THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Yes, there are Filipinos who are officially “knights.” They have been given the privilege of sporting the title of “sir” before their names and they did not even have to kneel before the King of England to be entitled to it. In a country like ours where honorific titles and titles of nobility and royalty have all but disappeared, the organization to which these gentlemen belong appears to be the only one that has survived that trend.
Their organization is called the “Knights of Rizal” (KOR).
The “Rizal” in that name, of course, refers to the unofficial national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
The KOR is, perhaps, not as much a byword in professional, political, and civic circles as, say, the Rotary Club, JCI, or Lion’s Club. It is, however, one of the oldest organizations in the country, having been established in 1911. It also has one of the most prestigious rosters of members, and a number of those who have led the KOR as supreme commander are among the respected names in Philippine society.
KOR has an interesting history.
It started as an organization of just nine men led by the then-head of the Manila Police Department, Colonel Antonio Torres. The nine gentlemen who would compose the core of the membership of the KOR at its beginning had the rare privilege of escorting the remains of Dr. Jose Rizal in a procession as they were transferred from the Rizal residence in Binondo to its resting place at the Luneta.
Since then, the organization attracted a steady number of Filipinos who wanted to live out the ideals of Dr. Rizal and pass them on to succeeding generations.
Among those who inspired and steered the KOR as supreme commander were former Supreme Court Justices Claudio Teehankee, Hilario Davide, Jr. and Jose Mr. Paredes, renowned architect and academician Juan Nakpil, educator Teodoro Evangelista, former Ambassador to Japan Jose S. Laurel III, former Senator Jose D. Lina, Rizal scholars Virgilio Esguerra and Pablo Trillana, business tycoon Reghis M. Romero II, and local government stalwarts Frisco San Juan, Jr., Gerardo Calderon and Raymundo del Rosario.
The roster of members is just as prestigious.
It included names like King Carlos of Spain, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, former Philippine Presidents Erap Estrada, Fidel Ramos, and Noynoy Aquino, and former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Edgardo Angara Sr., Salvador H. Laurel III, and Arturo Tolentino.
The KOR appears to be the only organization in the Philippines that has a charter that has been passed by the Philippine Congress into law. In 1951, President Elpidio Quirino signed Republic Act 646 into law. This piece of legislation gave the KOR official government recognition and defined its nature and mission.
Republic Act 646 states that its primary mission is “to study the teachings of Dr. Jose Rizal, to inculcate and propagate them in and among all classes of Filipino people, and by words and deeds exhort our citizenry to emulate and practice the examples and teachings of our national hero.”
It seems RA 646 had intended to create a truly prestigious organization with an important mission that it provided that it is unlawful for any person “to falsely and fraudulently call himself as, or represent himself to be a member of or an agent for the Knights of Rizal.”
The KOR recently conducted its biennial election of the members of its Supreme Council.
We learned that the leadership of the KOR has now been passed on from outgoing supreme commander and Angono, Rizal Vice Mayor Gerry Calderon to Cavite 7th District Provincial Board Member Raymundo del Rosario. The Knights of this prestigious Order have likewise elected a fresh set of members of its Supreme Council for 2023 to 2025.
We congratulate the new set of officers of the KOR as we thank the outgoing set for successfully carrying on the mission of the Order.
We hope that the new set of officers will find it a worthwhile mission to work for the eventual official proclamation of Dr. Jose Rizal as our National Hero.
As mentioned in our column, Dr. Rizal and a few other revered Filipinos recommended by the National Heroes Committee have yet to be given that recognition. That committee, created by the late President Fidel Ramos, drew up the criteria, conducted an evaluation, and came up with a recommendation. The recommendation was reportedly sent to the then-Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports.
Nothing more was heard about that recommendation to this very day.
While it can be said that Dr. Rizal is the “national hero” as far as Filipinos are concerned, the fact is such recognition is “de facto.” He deserves a “de jure” recognition. The Knights of Rizal has what it takes to ensure that such recognition would finally happen.
That list includes Gat Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Gabriela Silang, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Emilio Aguinaldo, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat, and Juan Luna. Let us honor them with an official recognition similar to what was given by our legislators in the 1950s to the Knights of Rizal.
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