This interview presents a small cross section of one of the countless guerrilla operations in the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation of World War II.  Rather than surrender, these great men chose to wage a different kind of war that was effective and further risked their lives. If not for the precise intelligence that the Filipino guerrilla organizations amassed, liberating forces could never have advanced so quickly to Leyte and to Luzon bringing a long waited freedom. The sufferings of fellow countrymen would have been prolonged.

Lorenzo Cornista of San Pablo City, Philippines is a surviving member of San Pedro’s unit of Markings Fil-American Guerrilla Forces. Originally the organization was Hugh Straughn’s Fil-American Irregular Troops (FAIT) but after the death of Straughn, Col. Marcos V. Marking took over the FAIT’s command which he drummed up as Marking’s Fil-Americans.

I consulted Lorenzo long ago about the possibilities of an interview and in agreement we decided that the late afternoon of September 9, 2006 we would meet up. My wife and I entered the 50 year-old, two-story, Spanish style bungalow and the Cornista’s saw to it we were comfortably seated then Lorenzo found contentment is a wooden rocking chair. The rocker sat at its forward position as he poured over treasures and recollections of youthful days and the adventures of war spread out on a coffee table. Several folders and four books were within a hand’s reach and after some greetings and pleasantries we settled into the interview.

How did you become a guerrilla?

The first unit that I have joined is the Santa Fe Brigade that was composed of prominent people here in San Pablo. One was Col. De Guzman and Col. Catipon was our commanding officer but unfortunately when one of our comrades was captured by the Japanese . . . he squealed, so the whole unit was summoned by the Japanese.

We were sent to the San Pablo Elementary School, (San Pablo Central School) everyday from 8 to 5, under the sun without food. Then after two weeks of that ordeal, I decided not to come back the next week. I joined the Marking’s Fil-American guerrilla troops under Colonel San Pedro. That’s how it started.

Col. San Pedro of the USAFEE had been a prisoner of war previously and upon his release August 15, 1942 at 26 years of age, he joined Hugh Straughn’s Fil-American Irregular Troops (FAIT). He started recruiting ex-USAFFE’s, ex-Philippine Scouts, ex-Philippine Constabulary, Philippine Army reservists and trainees, civilian volunteers including professionals to constitute his outfit. His unit became known as the FAIT’s 2^nd Division of the III Army Corps under the immediate command of guerrilla Col. Justiniano Estrella, alias Alfredo M. David, who dubbed his corps, David’s Command. After the death of Col. Straughn, Col. Marcos V. Marking took over the FAIT’s command which he drummed up as Marking’s Fil-Americans.

How old were you joined Marking’s Fil-American Forces and was there a particular reason you were inspired to do so?

I was almost seventeen years old when I joined San Pedro’s unit in September 1943. Attending the rudimentary school was reason enough to join. Imagine standing in the sun everyday, all day without food or water! San Pedro’s unit was under the command of the U.S. 6^th Army based in Australia.

How often do you meet at the Sta. Isabel Battle Memorial?

We do not actually meet at the memorial because the site is not always accessible because of the rainy season and the road is not open. We meet at the We meet the last Sunday of every month at the Barangay Hall. I will give you also the narrative of the Battle of Sta. Isabel.

What was the roll of San Pedro’s unit at Tayak Hill?

After the Battle of Sta. Isabel our headquarters was moved to Tayak Hill on Mt. San Cristobal near Rizal, Nagcarlan and Liliw. At that time we called it Sitio Tayak. That is a remote barrio. The nearest road to Tayak is passing through Rizal.

On January 24, 1945, our unit was able to rescue three American airmen whose plane had been damaged in a raid on Manila and went down in Laguna de Bay near Victoria, Laguna. The men were: Major Charles Howe, Major Thompkins and Sgt. Bretain of the 5^th Attack Group, U.S. Army.

American Forces had not yet landed on Luzon so the nearest airstrip was in Mindoro. It was requested that we build an airstrip so a rescue plane could pick up the downed airmen and return them to friendly forces.

We constructed a landing field at Tayak Hill. The landing field is on a plateau wherein the length of the runway is 300 meters, but the approach we are already up high enough on high ground when you take off, that’s why the problem of a long runway is not necessary because after going 300 meters you are already airborne because of the plateau.

Within a couple weeks we completed construction of the taxi strip and airfield near our headquarters on Tayak Hill. Intelligence informed authorities that the landing strip had been completed and soon an L-4 Piper observation plane flew in and then flew the men to safety in Mindoro. At the suggestion of Major Howe, the U.S. Armed Forces started dropping war material and food supplies on February 22, 1945.

Was your unit ever in the Manila area during the war?

We were not in Manila because when the 5^th Cavalry US Army came we joined them in liberating Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur as well as Batangas. We are the only unit in Southern Luzon attached to the 5^th Cavalry.

Mt. Kalisungan was the last stronghold of the Japanese to be defeated prior to the liberation of San Pablo. My research of the local mountains, military maps and chats with Filipino residents does not reveal which volcanic peak is Kalisungan. Do you have that knowledge?

Kalisungan is only here! Very near, only seven kilometers away from here! That is where the anti aircraft guns of the Japanese was in place. That is San Mateo. At the west side it is known as Paliparan, the Japanese made that an emergency landing field. There was a tank of battalion there. Usually it was bombarded by the U.S. Air Force but while we were in Los Baños we shelled that area.

Okay, I have a couple other names for the mountain I think we are talking about, one is Imok Hill and the other is Telefast, can you clear that up for me?

Yes, Kalisungan was also known as Imok Hill and Telefast. Barrio Imok is at the foothill on the back side near Calauan already and has many communication towers at the summit. Kalisungan is San Pablo. I do not know the names of the other small hills along the trail to San Buenaventura.

You speak of Batangas, Quezon, Los Baños and Tayak, that is a great distance. Did you travel by foot?

Yes! We even go to Infant by foot. Infant, Quezon!

Were you born in San Pablo City?

Yes, I was born in Barangay Sta. Cruz.

Was their an inspiring factor for you to join the guerrillas?

As I told you before I was first with the Sante Fe Brigade, a guerrilla organization which was discovered by the Japanese. All members were summoned by the Japanese at the garrison at San Pablo Elementary School. We had to report at eight o’clock in the morning up to five o’clock in the afternoon, under the heat of the sun  . . . no food no water. After two weeks of the ordeal, the third week I did not return. I went to Sta. Isabel and contacted Col. San Pedro who is our cousin. I told him I think I cannot anymore bear the burden of being under the heat of the sun… imagine . . . . . at eight in the morning up to five o’clock . . . . . no food, no water! He said it is okay. My father has guns at home, I will bring it here . . . . because our father did not surrender our arms to the Japanese. So when I join I have already arms.

Just to clear matters up, you mentioned you were in a guerrilla unit prior to joining San Pedro’s unit, did I understand that correctly?

I was with the Santa Fe Brigade before after being discovered by the Japanese. This was a guerrilla unit also.

Did you know Don Placido Escudero of the Hugh Straughn’s Fil-American Irregular Troops?

            Of course, a best friend of mine.

Where was your Command Center located?

Our headquarters in Sta. Isabel was our control. We had a detachment in Sta. Isabel. Our headquarters was in Bakungan; that is near Tayak. Therein that is our main headquarters. We had a detachment in Dolores; we had a detachment in Calauan. We had a real network.

Was communication difficult?

Sure, it was very hard. We had no radios at that time, we had a runner, and the runner usually used . . . horse . . . he’d ride the horse. Especially if there is an enemy approaching, our runner is arriving on the horse so that he could relay the message that is an enemy is coming . . . they are around us so much. So our problem of action is to leave at once or to meet them. But during that time we were short of ammo, so our action was to avoid confrontation.

At what point during the war did you begin to receive arms and ammo regularly?

We received it only after the Tayak Landing wherein guns and ammo were dropped at Tayak Hill. I was using a 45 with only 7 rounds of ammo. Do you know why? Because we had two encounters already. One was with fellow guerrillas, when there was, you know, a supremacy battle between the guerrilla units, they want to control the area and we do not want to be under them. During the battle between two guerrillas much of our ammo was consumed there. Our federal believers want to control us and we are fully armed, 37 fully armed with rifles and pistol side arms, 100 rounds of ammunition of the caliber 30 Springfield, 30 Caliber Springfield! During the ensuing battle would consume so much and our ammunition is exhausted. After that we have the Battle of Sta. Isabel. Again our ammunition was depleted.

Do you recall when the Tayak Landing Field was constructed?

It was built in February 1945 after the liberation of Los Baños. The rescued pilot and crew returned to their home base in Mindoro they began to drop arms to Tayak Hill, arms, ammo, food and cigarettes, you know, things like that. After that time it was easier to wage war and ammo rationing wasn’t nearly so important.

We got ordered by the Sixth Army to Liberate Pila, that’s the town before Sta. Cruz. Then they ordered us to liberate Sta. Cruz because Sta. Cruz is the town that is a check point between Laguna and Rizal. The Sixth Army ordered us to liberate it. At that time we had eighty-seven guerrillas already. During the liberation of St. Cruz all the guerrillas forces joined us but we spearheaded the operation because we had already Garand M-1 rifles, carbines, bazooka . . . but we had more than them . . . we had five 50 caliber machineguns.

The Battle of Sta. Cruz takes was a see-saw. March 7th we would attack the Japanese and they would retreat going to Rizal Province. The next day they counter attacked so we fight again. We push them again; it’s a four day see-saw. That is four days of constant fighting. On the last day, March 11^th when we pushed the Japanese and they did not attack anymore. Now that we have control of Sta. Cruz we are in the Sixth Army again and proceed to Calamba to join the 5^th Cavalry Regiment.

Yamashita, tabbed as the “Tiger of Malaya,” arrived in the Philippines October 5, 1944 and there was little he could do about MacArthur’s invasion of Leyte. During his tenure his forces engaged in an orgy of rape, torture and murder of the civilian population. It is estimated that during this period 8,000 civilians were killed and at least 500 women were raped. Japan surrendered August 15, 1945 and immediately Yamashita became a prisoner of war.

Once the war had ended, details of the last hideous days in the Philippines began to see the light of day. Details of slaughter and rape, of beheadings and burnings alive, of torture and wanton destruction, of the murders of the helpless--women and babies and priests and American prisoners of war.

To his surprise and horror Yamashita was served with a generic charge of war crimes September 26, 1945. The charge read:

Between October 9 1944 and September 2 1945, in the Philippine Islands, while commander of armed forces of Japan at war with the United States of America and its allies, he unlawfully disregarded and failed to discharge his duty as commander to control the operations of the members of his command, permitting them to commit brutal atrocities and other high crimes against the people of the United States and of its allies and dependencies, particularly the Philippines; and thereby violated the law of war.

During his trial the defendant took the stand, and with dignity and eloquence, summarized his position:

I believe that I did the best possible job I could have done. However, due to the above circumstances, my plans and my strength were not sufficient to the situation, and if these things happened, they were absolutely unavoidable. I absolutely did not order nor did I receive the order to do this [commit atrocities] from any superior authority, nor did I ever permit such a thing and I will swear to heaven and earth concerning these points. That is all I have to say.

Yamashita was found guilty sentenced to die by hanging. In short time General MacArthur announced that he had carried out the sentence of the Commission on February 23, 1946, at Los Baños Prison Camp, 30 miles south of Manila. Tomoyuki Yamashita paid with his life for the crimes of his troops. At the site of the execution in Los Baños, Laguna is now a small, moss-covered shrine near the Boy Scout Jamboree camp site.

Did you ever see General Tomoyuki Yamashita (1885 – 1946)?

No. Where he was hanged we were able to see. Later when we proceeded to Calamba that was our assignment to find where Yamashita was hung. I remember it was between two mango trees. We met the 11^th Airborne at Los Baños.

The Japanese bombed San Pablo December 25, 1941. Do you remember that day and where you were?

When San Pablo was bombed I was at the Franklin Bakery along the national highway and I almost got hit by one of the bombs. If not for my niece who told me, Uncle I will die to go with you to the market. I told her, no! So I was delayed. Had I been that area I would have been hit by one of the bombs. Fifty meters away from Franklin Bakery is the drug store of my uncle and I was there when it was bombed. The first bomb hit the gate of the Franklin Bakery. Another bomb dropped downtown San Pablo at the vicinity of the Metro Bank.

Did the bombing last a long time that day?

There were two waves of bombing. It started around nine o’clock and must have returned to refuel and load with more bombs. Between eleven and twelve o’clock another wave returned. I did not know the extent of the bombing because I returned to our house in San barrio Sta. Cruz.

Juan B. Hernandez of San Pablo barrio, Butokan, wrote a book, FOR LOVE OF FREEDOM, a history of San Pablo during World War II. As the bombing started and also when the Japanese were involved in atrocities, he told of folks moving to the mountains to the south for safety. Did your family experience moving away from home for safety and if so where did they travel?

            My parents and family stayed in Sta. Cruz. We did not proceed to San Cristobal.

Cassette Side 2

What was your main duty in the guerrilla unit?

I joined the guerrillas because we are high school students already and our fellow guerrillas most are only grade school. We taught them drills, close order drill, marching, how to fire a rifle. Close order drill was marching. That is the only way to train a soldier to fight and to obey orders. It was discipline. We were already high school students and during our high school we had the preparatory military training. We had that background training already. So we have to give them the commands attention, at ease, parade rest.

Did most of the guerrillas have the preparatory training in high school?

Very few of the high school students had been trained and very few of the rich people of San Pablo joined. Mostly we come from common families.

Did you carry the M-1 carbine?

No! During that time I was using the 45 caliber of my father’s, that’s a Colt 45 model 1911. Then we have also shotgun during that time. It was good for the ambush.

The Japanese garrison at Banahaw Compound was on Rizal Avenue in San Pablo, is that correct?

One of my brothers died in concentration there. One of my brothers died at Bataan in Mariveles. That’s why we are already allergic to the Japanese at that time because both of my brothers had already died.

Do you remember when the first train of prisoners of war arrived in San Pablo?

Well, I don’t know the date but I know, that the first batch there are around 15 San Pableños prisoners in the first batch. Most of them are officers. My brother that died at Banahaw Compound was due for release the next day, but the night before he died. He died because of torture. You will be forced to drink water with a hose then the Japanese would jump on their stomachs. We had an inside man there that monitors the movement at that compound and what the Japanese are doing. We also have a woman vendor selling fruits and vegetables so that we could walk in and look around and sell it to the Japanese. She sold salted peanuts too.

Did you ever have the misfortune to stand or walk in a line and have informants point out the guerrillas?

            No, I was not there and I did not experience it. During that time I was already with the guerrilla movement.

Once you were with the guerrilla movement, did you return to your home?

Sometimes. We ask pass from our commanding officer so we could visit our parents and eat a complete meal. During our camp we only ate only twice a day. Sometimes if there is no, our supply officer cannot supply provide rice, we eat only once. Sometimes we go out eating the santol, fruit santol. That’s our breakfast.

Were you ever suspected to be a guerrilla when you did not have your weapon with you?

I was already a suspected guerrilla when I was with the Santa Fe Brigade. If they found out I was a guerrilla I would be a dead duck.

Do you remember the Bamboo Parades?

Yes, that is what we called the bamboo army. You had to carry a bamboo pole. When we are attending the camp at the elementary school we had to bring bamboo pole. If you do not bring that, you already a guerrilla. So that’s our pass to go there.

When all of the Filipinos joined in to march and show allegiance to the Japanese, even though it might be a fake allegiance, how did you feel about that? Did you feel uncomfortable?

Well they have a purpose also. At the first I think they already collaborators but no . . . that is one way to get information. Pretending to be a part enabled them to receive information.

Do you recall the inhabitants of the community bringing in their weapons when the Japanese requested them?

That was when the Sante Fe Brigade was discovered. More than 400 arms were surrendered by the Sante Fe Brigade then the Japanese asked for more. Well . . . they were really asking for all the arms of the guerrilla units. However some of them, especially he unlicensed ones were easy to hide but the licensed ones, they cannot hide. It needed to be surrendered because they were able to get the list of people holding permits with regular license from the city treasury office.     

You mentioned that there were armed drops at Tayak. Were you ever at a location where the submarines would go near shore and the arms would be unloaded by guerrillas on bancas?

That is in Infanta, the submarines landed there three times for the Anderson Guerrillas. Col. Anderson was a U.S. Army officer that did not surrender. We went there to receive arms. But we did not see the submarines.

Some of the arms were dropped by C-47 or DC-3. Did you witness these drops?

That is the planes that dropped arms at Tayak. We called that a shape of like a fish . . . tambakol. That is the airplanes I have to test flight during liberation. That was our transportation after liberation.

Tell us about the Battle of Sta. Isabel.

Here is the account of the Battle of Sta. Isabel. It was written by our Chapter Historian, Lgr. Victor T. Arañez. You can find the accounts that Lgr. Arañez has written here on the website.

Were you ever wounded?

I have a shot here right here (abdomen, right side) during the liberation of Sta. Cruz. But during that time I asked the doctor, Dr. Luna to have it extracted because we have very limited equipment and they cannot do it. He is asking . . . how do you feel, does it impale your movements, I say no. But whenever I pass at the security when I go to the states, I remove my shirt, my shoes, everything and the detector still goes off. I tell them I got wounded during the liberation and I have a shrapnel in my body and I cannot locate where it is now because it’s small. They say why did you not tell that one? (As he laughs he tells) The alarm goes off every time……Ring! Ring!

Bella Exconde and three other family members were killed or allegedly killed on the same day as the Battle of Sta. Isabel. Can you offer us any answers regarding this matter?

Bella, we were in the same headquarters during the Battle of Sta. Isabel. The same unit, they are first-aiders. The others are also members of guerrilla units but different organizations. The others were missing in action. We were not able to locate them but they were brought by the Japanese to the garrison at Banahaw Compound and even our intelligence was not able to tell us where or how they died. It was very painful; she got married on the day before.

Do you remember the first plane as the American Forces pointed their return toward Luzon, Southern Luzon and San Pablo?

The first plane we saw was the DC-3 at Tayak Hill then the P-38, double body and the last is the P-51 Mustang . . . pursuit. The American insignia for pursuit is “P” for fighter is “F”. During the bombing of San Pablo the church was not destroyed. That was destroyed only when we liberated San Pablo because now we are at Los Baños and there are troops, according to our intelligence, there are Japanese concentration in San Pablo. So we shelled it with the 105 howitzer from Los Baños. We also asked for air cover which made a carpet bombing and all the houses were almost leveled, only a few were spared. Either destroyed by bomb or fire.

Were you in the San Pablo area when San Pablo was burned?

We were in Tayak and we were observing from there since it was a higher elevation. I do not recall seeing the other towns being burned.

At the time of the fire San Pableños had been ordered out of town by the Japanese telling that Butokan and Bulaho were safe areas and that anyone found in town were considered guerrillas. Do you recall this time period?

The people left the city because they were quietly informed by kempetai Captain here . . . Capt. Nakada; he’s more friendly with the Filipinos, and he told people you go to the mountains, we will burn the whole city and massacre people. If you recall there are 700 Chinese and Filipinos that were murdered by the Japanese. They were told to go to the seminary for a gathering. During that time most of the people that were massacred there were concentrated or herded at the church and the masked Makapili (Filipino informers) were pointing them out. If he touch you, you are a suspect and will be liquidated.

I understand from our earlier talks that you and the unit were a part of the Los Baños raid liberating over 2,000 civilian detainees a day before they were to be executed. At the Los Baños liberation what was your unit duties that day?

During the liberation of Los Baños we were the blocking force at Bay. If you remember there is a crossing, the road from Calauan and the road coming from Sta. Cruz and Quezon. We are tasked by the Sixth Army not to spearhead the liberation at Los Baños because they are preparing us to liberate Sta. Cruz. We also liberated the Americans at Lumban, Quezon. Do you know the prisoners of war at Lumban? Lumban, Quezon . . . . that’s after Sta. Cruz and Pagsanjan. Do you know the road going up where the power lines are? They were at the top of the mountain overlooking Laguna de Bay. Do you know when we first went there the Americans won’t like to join us? They were afraid because if they get caught by the Japanese they would be liquidated. If you recall, the same thing happened at Sto. Tomas internees. That’s the same thing with the Americans that were at Sto. Tomas, when the Sherman tank entered Sto. Tomas gate . . . the Japanese had already retreated. They won’t come out of the building! Well they cannot come because they are a little bit afraid, they cannot believe that it’s already the American Forces.

Which army again was your guerrilla unit under?

We were under the U.S. Sixth Army.

Do you recall which army liberated San Pablo?

I was with the spearhead that liberated San Pablo! I rode the tank. We had one tank, one jeep, weapon carrier and I am in the lead with Capt. Longhorn because he asked me who is from San Pablo and familiar with the terrain? I said me, and he said come with me.

Did you arrive from Calauan to liberate San Pablo and where did you go afterward?

No! Alaminos. We pass through San Crispin then from there we proceed up to the junction. After liberating San Pablo we stayed there only for two days. We push on going through Laguna to Sta. Cruz, Luisiana, and then Lucena. We rest in Lucena for two days we put Quezon up to Bicol region. We liberated Mt. Isarog east of Naga in Camarines Sur Bicol. We stayed there for 15 days. After we reached the top and we meet with the 131^st Infantry coming from Legaspi.

There was a time in Mauban, Quezon when we encountered with the Japs there. We are in the same tunnel an older tunnel and the Japanese are only a distance of 50 meters a part. We are lucky that none of our men were killed. We were able to kill around fifteen. That is Japanese marines. We were very familiar with the terrain and had an advantage.

Yamashita

Yamashita, tabbed as the “Tiger of Malaya,” arrived in the Philippines October 5, 1944 and there was little he could do about MacArthur’s invasion of Leyte. During his tenure his forces engaged in an orgy of rape, torture and murder of the civilian population. It is estimated that during this period 8,000 civilians were killed and at least 500 women were raped. Japan surrendered August 15, 1945 and immediately Yamashita became a prisoner of war.

Once the war had ended, details of the last hideous days in the Philippines began to see the light of day. Details of slaughter and rape, of beheadings and burnings alive, of torture and wanton destruction, of the murders of the helpless--women and babies and priests and American prisoners of war.

To his surprise and horror Yamashita was served with a generic charge of war crimes September 26, 1945. The charge read:

Between October 9 1944 and September 2 1945, in the Philippine Islands, while commander of armed forces of Japan at war with the United States of America and its allies, he unlawfully disregarded and failed to discharge his duty as commander to control the operations of the members of his command, permitting them to commit brutal atrocities and other high crimes against the people of the United States and of its allies and dependencies, particularly the Philippines; and thereby violated the law of war.

During his trial the defendant took the stand, and with dignity and eloquence, summarized his position:

I believe that I did the best possible job I could have done. However, due to the above circumstances, my plans and my strength were not sufficient to the situation, and if these things happened, they were absolutely unavoidable. I absolutely did not order nor did I receive the order to do this [commit atrocities] from any superior authority, nor did I ever permit such a thing and I will swear to heaven and earth concerning these points. That is all I have to say.

Yamashita was found guilty sentenced to die by hanging. In short time General MacArthur announced that he had carried out the sentence of the Commission on February 23, 1946, at Los Baños Prison Camp, 30 miles south of Manila. Tomoyuki Yamashita paid with his life for the crimes of his troops. At the site of the execution in Los Baños, Laguna is now a small, moss-covered shrine near the Boy Scout Jamboree camp site.

Did you ever see General Tomoyuki Yamashita (1885 – 1946)?

No. Where he was hanged we were able to see. Later we proceeded to Calamba and our assignment was to find where Yamashita was hung. I remember it was between two mango trees. We met the 11^th Airborne at Los Baños.

Books recommended for reading:

MARKING, originally titled THE CRUCIBLE by Colonel Yay

BATTLE OF IPO DAM, 50^th Anniversary

WORLD WAR II IN THE PHILIPPINES, Defense, Defeat and Defiance by Generoso P. Salazar, Fernando R. Reyes and Leonardo Q. Nuval.

Souvenir Program of the Battle of Sta. Isabel, San Pablo City Chapter; Dedication of the Memorial Marker.

Indiana Soldiers & Sailors