Testimony of Catalino Macalintal of Rosario, Batangas on Japanese Atrocities He Witnessed in 1945

[TRANSCRIPTION]

This page contains the testimony of one Catalino Macalintal on Japanese atrocities he witnessed in Rosario, Batangas 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. This transcription has been corrected for grammar where necessary by Batangas History, Culture and Folklore. The pagination is as it was contained in the original document for citation purposes.

Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives.

[p. 7]

R E S T R I C T E D

Q What is your full name, age, address and nationality?
A Catalino Macalintal, 51 years old. I live at Maalas-as Barrio, Rosario, Batangas, P. I. I am Filipino.

Q What is your occupation?
A I am a farmer.

Q If you move from your present address, where can you be reached?
A I will not move.

Q Did you suffer any mistreatment at the hands of the Japanese?
A No.

Q Did you witness any acts of mistreatment by the Japanese on March 13, 1945?
A Yes. At about 7 o’clock in the morning on March 13, there were about 40 of us Filipinos at Maalas-as Barrio. We saw about 40 Japanese soldiers approaching the Barrio, so everyone in the Barrio started to run in various directions, trying to escape from the Japanese. I heard a great deal of shooting but did not actually see anybody fall. I managed to escape to the woods outside the Barrio.

I returned to the Barrio at about 6 o’clock in the evening of the same day. I counted 26 dead Filipinos lying on the ground in the Barrio. From the marks on the bodies, I could see that they had all been bayoneted.

I recognized all of the dead bodies. They were: Patricia Manieno — adult; Blandina Manieno — adult; Juana Ravano — adult; Maxima Casala — adult; Rufina Banaag — adult; Porferia Javier — adult; Felix Diwa — 12 years old; Angel Diwa — 10 years old; Donato Diwa — 8 years old; Luciana Diwa — 5 years old; Socorro Diwa — 1 month old; Regina Sandoval — adult; Virginia Capili — adult; Damian Mendoza — adult; Miguela Mendoza — adult; Concepcion Mendoza — adult; Agapita Ramos — adult; Leonila Ramos — 10 years old; Leticia Ramos — 3 years old; Dominga Mendoza — adult; Crisanta Ilagan — adult; Demetrio Coreo — adult; Lucio Carandang — adult; and Iluminada Coreo — 10 years old.

Q Did you recognize any of the Japanese that were present at the incident that you described?
A No.

Q Do you know to what unit these Japanese belonged?
A Yes, I think they were Military Police from Lipa.

Q Can you describe any of the Japanese?
A No.

Q Is there anything further that you can add to this statement?
A No.

[p. 8]

R E S T R I C T E D

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROVINCE OF BATANGAS

TOWN OF ROSARIO

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROVINCE OF BATANGAS

TOWN OF ROSARIO

C E R T I F I C A T E

[p. 9]

said CATALINO MACALINTAL had read to him by the said interpreter the same and affixed his signature thereto in my presence.