Testimony of Agapita Mapalad of San Jose, Batangas on the Killing of Her Husband by the Japanese in 1945 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore Testimony of Agapita Mapalad of San Jose, Batangas on the Killing of Her Husband by the Japanese in 1945 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

Testimony of Agapita Mapalad of San Jose, Batangas on the Killing of Her Husband by the Japanese in 1945

Batangas History
1 Dec, 2017
This page contains the testimony of one Agapita Mapalad of San Jose, Batangas regarding the killing of her husband by the Japanese in 1945. The pages contained herein 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.

San Jose Municipal Building in 1945
The ruined Municipal Building in San Jose in 1945.  Image credit:  United States National Archives.

[p. 10]

R E S T R I C T E D

AGAPITA MAPALAD, 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 Agapita Mapalad, 25 years old, Barrio Lapulapu II, San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I., Filipino.

Q What is your occupation?
A Housekeeper.

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 Did you suffer any mistreatment at the hands of the Japanese?
A No, but my husband was killed by the Japanese.

Q Please tell us what you know about the killing of your husband.
A On January 23, 1945, three o’clock in the morning, my husband went out of our house and told me he would help Dr. Ona evacuate his belongings to our barrio. I did not hear nor see him again alive. Victoriano Ilagan, aged 26; and Urbano Ilagan, aged 21, who were his companions, told me that he was taken by the Japanese.

On June 25, 1945, I and three other women — Matilde Dical, aged 25; Tomasa Aguila, aged 40; and Maria de Castro, aged 34, went to a place between the barrios of Masiit and Cumba, Lipa, where Dr. Ona directed us, in search of our husbands. We found four bodies there, my husband, Felipe Villanueva, aged 31; Matilde’s husband, Miguel Ilagan, aged 37; Tomasa’s husband, Teofilo Ilagan, aged 40; and Maria’s husband, Martin Pasia, aged 43. We recognized that they were the men we were looking for because of their clothes. My husband had still the scabbard of his bolo although the bolo was no longer in it. These four were tied together with their hands behind their backs.

Q Do you know the names of any of the Japanese responsible for this atrocity?
A No, I did not see them.

Q How did you know they were killed by the Japanese?
A Because the people around that place said they were. Besides, tying people together with their hands behind their backs and killing them is exclusively a Japanese style of mass murder.

Q Do you know of any Japanese unit stationed around the area?
No.

Q Have you anything else to add to your statement?
A No.

/s/ Agapita Mapalad
/t/ AGAPITA MAPALAD

[p. 11]

R E S T R I C T E D

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROVINCE OF BATANGAS

TOWN OF SAN JOSE

I, AGAPITA MAPALAD, 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 one (1) page, are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

/s/ Agapita Mapalad
/t/ AGAPITA MAPALAD

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 1st day of November, 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 one (1) page, to the witness; that the witness thereupon in my presence affixed her signature thereto.

/s/ Alfredo Cuevas
/t/ ALFREDO CUEVAS

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 1st day of November, 1945.

/s/ Allen H. Peoples
/t/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC,
Investigating Officer, War Crimes
Investigating Detachment.

[p. 12]

R E S T R I C T E D

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 AGAPITA MAPALAD, and according to ALFREDO CUEVAS, gave the foregoing answers to the several questions set forth therein; that after her testimony had been transcribed, the said AGAPITA MAPALAD had read to her by the said interpreter the same and affixed her signature thereto in our presence.

Municipal Bldg., San Jose,
Batangas Province, P.I. 		/s/ Allen H. Peoples
/t/ ALLEN H. PEOPLES, Capt., CAC

1st November 1945 /s/ Charles C. Thompson
/t/ CHARLES C. THOMPSON, Capt., TC

The following witnesses, having been interrogated by the Investigator-Examiners possess knowledge of the facts set forth in the above statement:

NAME AGE ADDRESS NATIONALITY
Tomasa Aguila 40 Lapulapu II, San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I. Filipino
Maria de Castro 34 Lapulapu II, San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I. Filipino
Matilde Dical 25 Lapulapu II, San Jose, Batangas Province, P.I. Filipino

Notes and references:
1 “Documents Pertaining to the Testimony of Agapita Mapalad in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.
Next Post Previous Post