Japanese Occupation In The Philippines 5k413c

Japanese Regime

During World War II • December 8, 1941 – Japan invaded the Philippines  Pampanga  Nichols Fields  Manila  Lingayen Gulf • December 25, 1941 – Gen. Douglas MacArthur declared Manila as an Open City.

(on the advice of Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon to avoid its destruction.)

• January 2, 1942 – Japanese occupied Manila. • April 9, 1942 – US and Filipino defendants in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese.

• By then, MacArthur escaped to Corregidor. (“I Shall Return”) • 76,000 captured soldiers were forced to embark on the “Death March” to a prison camp more than 100 kilometers north. • 10,000 prisoners died due to hunger, exhaustion and thirst.

The “Huks” • An organization called Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon or HUKBALAHAP then later called "The Huks" during the whole period between 1945 and 1952.

 Luis Taruc was the leader  Castro Alejandrino was his right hand  And the was simply called “huks”.

• Farmers of Pampanga banded together ad created local bridges for their Protection (Taruc, Feleo, Alejandrino)

• In February 1942 in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija the farmers held a meeting upon agreeing to fight the Japanese as a unified Guerilla Army.

The Philippine Executive Commission

Established on January 23, 1942

Philippine Executive Commission • Chairperson: Jorge Vargas • Department Heads:  Interior: Benigno Aquino Sr.  Finance: Antonio delas Alas  Justice: Jose P. Laurel  Education, Health, and Public Welfare: Claro Recto • Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Jose Yulo

• New Constitution  Was meant to be effect only temporarily, while the Philippines still in chaos  Noticeably lacked a bill of rights

 Contained 12 articles lifted from 1935 constitution that fitted the wishes of the Japanese

The Second Republic

The Second Republic • September 20, 1943 – KALIBAPI held a party convention.  Election of 54 of National Assembly

∞Assembly was made by 108 of but half of this number was compose of incumbent governors and city mayors. ∞President: Jose P. Laurel ∞Vice- President: Benigno Aquino Sr. Ramon Anancena

Benigno Aquino Sr.

Jose P. Laurel

• Inaguration:  October 14, 1943

 On the front steps of the Legislative Building in Manila; Philippine flag was hoisted as the national anthem was played.

• On the other hand,  Japanese started using propaganda to gain trust and confidence of Filipinos who refused to cooperate with them  Giant posters were hung with slogans as “the Philippines belong to the Filipinos”  Newspapers, media, movies, and others publicized the same idea Promoting Japanese propaganda was one of the main objectives of the KALIBAPI, but the Japanese failed to gain the trust of the Filipinos.

Return of General MacArthur

• October 20, 1944; Leyte • Gen. MacArthur: “I have Returned”

• October 23-26, 1944  Americans engaged Japanese forces in the Battle of Leyte Gulf  Almost destroyed the entire Japanese fleet  Signaled the beginning of Philippine liberation from the Japanese

• Mid- December  American reached Mindoro  Japanese secured other areas • January 9, 1945  US Liberation forces successfully docked at Lingayen Gulf  Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, supreme commander of the Japanese troops in MNL, mobilized his kamikazes but they failed to stop the Americans

• December 8, 1944  President Laurel and his cabinet moved to Baguio upon orders of Yamashita  Japanese forces retreated to Yamashita line a jungle battlefield stretching along the Sierra Madre Mountains from Antipolo, Rizal to Appari Cagayan

• It took 3 weeks of intense fighting before Japanese finally surrendered on February 23, 1945 • Gen. MacArthur continued to liberate other parts of the country • Proclaim general freedom from the Japanese on July 4, 1945

Reference: • http://www.philippine-history.org/japanese-occupation.htm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hukbalahap