El Filibusterismo was written in dedication to the three martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, whose deaths left an indelible mark in his mind. Like Noli Me Tangere, El Fili aims at enlightening the society, at bringing the Filipinos closer to the truth. But whereas in the first novel, we are encouraged to ask and aspire for change and liberation, in this novel, the society is urged to open its eyes to reality and rebel against the Spanish government for its oppression and abuse. Never in the annals of mankind has a hero written such a sublime and touching tribute to other heroes as Rizal.

To straighten historical records, however, we must rectify Rizal's historical inaccuracies in his dedicatory note. First of all, the martyrdom of Gomez, Burgos and Zamora occurred on February 17, 1872-not 28th. Secondly, Father Gomez was 73 years old- not 85, Father Burgos was 35 years old- not 30, and Father Zamora was 37 years old-not 35.