[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11333]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF RIZAL, CLEVELAND CHAPTER, 
   AND THE 149TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF DR. JOSE PROTACIO RIZAL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2010

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
contribution of the Cleveland Chapter of the Order of the Knights of 
Rizal and to honor Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal on the occasion of the 149th 
anniversary of his birth.
  A hero of the Filipino Independence movement in the 1800s, Dr. Rizal 
continues to inspire. His heroic and poignant writings and efforts 
focused on freedom from oppression and liberty for all. He inspired and 
energized people beyond his native Philippines.
  A young and idealistic doctor, Dr. Rizal wrote of freedom and 
independence from Spain. His writings soon struck a chord and he went 
on to found the Filipino independence movement, Luga Filipina, in 
Manila in 1892. By 1898, an armed struggle for independence had begun, 
and government officials accused Dr. Rizal of leading the charge. On 
the evening of December 30, 1896, Dr. Rizal was executed by firing 
squad in what is now known in Manila as Rizal Park. The night before 
his scheduled execution, he wrote the poem `Mi Ultimo Adios,' a heart-
rending and poignant expression of his love for country and people of 
the Philippines.
  Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring and 
celebrating the life of Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal, and in recognition of 
the members of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, Cleveland Chapter. 
Dr. Jose Rizal's story is the embodiment of the innate human quest for 
freedom, justice and liberty.

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