhat, like the following: "I told them that it seemed to me
that the Filipinos are becoming discouraged that they did not aspire to be
worthy of freedom-being always subjected to the abuses of the authorities,
as I told General Despujol in one of my interviews with him. I believe that
the abuses were due to the discretional powers exercised by the Governors,
and that means must be found to remedy them. In spite of the counsels of
some of my friends not to come to Manila, in the fear of some harm from my
enemies, I came to see closely the bull, and at the same time to arrange
the differences which exist among the friends of the propaganda. The disunion
among the Filipinos in Europe, I was able to settle amicably. In spite of
everything, Marcelo H. del Pilar is still my good friend. Afterwards, I spoke
about the importance of the Liga, which was to be established in accordance
with the by-laws I had drawn up. The by-laws should be made known to all.
By means of the Liga, the arts, industries and commerce will advance and
the country being rich and the people united, they will achieve their own
liberty even their own independence."
A-I agree that I might have said what has just been stated,
in the gathering held at the house of Doroteo Ong-jungco, as I had said it
several times, but I am not sure whether in said meeting I repeated them.
With respect to the discouragement and disunion among the Filipinos, I could
not have stated it, seeing that the Masonry had penetrated and propagated
more than had been expected. Likewise, I could not have said that I secured
the unity of the Filipinos in Madrid, since on the contrary, there were almost
duels fought among them.
A-Yes, the above occurrence had taken place, except with reference
of the election of Deadato Arellano as Secretary, as I had not even the least
idea that Arellano would attend such a meeting.
A-During my stay in Manila sometime in those dates, I frequently
ate at different houses, and probably I might have gone to Estanislao Legaspi's
place, but I do not recall any detail about his person, the house or the
gathering. With respect to Legaspi's surname, I remember it as pseudonym
appearing on some letters addressed to Jose Basa at Hong kong.
A-I, do not know anything about the organization of the Liga,
nor did I take. initiative for its purpose, nor did I have anything to do
with said association.
A-I do not know any one by that name. This is the first time
I have heard of it. Neither do I know him personally even if he attended
the gathering held in the house of Doroteo Ong-jungco, where many Were introduced
to me, but which I neither recall their names nor their appearances.
A-With respect to my picture, I had it taken in regular size
while in Madrid. Probably they have obtained some reprint of it. As to my
name being used as a war cry, I ignore its motive, since I have not given
any reason for it. I consider it as an unqualified abuse. I was informed
by my family that they use to collect funds in my behalf. Besides informing
the Military Commandant at Dapitan of this fact, so that he could inform
the Governor General thereof, I also asked my family to tell people that
I was not begging for charity, as I had enough means with what I earned in
my profession, and with what I won in the lottery, I had sufficient for all
my needs.
A-I have heard rumors to that effect, but I have not been informed
directly about it. I could not have accepted it, nor leave Dapitan in that
way, unless I was forcibly taken away without my consent.
A-I do not know of any important person who sympathizes or
assists in favor of my ideals, either ostensibly or secretly. On the contrary,
I have received proofs against them.
A-In my first return from Europe, I had some dealings with
Jose Ramos in Manila, but in my second return from Europe, I had not seen
nor spoken to Jose Ramos. With respect to Doroteo Cortes, I knew him by sight
when I was a student, but I never spoke to him. I even believe, he does not
like me much, believing that I was responsible for his deportation.
A-I know nothing of such thing. Those who have spread such
rumors, undoubtedly ignore the antagonism which exists between Doroteo Cortes
and myself, which precludes our working together in any enterprise.
A-It was not a Filipino colony that I propose to establish
at Sandakan, but to reside with my family in that English colony, as I have
manifested to Governor General Despuiol in my letter addressed to him from
Hongkong, and also when I spoke to him at my arrival at Manila.
A-This note was furnished to me by Father Sanchez, (S.J.) when
he gave me the said compass as a gift while I was in Dapitan, and the above
referred note, according to my recollection, was an observation made by Father
Cirera.