Fragments of Jose Rizal’s brain, believed to have been the very spot where the bullet struck Rizal when he was executed through firing squad, were preserved and kept in a bottle, renowned historian Ambeth Ocampo confirmed on social media.
Ocampo shared that he only recently learned that Rizal’s eldest sister, Saturnina, kept fragments of the hero’s brain in a bottle.
“Most of Rizal’s mortal remains are buried under the monument in Luneta. Except a bit of his backbone preserved in Fort Santiago. The chipped bone is believed to be the spot where the bullet hit him on December 30, 1896,” he shared.
“I presume the fragments were formerly preserved in alcohol that has since dried up,” he added.
Ocampo said he was still researching the story and context of this relic.
Ocampo expressed his gratitude to Britz Hamoy, curator of the Balay Hamon Museum, for providing him with this lead. He also acknowledged Francis Navarro, the director of the Ateneo de Manila University Archives, for showing him the item.
Ocampo’s Facebook post quickly gained attention, accumulating over 36,000 reactions and 6,800 shares.
Jose Rizal is widely recognized as the national hero of the Philippines. As a professional ophthalmologist, he authored the novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which the National Historical Commission of the Philippines regards as influential works that rallied patriots to fight for the country’s cause during the revolution against Spanish rule in 1896.
Rizal was executed by firing squad on December 30, 1896, on charges of rebellion following the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution.
