Batangas Massacre Report and Appeal to the US Army for Help or Arms
[TRANSCRIPTION]
The Intelligence Group, 3rd Batallion, 49th Regiment, 47th Division is an affiliate of the Hunters-ROTC guerrilla organization commanded by Eleuterio Adevoso and one of the largest outfits that operated in Southern Luzon during the Japanese occupation and subsequent liberation. This intelligence group operated from the then-town of Lipa and was commanded by one Jose Alex Katigbak. In this page are transcriptions1 of two documents from the Intel Group, 3rd Battalion, Hunters-ROTC: (1) a report on the ongoing massacre in the towns in the groups sector; and (2) an appeal to the United States Army for help and armaments.
[p. 1]
UNITED STATES PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FORCES
THE HUNTERS OR ROTC GUERRILLAS
ATTACHED TO THE 6th U.S. ARMY
CP: 3rd Bn., 49th Regt.
H O T R E P O R T
[Sgd.] Alex Isagani
3rd Bn. S-2
UNITED STATES PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FORCES
THE HUNTERS or ROTC GUERRILLAS
ATTACHED TO THE 6th U.S. ARMY
CP: 3rd Bn., 49th Regt.
AN APPEAL
Notes and references:
1 “Intell Unit, 3rd Bn, 49th Regt, 47th Div, Hunters-ROTC,” file number 307-42, online at the United States National Archives.
The Intelligence Group, 3rd Batallion, 49th Regiment, 47th Division is an affiliate of the Hunters-ROTC guerrilla organization commanded by Eleuterio Adevoso and one of the largest outfits that operated in Southern Luzon during the Japanese occupation and subsequent liberation. This intelligence group operated from the then-town of Lipa and was commanded by one Jose Alex Katigbak. In this page are transcriptions1 of two documents from the Intel Group, 3rd Battalion, Hunters-ROTC: (1) a report on the ongoing massacre in the towns in the groups sector; and (2) an appeal to the United States Army for help and armaments.
[Massacre Report]
THE HUNTERS OR ROTC GUERRILLAS
ATTACHED TO THE 6th U.S. ARMY
CP: 3rd Bn., 49th Regt.
H O T R E P O R T
(1) MASSACRE IN SANTO TOMAS: The town of Santo Tomas, Batangas was partially burned by the Japanese. More than a thousand people were massacred, including old men, young men, women and children. Members of the Hunters and the Hunters WAC were included in their list of victims.
(2) MASSACRE IN TANAUAN: The town of Tanauan, Batangas was raided by Japanese troops. Close to a thousand people were massacred. Of this indiscriminate murder, men, women and children and the town’s prominent citizens were among the victims.
(3) MASSACRE IN LIPA: In Lipa, barrio after barrio has been raided by the Japanese resulting in the burning of villages and the murder of innocent civilians. It should not be omitted in this report that the best supporters of the Hunters in Lipa, Atty. Augusto Salas and his brother, Mr. Ernesto Salas, were among the victims in the raid made by the Japs in the barrios of Pusil and Tanguay. Their hands were tied behind them and, with the rest of the barrio folks, were made to jump into a deep well at the point of a Japanese sword.
(4) THE HUNTERS CAMPS SPOTTED: The Hunters camps of the 2nd and 3rd battalions on Pulo, Taal Lake have been spotted by the Japanese. This is according to reports reaching us from Lipa.
February 16, 1945
3rd Bn. Headquarters
3rd Bn. Headquarters
3rd Bn. S-2
[p. 2]
[The appeal to the U.S. Army]
THE HUNTERS or ROTC GUERRILLAS
ATTACHED TO THE 6th U.S. ARMY
CP: 3rd Bn., 49th Regt.
AN APPEAL
(1) PEOPLE FROM THE TOWN OF SANTO TOMAS WERE MASSACRED AND MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE KILLED. CHILDREN WERE THROWN INTO THE FLAMES. YOUNG WOMEN [WERE] RAPED.
(2) [THE] TOWN OF TANAUAN WAS RAIDED AND CLOSE TO A THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD.
(3) IN LIPA, ONE BARRIO AFTER ANOTHER WAS BURNED TO ASHES AND DEPOPULATED BY THE ENEMY’S LUST FOR BLOOD AND REVENGE.
The people of these towns, like many other places, have been nourished in the belief that they can look up to the Hunters for protection and help in the hour of extreme necessity.
It is, therefore, logical that, in this stage of this conflict, when men, women and children alike die as innocent victims of the Japanese Samurai, they will call to us, the Hunters, for help.
But we, ourselves, are helpless, because we are armless.
The only thing we can do is to close our eyes to the bloody tragedies that area almost hourly happening around us; to shut our ears to the stories of blood, murder and rape that are daily pouring into our camp.
But our hearts are human, and we cannot long remain blind to these bloody events; we cannot long remain deaf to the cries of our women and our children who have perished.
We, therefore, appeal to the American army to come to our help!
We appeal to them in the name of humanity.
But if they cannot come, we appeal to them to give us arms.
We want a chance to fight the enemy before dying.
Notes and references:
1 “Intell Unit, 3rd Bn, 49th Regt, 47th Div, Hunters-ROTC,” file number 307-42, online at the United States National Archives.