Ushinawareta Kioku : Lost Memory

3 The Brutal Events

"Oh my God! he's a Japanese?!"

I can't afford to help him. It'll endanger my life!

Of course, the Japanese colonization in the Philippines was very brutal and left a scar in every Filipino. maybe he's different. but what if he's not? what if he's the same as them? What will she do? Should she leave him there?

The moment she saw his face she instantly remembered what happen on the early occupation of the Japanese.

I hate them! I hate them a lot on how they torture us Filipinos! I maybe half Spanish, but still i was born here. It was still fresh in my mind on how we hid ourselves from them before, actually, up until now.

Due to our sick defenders in Bataan, they weren't able to hold them for long and they've surrendered to the Japanese. But this faithful surrender wasn't enough for them. Without mercy they forced them to endure a death march were thousands of Filipino and American soldiers died and murdered. They get women for sexual slavery, called them "comfort women", and imprisoned in what they call "comfort station", for the amusement of the different Japanese military station in the Philippines.

They've also killed about a 100,000 civilians in Manila massacre early this year, and up to 400 innocent women and girls were rounded up and they took turns in raping them. It was horrible! My mother almost had a nervous breakdown due the sudden happenings but my father was strong enough to keep us intact.

My family and I went outside the city and lived in a far away forest for how many months until it was safe to comeback. Because my father have some connection to the Americans, they were able to accompany us safely back home.

When we arrived, our beautiful house seemed like it has gone through a hurricane. All our things inside were messed up, broken glasses are shattered on the floor and some of our clothes are burned outside the garden. And before my heart was about to yell, i just cried and haven't let out a single word in my mouth.