Rizal, the “Messiah of the Malays”

 (From the newspaper Münchner Neueste Nachrichten)

Last night, while reading articles on the diplomatic conflict between Spain and Germany in the Pacific islands that began in 1885—known today as the “Caroline Question”—I came across an article in the Münchner Neueste Nachrichten (Munich Latest News). The piece is particularly striking, for it contains subtle yet unmistakable criticism of Spain’s misrule in the Philippines. Such a tone is not surprising, given that in the same period the two European powers were engaged in sharp disputes over the Marianas, Caroline Islands, and other Micronesian territories—possessions that were then under Spanish authority administered from Manila, but which Germany began to claim in the mid-1880s.

The article also highlighted complaints raised by both Spaniards and native Filipinos regarding the administration of Governor-General Despujol, particularly in matters involving the Catholic Church. In its latter portion, the article mentions José Rizal and his exile to Mindanao.

The article from  Münchner Neueste Nachrichten

What is especially thought-provoking is the way Rizal is framed in the text: the focus is not on his writings per se, but on his persona and symbolic figure. He is described as “Messias der Malaien” (“Messiah of the Malays”) and as “Prophet einer neuen Sekte” (“Prophet of a new sect”). One must recall that the article was written in 1892—several years before Rizal’s execution and long before the Spanish writer and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno would famously portray him as El Cristo Tagalo (“the Tagalog Christ”).

It is, of course, unsurprising that Rizal became the target of Spanish friars and colonial officials. First, he had written and published the Noli Me Tangere in Germany, a country then considered a political rival of Spain. Second, the Spaniards were keenly aware of Rizal’s admiration for German culture, as well as the fact that he had studied the German language. It is therefore no wonder that he was branded by his critics as “Alemanizado” (“Germanized”) and, in the end, accused of being an agent of Bismarck—a spy for Germany.

My Translation of the Article:

Madrid, December 20. (Spanish Colonial Administration.) Fresh reports from the Philippines indicate that the Spaniards—though only by order of a general—remain committed to perpetuating their misguided system of governance in the colony. In other words, the long-demanded autonomy of the Filipino people will still not be granted, despite the fact that doing so would pose no real danger, considering the current stage of what the authorities call the “civilization” of the natives.

The Governor-General of the Philippines, General Despujols, is said to act as though animated by a profound hostility towards the Filipinos—especially towards the clergy, who are in fact among Spain’s most loyal supporters in the colony. In his appointments, he has consistently disregarded the most capable candidates in favor of his personal favorites. He has shown preference for foreigners rather than locals, and when compelled to appoint Filipinos, he has done so only under necessity.

Reports further state that the natives would rejoice whenever they could gather to present him with gifts or contributions. Yet his response was usually a speech in Spanish—hardly understood by the Malays in attendance. Newspapers from Manila consistently describe him as ungrateful and prone to insulting loyal officials and journalists. He is depicted as oppressive, irascible, and excessively harsh, such that his administration is regarded as one of the most unfortunate the Philippines has ever endured.

—Madrid, November 9, 1892. On the first of this month, the Governor-General summoned a Filipino named José Rizal. He was swiftly and severely exiled to Mindanao, accused of harboring revolutionary designs. Rizal is known to be a close friend of Spain’s declared enemies, and any association with him is considered highly dangerous. To the authorities, he is described as the “prophet of a new sect” and as the “Messiah of the Malays.” In short, Rizal is regarded as the most dangerous man in the Philippines today. The strictest measures have accordingly been taken against him.

~ Francis Yumul

Pasig City

Governor General Eulogio Despujol
(Served from 1891 to 1893)