José Protacio Rizal, Philippines (1861-1896)
Born in Calamba, Philippines, José Protacio Rizal was a patriot who was an inspiration to the Philippine nationalist movement. He committed himself to the reform of Spanish rule in his home country. Rizal's political program included integration of the Philippines as a province of Spain, representation in the Cortes (the Spanish parliament), freedom of assembly and expression, and equality of Filipinos and Spaniards before the law. He founded a non-violent reform society, the Liga Filipina, in Manila, and was deported to Dapitan in northwest Mindanao. He remained in exile for the next four years.
In 1896 the Katipunan, a Filipino nationalist secret society, revolted against Spain. Although he had no connections with that organisation and had no part in the insurrection, Rizal was arrested and tried for sedition by the military. Found guilty, he was publicly executed by a firing squad in Manila. His execution made him a martyr and convinced Filipinos that there was no alternative to independence from Spain. On the eve of his execution, while confined in Fort Santiago, Rizal wrote "Último adiós" ("Last Farewell"), a masterpiece of 19th-century Spanish verse.