manila history
Rizal’s Trial and Execution
The Spanish colonial government needed three things from the trial of José Rizal: speed, the appearance of legality, and a guilty verdict. They got all three. What they did not anticipate was what the execution would do to the country they were trying to pacify.
How Bagumbayan Became Rizal Park
The Spanish colonial government chose Bagumbayan for executions because it was visible. The message was the point. That same ground is now Rizal Park — and the distance between what it was and what it became is the story of a nation.
