Testimony of Joaquin Mendoza on Japanese Atrocities Committed in Tanauan, Batangas in 1945
[TRANSCRIPTION]
This page contains the testimony of one Joaquin Mendoza on Japanese atrocities committed in Tanauan, 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.
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| 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. 2186]
JOAQUIN MENDOZA
called as a witness on behalf of the Prosecution, being first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows through Interpreter Dionisio, with Interpreter Rodas acting as “check” Interpreter:
DIRECT EXAMINATION
Q (By Captain Pace) Give your name, please.
A Joaquin Mendoza.
Q Where do you live?
A In the Barrio of Bilogbilog, Tanauan, Batangas.
Q Were you living there on the 21st of February 1945?
A Yes, sir.
Q What happened on that morning?
A In the early part of the morning, it was very dark;
A Joaquin Mendoza.
Q Where do you live?
A In the Barrio of Bilogbilog, Tanauan, Batangas.
Q Were you living there on the 21st of February 1945?
A Yes, sir.
Q What happened on that morning?
A In the early part of the morning, it was very dark;
[p. 2187]
Suddenly, there were Japanese that came around.
Q What did the Japanese do with you?
A All of us were arrested.
Q How many of you were arrested?
A We were 38.
Q What did they do with you then?
A They ordered us to carry the rice.
Q They ordered you to carry the rice?
A Yes, they ordered us to carry the rice.
Q Where did you carry the rice to?
A To the mountains, to Mt. Gonzali.
Q After you had carried the rice to Mt. Gonzali, what happened to you?
A After reaching the mountain, they took the rice from us and placed it in their granary.
Q What happened then?
A They took us and we went back to where we came from.
Q What happened to you?
A After walking about two kilometers, they told us to rest for a while.
Q What happened when you were resting?
A We were sitting down resting there with three or four soldiers that surrounded us.
Q What did they do to you?
A One of them shouted and ordered and that very instant, they killed almost all of us.
Q How many did they kill?
A 36. 36 were killed.
Q How many survived?
Q What did the Japanese do with you?
A All of us were arrested.
Q How many of you were arrested?
A We were 38.
Q What did they do with you then?
A They ordered us to carry the rice.
Q They ordered you to carry the rice?
A Yes, they ordered us to carry the rice.
Q Where did you carry the rice to?
A To the mountains, to Mt. Gonzali.
Q After you had carried the rice to Mt. Gonzali, what happened to you?
A After reaching the mountain, they took the rice from us and placed it in their granary.
Q What happened then?
A They took us and we went back to where we came from.
Q What happened to you?
A After walking about two kilometers, they told us to rest for a while.
Q What happened when you were resting?
A We were sitting down resting there with three or four soldiers that surrounded us.
Q What did they do to you?
A One of them shouted and ordered and that very instant, they killed almost all of us.
Q How many did they kill?
A 36. 36 were killed.
Q How many survived?
[p. 2188]
A There were only six of us left alive.
CAPTAIN PACE: You may inquire.
CAPTAIN SANDBERG: No cross-examination.
CAPTAIN PACE: You may inquire.
CAPTAIN SANDBERG: No cross-examination.
(Witness excused.)
Notes & References:
1 “Excerpts from the Testimony of Joaquin Mendoza in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.