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RIZAL AND THE QUESTION OF VIOLENCEBernhard Dahm, Ph.D.A Dream Come TrueThe old system may convert the ruins of its castle into formless barricades, butwe will take them singing hymns of liberty . . . . But do not be uneasy—thestruggle will be a pacific one.These words of Isagani to Paulita in the chapter "Dreams" of the novel ElFilibusterismo' seemed to come true in the Philippines exactly one hundredyears after Rizal finished his first novel, Noll me tangere, perhaps an evenmore serious plea for a peaceful emancipation of the Filipino people fromSpanish colonial rule than El Filibusterismo, the second novel whichexpressed those hopes in the form of dreams. Nevertheless, in February 1986,there was the same atmosphere depicted in the above-mentioned "dream"—people peacefully freeing themselves from despotism to start a new life:"with a frank look and a stout heart we shall extend our hands to one another,and commerce, industry, agriculture, the sciences will develop under themantle of liberty with wise and just laws . ."2A stunned world, witnessing the extraordinary happenings on the streetsof Quezon City and elsewhere in the Philippines at a time when around theglobe violence was endemic, asked itself whence the sources of that"people's power," as the event came to be called. Statements, such as"Gandhi is alive in the Philippines" could be heard and read in the Westernmedia, accustomed to see throughout the world, inspired at least by the greatMahatma, campaigns of civil disobedience. Others, better informed of latedevelopments in the Philippines saw the major reason in the indignation ofthe Filipino people after the murder of Benign Aquino in August 1983 andthe growing opposition movement since then, particularly after his widow,Corazon Aquino, had decided to lead it. Some observers, believing less inmorals and miracles, saw the non-violent revolution more as a consequenceof pressures from Washington on the two sides involved. Still others—andthis comes perhaps closest to the heart of the matter—point to the eminentrole played by the Catholic Church, after attempts by the Marcos government201