Flame Pillar of Rizal

Final Blowing Facts of Rizal's Death

Inside the Fort Santiago, it had a somber atmosphere while the outside its walls it was like a fiesta. Flags hung along the city streets and buildings in the Walled City. At Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park), thousands of people had gathered since daybreak on the wide grassy field facing the sea to watch his execution. Sky was cloudless and such a beautiful blue day looms.

And here's the outlined facts about the final moments:

1. At morning breakfast before the execution, Rizal had been given were three hard-boiled eggs, which he took to a corner of his prison cell, saying, "This is for the rats, let them have a fiesta, too."

2. The spectators or eyewitnesses described Rizal as serene, clean, a calm - a bit of pale, not because of the fear of his fate, but because he had not had any breakfast.

3. In his death march to Bagumbayan, Rizal is said to have nodded left and right to acknowledge familiar faces in crowd. He smiled to them, and made a few jokes. But the Jesuits flanking near him remained somber.

4. At the execution site, you will see the dog sitting right in front of government official wearing white. The dog was the mascot of the firing squad, commanded by the Artillery Commander Manuel Gomez Escalante.

5. Under the command of Artillery Commander were the following companies from the 7th Batallion of Expeditionary Forces, one company from the 8th Hunters Batallion, a company from the 70th Line Regiment (composed of native soldiers) and another from the Batallion of Volunteers.

6. All in all, there were more than 400 soldiers who formed the military escort in three-sided square around Bagumbayan because of the rumors of attempting to rescue the prisoner Rizal by the revolutionaries.

7. At the execution site, a viewing entablado or stage was erected for the Governor-General, high officials, and the friars.

8. If you look at the picture in the background, you will see what appear to be white clouds. Those are the white billowing soutanas of the Agustinian, Dominican, Franciscan, and Recoleto friars standing atop the calesa tops cheering on.

9. In the firing squad formation, eight pre-selected marksmen equipped with Remington rifles from the 70th Line Regiment were to be in the first row. The second line would be eight soldiers, four from the 7th Battalion and four from the 8th Hunters Batallion. They had their Mauser rifles trained to shoot on the first row of native soldiers, in case they failed to execute the order to fire Rizal, or missed the target.

10. Rizal asked to the commander not to be blindfolded but it was not necessary, and asked to face the executioners. His request had denied because the order was to be shot in the back because he was a traitor to Spain. He declared that he had never been a traitor to the country or to Spain.

11. He made one last request that he be shot towards the heart, and spare his head. The commander agreed with this.

12. A curious Spanish Army surgeon, Ruiz y Castillo felt Rizal's pulse, and was surprised to find it normal. "You have it very well, man," he said respectfully.

13. The Jesuits were the last to leave Rizal. They raised the crucifix to his face and lips, but he turned away his head and silently prepared to meet his tragic death.

14. When the shots rang out, their bullets hit the mark. Rizal struggled to face the executioners to show his full innocence, twisted around to die on his back with his face upwards with such dignity and honor of the rising sun. It was said that Rizal made carefully choreographed twist in 180 degree-turned he practiced years before to make him fall face up on the ground and refusing to kneel. He was less than 10 meters away from the firing squad.

15. On Rizal dying moment, the commander gave the last order, the coup de grâce (tiro de gracia) or final blow. The commander fired his pistol for one last merciful shot in the head at close range to make sure he was really dead. But in the movie of "José Rizal," the commander just only shot to the heart of Rizal (Cesar Montano) and obtained his end.

16. Someone has shouted after the final blow, "Long live Spain! Death to the traitor!" The crowd did not respond. An officer approached the person who had shouted, and scolded him. Until, the military band played the Spain's National Anthem, Marcha de Cadiz at 7:03 a.m.

17. A descendant of one of the executioners, Adolfo Pastor Quetcuti, explained that the captain of the guards put only one live bullet, one of the rifles, while placing blanks in the other because they already knew Rizal was not guilty.