Meanwhile, in a small field in Balintawak, Andrés Bonifacio and his fellow secret organization, the Katipunan, commence the uprising against the tyranny created by the Spaniards by tearing their cédulas as a sign of freedom from Spanish slavery.

Governor General Ramón Blanco also sympathizes with Rizal's cause but is later secretly ousted by corrupt Spanish officials and Manila's archbishop, Bernardino Nozaleda, who replace him with Camilo de Polavieja.

Returning to the Philippines after a dispute with other Filipino reformists in Madrid, he establishes La Liga Filipina in 1892 and meets Bonifacio, who distinguishes himself as an enthusiastic admirer.

Shortly afterwards, he is exiled to Dapitan and spends the next four years working as a doctor, during which he also falls in love with Josephine Bracken, who later gives birth to their stillborn child.

Despite a passionate defense by Taviel de Andrade, the magistrates decide to condemn him to the firing squad on the morning of December 30 in Luneta.

Taviel de Andrade expresses his outrage and shame in front of Rizal, who passively accepts the decision.

Following Rizal's execution, the Katipunan continues its uprising, with Bonifacio leading an ambush and the revolutionaries killing friars in an act of vengeance.

[2] In 1999, GMA Network released an accompanying publication titled Ang Screenplay ng José Rizal, which featured the original screenplay of the film written by Ricky Lee, Jun Lana, and Peter Ong Lim, along with interviews from the cast, directing crew, and production team.