Testimony of Agripino Calabia on Who Gave the Orders for the Massacres in Batangas in 1945
[p. 46]
Q Please state your full name, age, address and nationality.
A Agripino Calabia, 33 years of age, resident of San Pablo City, P.I., Filipino.
Q What was your occupation before you were taken to this prison?
A Nursery man.
Q How long do you think you will remain here?
A I do not know. I am detained for collaboration but no formal accusation has yet been filed against me.
Q Where did you reside during the Japanese occupation?
A In San Pablo City.
Q Where were you from the 9th to the 14th of February 1945?
A From January till March 6, 1945, I stayed in San Pablo City.
Q During those dates in question, did you accompany the Japanese to Tanauan and Santo Tomas, Batangas?
A No, sir. I stayed all the time in San Pablo City.
Q Did you know that the Japanese went to the towns of Lipa, Tanauan and Santo Tomas to burn them and massacre thousands of Filipino civilians?
A I know nothing about that because I was then in San Pablo City until March 6, 1945, when I was brought to the mountains.
Q Were you working for the Japanese in San Pablo City?
A Yes, sir. My work [was] concerned with food supply and in this work, the Japanese trusted me. I worked for them since December 15, 1944.
Q Were you ever mistreated by the Japanese?
A Personally, I was not mistreated.
Q Do you know the name of the company or unit to which the Japanese you worked for belonged?
A I do not know, sir. I only know personally the Kempei-tai officials in San Pablo City.
Q Would you be able to recognize these officials if you saw them again?
A Yes, sir.
Q Are those the only Japanese you know?
A Yes, sir.
Q Did you ever see any mistreatment of Filipino civilians by the Japanese in San Pablo City or elsewhere?
A I have never seen a Filipino killed by the Japanese for I was always staying home. Besides, if the Japanese ever went around to mistreat them, the Japanese never brought me along with them.
Q Tell us the names of the Japanese officials that you know from San Pablo City.
A Major UNO. He arrived in San Pablo City in December 1944
[p. 47]
stayed until March 1945. Capt. YAMAGUCHI was the Chief of the Kempei-tai (Japanese Military Police) in San Pablo City. Sgt. Major ODAKI, Jui was assistant to Capt. YAMAGUCHI. First Sgt. UBAI was next in command to ODAKI. I also know Sgt. SAKUDAKI, Sgt. UIHARA, Sgt. KAWAKAMI, and Sgt. HIROSI.
I do not know the first names of any of those I have mentioned except in the case of ODAKI.
Q Did you know any Kempei officer in Lipa, Batangas?
A I know one because I met him in the mountains. He was Capt. YAGI. I do not know his first name.
Q Can you give us a personal description of those Japanese you have mentioned?
A Yes, sir.
Q Could you identify each of those Japanese if they were brought before you?
A Yes, sir.
Q Will you describe to us Capt. YAMAGUCHI?
A YAMAGUCHI was about 5 feet 3 inches in height, weighed approximately 145 lbs., very stocky and heavy built. His hair was black but very sparse with marked tendency to baldness. His complexion was light yellow with red spots or patches on his face. His eyes were black and slightly slanting; he wore no glasses. He was about 45 years old, had [a] very military bearing and looked like a Filipino, except that his manner of standing and walking was typical Japanese. He had no scars or marks on his body save those red spots on his face. His teeth were bigger than normal. He was always dressed in civilian clothes and he wore short pants. His moustache was not very thick, the hairs were fine and well trimmed. He appeared to be an educated person.
Q Describe Sgt. Major ODAKI, Jui.
A ODAKI, Jui had a height of about 5 feet 9 inches, weighed not less than 120 lbs., and slender built. His black hair was long and well combed with pomade. His complexion was light yellow. His eyes were black and not slanting and he did not wear glasses. He was about 30 years old and he had effeminate tendencies. He had no visible marks or scars; his teeth were normal and he had no moustache. He was always in uniform but he was a sloppy dresser. I can also say that he was an educated person.
Q Describe 1st Sgt. UBAI.
A UBAI was 5 feet [number not given] inches tall, weighed about 110 lbs. and was slender built. His hair was black, kept long and well combed with pomade, the ‘alfonsino’ style. His complexion was brown like a Filipino. His eyes were black, not very slanting and he wore no glasses. I think he was between the ages of 33 and 35 years. He had [a] very military appearance; he had no visible scars or marks, nor did he have a moustache. He had two gold teeth on the upper set. He always wore a coat uniform and boots. All of these men I describe wore swords. This man was an educated person.
Q Describe Sgt. SAKUDAKI.
A SAKUDAKI was 5 feet 5 inches tall, but his body was much bigger and more muscular than UBAI. He probably weighed 150 lbs. His hair was black but he was always shaved. His
[p. 48]
complexion was brown like a Filipino. His eyes were black and he did not wear glasses. He was about 35 years old, walked like the ordinary bow-legged Japanese, though he had a military bearing. He had a scar on the lower jaw. He had no moustache. He had a gold tooth but I do not exactly remember if he had more than one gold tooth; all I know, he had [a] gold tooth on the upper set towards the side. He was always in civilian clothes but he was a very sloppy dresser. I think he was an educated person. One striking feature of his was his jaw, which grew [a] very thick beard which was always clean shaven. He’s what we call a “Barbon.”
Q How about Sgt. UIHARA?
A UIHARA was a short fellow, about 5 feet 2 inches in height; weighed about 120 lbs., heavy built, round body. He always combed his long black hair neatly with pomade. His complexion was light yellow; his eyes were black and very slanting and he wore glasses occasionally, not always. He was about 29 or 30 years old, typically bow-legged. He had no scars or marks, no moustache, and his teeth were normal. He was a very sloppy dresser but I think he was an educated person, being a graduate of a military school. I remember that he was somewhat a hunchback.
Q What do you say of Sgt. KAWAKAMI?
A KAWAKAMI was about 5 feet 5 inches in height, weighed about 130 lbs., medium built, stout and round body. He had long black hair which was well combed with pomade. His complexion was brown like a Filipino. His eyes were black and not slanting; he wore no glasses. He was about 30 years old, had [a] very military appearance and he walked with straight posture. In all respect, he looked like a Filipino and he was the only MP officer who spoke Tagalog very well. He had no scars or marks, his skin was very smooth. He had one gold tooth, upper set, on the side. He had no moustache. He was an educated person.
Q Describe Sgt. HIROSI.
A HIROSI was 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighed about 140 lbs., and was heavy built, very stocky and stout. His head was shaved at all times. His complexion was light yellow. His eyes were black and he wore no glasses. He was about 30 years old, had [a] very military bearing and was always very smartly dressed in uniform. He had no scars or marks, no moustache, and his teeth were normal. He seemed to be an educated person.
Q How about Major UNO?
A Major UNO was about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed about 120 lbs. and was [of] slender built. He was bald headed, the remaining hair of his head was always shaved. He had the real Japanese light yellow complexion. His eyes were black and very slanting and he wore no glasses. I think he was between 35 and 40 years old. He had [an] effeminate mannerism. He had no scars or marks; his skin was quite smooth. He had no moustache and his teeth were normal. He was an educated person. His jaw grew [a] very thick beard but was always clean shaven.
Q Who do you think gave the order to massacre the people in Batangas?
A I believe it was Major UNO.
[p. 49]
Q Why do you think so?
A I know it because other Kempei-tai officers told me that Major UNO was in charge of Laguna,Tayabas and Batangas provinces. His power as garrison commander of the regular army was more extensive.
Q Do you know a person named Bautista? Could you tell us his first name?
A I do not know him.
Q Can you give us some more information which might help us find out the Japanese who were responsible for the massacre of civilians in Batangas?
A I know another Japanese, an MP from Lipa, Batangas. He was Capt. YAGI. I met him in the mountains.
Q Will you describe Capt. YAGI?
A Capt. YAGI was about 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighed about 125 lbs., and was [of] slender built. His head was always shaved. His complexion was light yellow. His eyes were black and a little slanting. He wore no glasses. He was about 35 years old. His teeth were normal. He had no moustache, no scars or marks. His thick beard was always neat shaven. He had [a] very military bearing and I should say he was an educated person.
Q Do you know YAGI’s first name?
A No, sir. I only met him in the mountains.
Q Could you identify him if he were brought before you?
A Yes, sir.
Q Do you have anything further to add to your statement?
A No.
/t/ AGRIPINO CALABIA
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROVINCE OF RIZAL
MUNICIPALITY OF MUNTINGLUPA
/t/ AGRIPINO CALABIA
/t/ HERMAN MANDELL, Capt., TC
Investigating Officer, War
Investigating Detachment.
 |
| Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
1 “Excerpts from the Testimony of Agripino Calaba in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.