THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Last Dec. 30, 2023, the nation marked the 127th anniversary of the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal at what was then called “Bagumbayan.” At this time of the year, those among us who remain interested in and fascinated by his life and character usually reflect on two things.
First, is Dr. Rizal still relevant today?
Second, is he truly fit to be our foremost national hero?
It appears the stature and veneration given to Dr. Rizal have been the object of scrutiny among scholars of history. Some of our nation’s most brilliant minds have objected to the level of importance given to Dr. Rizal in the Pantheon of Filipino heroes, while others have consistently stood by the belief that the deserves the title of “The Great Malayan” and “The First Filipino.”
Among the most outstanding critics of Dr. Rizal is the revered professor of history, Renato Constantino. In his book, “Veneration without Understanding,” Professor Constantino advanced one major argument against Dr. Rizal’s place in the hearts of Filipinos.
He explained that, in contrast to the “national heroes” of other Asian countries, Dr. Rizal did not lead our fight for independence from colonial masters. He wrote:
“In the histories of many nations, the national revolution represents a peak of achievement to which the minds of man return time and again in reverence and for a renewal of faith in freedom. For the national revolution is invariably the one period in a nation’s history when the people were most united, most involved, and most decisively active in the fight for freedom. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that almost always the leader of that revolution becomes the principal hero of his people.
"There is Washington for the United States, Lenin for the Soviet Union, Bolivar for Latin America, Sun Yat Sen, then Mao Tse-Tung for China and Ho Chi Minh for Vietnam. The unity between the venerated mass action and the honored single individual enhances the influence of both.
"In our case, our national hero was not the leader of our revolution. In fact, he repudiated that revolution. In no uncertain terms he placed himself against Bonifacio and those Filipinos who were fighting for the country’s liberty.”
Those who have consistently stood behind the recognition of Dr. Rizal as “national hero” have their own justification for their unbending position, defying the decades-old taunt that Dr. Rizal was a “ready-made hero” imposed on us by the American colonial government in the early 1900s.
Among them was Dr. Esteban Ocampo, author and professor of history who was designated as the chief researcher for the National Jose Rizal Centennial Commission. In a famous essay, “Who made Rizal the National Hero and Why?,” Dr. Ocampo wrote:
“It should be a source of pride and satisfaction to the Filipinos to have among their national heroes one of such excellent qualities and merits which may be equalled but not surpassed by any other man. While generally, the heroes of western nations are warriors and general who serve their cause with the sword, distilling blood and tears, the hero of the Filipinos served his cause with the pen, demonstrating that the pen is as mighty as the sword to redeem a people from their political slavery.
“Even before the outbreak of the revolution against Spain in 1896, many instances can be cited to prove that his countrymen here and abroad recognized Rizal’s leadership. In the early part of 1899, he was unanimously elected by the Filipinos in Barcelona and Madrid as honorary president of La Solidaridad. He was also the founder and moving spirit of La Liga Filipina.
“History also tells us that the revolutionary society known as the Katipunan likewise acknowledged Rizal’s leadership by making him its honorary president and by using his family name Rizal as the password for its high-ranking members.
“Who made Rizal the foremost hero of the Philippines? The answer is: no single person or groups of persons were responsible for making the Greatest Malayan the number one hero of his people. Rizal himself, his own people, and the foreigners all together contributed to make him the greatest hero and martyr of his people.
“No amount of adulation and canonization could convert Rizal into a great hero if he did not possess in himself what Palma calls ‘excellent qualities and merits’."
It is said that the very reason why the list of great Filipinos submitted by the National Heroes Committee in the 1990s was never acted upon is that designating one or a handful of Filipinos as worthy of the title may simply invite heated debates.
Our view is that we should encourage such “heated debates.” Debates help us uncover and discover both truths and lies. They are also a tribute to our outstanding forebears who gave their lives so that we may be free.
Undoubtedly, one of them is Dr. Jose Rizal. To honor him, we study his life and works even as we ask ourselves if we are capable of the sacrifice and nobility that he had shown.
We salute the Great Malayan and the First Filipino on the anniversary of his infamous execution last Saturday. (antipolocitygov@gmail.com)