Testimony of Catalino Macalintal of Rosario, Batangas on Japanese Atrocities He Witnessed in 1945
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Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
[p. 7]
Q What is your full name, age, address and nationality?
A Catalino Macalintal, 51 years old. I live at Maalas-as Barrio, Rosario, Batangas, P. I. I am Filipino.
Q What is your occupation?
A I am a farmer.
Q If you move from your present address, where can you be reached?
A I will not move.
Q Did you suffer any mistreatment at the hands of the Japanese?
A No.
Q Did you witness any acts of mistreatment by the Japanese on March 13, 1945?
A Yes. At about 7 o’clock in the morning on March 13, there were about 40 of us Filipinos at Maalas-as Barrio. We saw about 40 Japanese soldiers approaching the Barrio, so everyone in the Barrio started to run in various directions, trying to escape from the Japanese. I heard a great deal of shooting but did not actually see anybody fall. I managed to escape to the woods outside the Barrio.
I returned to the Barrio at about 6 o’clock in the evening of the same day. I counted 26 dead Filipinos lying on the ground in the Barrio. From the marks on the bodies, I could see that they had all been bayoneted.
I recognized all of the dead bodies. They were: Patricia Manieno — adult; Blandina Manieno — adult; Juana Ravano — adult; Maxima Casala — adult; Rufina Banaag — adult; Porferia Javier — adult; Felix Diwa — 12 years old; Angel Diwa — 10 years old; Donato Diwa — 8 years old; Luciana Diwa — 5 years old; Socorro Diwa — 1 month old; Regina Sandoval — adult; Virginia Capili — adult; Damian Mendoza — adult; Miguela Mendoza — adult; Concepcion Mendoza — adult; Agapita Ramos — adult; Leonila Ramos — 10 years old; Leticia Ramos — 3 years old; Dominga Mendoza — adult; Crisanta Ilagan — adult; Demetrio Coreo — adult; Lucio Carandang — adult; and Iluminada Coreo — 10 years old.
Q Did you recognize any of the Japanese that were present at the incident that you described?
A No.
Q Do you know to what unit these Japanese belonged?
A Yes, I think they were Military Police from Lipa.
Q Can you describe any of the Japanese?
A No.
Q Is there anything further that you can add to this statement?
A No.
[p. 8]
/t/ CATALINO MACALINTAL
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROVINCE OF BATANGAS
TOWN OF ROSARIO
/t/ CATALINO MACALINTAL
/t/ JAMES P. HEALEY, JR. 1ST LT., JAGD
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROVINCE OF BATANGAS
TOWN OF ROSARIO
/t/ JOSE B ZUÑO
/t/ JAMES P. HEALEY, JR. 1ST LT., JAGD
[p. 9]
said CATALINO MACALINTAL had read to him by the said interpreter the same and affixed his signature thereto in my presence.
Municipal Bldg., Rosario, Batangas Province, P.I. |
/s/ James P. Healey, Jr., 1st Lt., JAGD /t/ JAMES P. HEALEY, JR. 1ST LT., JAGD |
NAME
Justino Banaag Jacinto Diwa Fabiano Rabano Benigno Ramos Nicasia de Leon Felix Mendoza Simeon Ramos |
AGE
45 31 63 13 30 45 40 |
ADDRESS
Maalas-as, Barrio Rosario, Batangas, P.I. " " " " " " |
NATIONALITY
Filipino " " " " " " |
1 “Excerpts from the Testimony of Catalino Macalintal in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.