Testimony of Gregorio Ilao of San Jose, Batangas on his Experience of Japanese Atrocities in 1945 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore Testimony of Gregorio Ilao of San Jose, Batangas on his Experience of Japanese Atrocities in 1945 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

Testimony of Gregorio Ilao of San Jose, Batangas on his Experience of Japanese Atrocities in 1945

Batangas History
1 Dec, 2017

[TRANSCRIPTION]

This page contains the testimony of one Gregorio Ilao of San Jose, Batangas on how he was made to do forced labor by the Japanese and how he and several others visited a house in the barrio of Sabang and found victims of Japanese atrocity. 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.

Yamashita and Muto with American personnel
Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita and his Chief of Staff Gen. Akira Muto with American personnel after their surrender to U.S. Forces in Kiangan, Northern Luzon.  Image credit:  U.S. National Archives.

[p. 38]

R E S T R I C T E D

GREGORIO ILAO, 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 Gregorio Ilao, 54 years old, Barrio Sabang, San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I., Filipino.

Q What is your occupation?
A Farmer, and a barrio lieutenant of Sabang, San Jose.

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 the barrio of Sabang, San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I., on or about March 4, 1945?
A Yes.

Q Will you please tell us in detail what happened.
A On March 4, 1945, the Japanese left Sabang. Herminia Maquinto, aged 27; Maria Morales, aged 35; Felisa Morales, aged 30; Emeteria Salud, aged 40 and I went to the house of Herminia Maquinto at Sabang.

There, we saw the bodies of Esteban Perada, aged 40, husband of Maria Morales; Melecio Patron, aged 32, husband of Herminia Maquinto; Hilarion Magracia, aged 40, husband of Felisa Morales; and Regalado Ilao, son of Emeteria Salud. All had been bayoneted, with wounds on the back which went through the chest. All, except Regalado Ilao, were tied together with their hands behind their backs. We buried these four bodies in the dugout near the house of Herminia Maquinto in Sabang.

Q Do you know the names of any of the Japanese responsible for the massacre of these four persons?
A I did not actually see who killed these four. However, I know the name of one of the Japanese who was in Sabang during the time of the massacre. He was called Capt. Baba. He was about 5 feet 4 inches tall, heavy build, about 150 pounds, 35 years old, short-cropped hair. I believe he had two gold teeth in front, smooth shaven, good-looking, wore gold-rimmed glasses, slit eyes of brown color, fair complexion and always wore a saber. When I last saw him, he was with denim trousers and short-sleeved blue poplin shirt.

Q Can you describe any other Japanese who were in Sabang during the massacre of these four civilians?
A No.

Q Can you describe their insignia?
A No.

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

[p. 39]

R E S T R I C T E D

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

/s/ Gregorio Ilao
/t/ GREGORIO ILAO

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROVINCE OF BATANGAS

TOWN OF SAN JOSE

I, GREGORIO ILAO, 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.
/s/ Gregorio Ilao
/t/ GREGORIO ILAO
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 his signature thereto.
/s/ Alfredo Cuevas
/t/ ALFREDO CUEVAS
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.

[p. 40]

RESTRICTED

C E R T I F I C A T E

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 GREGORIO ILAO, and according to ALFREDO CUEVAS, gave the foregoing answers to the several questions set forth therein; that after his testimony had been transcribed, the said GREGORIO ILAO had read to him by the said interpreter the same and affixed his signature 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:
The original war crime document from which this page was transcribed was downloaded from the Internet Archive.
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