25/01/2025
The Knights of Rizal, an organization dedicated to upholding the ideals of Philippine national hero Dr. José Rizal, is embroiled in a deepening crisis. Accusations of authoritarian leadership, internal division, and a blatant disregard for the organization’s principles have cast a shadow over its mission.
At the heart of the controversy is the current Supreme Council, accused of operating like a “mafia” by targeting dissenters to impose total control. Critics within the organization claim that the leadership had installed spies across its chapters to suppress opposition and stifle calls for reform. The deplorable situation of the Knights of Rizal is getting worse by the day.
One area that lately has become the butt of its wrath is the ANZO (Australia, New Zealand and Oceanic) Region. ANZO is full of distinguished gentlemen who are nuanced to the ideals of the Knights of Rizal, and who try to live up to the praxis that perpetuate Rizal’s principles and spread his teachings.
To foster total ground control with grave abuse of power, the supreme leadership unceremoniously dismissed and demanded the top officers of ANZO to explain why their continued appointment as Regional or Area Commanders for the ANZO Region should not be withdrawn. Their removal and harassment were justified on the grounds of “disorderly and unethical behaviors.” Throwing such red herrings on gentlemen who have been all along conducting their mandated duty and position with decorum fly in the face of everything that the fraternal organization stands for. These actions, seen as unjustified and heavy-handed, have sparked outrage among members who view them as a blatant power grab.
The sudden relief of Sir Bob Alipalo as ANZO Regional Commander had come as a shock to the rank and file. The impunity with which the supreme leadership can dispense its “order” without justification is a message to the rest of the organization – a warning – that everyone can be unseated without any procedural “due process” and justice if they do not toe the line.
In place of Sir Alipalo, the supreme leadership had replaced him with a dubious character in the shape of Sir Tom Baena. The replacement speak volumes of how the supreme leadership wants an ironclad grip on the Knights of Rizal to perpetuate themselves in power. Tom Baena, had already been previously terminated from the organization due to his participation in the creation of a rival group named “Most Noble Rizal”. He was only allowed to crawl back into the Knighthood to give him a chance to redeem himself out of the kindness of the members in the region. But the unrepentant Sir Baena along with his cohorts willfully circumvent the circular line of communication, to advance their sinister plot.
To undermine the ANZO leadership and create divisiveness and an atmosphere of disunity, they leaked official documents addressed to the ANZO regional commander. They boycott official activities as they were conspicuously absent from the knighting ceremony just last December 2024. Sir Mcjulian Franco announced through their Southern Chapter GC advising members with influence to boycott the ceremonies organized by ANZO-Eastern Australia Area with a threat of dismissal for those chapter commanders and KoR officers attending the ceremonies.
Even in matters of correspondence, all forms of courtesy, said to be the hallmark of gentlemanly conduct among members of the Knighthood, had been cast into the wind. Insults in FB messages abound in Knights of Rizal Southern Chapter and Southern Sydney Chapter KOR particularly the words “send that to them mga Kopal sila”. If these exchanges of insults become ritualized, there would not be any cohesion to speak of within the organization.
Perhaps, the most damning damage that can plague the Knights of Rizal is the chameleon posturing of its members who are also Masons. Sir Cesar Bartolome, former ANZO Regional Commander, showed exasperation in the wanton disregard of wearing medals and uniforms, which seem to give the false impression that the Knights of Rizal is a substrate of Masonry. Individuals who are both members of the two organizations flaunted their medals in admixture, creating an air of confusion and puzzlement to outside observers.
There is nothing wrong with becoming members of both Freemasonry and the KoR. But as Bob Alipalo had emphasized, wearing medals such as military, freemasonry and other accoutrements must be avoided during KoR official functions or events as “[w]e are not in the Olympics!” Perhaps, subconsciously, some KoR members reflect that since José Rizal is a Freemason, then it would be alright to sport Freemason insignia, icons or logos during KoR functions. But this is a gross violation of what is prescribed in the manuals and guidelines. The Knights of Rizal, created by a Republic Act of the Philippines, has nothing to do with Freemasonry. “Only a confused ignoramus clown is capable of sporting such a potpourri of medals and insignia.”
The “appointment” of Sir Tom Baena by the Supreme Commander Sir Munding del Rosario is in gross violation of KoR By-Laws under Article XVI Section 2 and the procedure on how candidates from the region are endorsed and approved by the regional chapter commanders themselves. In the case of Sir Tom Baena, he was never approved or endorsed by any chapters from the ANZO region to be the regional commander or even as Deputy Regional Commander as this position of Deputy Regional commander is only appointed by the Regional Commander and also has the power to dismiss the position.
The chutzpah with which the Supreme Council of the Knighthood can dispense any order, without due regard to the Council of Elders is legendary. Sir Aristeo Bernabe, the Deputy Area Commander in Eastern Australia, revealed in a sworn affidavit, that during a trip to Australia, Sir Raymundo del Rosario said to him that he had been lured into running in the Supreme Council by his co-politician Sir Gerardo Calderon who exhorted him: “Pakialaman na natin ito Pare at guluhin natin ang Knights of Rizal” (Let’s make a mess of the Knights of Rizal). Since then, the tone had been set and the Knighthood continues to suffer immensely.
Thus, the die had been cast. Many edicts issued by the Council of Elders had been elided and pulled under the rug. In defiance, the Supreme Council even challenged the mandated intervention powers of the esteemed Council of Elders to terminate from KoR membership erring officials and members. Given the state of the organization, if Rizal were alive today, he would disown any assumed affinity with the Knighthood, thus we would be losing the raison d’être for which the Knights of Rizal had been created in the first place.
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