Testimony of Baltazar Briones of San Jose Batangas on how the Japanese Killed his Sons

[TRANSCRIPTION]

This page contains the testimony of one Baltazar Briones of San Jose, Batangas on how his two sons were killed by Japanese soldiers. 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.

The ruined Municipal Building in San Jose in 1945.  Image credit:  United States National Archives.

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R E S T R I C T E D

BALTAZAR BRIONES, after having been duly sworn, testified at the Municipal Building of San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I., on 4 October 1945, as follows:

Q Please state your full name, age, address and nationality.
A Baltazar Briones, 55 years old, Barrio Bigain II, San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I., Filipino.

Q What is your occupation?
A Farmer.

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 No, but my two sons were murdered by the Japanese.

Q Will you please relate fully how this happened?
A On February 4, 1945, at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, my sons Simeon Briones, aged 20; Arcadio Briones, aged 30 and I went to the house of Melecio Patron in Pinagtungulan. They arrived at the house first. When I was about 12 meters south of the house, I saw my sons surrounded by five Japanese soldiers. The Japanese tied the two together with their hands behind their backs. Three of them bayoneted my sons while two stood guarding the place. I hid among the banana trees south of the house, then I crept slowly away to Bigain II.

Next day, February 5, 1945, I returned to Pinagtungulan. It was 5 o’clock in the morning then. There were no Japanese. I found the bodies of my two sons. Simeon had four bayonet wounds, one on the chest, two on his right side and one on the back; Arcadio had three bayonet wounds, two on the breast and one on the back. I buried their bodies in the place where they were killed, near the house of Melecio Patron, in the barrio of Pinagtungulan, San Jose, Batangas Province.

Q Do you know the names of any of these five Japanese who murdered your sons?
A No.

Q Can you describe any of them?
A I can remember only their clothes, trousers of pale khaki color and denim, long-sleeved shirts. They word native “balanggot” hats.

Q Can you describe their insignia?
A No.

Q Do you know to what unit they belonged?
A No.

Q Do you know the names of any Japanese who were stationed in this area in January and February 1945?
A No.

Q Do you know of any reason that might have caused these

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five Japanese to murder your sons?
A No, they were peaceful citizens.

Q Have you anything further to add to this statement?
A No.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROVINCE OF BATANGAS

TOWN OF SAN JOSE

I, BALTAZAR BRIONES, being duly sworn on oath, state that I have read to me and understood the translation of the foregoing transcription of my interrogation and all answers contained therein, consisting of two (2) pages, are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROVINCE OF BATANGAS

TOWN OF SAN JOSE

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C E RT I F I C A T E