The Rizal Bill, also known as Senate Bill No. 438, was a proposed law in the Philippines that aimed to require the mandatory reading of José Rizal's novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, in all schools in the country. The bill was introduced in 1956 by Senator Claro M. Recto, a prominent Filipino politician and intellectual.
However, there were also senators who opposed the passage of the Rizal Bill, and one of them was Senator Jose P. Laurel. Laurel was a lawyer, educator, and statesman who served as the third president of the Philippines from 1943 to 1945, during the Japanese occupation of the country.
Laurel argued that the bill would violate the academic freedom of educational institutions, and that it was unnecessary since Rizal's works were already being taught in many schools. He also believed that the bill was an attempt to promote a particular political agenda, and that it would not contribute to the development of the country.
Despite the opposition from Laurel and other senators, the Rizal Bill was eventually passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, and was signed into law by President Carlos P. Garcia on June 12, 1956. The law is now known as the Rizal Law, and it remains a controversial issue in the Philippines to this day.