CHAPTER 24
Last Homecoming and Trial
Rizal’s homecoming in 1896, the last in his life.
October 6, 1896, Rizal conscientiously recorded the events in his diary.
October 8, a friendly officer told Rizal that the Madrid newspapers were full of stories about the bloody revolution in the Philippines and were blaming him for it.
On October 11, Rizal’s diary was taken away and was critically scrutinized by the authorities.
November 2, The Diary was return to him.
On November 3, The colon reached Manila
On November 20, The Preliminary investigation Began.
Two kinds of evidence- Documentary and Testimonial.
The testimonial Evidence consisted:
Martin Constantino, Aquedo del Rosario, Jose Reyes, Moises Salvador, Jose Dizon, Domingo Franco, Deodato Arellano, Ambrosio Salvador, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Antonio Salazar, Francisco Quison, and Timoteo Paez.

On November 26, after the preliminary investigation, colonel Olive transmitted the records of the case to Governor General Ramon Blanco, and the Letter appointed Captain Rafael Dominguez as special Judge advocate to institute the corresponding action against Rizal.
Peña submitted the following:
1. The accused be immediately brought to trial;
2. He should be kept in prison;
3. An order of attachment be issued against his property to the amount of one million pesos as indemnity;
4. He should be defended in court by an army officer, not by a civilian lawyer.
On December 8, feast day of the Immaculate Conception, a list of 100 first and second lieutenants in the Spanish army presented to Rizal.
December 11, the information of charge was formally read to Rizal in his prison cell, with his counsel present.
Rizal’s Saddest Christmas. December 25, 1896 was Christmas.
On December 28, Polavieja approved the decision of the court-material and ordered Rizal to be shot at 7:00 o’clock in the morning December 30 at Bagumbayan Field (Luneta).