Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses on History & the People’s Struggle for Freedom
Chapter 4 – The Japanese -American War in Panay Came to an End
After returning home in Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz, my father joined the guerrilla forces in Northern Iloilo. The commander of the guerrillas was his former officer, and he was again inducted in military service. He was assigned to several places – first in Concepcion and later in Lemery, then in a town in Capiz. In Concepcion, the Japanese has built a cemented fortress near the shore which they used as their surveillance center.
Then I heard the United States invasion forces under Gen. Douglas McArthur landed in Leyte clearing their way for the invasion of Manila and northern Luzon. The American forces landed in Tigbauan town in southern Iloilo. My father said, his battalion was part of the forces that joined the American forces in the liberation of Iloilo and Panay. There were heavy fighting in different places in Panay were thousand have fallen.
When the American forces proceeded to Manila, my father’s battalion joined the forces of General MacArthur in the invasion of Manila. His battalion fought in the liberation of Manila. He told me that was a very hard and dangerous war. Thousands of civilians, Americans, Filipinos and Japanese have fallen in the Liberation of Manila and Luzon.
During the Japanese-American War, my father said, he knew that one of the strong and committed forces that joined and helped the Americans in fighting the Japanese Imperial Forces, were the Communists in Central Luzon and communists fighters in Manila, Panay and Negros. The Communist have organized themselves into guerrilla forces, known that time as “ Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP)”. They fought hard with Filipino and American soldiers fighting the Japanese.
The HUKBALAHAP were veterans communist fighters, who fought the Japanese from 1942 until the liberation of the Philippines in 1945. They were formidable forces fighting with Filipino guerrillas against the Japanese during the 4-years Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
After the surrender of Gen. Yamasita, the Commanding General of the Japanese Imperial Forces, my father said, their battalion was immediately prepared for the American invasion of mainland Japan. They were further trained and readied for the most dangerous mission – figting the Japanese army right in Japanese soil, in Japanese mainland. My father told me, he took the opportunity to be part of the invasion forces to Japan, hoping to find some American soldier friends, who can helped him go to the United States, if he lived after the war. He looked forward for a possible work in the United States after Japan will be defeated. And he looked forward to bringing me and my mother to the United States. But his dream was not realized.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the United States ordered the Atomic bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The atomic bombing, the first in history of modern warfare, that killed hundred thousands Japanese in one day, brought Japan on her knees. The Japanese surrendered unconditionally. The Filipino forces who were readied for the Japan invasion was called off. The hope and dream of my father to fight in Japan, and go to the United States also died. But he was happy to continue his military career. I think. my father loved being a soldier. But the unconditional surrender of Japan changed the course of my father’s dream and future life.
After the surrender of Japan, and the coming of peace in the Philippines, his battalion was ordered by the military high command to proceed to Central Luzon to fight the communists and the HUKS. I heard it was General Douglas MacArthur who ordered President Manuel Roxas, to immediately eliminate the Communists and Hukbalahaps, even if they stood side by side with the Americans and Filipino soldiers in fighting the Japanese for more than 4 years. Many communists have fought with Americans and thousands of them died fighting the Japanese during the war.
The ideological belief, instilled deep on the minds of American officers and soldiers, that the communists were bad elements in society must be eliminated. For the communists have made it their mission destroy the feudal system of Philippine society. The feudal system, the concentration of much of the land and wealth of the country in the hands of few Spanish descendants and Filipino mestisos, was the cause of deep poverty of majority of Filipinos. This was the major reasons for the continued war between the Communists and the Philippine government until today.
To join his battalion to Central Luzon, means my father will have to fight his former comrades -in -arms, the communists and the HUKS. My father said, he was ready to fight the Japanese even in Japan. But he was not ready and will not be happy fighting fellow Filipinos in Central Luzon, even if they were members of the HUKS and Communist Party of the Philippines.
With the order given them to proceed to Central Luzon and fight the HUKS and the Communists, my father decided to leave the army. He resigned. He told me that was one of the hardest and painful decisions he made in life. But he said, he was not ready to fight and kill fellow Filipinos on political and ideological grounds.
My father told me, the major reasons why many Filipinos joined the Communist movement was poverty, inequality and injustice. The hard and abject poverty of many Filipinos whose lives were controlled by the rich and powerful landlords and business groups. Majority of Filipinos lived in poverty and will remain in poverty the rest of their lives, unless the vast lands of the country are destributed to the millions of landless poor farmers.
While the few people who owns and control the lands and resources of the country, those who owned business enterprises, those who ran the government were living in affluence and luxury. Unless the problem of poverty and injustices were addressed, many poor Filipinos will continue to join the rebel movements and fight the government.
After his resignation and release of his military papers, my father went home to Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz. Then we transferred to Cawayan, Carles, Iloilo, whose boundary was just a few meters away from our home in Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz. There he start life as a farmer, a fisherman and later, as a carpenter. He served his people later, by being the Barangay Captain of Cawayan for 23 years, including the years under President Marcos martial law regime.
He and my mother was able to buy a 3 hectares farm in Cawayan, Carles, Iloilo. He told me, the paid the amount of the 3 hectares farm for Three Hundred Fifty Pesos (P350) from his Back Pay as a solider. He bought the farm from his cousin.
Three years ago, in 2014, our father was laid to his eternal rest at the Philippine American Cemetery Association, our own cemetery. Here many Americans and Filipino veterans of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), in Iloilo were laid to rest. He died at more than 97 years of age, after Typhoon Yolanda, carried the roof of his home, forcing his transfer to another daughter’s home. He was wet when transferred and got cold. He suffered pneumonia. He died several months later. He was not able to follow his dreams to go to the United States. He did not also reach his centennial age.
But several years ago, his being a soldier of the USAFFE, awarded him a US citizenship. He was asked by the US government to go to the US to claim his citizenship. He decided not to go. He was now old. And all his 9 children were of legal age.
Some of his children could have gone to the US for employment. But we all decided to stay, live, work and served our people here in the country thru our different callings, skills and expertise. We believed we are more needed here to serve our people. We went abroad to learn, study, and gain additional skills and experiences to effectively serve and live with our people here in our country. Some of us siblings went to foreign countries to have some rests. And to see grandsons and granddaughters, visit the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We feel, we are happy and lived fulfilled lives living here and working with our people.
Part of the series Memories - Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal (chapter 9 of 71)
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