Testimony of Simon Adap on Japanese Atrocities Committed in Bauan, Batangas in 1945
[p. 160]
A Simon Adap.
Q Where did you live on February 28, 1945?
A In Bauan.
Q Do you recall anything unusual that occurred that day?
A Yes, sir.
Q What time of the day did you first notice anything unusual?
A At about 8:00 in the morning, there was announcement that all men, women and children should assemble in the church.
Q Where were you at that time?
A I was in our house.
Q What did you do?
A When we heard of the summons, we prepared to go to the church.
Q Then what happened next?
A There came a Japanese soldier at around 10:00 in my house.
[p. 161]
A I was brought to the barbershop.
Q Who brought you to the barbershop?
A The soldier.
Q When you arrived at the barbershop, who did you see there?
A Fermin Dimatulac, Ramon Escalona, Bernardo Agbay and others.
MR. GUTHRIE: I don’t see why, their testimony has been completed. They have a very definite interest in the outcome of this trial and there is no reason why, that I can see, they cannot remain in the courtroom.
MR. MORRISON: The witnesses will hear of the results of the trial in due course. It isn’t necessary that they appear in court and I again request that they be asked to leave.
COLONEL HAMBY: Does the defense want to recall any witnesses who have testified so far?
MR. MORRISON: Yes, sir, the defense is aware of that. The defense still feels it may in some way be prejudicial and it is contrary to the usual custom to permit witnesses who have testified to remain in the courtroom.
COLONEL HAMBY: Does the defense desire to recall any witnesses that have testified as defense witnesses?
[p. 162]
MR. GUTHRIE: The prosecution does not intend to call any of the witnesses again after they have once testified.
COLONEL HAMBY: The witnesses will be excluded from the courtroom.
MR. GUTHRIE: May the record show that there are no witnesses who have previously testified in the courtroom at the present time, they have now departed.
COLONEL HAMBY: Proceed.
(Last question and answer as last above written read by the reporter.)
A Yes, sir, there were.
Q Do you remember the number of persons that were present?
A About fifteen.
Q Do you know Felipe Castor?
A I know him.
Q Was he present in the barbershop?
A When I was arrested, he was not yet there.
Q Did he later come into the barbershop or was he brought into the barbershop?
A He was brought in.
[p. 163]
A A soldier.
Q After the fifteen persons were in the barbershop, what happened?
A We were given bananas first, then we were asked to eat them.
Q Who gave you the bananas?
A A soldier.
Q How many soldiers were in the barbershop?
A There was only one soldier who was guarding us in the barbershop.
Q After he gave you bananas, what happened?
A The children and the women were asked to leave.
Q After the women and children left, how many Filipino men remained?
A About ten.
Q Then what happened?
A After they left, we were taken one by one — taken out one by one.
Q How many were taken out before you were taken out?
A There were five already, I was the sixth one.
Q Who took you out of barbershop?
A One soldier.
Q Where did he take you?
A To the funeral parlor.
Q Did you see any Japanese officer between the time you left the barbershop and the time you arrived at the funeral parlor?
[p. 164]
Q Do you see that person at the courtroom at this time?
A Yes, sir.
Q Will you step down from the witness stand and point to the person you have referred to?
MR. GUTHRIE: May the record indicate that the witness has pointed to Kobayashi, an accused in this case.
A When I was brought by the soldier, the soldier placed me just in front of Kobayashi and he spoke something to him.
Q What language did Kobayashi speak?
A Japanese.
Q Then, what happened?
A After they had conversed in Japanese, the officer pointed the Japanese to bring me to the funeral parlor.
Q And then what happened?
A I was pulled by a soldier inside the parlor, there was also a soldier inside the parlor who bayoneted me.
Q Will you stand up and indicate to the Commission the place or places on your body where you were bayoneted?
Q How many wounds are there under those bandages?
A Two, one here. (As indicated by the witness.)
[p. 165]
A Two also. No, only one.
MR. MORRISON: May the record show that bandages appear over the wounds.
MR. GUTHRIE: No objection.
A I lost consciousness.
Q Later, after you regained consciousness, what did you see?
A The dead bodies of my companions.
Q Were any of these companions the same persons who had been in the barbershop with you?
A They were.
Q Name them, please.
A Ramon Escalona, Fermin Dimatulac and Bernardo Agbay.
Q You have named three persons as having been dead in the funeral parlor.
A They were plenty, but I did not know them.
Q — (Continuing) About how many altogether, dead bodies did you see?
A Five.
Q Did they have wounds on them?
A They were wounded and killed.
Q What kind of wounds, if you know?
[p. 166]
A 10:00.
Q Did you go to the meeting in the church?
A We were not brought there anymore.
Q Will you repeat the question, please?
[p. 167]
A We heard that there was a meeting. That was why we were preparing to go there, but at 10:00, we were already arrested.
Q Were you a member of any guerrilla unit?
A No, sir.
Q Do you know of any guerrilla activity in or near the town of Bauan during the month of February, 1945?
A I don’t know of any.
Q Do you know of a Lieutenant Takemoto?
A I don’t know him.
Q Do you know of any similar incidents such as you have described as occurring on February 28, 1945, which occurred previous to that date?
A No, sir.
MR. GUTHRIE: No questions by the prosecution.
COLONEL HAMBY: Any questions by the Commission? There appears to be none. The witness is 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 Simon Adap in U.S.A. v Shumpei Hagino, et al.,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.