Testimony of Amado Javier of San Jose Batangas on His Experience with Japanese Soldiers in 1945
[TRANSCRIPTION]
This page contains the testimony of one Amado Javier of San Jose, Batangas regarding the day when he was taken by two Japanese soldiers in 1945. The pages contained herein are now declassified and were part of compiled documentation1 of war crimes trials conducted by the United States Military Commission after the conclusion of World War II. Most of the testimonies were translated from Tagalog and have been corrected for grammar by Batangas History, Culture and Folklore where possible. The pagination is as it was contained in the original document for citation purposes.
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| The ruined Municipal Building in San Jose in 1945. Image credit: United States National Archives. |
[p. 24]
R E S T R I C T E D
Q Please state your full name, age, address and nationality.
A Amado Javier, 48 years old, Barrio Lapu-lapu II, San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I., Filipino.
Q What is your occupation?
A Ex-sailor, World War I veteran.
Q Do you intend to remain at your present address, and if not, how can your whereabouts in the future be ascertained?
A I intend to remain at my present address.
Q Did you suffer any mistreatment at the hands of the Japanese?
A Yes.
Q Will you please tell us about this mistreatment?
A About 4:30 P.M., February 14, 1945, two Japanese came to our house in the barrio of Lapulapu II. They took me to a place about half a kilometer
As we walked, I waited for a chance to catch one of the Japanese off-guard. It came, and I grabbed the rifle of one of the Japanese at a moment when he was relaxed. While we grappled for the rifle, the other Japanese retreated about five paces backward and shot me, the bullet passing through the base of my neck on the left side. The Japanese I was struggling with took advantage of this moment and, with a strong jerk, pulled the rifle from me. However, I ran and managed to escape.
Q Do you know the names of any of these two Japanese?
A No.
Q Can you describe them?
A Except for the fact that they were wearing civilian clothes, I cannot give any further description.
Q Do you know what unit they belonged to?
A They told me, when I requested them to refrain from burning the house, that they could not be, because they were Military Police from Lipa.
Q Have you anything further to add to this statement?
A No.
/T/ AMADO JAVIER
[p. 25]
R E S T R I C T E D
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROVINCE OF BATANGAS
TOWN OF SAN JOSE
/T/ AMADO JAVIER
/T/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC
Investigating Detachment.
C E R T I F I C A T E
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Municipal Bldg., San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I. |
/s/ Allen H. Peoples /t/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC |
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Municipal Bldg., San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I. |
/s/ Allen H. Peoples /t/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC |
| 27 October 1945 |
/s/ Charles C. Thompson /t/ CHARLES C. THOMPSON, Capt., TC |
1 “Documents Pertaining to the Testimony of Amado Javier in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.