On December 26, 1896, the one-sided trial that would sentence Rizal to death officiated by the Spanish military court was held at the Cuartel de Espana in Intramuros. The building was destroyed and on its site rose the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM).
It was there that Rizal defended himself amidst the accusation that he instigated the revolution against Spain. Rizal spoke these words, somewhat prophetically since he foresaw through his knowledge of geopolitics that (1) Japan has colonial interest in the Philippines (2) As long as Spain denied the Philippines freedom of the press and representation in the Spanish cortes, insurrection would ensue (3) that the need of the Philippines was to be united as one nation (4) in order for the Philippines to have true independence, she should have an independent economy, a group of home-grown industries to be self-sufficient, making use of her own natural resources to sustain herself independently:
"A people can be free without being independent, and a people can be independent without being free. I have always wanted democratic rights for the Philippines and I have always expressed myself in that sense...
That I have also believed that little by little autonomy would be achieved, and then independence in the course of time, is true.
Spain will abandon this [country] when she becomes convinced that her future lies in Morocco, and that [staying here] involves sacrifices more than anything else, and she will abandon this [country] even though the Filipinos may wish to stop her, as she tried to do at various times in past centuries.
I have also believed that if Spain systematically denied democratic rights to the Philippines, there would be insurrections, and so I have said in my writings, bewailing any such eventuality but not expecting it.
This is the sense of what I said: that IT WAS NECESSARY TO BE SELF-RESPECTING, TO UNITE, SO THAT WHEN [these] DEVELOPMENTS OCCURED, WE SHOULD NOT FALL INTO THE HANDS OF JAPAN, or ENGLAND, or GERMANY... Quite sometime ago, in July 1887, certain eminent Japanese asked me why we did not rebel, saying that they would help us, etc. etc. I answered them that we were well off with Spain and DID NOT WANT TO BE PASSED FROM HAND TO HAND... They replied that Japan had no interest at all in the Philippines, and would help only for racial reasons; I smiled and SHOWED THEM FROM HISTORY that their ancestors had not thought the same way ...
Let the statutes of the Liga be examined, and it will appear that what I sought were unity and commercial and industrial development, etc. ec.
That these things [unity and prosperity] MAY PAVE THE WAY FOR A REVOLUTION in the course of time, I DO NOT DENY, but it is also possible that they may prevent a revolution, for prosperous people living in comfort do not expose themselves to the hazards of adventures....
I WANTED UNITY FIRST, the opening of factories, industries, banks, etc. Thus I have lent moral and material aid to those who studied crafts and industries in Europe; I myself have spent much time studying ceramics, how to tan leather, how to make cement, etc. My dream was prosperity of the country.
I KNEW THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS, MUCH LESS INDEPENDENCE, by force of arms; the other colonial powers like England, Germany, et al. would not allow it, and afterwards JAPAN would swallow us.
BUT WITH A PROSPEROUS AND EDUCATED PEOPLE, DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS WOULD NOT BE LONG IN COMING. I wanted the FILIPINO people to APPEAR [BEFORE THE WORLD] SELF-RESPECTING, NOBLE, HONEST, for a people that makes themselves contemptible by their own cowardice or vices expose themselves to abuses and impositions. In general, man oppresses whom he despises."
