Testimony of Catalina Vale of San Jose, Batangas on Japanese Atrocities Witnessed at Bo. Lapulapu I in 1945 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore Testimony of Catalina Vale of San Jose, Batangas on Japanese Atrocities Witnessed at Bo. Lapulapu I in 1945 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

Testimony of Catalina Vale of San Jose, Batangas on Japanese Atrocities Witnessed at Bo. Lapulapu I in 1945

Batangas History
1 Dec, 2017

[TRANSCRIPTION]

This page contains the testimony of one Catalina Vale of San Jose, Batangas on atrocities committed by the Japanese in the barrio of Lapulapu I. 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.

Manila War Crimes Trial US Army
Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives.

[p. 19]

R E S T R I C T E D

CATALINA VALE, 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 Catalina Vale, 64 years old, Lapulapu I, San Jose, Batangas Province, P. I., Filipino.

Q What is your occupation?
A Housekeeper.

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 Do you know of any atrocity committed by the Japanese in Lapulapu I sometime in February 1945?
A Yes.

Q Please relate in your own words what happened?
A On February 14, 1945, Wednesday afternoon, 3 o’clock, we saw 15 Japanese. Four of them went upstairs and found my brother-in-law Trobio Vale, aged 57, sitting on the floor near the door of our house in Lapulapu I. One of the Japanese, who was carrying a long saber, spoke something which I did not understand. Then, the others made signs to Trobio to stand. Hardly had he stood when two of the Japanese took hold of him by his clothes and dragged him to a place opposite ours with three Japanese standing on guard. When the two Japanese came out, no one was with them.

This time, there were already many, the exact number I cannot remember, Japanese on the street. These Japanese dispersed. About ten of them went north and met three persons, Anselmo Alabastro, aged 45; Eutiquio Alabastro, aged 20; and Felipe Alabastro, aged 18, and took them to the house of Herman Baliwag, which was about 50 meters from our house. These three men were then tied with their hands behind their backs to the posts of the house. There feet, too, were tied. Then, the house was burned and these three were burned alive. I could hear their screams while the house was burning.

Next day, about daybreak, I went to the house of my son, Delfin Ona, aged 22, about 50 meters, too, north of our house. It was burned. I found the body of my son tied to a post near the door, his body was burned also with the head cut off.

Q Do you know the names of any of the Japanese responsible for the burning of these houses and killing of the people you mentioned?
A No.

Q Can you describe any of them?
A All I know was that they had khaki uniforms and two of them had nets over their bodies which I was informed were used for camouflage.

Q Can you describe their insignia?
A No.

Q You know what unit they belonged to?
A No.

Q What do you think provoked those Japanese to burn the house and kill the people in Lapulapu I?

[p. 20]

A I do know know. We were all peaceful citizens.

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

her
CATALINA X. VALE
mark
We hereby certify that the above named witness, being unable to sign her name, did make the above “X” as her mark in our presence.
/S/ Allen H. Peoples
/T/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC
/S/ Charles C. Thompson
/T/ CHARLES C. THOMPSON, Capt., TC

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROVINCE OF BATANGAS

TOWN OF SAN JOSE

I, CATALINA VALE, being duly sworn on oath, state that I had 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.
her
CATALINA X. VALE
mark
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 29th day of October, 1945.
/S/ Allen H. Peoples
/T/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC
Investigating Officer War Crimes
Investigating Detachment

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROVINCE OF BATANGAS

TOWN OF SAN JOSE

I, ALFREDO CUEVAS, residing at 1433 Prudencio Street, Sampaloc, Manila, P. I., being duly sworn on oath, state that I truly translated the questions and answers given from English to Tagalog and from Tagalog to English, respectively, and that after being transcribed, I truly translated the foregoing deposition containing two (2) pages, to the witness; that the witness thereupon in my presence affixed her mark thereto.
/S/ Alfredo Cuevas
/T/ ALFREDO CUEVAS

[p. 21]

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 29th day of October, 1945.
/S/ Allen H. Peoples
/T/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC
Investigating Officer War Crimes
Investigating Detachment.

R E S T R I C T E D

We, ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., 0249524, CAC, and CHARLES C. THOMPSON, Capt., 01000484, TC, certify that on the 4th day of October, 1945, personally appeared before us CATALINA VALE, and according to ALFREDO CUEVAS, gave the foregoing answers to the several questions set forth therein; that after her testimony had been transcribed, the said CATALINA VALE had read to her by the said interpreter the same and affixed her mark thereto in our presence.
Municipal Bldg., San Jose,
Batangas Province, P.I. 		/s/ Allen H. Peoples
/t/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC
29 October 1945 /s/ Charles C. Thompson
/t/ CHARLES C. THOMPSON, Capt., TC
Notes & References:
1 “Documents Pertaining to the Testimony of Catalina Vale in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.
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