Testimony of Hilario Laro on Japanese Atrocities Committed in Taal, Batangas in 1945
This page contains the testimony of Hilario Laro on Japanese atrocities committed in the town of Taal, Batangas 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.
HILARIO LARO
DIRECT EXAMINATION
CROSS EXAMINATION
REDIRECT EXAMINATION
RECROSS EXAMINATION
Notes and references:
1 “Excerpts from the Testimony of Hilario Laro in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.
[p. 1655]
called as witness on behalf of the Prosecution, being first duly sworn, was examined and testified through Interpreter Gojunco:
Q (By Captain Pace) Give your name, please.
A Hilario Laro.
Q Where do you live?
A Mahabangludlud [Mahabang Lodlod], Taal, Batangas.
Q Will you repeat that, please? The name?
A Hilario Laro.
Q Where do you live?
A Mahabangludlud, Taal, Batangas. Mahabangludlud, Taal, Batangas.
Q Where did you live on February 16, 1945?
A In Pisa.
Q Is the barrio of Pisa located about halfway between the barrios of Cultihan and Luntal?
A Hilario Laro.
Q Where do you live?
A Mahabangludlud [Mahabang Lodlod], Taal, Batangas.
Q Will you repeat that, please? The name?
A Hilario Laro.
Q Where do you live?
A Mahabangludlud, Taal, Batangas. Mahabangludlud, Taal, Batangas.
Q Where did you live on February 16, 1945?
A In Pisa.
Q Is the barrio of Pisa located about halfway between the barrios of Cultihan and Luntal?
THE INTERPRETER: Repeat the name of the two barrios.
CAPTAIN PACE: Cultihan and Luntal.
A (Through the Interpreter) Yes.
CAPTAIN PACE: For the information of all concerned, the map in evidence does not show the barrio of Pisa. It shows the barrios of Luntal and Cultihan, however.
Q (By Captain Pace) On the afternoon of February 16,
[p. 1656]
1945, did anything unusual happened at Pisa?
A. Yes. I heard firing and I saw burning of houses, so I went to the ravine.
Q You went where?
A To the ravine.
Q Where is this ravine?
A In between the road of Pisa and Luntal.
Q How many people went with you to the ravine?
A 150 persons.
Q After you got there, what happened?
A About a half hour afterwards, [the] Japanese came and told us to go out, and we were tied — our hands were tied. These Japanese had fixed bayonets.
Q What did they do after they tied you?
A They told us to go about twenty meters away and then they fired outside and threw hand grenades at us.
Q But did they do anything else to you?
A Nothing more.
Q Out of the 150 people who were taken out of the ravine and tied, how many were killed?
A 66 died and four were wounded — 46 died and four were wounded.
A. Yes. I heard firing and I saw burning of houses, so I went to the ravine.
Q You went where?
A To the ravine.
Q Where is this ravine?
A In between the road of Pisa and Luntal.
Q How many people went with you to the ravine?
A 150 persons.
Q After you got there, what happened?
A About a half hour afterwards, [the] Japanese came and told us to go out, and we were tied — our hands were tied. These Japanese had fixed bayonets.
Q What did they do after they tied you?
A They told us to go about twenty meters away and then they fired outside and threw hand grenades at us.
Q But did they do anything else to you?
A Nothing more.
Q Out of the 150 people who were taken out of the ravine and tied, how many were killed?
A 66 died and four were wounded — 46 died and four were wounded.
CAPTAIN PACE: I think you have misinterpreted that. Will you ask it again?
THE WITNESS (through the Interpreter): 46 died.
CAPTAIN PACE: May we have another interpreter, please?
THE WITNESS (through the Interpreter): 146.
Q (By Captain Pace) How many people were wounded?
A Only four were wounded.
A Only four were wounded.
[p. 1657]
CAPTAIN PACE: Mark this for identification, please.
Four or forty-four? How many?
THE WITNESS (through the Interpreter): Only four were wounded.
(Photograph of witness showing
wound was marked Prosecution
Exhibit No. 271 for identi-
fication.)
wound was marked Prosecution
Exhibit No. 271 for identi-
fication.)
Q (By Captain Pace) Will you look at Exhibit 271 for identification and tell us what that shows?
A This is my picture.
Q What is that mark on your left shoulder?
A Wound.
Q What caused it?
A Hand grenade.
A This is my picture.
Q What is that mark on your left shoulder?
A Wound.
Q What caused it?
A Hand grenade.
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| Actual picture of Hilario Laro showing a deep wound on his back. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
CAPTAIN PACE: I offer it in evidence.
GENERAL REYNOLDS: There being no objection, it is accepted in evidence.
Prosecution Exhibit No. 271
for identification was received
in evidence.)
for identification was received
in evidence.)
CAPTAIN PACE: Mark this for identification, please.
(Photograph of Arano Navarro
was marked Prosecution Exhibit
No. 272 for identification.)
was marked Prosecution Exhibit
No. 272 for identification.)
Q (By Captain Pace) Can you tell me what Exhibit No. 272 for identification is?
A Arano Navarro.
Q What is the mark on his left arm?
A A wound.
Q Was he one of the four people who survived with you?
A Yes, he was one of us.
A Arano Navarro.
Q What is the mark on his left arm?
A A wound.
Q Was he one of the four people who survived with you?
A Yes, he was one of us.
CAPTAIN PACE: I offer it in evidence, sir.
[p. 1658]
GENERAL REYNOLDS: There being no objection, it is accepted in evidence.
(Prosecution Exhibit No. 272
for identification was re-
ceived in evidence.)
for identification was re-
ceived in evidence.)
Q (By Captain Pace) 144 people were killed there at the ravine; is that right?
A 146 people died.
A 146 people died.
CAPTAIN PACE: Thank you.
You may inquire.
Q (By Captain Reel) Do I understand that the minute you heard firing, you ran to the ravine; is that right?
A We went there.
Q But you went there the minute this firing started; is that correct?
A We went there when we heard the firing.
Q And you thought it would be safer running outdoors into the firing and going to the ravine than staying in your house; is that correct?
A I went to the ravine to save my life.
Q Yes. As a matter of fact, you knew that if you stayed in your house, you might be injured in the pitched battle between the guerrillas and the Japanese; is that the truth?
A We went there.
Q But you went there the minute this firing started; is that correct?
A We went there when we heard the firing.
Q And you thought it would be safer running outdoors into the firing and going to the ravine than staying in your house; is that correct?
A I went to the ravine to save my life.
Q Yes. As a matter of fact, you knew that if you stayed in your house, you might be injured in the pitched battle between the guerrillas and the Japanese; is that the truth?
CAPTAIN PACE: I object to the question, if the Commission please.
GENERAL REYNOLDS: Objection sustained.
Q (By Captain Reel) Are you a member of any guerrilla unit?
[p. 1659]
A No.
Q Do you know whether there was an active unit in that area?
A Not even one. I don’t know why.
Q Do you know whether there was an active unit in that area?
A Not even one. I don’t know why.
CAPTAIN REEL: Which was it? “Not even one” or “I don’t know of anyone” or both? I am asking you what your answer was.
THE WITNESS: (through the Interpreter): None.
Q (By Captain Reel) Are you sure of that?
A Yes.
A Yes.
CAPTAIN REEL: That’s all.
GENERAL DONOVAN: I would like to know how they were tied up after they came out of the ravine. Were they tied hand and foot, thrown to the ground or what?
(Whereupon, the Interpreter put the question to the witness.)
THE WITNESS (through the Interpreter): Our left hands were tied — left hands.
GENERAL REYNOLDS: Lapped?
THE WITNESS (through the Interpreter): No, only one hand. I was tied on the left hand but others were tied with both hands.
GENERAL DONOVAN: That is all.
CAPTAIN PACE: Ask him if they were tied together.
THE WITNESS (through the Interpreter): We were lined up and tied.
CAPTAIN PACE: Will you ask the witness to describe how each man was tied and if they were tied to one another?
[p. 1660]
THE WITNESS (through the Interpreter): Only women were tied with both of their hands together, but the men were tied on their left hands.
CAPTAIN PACE: There is another interpreter here now, if we may use him.
CAPTAIN REEL: I have another question or two of this witness, sir.
GENERAL REYNOLDS: Very well.
Q (By Captain Reel) Have you lived in this barrio all during the Japanese occupation?
A When the Japanese arrived, we hid in Pisa.
Q But during the major part of the occupation, did you live in this barrio?
A We were in Pisa.
Q And during that period, did you ever hear any firing before?
A None.
Q And had you ever had occasion to run and hide in the ravine during the year previous to February 16, 1945?
A I hid there only on February 16th.
A When the Japanese arrived, we hid in Pisa.
Q But during the major part of the occupation, did you live in this barrio?
A We were in Pisa.
Q And during that period, did you ever hear any firing before?
A None.
Q And had you ever had occasion to run and hide in the ravine during the year previous to February 16, 1945?
A I hid there only on February 16th.
CAPTAIN REEL: That’s all.
(Witness excused.)
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| Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
1 “Excerpts from the Testimony of Hilario Laro in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.