Resumen
El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed) is the dark and powerful sequel to José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, continuing the story of the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule. Set thirteen years after the events of the first novel, the book follows the return of the idealistic Crisóstomo Ibarra—now transformed into the mysterious and vengeful Simoun.
No longer the hopeful reformist he once was, Simoun has become a wealthy jeweler who moves freely among colonial elites.
But behind this disguise lies a burning desire to incite revolution and destroy the corrupt society that caused him so much pain.
Through manipulation, he hopes to bring about collapse from within.
The novel unfolds through a tapestry of characters—students, priests, rebels, and common folk—each representing different faces of a society caught between awakening and oppression.
Themes of justice, revenge, abuse of power, and moral decay dominate the narrative, making it both a political manifesto and a tragic philosophical reflection on the cost of revolution.
Unlike Noli Me Tangere, which was rooted in idealism, El Filibusterismo burns with righteous anger.
It questions whether peaceful reform is still possible or whether violent uprising is the only remaining path.