Testimony of Pamfilo Umali on Japanese Atrocities Committed in Lipa, Batangas in 1945

called as witness on behalf of the Prosecution, being first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows through Interpreter Lavengco:

Q (By Captain Pace) Give your name, please.
A Pamfilo Umali.
Q Where do you live?

A Barrio Talisay, town of Lipa.
Q Did you live in Pusil on February 15, 1945?

INTERPRETER LAVENGCO: I beg your pardon, sir?

CAPTAIN PACE: “Did you live in Pusil on February 15, 1945?”

A We were evacuees there.

CAPTAIN PACE: I didn’t catch that.

INTERPRETER LAVENGCO: “We were evacuees there.”

Q (By Captain Pace) Where is the barrio of Pusil?
A Barrio Pusil.
Q I said where is it?
A It is in the upper part of the town of Lipa.
Q Is it about five kilometers north of Lipa?
A More or less.
Q Describe what happened in Pusil in the morning of February 15, 1945.
A At that time, the Japanese came and found us in our homes. They grouped us men together and tied us. They did the same with the women.
Q What time did the Japanese come?
A They came more or less about seven o’clock in the morning.
Q How many men did they tie together?
A We were about 700 men tied together.
Q Seven hundred men. And how many women and children?
A I could not count the number of women, but they were many.
Q What did they do with the men?
A They tied the men. They tied them by fives and by

six.
Q Yes. Proceed.
A They took us near a pit and they used to dump us there.
Q Where did they take you?
A They took us to the vicinity of the town [barrio] of Pusil.
Q Where in the vicinity of the town [barrio] of Pusil did they take you?
A To the northern part of the town of Lipa.
Q Where did they take you in the northern part of the town of Lipa?

INTERPRETER LAVENGCO: I beg your pardon?

CAPTAIN PACE: Where did they take you in the northern part of the town of Lipa?”

A In the upper part of the town of Lipa, in the barrio of Pusil.
Q (By Captain Pace) Did they take you to a well?
A At the well, sir.
Q What happened after you got to the well?
A When we arrived there, the Japanese ordered us to jump, and we jumped.
Q Where did you jump?
A I was afraid the Japanese would bayonet me, so when they ordered me to jump, I jumped.
Q Where did you jump?
A Into the well.
Q How many men jumped in the well ahead of you?
A More or less, 200 men preceded me.
Q And how many men jumped into the well after you did?

A More than 100.
Q After the 300 men had jumped into the well, what happened then?
A The Japanese dropped over us Singer machines and big stones used for construction.

CAPTAIN PACE: Will you repeat that answer, please?

(Whereupon, Interpreter Lavengco repeated the answer to the witness.)

CAPTAIN PACE: No, not to the witness. I want to know what you said.

INTERPRETER LAVENGCO: “The Japanese dropped over us Singer machines, sewing machines, and big stones used for construction work.”

Q (By Captain Pace) What happened, then?
A After that, they covered us with Sawale covers, three sheets of Sawale covering.
Q At this time, how many men out of the 300 in the well were still alive?

CAPTAIN PACE: Sir, I have misunderstood. Over here, we thought that the witness said 100. Could we have that established? One hundred in the well. The question had to do with 300.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: The testimony was 300 were in the well and one remained alive, as the Commission understood.

Is that correct?

CAPTAIN PACE: No, sir, I believe that either the record, or further questioning, will show that 200 jumped in, and then the witness’ group jumped in, and then 100

additional jumped in after the witness did, making a total of about 300.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: 300. The last question you asked was the number remaining alive, was it not?

CAPTAIN PACE: Yes, sir.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: And the reply to that was 100?

CAPTAIN PACE: The witness has not yet answered that question yet, sir, I don’t believe.

CAPTAIN REEL: Well, the only difficulty, sir, is that I am afraid that the record is confused. Inasmuch as counsel for the Prosecution said that further evidence would bring out these figures, I would suggest, if I might, sir, that the Prosecution bring out those figures first, before going into these other matters.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: Very well. Let us establish the numbers.

CAPTAIN PACE: Yes, sir.

Q (By Captain Pace) How many men jumped into the well ahead of you?
A Two hundred.
Q How many men jumped into the well after you and the 200 were in there?
A More than 100.
Q Out of the 300 men who jumped in the well, how many were alive after the Japanese had finished?
A We were seven, and six really survived.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: The Commission will be in recess for approximately ten minutes.

(Short recess.)

GENERAL REYNOLDS: The Commission is in session. The Prosecution will proceed.

Q (By Captain Pace) Will you describe the scene at the well, when you were taken to it?
A (Through the Interpreter) When we were taken there at the well, it was very clean, but now it is quite dirty.
Q What kind of dirt?
A Plenty of grass, sir.
Q How many Japanese were at the well?
A When I arrived, there were four. The fifth was the one who took us there.
Q How many did they take at a time to the well?
A First time, more than 200.
Q When your group was taken to the edge of the well, how many were there?
A We were four, tied together.
Q Where did they have the four of you stand before you went into the well?
A We were instructed to stand about the edge of the well, then we jumped in.
Q What did the Japanese do when you were standing at the edge of the well?
A I did not wait for him to do anything; I jumped right away.
Q What kind of arms did the five Japanese that you have just mentioned have?
A They carried guns with bayonets, and they had a star insignia.
Q Will you describe how deep the well was?

A According to my estimate, the depth is about 20 meters.
Q Was that to the bottom or to the water line?
A As to my estimate, it was up to the very bottom.
Q And how much water was in this well which was 20 meters deep?
A As to my estimate, the water level was about three meters from the very bottom.
Q When you jumped into the well, how much water did you land it?
A Very little water.
Q What were you standing on?
A Over dead human bodies.

(A photograph was marked
Prosecution Exhibit No.
244 for identification.)

Q Will you look at Prosecution Exhibit 244 for identification and state what it is?
A This is the picture of the very well where they jumped in.
Q Who are the five men shown in the picture?
A They are Teodora Algana, Eugenio Latina, and the brother of one called Tapay — I don’t know the name.
Q Were these the five men who survived this incident at the well?
A We were six. One of our companions is not included in the picture; that is why there are five there.

CAPTAIN PACE: I offer Exhibit 244 in evidence.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: There being no objection, it is accepted in evidence.

Prosecution Exhibit No.
244 for identification
was received in evidence.)

Q (By Captain Pace) What is the diameter of this well?
A The top part is quite narrower than the bottom, but the top part, the diameter is approximately more than one meter.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: Will the reporter repeat the answer to that question?

(Answer read.)

GENERAL REYNOLDS: Will the Prosecution establish the diameter of the well at lower levels, please?

CAPTAIN PACE: Yes, sir.

Q (By Captain Pace) At the point where you were standing on human bodies in a small amount of water, what was the diameter of the well?
A The water level, the diameter was more or less two meters.
Q And does this taper gradually from the top at one meter down to a point at two meters?

THE INTERPRETER: Will you repeat, sir?

Q (By Captain Pace) Does the well taper gradually from one meter at the top to two meters at the point where you landed on the human bodies?
A (Through the Interpreter) Yes, sir.
Q How did you and these other five men whom you have mentioned escape from the well?
A While we were there inside the well, some women lowered ropes to us. We held the ropes and the women pulled us out.
Q And did everyone else in the well die?
A There were many.

Q Other than the people you have mentioned as survivors, did anyone else escape from that well?
A There was more.
Q There was more what?
A There was one more who survived besides us.
Q How many survived?
A We were six in all.
Q Did everybody else die?
A They were all dead.

(A photograph was marked
Prosecution Exhibit No.
245 for identification.)

Q Will you state what Exhibit 245 for identification is?
A This is one of our companions.
Q What is the mark which appears upon his neck?
A This is [a] mark of a bullet shot.
Q How did he receive that?
A He was shot inside the well.

CAPTAIN PACE: I offer this in evidence.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: There being no objection, it is accepted in evidence.

Prosecution Exhibit No.
245 for identification
was received in evidence.

Q (By Captain Pace) Did the Japanese shoot at you while you were in the bottom of the well?
A They shot at us, but I was not hit.
Q They did fire shots into the well, is that right?
A Yes, they did, shot at us.

(A photograph was marked
Prosecution Exhibit No.
246 for identification.)

Q Will you look at Exhibit 246 and tell us what that is?
A This one was also my companion.
Q What is the wound on his back?
A That was also the result of a bullet shot.

CAPTAIN PACE: I offer Exhibit 246 in evidence.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: There being no objection, it is accepted in evidence.

(Prosecution Exhibit No.
246 for identification
was received in evidence.)

Q (By Captain Pace) What happened to the women whom you say were taken from barrio Pusil and lined up and tied at the same time the men were?
A The women, after we were tied, were sent away. We don’t know what happened to them.
Q Have you ever seen a woman or a child who was in that group, since that day?
A After I had come from the well, I saw some of them already in the vicinity of the town.

CAPTAIN PACE: Where?

(The Interpreter translated to the witness.)

CAPTAIN PACE: (To the Interpreter) What did you say?

(The Interpreter translated to the witness.)

THE INTERPRETER: “After I came out of the well, I had seen some of the women outside the barrio of Pusil.”

Q (By Captain Pace) Do you know what happened to

them the next day?
A (Through the Interpreter) I could hardly tell because I left the place.

CAPTAIN PACE: You may inquire.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) After you were taken to the well, how long did you stand before the well?
A We stayed there not later than five minutes.
Q And after five minutes, you jumped into the well, is that right?
A I jumped right in.
Q Now, I am clear that you jumped after you had been there five minutes. Let’s get that straight.
A After about five minutes, I jumped in.
Q Now, did you arrive at the well in a group?
A We were all the four tied together, brought there.
Q And when you got to the well, there was no one else there? When you got to the well, there was no one else standing there?
A Many were already there.
Q How many others were there when you got there?
A More or less 200 men were already there.
Q And these 200 men jumped before you did?
A Yes, sir.
Q Then I am correct, then, in saying that all these 200 men jumped in the space of five minutes, is that right?

THE INTERPRETER: Beg pardon, sir?

(Question read.)

CAPTAIN PACE: If the Commission, please, the witness testified that there were 200 men ahead of him, and then he said he was taken to the well and it was five minutes before he jumped, after his small group was taken there.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: It it pleases the Commission, the witness testified on direct that 200 men jumped ahead of him.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: That is correct. You may proceed.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: May I have the witness answer the question?

(The Interpreter translated the question to the witness.)

A (Through the Interpreter) I know they jumped, just 200 men before me.
Q (By Captain Sandberg) And you want us to believe that 200 men jumped into that well in the space of five minutes?
A As far as I am concerned, those 200 men jumped there ahead of me.
Q Did they jump in the space of five minutes?
A I know, sir.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: Is that all the witness said?

THE INTERPRETER: Yes.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) Now, you testified that the Japanese threw sewing machines into the well. Will you describe these sewing machines?
A (Through the Interpreter) That machine had a pedal at the bottom, with boxes on the right side, about opening, you have to pull out (demonstrating). Looks

like a sewing machine.
Q How many of these sewing machines did the Japanese throw in?
A I saw only one.
Q What was the size of the sewing machine that you saw?
A More or less, it was one yard high, and one yard wide.
Q One yard wide. Now, in view of the fact, do you still want to stand by your testimony that the diameter of the well was only one meter?

CAPTAIN PACE: The witness testified, if the Commission please, that the diameter was one meter, more or less; I think the record will show that.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: The Defense may continue.

(The last question was read.)

A (Through the Interpreter) Yes, sir.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: That is all.

GENERAL DONOVAN: How long did he stay in the well?

(Translated to the witness by the Interpreter.)

THE INTERPRETER: A whole day until midnight.

Q (By Captain Pace) What time was your group taken to the well?
A (Through the Interpreter) More or less 10 o’clock in the morning.
Q How long was if after that before it was your turn to jump into the well?
A About five minutes.

Q Were any Japanese officers present at this well?
A I do not know whether they were officers.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) Now, were you a guerrilla sympathizer?

CAPTAIN PACE: I object to that question, if the Commission please. A “guerrilla sympathizer” is a very broad term, and I don’t think it has any bearing on this case.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: The objection is sustained, but Defense may seek to obtain the information by a different approach, if it chooses to do so.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) Did you ever give assistance to the guerrilla forces?
A I was able to give a little aid.
Q What was the assistance you gave?
A Sometimes, somebody asked for a chicken, but I was not the one who delivered it.
Q And is that all you did for the guerrilla forces?
A Only that.
Q Now, who was the guerrilla organization to which you made this contribution?
A I do not know.
Q You don’t know the name of the leader of the guerrilla organization?
A I do not know.
Q Do you know of your own knowledge that there were extensive organized guerrilla activities in the region of Lipa?

A I do not know of any guerrillas in our place.
Q Do you recall an instance in which 12 Japanese soldiers were found beheaded by bolo knives?

MAJOR KERR: If the Commission please, we object to that question as incompetent, irrelevant, immaterial; it has nothing to do with the issues involved in this case. The question of whether or not Japanese were found beheaded would certainly not offer excuse or justification for the mistreatment or murder of people, as testified to by this witness. It is absolutely irrelevant.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: The objection is sustained.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) How many Japanese soldiers were stationed in your township?
A I can’t tell the exact number, but there were many.
Q Well, approximately how many?
A The only thing I can say, there are many. I do not know how many.
Q Well, were there as many as 50?
A I cannot tell, because I did not count them directly, but what I can tell is that there were many.
Q You haven’t the faintest idea of how many there were?
A I cannot tell how many, but in my presence, there were many.
Q How many Japanese soldiers did you see on the day of the incident of the well?
A Four were already there when I arrived, and the fifth was the one who accompanied me.
Q So that we know, there were at least five Japanese soldiers?

A There were five, including the one who took me there.
Q Now, were these five Japanese soldiers the same ones who were stationed at the town?
A The only thing, they were the five who took charge of tying us. I don’t know if they were stationed there.
Q Do you know what branch of the Japanese armed forces they belonged to?
A I can say they were soldiers.
Q You don’t know whether they were connected with the air force, do you?
A What I know is that they were soldiers.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: That is all.

CAPTAIN PACE: Thank you very much.

Witness excused.

Notes and references: