It is normal for bills to be debated in the upper and lower house of the Congress, but the trial that the Noli-Fili/Rizal Bill underwent was beyond normal. With the sponsors of the bill and the opposition not only coming from the people inside of the Legislative Arm but also the inclusion of the Catholic Church in the debates for this bill.
When the bill was brought to the senate by Senator Recto, there were but three who opposed it. It was when Senator Laurel sponsored the bill as the head of committee education that the exchange of arguments from the two sides started. The Church played a big role in this fight because they are the ones who intervened with the approval and signing of this bill into a law.
On the side of Senator Rectos was of course Senator Laurel who defended the bill in the deliberations. Other representatives from the house also supported the bill namely Congressmen Jacobo Z. Gonzalez, Emilio Cortez, Mario Bengzon, Joaquin Roxas, Lancap Lagumbay, Quintin Paredes, and Senator Domocao Alonto of Mindanao.
On the other hand, the original bill was opposed by Senator Francisco Rodrigo, Senator Mariano J. Cuenco and Senator Decoroso Rosales. Senator Rodrigo was a former Catholic Action president while Senator Cuenco was the brother of an Archbishop. From the lower house, it was also opposed by Congressmen Ramon Durano, Jose Nuguid, Marciano Lim, Manuel Zosa, Lucas Paredes, Godofredo Ramos, Miguel Cuenco, Congresswomen Carnen Consing and Tecia San Andres Ziga.
The sponsors argued that in reading Rizal’s words, we are able to see ourselves. It is through the works of Rizal, the greatest Filipino patriot, which show not only the strengths and virtues of the Filipinos but the Filipino’s defects and vices as well. Making the Filipinos realize their flaws will prepare themselves for the sacrifices they have to make to attain freedom. The only objective of the bill is to foster the better appreciation of our national hero’s role in fighting for freedom under the colonialism of the Spaniards, not to go against any religion.
However, the oppositors argued that the bill would violate freedom of conscience and religion. According to the letter submitted by the CBCP, Rizal violated the Church’s laws specifically Canon Law 1399, which forbids books that attack or ridicule any of the catholic dogmas or which defend errors condemned by the Holy See. Not only that, they argue that among the 333 pages of Noli Me Tangere, only 25 passages are patriotic while 120 passages are anti-catholic. Rizal admitted before that in these passages he did not only attack the friars that acted falsely on the Filipinos but also attacked the Catholic Faith itself. Rizal himself included in his last will the retraction of his statements about the Church in his two novels. They also stated that it is not necessary to attack the Faith of the church to imbue nationalism on the Filipinos. They suggest a Rizalian Anthology, where a compilation of all his works which contains the nationalistic philosophy will be provided as reading material for the students instead of his two novels. Francisco Rodrigo even said in a statement that Filipinos can still venerate Rizal without having to read his works. Rizal would still be a hero even if he didn’t write these two novels.
As the debate on whether the bill should be approved seemed like it will never end, Senator Laurel created an amendment to the original bill or the Noli-Fili Bill.
In this bill Senator Laurel included other books, poems, and other works written by Rizal and works written by other authors about Rizal other than Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. In addition to that, the reading of the unexpurgated version of the novels would no longer be compulsory to elementary and secondary levels due to the issues it had with the Catholic Church. Finally, the bill also included that the works done by Rizal should be read strictly in the original and unexpurgated form in the college level.
Senator Primicias, in accordance to the previous suggestion of student exemption by Senator Lim also presented an additional amendment on the substitute bill proposed by Senator Laurel that promulgates rules and regulation for the exemption of students in reading the two books, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, settled in a written statement but not from taking the course.
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