To clarify historical records, Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita, better known as the “Tiger of Malaya” for his brilliance in military strategy and tactics, surrendered to Filipino guerrilla forces in Kiangan, Ifugao on Sept. 2, 1945.
This was disclosed by the late former Defense Secretary Fortunato U. Abat, a member of the Filipino guerrilla forces in northern Luzon, during an exclusive interview with this writer in 2011 when Abat was still alive.
Abat’s story of World War 2 is contained in a book “Victory at Bessang” published by Art Angel Printshop Commercial Quests, Inc., written by this author in 2013.
President Rodrigo Duterte has declared Tuesday, Sept. 3, as a national special working holiday to mark the surrender of Japanese soldiers led by Yamashita at the end of World War II.
Republic Act No. 11216, signed by the President on Feb. 14, commemorates the surrender of the Japanese general and his forces in Baguio City in 1945, which also signaled the end of World War II in the Pacific.
The following year, Yamashita was hanged on Feb. 23, 1945 at a prison camp in Los Baños, Laguna.
In the book, Abat recalled that Yamashita finally came out from hiding with a raised white flag to surrender on Sept. 2, 1945. Filipino guerrillas then took custody of the general.
“Immediately, the guerrillas informed the Americans about Yamashita’s surrender. The following day, on Sept. 3, 1945 the Americans arrived in Kiangan to fetch Yam. Security was very tight that none of us in Kiangan hills were allowed along the way to view the capitulating Japanese soldiers pass by,” Abat said.
“Gen. Yamashita was whisked to Baguio City, where the formal surrender ceremony was held at the residence of the American High Commissioner in Camp John Hay.”
Yamashita and fellow Japanese Gen. Masaharu Homma were tried by an American constituted court, and were found guilty of war crimes for the atrocities committed by Japanese forces under their command during the war.
Yamashita arrived in Manila on Oct. 1, 1944, 19 days before American and allied forces led by Gen. Douglas McArthur made the historic landing at Leyte to liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation.
Retired Brig. Gen. Resty Aguilar of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office said the Japanese hierarchy in Tokyo sent Yamashita to the Philippines upon learning that American forces were proceeding to the Philippines.
Aguilar said it was too late for Yamashita to prevent McArthur’s full force landing.
“When Yamashita arrived in Manila, he discussed with his troops how to counter American forces but it was too late,” Aguilar said. “What Yamashita did was to redeploy his troops to northern Luzon where they established defense positions.”
During the fighting, the Americans clobbered the Japanese forces led by Yamashita, who was forced to surrender to Filipino guerilla, Aguilar added.
