08 October, 1945

TODAY IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY:

Charged and appearing before a US-military tribunal in Manila, General Tomoyuki Yamashita said he was innocent of failing to prevent all the atrocities committed by the Japanese troops during the war in the Philippines. Among the atrocities committed were massacre of civilians and raping of women and children.

Yamasita’s defense argued that while heinous crimes were committed, the general could not have known about this, or even controlled his troops due to breakdown of communication in the Japanese military’s rank and the chaotic environment where they were. His defense lawyer Harry E. Clarke, Sr. also pointed out the basic principle that one man should not be held liable for the crime of another. The court found Yamashita guilty and was executed on February 23, 1946.

(Ref: Sydney Herald; Photo (c) NARA, College Park, MD)