Today's diary entries
The epic story of Filipino leaders agonizing over whether the continued participation of Filipino troops in the fight against Japan was justified
Four diary entries today, giving us a glimpse into what was happening —and what they didn’t know was happening.
The first two are by a father and son. The father was a government official left behind in Japanese-occupied Manila; the son was an intelligence officer in Bataan:
Victor Buencamino, January 28, 1942 in Manila:
No bombs today.
All Manila is talking about last night’s bombing. Some think the reinforcements have arrived in Corregidor. Others claim it was just a nuisance raid. A friend of mine said he hears somebody say that the USAFFE is now in Pampanga. Some of the boys in the office celebrated.
I prefer to keep quiet and to reserve my own opinions. One cannot be too careful these days. Those who show that they are overjoyed may get into trouble. Discretion is the better part of valor.
Meeting of the directors of the Philippine National Bank held at Malacañan. Chairman Vargas presided. Present were: Alunan, Sison, Carmona, Vargas and myself.
The Yokohama Specie Bank will lend ₱5,000,000 to the Philippine National Bank at 2% interest. ₱4,000,000 will go to the P.N.B. and the remaining ₱1,000,000 will go to the Bank of the P.I. The Bank of Commerce has ₱500,000 of its own. These three banks will open.
It was decided that withdrawals would be limited to ₱500 per month. Withdrawals for industrial investments would have to be done by permits.
Discouraging reports in the provinces given by Gallego, de los Reyes, Santos and Cojuangco. Reign of terror in the provinces. Organized banditry. Acting Governor Ysip of Nueva Ecija killed. Relucio beheaded. Maeyama, Japanese pacification campaign leader, wounded in Caranglan. Same condition exists in Bulacan. Death stalks in every corner.
Lt. Takeda, through Mr. Noya, approved the payment of salaries of the personnel of the National Trading Company. Payday is a great day.
I wonder what’s afoot. Mr. Ishiwata has requested the office address of Tommy Confessor. He also wants to know Tommy’s home address. That’s right, where is Tommy? He has not shown up lately. He must be up to something.
I wonder if they’ll bomb Manila tomorrow. Hell. I’m always wondering about many things.
Felipe Buencamino III, January 28, 1942, in Bataan:
HQ, MIS
Bataan
Gap in western sector widening. Japs penetrating Segundo’s line in force. 1st regular division in wild retreat. Hell has broken loose in this area. Many dying, dead.
No reinforcements can be sent to bridge gap. No more reserves. 1st regular given up for lost. Japs following successes slowly, surely, cautiously.
USAFFE line will be shortened to stabilize and consolidate front. All divisions packing up to make last stand on Pilar-Bagac road. If this line, if this last front line breaks, our days are numbered.
Went to eastern front to see conditions there. Everybody is moving, retreating, to avoid being outflanked.
Saw Jesse Hocson of Ateneo pep band. He is a lieutenant. He said they were told to retreat. He was looking for Juan Fernandez, Capinpin’s aide. Jesse looked very tired.
Leonie who was with me was looking for Manny de Leon but the 201st engineering corps had changed area. We saw Fr. Karasig S.J. who offered us some coffee which we gladly received. Karasig asked me about Morita. He said “Let’s not talk of the fighting.” The father was in a good mood.
Saw Jaime Mercado walking ahead of his troops. Jaime had the same familiar stride but he was very black, sunburnt, unkempt. He looked very much older. His troops were retreating.
Saw Toto Cruz towering over all around him. Leonie talked to him.
Everything down the road troops were groaning under their packs, hastily moving back to the new line. The boys looked weak, thirsty, hungry, dirty, and very, very tired. Some were sleeping in the roadsides to get some rest.
The next two are two generals, a Filipino and an American, on Corregidor:
Gen. Basilio J. Valdes, January 28, 1942 in Corregidor:
Nothing unusual. The President is improving. January 27 at 6:30 p.m. I went to the top of Malinta Hill to see Manila. What a disappointment. Manila was in total darkness due to the bombing of Nichols Field and Nielson Airport the previous night by some U.S. Army planes.
Gen. Lewis Beebe, January 28, 1942 in Corregidor:
Another beautiful day but nothing much in the way of action has taken place. The units are still in place on the Reserve Battle Position, and there has been a certain amount of skirmishing, but no real action. The efforts of the Japs really seem to be centered in their efforts to make a successful landing on the west coast of Bataan. However, they have made no real effort to land in force. It is unusual tactics, to say the least, for they have these three isolated groups on the west coast, each one acting independently of the other. Of course, each one has a certain amount of nuisance value, for a larger force from our troops is required to clean it up. Then they operate differently from the usual procedure. Many of them get into trees, and they are hard to discover, even when the exact tree has been located. They tie themselves into the branches so they will not fall if hit, and the attacker never knows whether or not his fire is effective. However, the 57th Infantry and the 45th Infantry [PS] are going into these places today, and I believe they will clean up the small groups that remain. Am on duty tonight from 10:30 to 3 a.m., so have plenty of time to write. Another officer comes on to relieve me at 3 a.m. and he remains on duty until 7:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. Only one officer is required to be on duty during those hours, although I am usually here until 11:30.
What none of them realized was a debate had begun: between Filipino and American leaders on whether there was any hope of American assistance to the Philippines and if not, whether the continued participation of the Philippines if defeat was inevitable, was justified.
See: January 1942: WW2PH 80 Years After:
In the II Corps area, the 41st Infantry completes its movement into the Sector C line, taking up positions between elements of the 31st and 51st Divisions (PA), already in position. After dark, the Japanese renew their attack against the corps, with some actually making it across the Tiawir River, forward of Sector D. They are finally halted as other Japanese troops attempt to move forward in the area of Sector C, but without success.
From the west coast in the I Corps area, the enemy moves eastward along the main line of resistance to the Ist Division sector where defense positions are not yet completed.
During the night, the Japanese breach the line there and pour southward through the gap. As the enemy force becomes divided in the dense jungle in the area, two pockets (called Little Pocket and Big Pocket) are formed. Little Pocket is located about 400 yards inside the U.S. and Filipino positions and Big Pocket is nearly a mile south.
In the South Sector, scouts of the 2nd Battalion, 57th Infantry (PS), attack Longoskawayan Point and advance nearly two-thirds of its length before their supporting artillery fire is finally obstructed by Pucot Hill.
The 3rd Battalion, 45th Infantry (PS), attacks the enemy beachhead at Quinauan Point but the jungle terrain and the enemy positions make progress slow and costly. After dark, the 3rd Battalion is reinforced by Company B of the 57th Infantry (PS). In the Anyasan-Silaiim sector, the 17th Pursuit Squadron and the Philippine Constabulary elements push almost to the coast of Anyasan Bay, but the Constabulary, fearing a Japanese counterattack, withdraws in confusion after dark.
Tokyo officially announces the new government in the Philippines. Field Marshal MacArthur visits Bataan.
On hearing a Tokyo radio broadcast renouncing the establishment of a “new government in the Philippines… pledged to adhere to Japan’s Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” and the names of Filipino leaders constituting the government, Quezon immediately expresses his confidence in their “loyalty to the United States as well as (in) their personal loyalty to me.” He adds that “they could be depended upon under any and all circumstance to commit no act of disloyalty, either to America, to the Philippines, or to me, the head of government.”
Press statements issued by Jorge B. Vargas and Benigno Aquino, January 28, 1942
His proclamation is being given the widest distribution that is possible from here both by printed circular and radio broadcast. It should be publicized by you throughout the world. The letter is of such a nature that it properly can be answered only by the President of the United States. I urge most earnestly that no effort be spared adequately to meet this situation. Please acknowledge receipt of this radio and inform me as to when reply can be expected.
MacArthur
Letter of President Quezon to Field Marshal MacArthur, January 28, 1942:
We are before the bar of history and God only knows if this is the last time that my voice will be heard before going to my grave.
My loyalty and the loyalty of the Filipino people to America have been proven beyond question. Now we are fighting by her side under your command, despite overwhelming odds. But, it seems to me questionable whether any government has the right to demand loyalty from its citizens beyond its willingness or ability to render actual protection.
This war is not of our making. Those that had dictated the policies of the United States could not have failed to see that this is the weakest point in American territory. From the beginning, they should have tried to build up our defenses. As soon as the prospects looked bad to me, I telegraphed President Roosevelt requesting him to include the Philippines in the American defense program. I was given no satisfactory answer.
When I tried to do something to accelerate our defense preparations, I was stopped from doing it.
Despite all this we never hesitated for a moment in our stand. We decided to fight by your side and we have done the best we could and we are still doing as much as could be expected from us under the circumstances. But how long are we going to be left alone? Has it already been decided in Washington that the Philippine front is of no importance as far as the final result of the war is concerned and that, therefore, no help can be expected here in the immediate future, or at least before our power of resistance is exhausted. If so, I want to know it, because I have my own responsibility to my countrymen whom, as President of the Commonwealth, I have led into a complete war effort. I am greatly concerned as well regarding the soldiers I have called to the colors and who are now manning the firing line. I want to decide in my own mind whether there is justification in allowing all these men to be killed, when for the final outcome of the war the shedding of their blood may be wholly unnecessary. It seems that Washington does not fully realize our situation nor the feelings which the apparent neglect of our safety and welfare have engendered in the hearts of the people here.
See: The debate on taking the Philippines out of the war: January 28 to February 12, 1942:
The beginning of World War 2, despite the immediate setback represented by Pearl Harbor, was greeted with optimism and a sense of common cause between Americans and Filipinos. See: Telegram from President Quezon to President Roosevelt, December 9, 1941 and Telegram of President Roosevelt to President Quezon, December 11, 1941.
However, From late January to mid-February, 1942, the Commonwealth War Cabinet undertook a great debate on whether to propose the Philippines’ withdrawing from the war, in the hope of neutralizing the country.
The cause of the debate seems to have been concerns over reports of the situation in the provinces, the creation of a Japanese-backed government in Manila, and the apparent lack of any tangible assistance to the Philippines as Filipino and American troops were besieged in Bataan.