Kristoffer Pasion
#TodayinHistory in 1898, the #PH Revolutionary Gov decreed the commemoration of #Rizal's martyrdom every December 30, the 1st instance it was officially memorialized. This debunks the notion that the "veneration" of Rizal was U.S.-sponsored. THREAD. #Kasaysayan #RizalDay #History
Dec 20, 2022 at 9:04amWeb
Show threadKristoffer PasionDec 20, 2022
A month before the promulgation of the Malolos Constitution of 1899 & the est. of the 1st #PH Republic, amidst the uneasy tension escalating bet. Filipino & American forces, the revolutionary government in Malolos decreed #onthisday #RizalDay every 30 Dec. The decree was penned by Apolinario Mabini, as Head of Government (equivalent to Prime Minister), & signed by Emilio Aguinaldo as President. It was an acknowledgment of the reverence of Filipinos on #Rizal even 2 years after his execution.
Show threadKristoffer PasionDec 20, 2022
The decree reads: "In memory of the great Filipino patriots Dr. Jose Rizal and other victims who succumbed under the ended Spanish domination, December 30 is declared a day of national mourning." The #PH flag was directed to be on half-mast from noon of 29th to noon of the 30th. This, among others, debunks historian Renato Constantino's claim in his essay "Veneration without Understanding" (1969) that Rizal's status as hero was bolstered mainly by "American sponsorship"
Show threadKristoffer PasionDec 20, 2022
… bec of Rizal's "repudiation" of the #PH Revolution, an armed revolution. The repudiation, even when uttered by Rizal in his legal defense during his trial, aside from being said under duress, stopped short of condemning it entirely, saying only that it was premature. Moreover, Rizal's writings & conduct speak for themselves. Pio Valenzuela, on behalf of the Katipunan in June 1896, received clear advice from Rizal on the revolution.
Show threadKristoffer PasionDec 20, 2022
Even while Valenzuela changed his tune when put under interrogation of Spanish agents, he may have only done so to protect Rizal & the Katipunan. Some of Rizal's siblings became members of the #Katipunan—Paciano became a Katipunan general, while Josefa & Trinidad became members of the Katipunan's women chapter. The sisters were witness to the wedding of Andres Bonifacio & Gregoria de Jesus. With or w/out "American sponsorship" as Constantino claimed, Leon Ma. Guerrero pointed out:
Show threadKristoffer PasionDec 20, 2022
"...Filipinos had chosen Rizal even before he died, & his final martyrdom was only the confirmation of a spiritual dominance that even the Katipunan acknowledged by rising in his name… The choice was ours.”
Show threadKristoffer PasionDec 20, 2022
Photos:
- Katipunan veterans in Balintawak, c. 1911, Ramon Villegas collection
- Ejecito filipina, c. 1898
- Decree of 20 Dec 1898, Laws of the First Philippine Republic
- "Pio Valenzuela and Jose Rizal" (1960) by National Artist Carlos V. Francisco, NHCP Collection
- The first ever Rizal Monument, erected in Daet, Camarines Norte, & unveiled on 30 Dec 1898, bigberto flickr
Show threadr e yDec 20, 2022
@indiohistorian This is my first time learning about this certain Constantino, but I surmise his essay must've helped lay the groundwork for those who seek to invalidate Rizal's status as a patriot. Even in some of my circles, some believe that Rizal's heroism was just another American colonizer propaganda.
Thank you for including this point in this thread, sir Kris!
Show threadKristoffer PasionDec 20, 2022
@suisei thank u for the kind words!