Testimony of Valentina Remo on Japanese Atrocities Committed in Cuenca, Batangas in 1945
This page contains the testimony of Valentina Remo on Japanese atrocities committed in the town of Cuenca, 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.
VALENTINA RIMO
[Batangas History, Culture Folklore believes the surname is actually “Remo.”]
DIRECT EXAMINATION
CROSS-EXAMINATION
Notes and references:
1 “Excerpts from the Testimony of Valentina Remo 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. 1709]
[Batangas History, Culture Folklore believes the surname is actually “Remo.”]
called as witness on behalf of the Prosecution, being first duly sworn, was examined and testified through Interpreter Lavengco as follows:
Q (By Captain Pace) Will you give your name, please?
A (Through Interpreter Lavengco) Valentina Rimo.
A (Through Interpreter Lavengco) Valentina Rimo.
[p. 1710]
Q Where do you live?
A Barrio Labac, Batangas. Barrio Labac, town of Cuenca, Batangas.
Q That is right on the edge of the town of Cuenca; is that right?
A Yes, sir; Cuenca.
Q Did you live there on the 6th day of February, 1945? A Yes, sir; I did.
Q Will you describe what happened at 9 o’clock that morning?
A I and my child were taken by the Japanese and taken to a house where many people were assembled.
A Barrio Labac, Batangas. Barrio Labac, town of Cuenca, Batangas.
Q That is right on the edge of the town of Cuenca; is that right?
A Yes, sir; Cuenca.
Q Did you live there on the 6th day of February, 1945? A Yes, sir; I did.
Q Will you describe what happened at 9 o’clock that morning?
A I and my child were taken by the Japanese and taken to a house where many people were assembled.
CAPTAIN PACE: Will the reporter read the answer?
(Answer read.)
Q (By Captain Pace) Is that near your house?
A Very near, sir.
Q What happened after you got to this other house?
A All the men were taken by the Japanese.
A Very near, sir.
Q What happened after you got to this other house?
A All the men were taken by the Japanese.
[p. 1711]
Q About how many men were taken from the house by the Japanese?
A More or less 50.
Q Were your father and brother in that group?
A Yes, with them.
Q After the men were taken out of the house, what happened then?
A Three women were taken. Three women were taken out of the house. The three were taken out of the house with two soldiers, other soldiers.
Q What time were they taken out of the house?
A Three women were taken by two Japanese soldiers, told that they would be taken to their homes.
Q What time were they taken out of the house?
A About 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
Q Did these three women return?
A The three women returned and they were told to return because they were told that the hole was not yet ready.
Q What kind of hole was it?
A The three women said that Japanese were digging the hole.
Q The Japanese told the women to go back, because it wasn’t ready? A Yes, sir.
A More or less 50.
Q Were your father and brother in that group?
A Yes, with them.
Q After the men were taken out of the house, what happened then?
A Three women were taken. Three women were taken out of the house. The three were taken out of the house with two soldiers, other soldiers.
Q What time were they taken out of the house?
A Three women were taken by two Japanese soldiers, told that they would be taken to their homes.
Q What time were they taken out of the house?
A About 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
Q Did these three women return?
A The three women returned and they were told to return because they were told that the hole was not yet ready.
Q What kind of hole was it?
A The three women said that Japanese were digging the hole.
Q The Japanese told the women to go back, because it wasn’t ready? A Yes, sir.
CAPTAIN REEL: Sir, we object to that question, sir, what the unnamed Japanese persons told other women who might have told this witness.
GENERAL REYNOLDS: Not sustained. Proceed.
[p. 1712]
CAPTAIN PACE: Did the witness answer the question?
THE INTERPRETER: Yes, sir.
CAPTAIN PACE: What was the answer?
THE REPORTER: The answer was “Yes, sir.”
Q (By Captain Pace) Will you tell what the women said the Japanese told them?
A (Through Interpreter Lavengco) The Japanese told the girls to return because the hole was not ready, and the women told me that we would be taken to the hole.
Q So what did you and your son do?
A When we learned that the Japanese would kill people, I and my child escaped.
Q Now, have you ever seen any of the 50 men who were taken from the house, since that date?
A We have not seen any of them, from that time until now.
Q How many women and children were in the house when you and your son escaped?
A More or less 100.
Q Have you ever seen a single one of those women or children since that date?
A From that time until now, we don’t see any. We have not seen any, from that time until now.
Q You knew most of those men and most of those women, did you?
A I knew some. I did not know the others.
A (Through Interpreter Lavengco) The Japanese told the girls to return because the hole was not ready, and the women told me that we would be taken to the hole.
Q So what did you and your son do?
A When we learned that the Japanese would kill people, I and my child escaped.
Q Now, have you ever seen any of the 50 men who were taken from the house, since that date?
A We have not seen any of them, from that time until now.
Q How many women and children were in the house when you and your son escaped?
A More or less 100.
Q Have you ever seen a single one of those women or children since that date?
A From that time until now, we don’t see any. We have not seen any, from that time until now.
Q You knew most of those men and most of those women, did you?
A I knew some. I did not know the others.
CAPTAIN PACE: You may cross-examine.
Q (By Captain Reel) Have many people evacuated or been
[p. 1713]
evacuated, sent away — so the Interpreter will understand — how many people have been evacuated from the town of Mambog?
INTERPRETER LAVENGCO: Will you repeat the question?
Q (By Captain Reel) Have many people been evacuated from the town or barrio of Mambog?
CAPTAIN PACE: He will understand better if you will call it “sitio;” is is smaller than a barrio.
CAPTAIN REEL: I understand she lived in barrio Mambog, Town of Cuenca; if I am incorrect, I appreciate the correction.
CAPTAIN PACE: I am told they call it “sitio.”
Q (By Captain Reel) To put the question with the correction, have many people been evacuated from the sitio of Mambog?
A (Through Interpreter Lavengco) Only two families were not there. That is why they were not with the others.
Q I mean, since the incident referred to, during the warfare, were many families evacuated, sent away, from sitio Mambog?
A Only those two families. I and my child were able to escape.
Q Do you mean that since the war, and after this incident, only two families have moved away from sitio Mambog?
A Yes, sir.
Q Now, you didn’t see any hole yourself?
A No, sir.
A (Through Interpreter Lavengco) Only two families were not there. That is why they were not with the others.
Q I mean, since the incident referred to, during the warfare, were many families evacuated, sent away, from sitio Mambog?
A Only those two families. I and my child were able to escape.
Q Do you mean that since the war, and after this incident, only two families have moved away from sitio Mambog?
A Yes, sir.
Q Now, you didn’t see any hole yourself?
A No, sir.
CAPTAIN REEL: That is all.
CAPTAIN PACE: Thank you.
(Witness excused.)
 |
| Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
1 “Excerpts from the Testimony of Valentina Remo in U.S.A. v Tomoyuki Yamashita,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.