Testimony of Ignacio Banawa on Japanese Atrocities Committed in Taal, Batangas in 1945

called as witness on behalf of the Prosecution, being first duly sworn through Interpreter Lavengco, was examined and testified through the Interpreter as follows:

Q (By Captain Pace) Give your name, please.
A (Through the Interpreter) Ignacio Banawa, sir.
Q Where do you live?
A At the barrio of Cultihan.
Q On February 16, 1945, did you live in Cultihan?
A I lived there, sir.
Q What happened in the morning of February 16?
A The Japanese came at the crossing. They mounted machine guns. After mounting the machine guns, they came to our homes.
Q Did they fire the machine guns?
A They fired the machine guns.
Q What did they fire the machine guns at?
A They fired the machine guns at the different homes.
Q What else did they do?
A After firing the machine guns, they lit the different homes and burned them. There were people coming out; they could not reach them with bayonets, they fired at them.
Q Now, what did you do while the Japanese were doing this?
A I was laying low at a very dirty place in our town.

Q Did you leave your barrio and hide someplace?
A Yes, sir, I hid myself.
Q Did you go back to the barrio two days later?
A Yes, sir.
Q What did you find when you got back?
A When I returned after two days, I found the homes burned and many people burned.
Q How many dead people did you find?
A More or less about 70 bodies.
Q How had these 70 people been killed?
A They were killed through bayonet thrusts and bullet wounds.

CAPTAIN PACE: You may inquire.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) Now, I didn’t understand just where you were when Japanese mounted the machine guns.
A (Through the Interpreter) I was behind my home at a place where it was quite dirty.
Q You were behind your home. How far away were you from the machine guns?
A Around 20 meters.
Q And you were out of sight of the Japanese?
A Around the front.
Q You mean you were in front of your house?
A No, sir, around the back part of our home.
Q Well, now, were you in a position where the Japanese could see you if you were in the back of your house?

THE INTERPRETER: Will you repeat the question?

(Question read.)

A (Through the Interpreter) If the Japanese had come [to] my place, they would see me.
Q (By Captain Sandberg) But the Japanese couldn’t see you from where they were in the middle of the road with machine guns, is that correct?
A (Through the Interpreter) No, sir.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: Now, I want you to translate to the Commission everything that you have said back and forth to this witness — accurately.

THE INTERPRETER: You mean, the conversation —

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: The conversation that you have just had with the witness; I want that to appear on the record.

THE INTERPRETER: Sirs, the Commission — I want it understood that the witness did not get the question right direct, so I had to aid him, help him through with the meaning of words between us. Because, you must understand, sirs, that Tagalog, though it is the general dialect of the Philippines — Tagalog as spoken in certain provinces has words that mean different things in other provinces, as far as I understand, sir. The Tagalog I learned under Professor Lope K. Santos, at the University of the Philippines — Tagalog in Batangas is different from the Tagalog in other provinces. I want to be sure the witness gives the correct answer to the question.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: If the Commission, please, if this Interpreter can’t translate our questions properly in the dialect of this witness, we ask that another Interpreter be gotten. We think it is most improper — and, incidentally,

this has been going on for sometime — for the Interpreter to engage in colloquies with the witness.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: Will the reporter read the last question and the last answer, so that we may see what really came out?

(The question and answer referred to were read by the reporter as above recorded.)

GENERAL REYNOLDS: I think we will continue with this Interpreter, but the Commission suggests that you phrase your questions with just as few words as possible, expressing only a single thought. That question may indeed have been quite difficult to express. The long additional sentences, especially, should be used with caution. Let us try it.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) Could the Japanese see you where you were standing?
A (Through the Interpreter) No, sir, they couldn’t see me.
Q Could you see the Japanese?
A Yes, sir, I could see them.
Q How was it that you could see the Japanese if they couldn’t see you?
A Because I was hidden.
Q Now, wasn’t the house in-between you and the Japanese?
A Yes, sir.
Q And you are asking us to believe that you looked through the house and saw the Japanese?

CAPTAIN PACE: If the Commission, please, I object to such a question. The witness testified under oath that he

could see the Japanese, so I think that is equivalent to him saying that he was asking us to believe it.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: The objection is sustained.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) Now, did you stay there in this position?
A (Through the Interpreter) I stayed there for about one minute.
Q And then were did you go?
A I ran and hid myself.
Q And where did you hide?
A At the barrio of Bolboc.
Q And how far away is that from where the Japanese had the machine guns?
A Around one and a half kilometers, sir.
Q Do I understand, then, that what you have described as having happened, all happened within a space of one minute while you were hiding behind your house?

(Translated to the witness.)

GENERAL REYNOLDS: This line of questioning doesn’t appear to the Commission to lead anywhere, and does take a lot of time. Is there some purpose?

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: There very definitely is, sir. This witness testified on direct examination to a very elaborate and long series of incidents occurring in the crossroads, in his house; that the Japanese came to the crossing, mounted machine guns, came to the homes, fired at the homes, bayoneted various people, all of which couldn’t be possibly have taken place in one minute; and the question is directed to the credibility of the witness.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: Will the reporter read back the early part of the witness’ direct examination, after he had identified himself, so that we may see the period of the episodes more clearly?

(The portion of the record referred to was read by the reporter as follows:

“Q What happened on the morning of February 16?

“A The Japanese came at the crossing. They mounted machine guns. After mounting the machine guns, they came to our homes.

“Q Did they fire the machine guns?

“A They fired the machine guns.

“What did they fire them at?

“They fired the machine guns at the different homes.

“What else did they do?

“After firing the machine guns, they lit the different homes and burned them. There were people coming out; they could not reach them with bayonets, they fired at them.

“Now, what did you do while the Japanese were doing this?

“I was laying low at a very dirty place in our town.

“Did you leave your barrio and hide someplace?

“Yes, sir. I hid myself.

“Did you go back to the barrio two days later?

“Yes, sir.

“What did you find when you got back?

“When I returned after two days, I found the homes

burned and many people burned.

“How many dead people did you find?

“More or less around 70 bodies.

“How had these 70 people been killed?

“They were killed through bayonet thrusts and bullet wounds.”)

GENERAL REYNOLDS: And now, will the reporter read back the last question?

(The question referred to was read by the reporter as follows:

“Q Do I understand, then, that what you have described as having happened, all happened within the space of one minute while you were hiding in your house?”)

GENERAL REYNOLDS: Do you want that question answered?

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: I will rephrase it.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) Do I understand, then, that the Japanese came to the crossing, set up their machine guns, fired their machine guns into the houses, and bayoneted the people there, all within the space of one minute?
A (Through the Interpreter) When I arrived, I found out that the people were bayoneted and they died of bullet wounds, after two days.
Q In other words, then, what you have testified here as to what happened, namely, as to the firing of the machine guns and the bayoneting and the burning of the houses —

CAPTAIN SANDBERG (to the Interpreter): You might translate that.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: Let us start over again and translate it. The Interpreter can’t possibly translate accurately if you

are going to do it that way. Give it to him in phrases, so that he can get it.
Q (By Captain Sandberg) Is it a correct statement, then — (translated to the witness) — that the firing of the machine guns by the Japanese — (translated to the witness) — the bayoneting of the people — (translated to the witness) — and the burning of the houses — (translated to the witness) — is something that you did not see personally yourself — (translated to the witness)?
A (Through the Interpreter) When I left the place to go to Tissan —

THE REPORTER: To what?

THE INTERPRETER: Tissan. [Possibly Taysan] Name of the place.

CAPTAIN PACE: What was that?

THE INTERPRETER: “Tissan.”

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: Is that what the fellow answered?

THE INTERPRETER: Yes.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: Will the reporter read back the question and see if we can’t get an answer to it this time?

THE REPORTER: Sir, shall I read the question in phrases and have them translated as such?

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: Yes, it would be better.

(The question referred to was read by the reporter in short phrases, each phrase then being translated to the witness.)

A (Through the Interpreter) I saw, sir.
Q (By Captain Sandberg) And you saw that all in the space of one minute?

(Translated to the witness.)

THE INTERPRETER: May I add something to the question, sir, so he can answer direct? Because he is telling another story, far away from the question.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: That is exactly what I am afraid of, sir. The question calls for a “yes”or “no” answer.

THE INTERPRETER: That’s it; that is what we expect, “yes” or “no,” but he is telling a longer story.

GENERAL REYNOLDS: You can get the answers so simply, if you will use straight questions: “Did you see the Japs fire the machine guns,” “Did you see a Jap bayonet a person,” and restrict his thought to a specific thing.

Let us try it, if the point is material.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: Alright, sir.

Q (By Captain Sandberg) Did you actually see the Japanese bayonet the people?
A (Through the Interpreter) I saw the three persons.
Q And did you actually see the Japanese fire the machine guns?
A Yes, sir.
Q And you actually saw the Japanese set fire to the house?
A Yes, sir.
Q And you actually saw all these while you were hiding behind your house?
A I saw that.
Q And you were hiding behind your house for only one minute?
A Yes, sir.

CAPTAIN SANDBERG: That is all.

CAPTAIN PACE: Thank you very much.

(Witness excused.)