Characters

Below are some of the major and minor characters in the novel.
Simoun - Crisstomo barra disguised as a wealthy jeweler, bent on starting a revolution to get
revenge on the people who had accused him wrongly. Disguised as the top adviser of the Captain-
General.
BasiIio - The eldest of Sisa's two sons, now an aspiring doctor whose medical education was being
financed by Capitan Tiago. He is now at the point of graduation during the events in the novel.
Isagani - Poet and Basilio's best friend; portrayed as emotional and reactive; Paulita Gmez'
boyfriend before being dumped for fellow student Juanito Pelez
Kabesang TaIes - Telesforo Juan de Dios, a former cabeza de barangay (barangay head) of
Sagpang, a barangay in San Diego's neighboring town Tiani, who resurfaced as the feared Luzn
bandit Matanglawin (Tagalog for "Hawkeye");
Don Custodio - Custodio de Salazar y Snchez de Monteredondo, a famous "journalist" who was
asked by the students about his decision for the cademia de Castellano. n reality, he is quite an
ordinary fellow who married a rich woman in order to be a member of Manila's high society.
PauIita Gomez - The girlfriend of sagani and the niece of Doa Victorina, the old ndio who passes
herself off as a Peninsular, who is the wife of the quack doctor Tiburcio de Espadaa. n the end, she
and Juanito Pelez are wed, and she dumps sagani, believing that she will have no future if she
marries him.
Macaraig - One of sagani's classmates at the University of Santo Tomas. He is a rich student and
serves as the leader of the students yearning to build the Academia de Castellano.
Father FIorentino - sagani's godfather, and a secular priest; was engaged to be married, but chose
to be a priest after being pressured by his mother, the story hinting at the ambivalence of his decision
as he chooses an assignment to a remote place, living in solitude near the sea.
JuIi - Juliana de Dios, the girlfriend of Basilio, and the youngest daughter of Kabesang Tales. To
claim her father from the bandits, she had to work as a maid under the supervision of Hermana
Penchang. Eventually, she was freed but committed suicide after Father Camorra attempted to rape
her.
Juanito PeIaez - The son of Don Timoteo Pelaez, a Spanish businessman, he is also one of the
members of Macaraig's gang who wish to have the Academia de Castellano built. He is considered
by sagani as his rival to Paulita Gomez, the woman whom he fell in love and wed in the end. Placido
Penitente considers him as a "good for nothing" classmate.
Doa Victorina - Victorina delos Reyes de Espadaa, known in oli Me Tangere as Tiburcio de
Espadaa's cruel wife. She is the aunt of Paulita Gomez, and favors Juanito Pelaez than sagani.
Although of ndio ideology, she considers herself as one of the Peninsular.
Father Camorra - The parish priest of Tiani, San Diego's adjacent town. He has been desiring young
women ever since. He nearly raped Juli causing the latter to commit suicide.
Ben-Zayb - The pseudonym of Abraham baez, a journalist who believes he is the "only" one
thinking in the Philippines. (Ben-Zayb is an anagram of Ybanez, an alternate spelling of his name.)
PIacido Penitente - A student of the University of Santo Tomas who was very intelligent and wise
but did not want, if not only by his mother's plea, to pursue his studies. He also controls his temper
against Padre Millon, his physics teacher.
Hermana Penchang - Sagpang's rich 5usakal (gambler). She offers Huli to be her maid so the latter
can obtain money to free Kabesang Tales. Disbelieving of Huli and her close friends, she considers
herself as an ally of the friars.
Tiburcio de Espadaa - Don Tiburcio is Victorina de Espadaa's lame husband. He is currently on
hiding with Father Florentino.
Father ren - Captain Tiago's spiritual adviser. Although reluctant, he helped the students to
establish the Academia de Castellano after being convinced by giving him a chestnut. The only
witness to Captain Tiago's death, he forged the last will and testament of the latter so Basilio will
obtain nothing from the inheritance.
Quiroga - A Chinese businessman who dreamed of being a consul for his country in the Philippines.
He hid Simoun's weapons inside his house.
Don Timoteo PeIaez - Juanito's father. He is a rich businessmen and arranges a wedding for his son
and Paulita. He and Simoun became business partners.
Tandang SeIo - Father of Kabesang Tales. He raised the sick and young Basilio after he left their
house in Noli me Tangere. He died in an encounter on the mountains with his son Tales.
Father Fernndez - The priest-friend of sagani. He promised to sagani that he and the other priests
will give in to the students' demands.
SandovaI - The vice-leader of Macaraig's gang. A Spanish classmate of sagani, he coerces his
fellow classmates to lead alongside him the opening of the Spanish language academy.
Hermana BIi - Another gambler in Tiani. She became Huli's mother-figure and counselor; helped to
release Kabesang Tales from the hands of bandits.
Pasta - One of the great lawyers of mid-Hispanic Manila, opposed the students' demands for a
Spanish language academy
Father MiIIon - The Physics teacher of the University of Santo Tomas. He always becomes vindictive
with Placido and always taunts him during class.
Tadeo - Macaraig's classmate. He, along with the other three members of their gang, supposedly
posted the posters that "thanked" Don Custodio and Father rene for the opening of the Academia de
Castellano.
Leeds - An American who holds stage plays starring decapitated heads; he is in good friends with
Simoun.
Tano - Kabesang Tales's elder son after his older sister, Lucia died in childhood. He is currently one
of the uardia Civil. He then returned under the name Carolino after his exile in Caroline slands.
Pepay - Don Custodio's supposed "girlfriend". A dancer, she is always agitated of her "boyfriend"'s
plans. She seems to be a close friend of Macaraig.
Gobernador GeneraI - The highest-ranking official in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial
period, this unnamed character pretends that what he is doing is for the good of the ndios, the local
citizens of the country, but in reality, he prioritizes the needs of his fellow Spaniards living in the
country.
Pecson - Basilio's classmate who had no idea on the happenings occurring around him. He
suggested that they held the mock celebration at the panciteria.
Father Hernando de Ia SibyIa- A Dominican friar introduced in Noli Me Tangere, now the vice-rector
of the University of Santo Tomas.
Father Bernardo SaIvi- Former parish priest of San Diego, now the director and chaplain of the
Santa Clara convent.
Captain Tiago - Santiago delos Santos, although making a cameo appearance, Captain Tiago is
Maria Clara's stepfather and the foster-father to Basilio. His health disintegrates gradually because of
the opium he was forced to smoke given to him by Father rene.
Maria CIara - ntroduced in Dr. Rizal's first novel "Noli Me Tangere". She was once the girlfriend of
Crisostomo barra but chose to became a nun despite Father Damaso's(her real father) arguments.
She eventually died, as witnessed by Basilio when he visited the convent of Santa Clara; this
propelled Simoun to expedite his plans for revolution.

f




El Filibusterismo

The word "filibustero" wrote Rizal to his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, is very
little known in the Philippines. The masses do not know it yet.

Jose Alejandro, one of the new Filipinos who had been quite intimate with Rizal,
said, "in writing the Noli Rizal signed his own death warrant." Subsequent
events, after the fate of the Noli was sealed by the Spanish authorities,
prompted Rizal to write the continuation of his first novel. He confessed,
however, that regretted very much having killed Elias instead of Ibarra,
reasoning that when he published the Noli his health was very much broken,
and was very unsure of being able to write the continuation and speak of a
revolution.

Explaining to Marcelo H. del Pilar his inability to contribute articles to the La
Solidaridad, Rizal said that he was haunted by certain sad presentiments, and
that he had been dreaming almost every night of dead relatives and friends a
few days before his 29th birthday, that is why he wanted to finish the second
part of the Noli at all costs.

Consequently, as expected of a determined character, Rizal apparently went in
writing, for to his friend, Blumentritt, he wrote on March 29, 1891: "I have
finished my book. Ah! Ive not written it with any idea of vengeance against my
enemies, but only for the good of those who suffer and for the rights of Tagalog
humanity, although brown and not good-looking."

To a Filipino friend in Hong Kong, Jose Basa, Rizal likewise eagerly announced
the completion of his second novel. Having moved to Ghent to have the book
published at cheaper cost, Rizal once more wrote his friend, Basa, in Hongkong
on July 9, 1891: "I am not sailing at once, because I am now printing the
second part of the Noli here, as you may see from the enclosed pages. I prefer
to publish it in some other way before leaving Europe, for it seemed to me a
pity not to do so. For the past three months I have not received a single
centavo, so I have pawned all that I have in order to publish this book. I will
continue publishing it as long as I can; and when there is nothing to pawn I will
stop and return to be at your side."

Inevitably, Rizals next letter to Basa contained the tragic news of the
suspension of the printing of the sequel to his first novel due to lack of funds,
forcing him to stop and leave the book half-way. "It is a pity," he wrote Basa,
"because it seems to me that this second part is more important than the first,
and if I do not finish it here, it will never be finished."

Fortunately, Rizal was not to remain in despair for long. A compatriot, Valentin
Ventura, learned of Rizals predicament. He offered him financial assistance.
Even then Rizals was forced to shorten the novel quite drastically, leaving only
thirty-eight chapters compared to the sixty-four chapters of the first novel.

Rizal moved to Ghent, and writes Jose Alejandro. The sequel to Rizals Noli
came off the press by the middle of September, 1891.On the 18th he sent Basa
two copies, and Valentin Ventura the original manuscript and an autographed
printed copy.

Inspired by what the word filibustero connoted in relation to the circumstances
obtaining in his time, and his spirits dampened by the tragic execution of the
three martyred priests, Rizal aptly titled the second part of the Noli Me

Tangere, El Filibusterismo. In veneration of the three priests, he dedicated the
book to them.

"To the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gomez (85 years old), Don Jose
Burgos (30 years old), and Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old). Executed in the
Bagumbayan Field on the 28th of February, 1872."

"The church, by refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt the crime that
has been imputed to you; the Government, by surrounding your trials with
mystery and shadows causes the belief that there was some error, committed
in fatal moments; and all the Philippines, by worshipping your memory and
calling you martyrs, in no sense recognizes your culpability. In so far,
therefore, as your complicity in the Cavite Mutiny is not clearly proved, as you
may or may not have been patriots, and as you may or may not cherished
sentiments for justice and for liberty, I have the right to dedicate my work to
you as victims of the evil which I undertake to combat. And while we await
expectantly upon Spain some day to restore your good name and cease to be
answerable for your death, let these pages serve as a tardy wreath of dried
leaves over one who without clear proofs attacks your memory stains his hands
in your blood."

Rizals memory seemed to have failed him, though, for Father Gomez was then
73 not 85, Father Burgos 35 not 30 Father Zamora 37 not 35; and the date of
execution 17th not 28th.

The FOREWORD of the Fili was addressed to his beloved countrymen, thus:

"TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE AND THEIR GOVERNMENT"



Crisostomo Ibarra (now known as Simoun)
Maria Clara
Basilio
Kapitan Tiago
Kapitan-Heneral
Kabesang Tales
Donya Victorina
"uiroga
Isagani
Padre Camorra
Padre Irene
Juli
Paulita Gomez
Juanito
Padre Salvi
Dr. Tiburcio de Espadana
Don Custodio