Testimony of Hilario Laro on Japanese Atrocities Committed in Taal, Batangas in 1945
[TRANSCRIPTION]
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.
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| Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita and his Chief of Staff Gen. Akira Muto with American personnel after their surrender to U.S. Forces in Kiangan, Northern Luzon. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
[p. 1655]
HILARIO LARO
DIRECT EXAMINATION
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.
[p. 1656]
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.
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.
wound was marked Prosecution
Exhibit No. 271 for identi-
fication.)
A This is my picture.
Q What is that mark on your left shoulder?
A Wound.
Q What caused it?
A Hand grenade.
CAPTAIN PACE: I offer it in evidence.
GENERAL REYNOLDS: There being no objection, it is accepted in evidence.
for identification was received
in evidence.)
was marked Prosecution Exhibit
No. 272 for identification.)
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.
[p. 1658]
for identification was re-
ceived in evidence.)
A 146 people died.
CAPTAIN PACE: Thank you.
You may inquire.
CROSS EXAMINATION
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.
[p. 1659]
Q Do you know whether there was an active unit in that area?
A Not even one. I don’t know why.
THE WITNESS: (through the Interpreter): None.
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.
REDIRECT EXAMINATION
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.
RECROSS EXAMINATION
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.