Jose Rizal is one of the foremost fighters for our country’s freedom, holding on to the fight for much of his life. His statements and writings are so powerful that Spanish authorities considered him a major threat. But will those statements still get him in trouble in this modern age? Here are some of the Jose Rizal quotes that will likely get the NBI knocking at his front door.
Jose Rizal Quote No. 1:
“The government is intimidated by threats to raise people against it, and the people are cowed into submission by the threat of government forces.”
This Rizal quote comes from Chapter 26 of his first novel Noli Me Tangere. In the chapter, Crisostomo Ibarra visits the old scholar Pilosopo Tasyo to seek advice about the school he plans to build. After a lengthy discussion about the merits of his project, Tasyo advises Ibarra to consult various officials before pushing through, but not blindly follow their orders. Ibarra is surprised by the comment and asks why he should worry when his plans are for the benefit of the people.
In response, Tasyo reminds Ibarra that the government always fears that the public will rise against them. To prevent this, he says they will use force to intimidate the people and bring them to submission. But he warns that there will come a day when the people will be fed up and finally rise.
Why this would get Rizal an NBI summon
While the term “Pilosopo Tasyo” is often used nowadays to derisively call someone as being crazy, the character is actually the opposite. Tasyo can instead be seen as a symbol of enlightenment, with his insights on governance and other subjects. His progressive ideas are also seen as going against the desires of the established government.
And in this day of “sumunod ka na lang” and overly sensitive government officials, even a simple negative comment can get authorities all riled up. Who could ever forget the presidential aide-turned-senator who had NBI agents going after a college student over some social media posts? A stronger call like this to not fear the government will surely get Rizal into the NBI’s crosshairs.
Jose Rizal quote No. 2:
“The tyranny of some is possible only through the cowardice of others.”
This quote comes from Rizal’s essay “Letter to the Young Women of Malolos.” Here, he praised the eponymous young women of Malolos for their courage in fighting for their right to education. The women were well-known for their efforts to put up a night school in their community in 1888. They even personally handed over their petition to Governor-General Valeriano Weyler despite the strong objection from the powerful friars.
Rizal also gave several reminders to the women for their continued struggle. The above quote is the first one he cites. Here, he recognizes the same fear that Pilosopo Tasyo states in Noli Me Tangere. But Rizal goes further than his character, directly addressing the rise of tyrants due to the unwillingness of people to stand up.
Why it would get him a subpoena
As is with the first quote, some overeager authorities might see this as an open call to rebel against the government. In fact, it comes with a stronger message since it labels those in power as tyrants. And with the Philippine’s current political climate, when the government seems to be clamping down on certain liberties, such a strongly negative label is not going to sit well with the powers that be.
Another interesting thing about the quote is that it has a strong message for women empowerment based on its context. Unsurprisingly, many prominent female personalities like Vice President Leni Robredo have taken to the quote when talking about the country’s state.
And this will likely not sit well with the male-dominated bureaucracy, who might feel threatened by their lady counterparts. Hence, it will likely prompt an NBI action in the guise of investigating threats to national security.
Jose Rizal quote No. 3:
“Justice is the foremost virtue of the civilizing races. It subdues the barbarous nations, while injustice arouses the weakest.”
While this might be one of the lesser-known Jose Rizal quotes, it remains relevant. The quote comes from his four-part essay “The Philippines, A Century Hence”. As the title says, the essay presents Rizal’s predictions of what would happen to the Philippines in a hundred years. These predictions are if Spain does not change the way it manages the island.
The actual quote appears in Part 3 of the essay. Here, Rizal stressed that the country needs to ensure that fair and speedy justice for all is present. Once injustice reigns, he warns that it will lead to the uprising of the weak.
Why it would get a summon from the NBI
The very notion of calling out the injustices in the country is already enough to trigger the ire of people in power. After all, they want to keep the public image that everything is alright going. Because of that, the NBI will likely summon Rizal to their nearest office for possibly inciting to sedition.
That is exactly what happened when the NBI summoned people for supposedly posting fake news about the COVID-19 outbreak. This despite the defendants merely airing their sentiments about the current pandemic. Human rights groups noted that such moves seem to be aimed at stifling dissent. Meanwhile, netizens have responded to the threat with memes like this.
Take these Rizal quotes into heart
One thing that you will notice about these Jose Rizal quotes is the subject. All of them are all about fighting for people’s freedom. That isn’t surprising since Rizal is a firm believer of freedom. And he will likely not fear these NBI summons if he were alive today. After all, that is one of the biggest lessons the hero has taught us: to continuously fight and protect our freedom.