One of the more interesting Asinganians I met in my work as a correspondent for our town was a 90+ senior who lived in the Malong residence along the road to Dupac. I do not know if he was related to the Cardinez or the Malong family..Anyway, I learned the fact from a friend that he was one of the oldest persons in Asingan at that time and he was a former member of the defunct KKK ( the famous Katipunan league )
I found his mind then was still sharp, and his eyes were bright and he was responsive to my questions.. He showed me a certificate (yellow with age ) showing his emmbership to the KKK league. One of the signatories on the document was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo...He related to me further that on the day of Dr. Rizal's execution, he and a few compatriots ( all KKK's ) were hanging out around Bagumbayan. Somebody concocted a foolhardy plan to rescue Rizal from execution, he said for there was an overwhelming feeling for the martyr-to-be. He said he was there in the crowd of witnesses for the execution with a short knife hidden underneath his trouser pants. But security was very tight he said and to do anything drastic then would mean sure torture or death for the perpetrators of the rescue plot. So the plan was aborted the last minute..He said he saw Rizal from a distance, and he said it seemed he heard him reciting some verses from his MI ULTIMO ADIOS... After the volley of shots, he fell the same way as described in some history books...
I sent in the story to my agency a few days before Dec. 30..When I opened the Manila Times on that day, Rizal Day, I saw it appear in the front page. I was then in Los Banios. Miggie has just resigned from her job from the DWA in Urdaneta to join me. The day before, Dec. 29, we visited Calamba, Laguna just to see this birthplace of our national hero. It was a very beautiful Philippine town. On its entrance is a big clay jar ( Calamba or Caramba meaning jar )embellishing the entrance to this picturesque community.---#
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