Testimony of Simeona Yu of Santo Tomas, Batangas on Abuses Suffered at the Hands of the Japanese in 1945
[TRANSCRIPTION]
This page contains the testimony of one Simeona Yu of Santo Tomas, Batangas atrocities she and her family suffered at the hands of the Japanese 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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| Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
[p. 31]
R E S T R I C T E D
Q What is your full name?
A Mrs. Simeona Yu.
Q What is your age?
A 37.
Q What is your present address?
A Barrio San Roque, Santo Tomas, Batangas Province.
Q Do you intend to move, and if so, is there anybody who will always know your whereabouts?
A I plan to go to Manila sometime this week. My address in Manila is corner Oroquieta and Blumentritt Streets. Anyway, I will leave my exact and up-to-date address with my mother, Julia Castillo, of Santo Tomas, in case I leave.
Q Did you suffer any mistreatment at the hands of the Japanese?
A Yes.
Q Please tell us in your own words exactly what happened.
A Very early in the morning of February 11th, 1945, my husband, my daughter, my aunt and I were awakened by loud knocking at the door in Barrio San Roque. My aunt opened the door and found there were Japanese soldiers knocking at the door with their bayonets. They ordered us to come down. When we came down, they marched the four of us to another house where we were incarcerated. Our hands were tied behind our backs and we were blindfolded.
Later on, we were led to a dugout near the house. We were stabbed with bayonets. After the Japs stabbed us, we were thrown into the dugout and then covered with earth and coconut palms. I lost consciousness. When I regained my senses, I saw light coming through small slits of the coconut palms. Guided by this light, I bored my way up slowly through the pile of bodies and made my way home.
Q Tell us the names and ages of your husband, your daughter and your aunt.
A My husband, Feliciano Lican, 42; my daughter, Florencia Lican, 14; my aunt, Jacinta Pascua, 55. They were all Filipinos and resided at Barrio San Roque, Santo Tomas, Batangas.
Q How many Japanese first came into your house?
A Five.
Q To whose house were you taken and how far was it from your home?
A To the house of Mateo Tolentino, which was about half a block north of our home.
Q Did you find others in the house of Mateo Tolentino when you arrived there?
A Yes. We found nine people there: they were all kneeling. They were: Juana Molino, 65; Maxima Robles, 28; Purificacion Oliva, 4; Rolando Oliva, 7; the others, I don’t remember their names, but all were Filipinos and residents of
[p. 32]
R E S T R I C T E D
Barrio San Roque, Santo Tomas, Batangas.
We were ordered to kneel down and our hands were tied behind our backs. Then, the Japanese asked us where the guerrillas were. We told them we did not know anything about guerrillas. We were then told to wait. Then, they took away 3 men and I never saw them again. My husband and I were taken to the dugout, blindfolded, bayoneted and thrown into the dugout. I lost consciousness. When I recovered, I saw the bodies of the other six persons sprawled on top of me. I climbed from under the pile of bodies and made my escape. I was the only survivor.
Q Did you recover any of the bodies and bury them?
A All the bodies are still in the dugout.
Q How many Japanese did you see altogether?
A Only five.
Q What branch of service did they belong [to]?
A I do not know.
Q Can you describe the uniform they wore?
A They wore dark green uniforms.
Q Did you notice any anchors on their caps?
A They had tiny Japanese flags on their caps and they wore red mufflers.
Q Did you hear anything that might give a clue to their names?
A No.
Q Did you or any of the others give the Japanese any cause for this mistreatment?
A I do not know of anything that we did to provoke the Japanese into these horrible murders.
Q In what language did the Japanese speak?
A The Japanese officer could understand a little Tagalog.
Q How do you know he was an officer?
A He had a saber and a pistol.
Q Can you describe this officer?
A No.
Q Would you be able to identify him if we bring him to you?
A No.
Q What injuries did you receive?
A Seven bayonet wounds: one on my breast between the nipples, one below the left nipple, one above the left nipple, one on the left side of the left nipple, one on the left breast and one on the right armpit and on the back.
Q Is there anything further you wish to tell us?
A Nothing more.
/t/ SIMEONA YU
[p. 33]
R E S T R I C T E D
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROVINCE OF BATANGAS
TOWN OF SANTO TOMAS
/t/ SIMEONA YU
/T/ HERMAN MANDELL, Capt., TC
Crimes Investigating Detachment.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROVINCE OF BATANGAS
TOWN OF SANTO TOMAS
/t/ CASTOR C. AMES, JR.
/t/ HERMAN MANDELL Capt., TC
Crimes Investigating Detachment.
[p. 34]
R E S T R I C T E D
C E R T I F I C A T E
|
Municipal Bldg., Real Street Santo Tomas, Batangas, P.I. |
/s/ Herman Mandell /t/ HERMAN MANDELL, CAPT., TC |
| 30 September 1945 |
/s/ Joe J. Riley, 1st Lt., Inf. /t/ JOE J. RILEY, 1st Lt., Inf. |