It has now become fashionable for anyone, to show-off their knowledge of Philippine history as non-conventional by declaring the Philippine National Hero as a PACIFIST or REFORMER.  This then is immediately followed by, "….the national hero should have been Andres Bonifacio….". 

An argument like it was the Americans ⁽²⁾ (William Howard Taft, the governor of the American Colonial government of the Philippines) who selected him to be a national hero as the "SAFE" selection.

More, Rizal's own sentiments ⁽¹⁾ show he believed that only a reform from above is feasible in the Philippines.   This writing, however, is suspect as it is written by an American who at that time was the colonial power in the Philippines, collaborated by a Filipino, which is almost unheard of then, which makes the collaboration, again suspect as to the motive of "collaboration".  Everything, in this writing, if compared to the "Revolutionary feelings" of Dr. Rizal from his previous writings and novels seem to be totally and 180 opposed to his belief.  Yet, one must wonder, try it if you might, how clear these writing and sentiments would be if viewed from the point of view of the ruling colonial power and how this writing might serve it as such.  Jacqueline Bracken, the lady who stole Rizal's authentic last poem "Mi Ultimo Adios" (My Last Farewell) from Rizal's sister, later "opportunistically" produced other documents ⁽¹⁾  whose authenticity were suspect and still considered as such.  I hereby charge that this writing to be false, forgery or untrue. 

Be it is, as it may, however, it is immaterial as this could have been a part of Dr. Rizal's enigma.  The "struggle" within him that cries for an armed rebellion yet his "realist" self, pulls him from it.⁽⁸⁾
       Other writings went even as far as condemning Dr. Rizal for not joining the Katipunan ⁽²⁾  thus shows total ignorance of the events leading to the Philippine Revolution.
          At the outset, it appears that this "radical" thought is truly "enlightened" and from brilliant minds.  But further research shows Dr. Jose Rizal was truly, without a doubt the Philippine National Hero. That this "enlightened" thinking is a product of the Spanish era's Philippine Roman Catholic Diocese smear campaign against Rizal and obviously still is prevalent to this modern day and age. Understandably since the Philippine Diocese smear campaign did not end until the late 1960's.  ⁽⁵⁾

Rizal was the  reason for the revolution, the reason why our forefathers ⁽⁴⁾ took up arms and risked their lives and the reason the Philippines won independence from Spain.

(Continued on page 25)