Yesterday, an undercurrent of news alleged that Bataan has fallen. However, we have become so accustomed to such news that we could not tell which was true and which was false, and therefore, we were not overly concerned.
In the evening, tuning in on Radio Bataan—which was no longer in Bataan—we were taken aback by the announcement “BATAAN HAS FALLEN.” Immediately, Radio Manila, which was controlled by the Japanese and which overlapped on the same wavelength, filled the channel with hymns, songs and music, drowning the rest of the broadcast. It was only at the end that we could understand clearly, “Bataan has fallen but the spirit of Bataan stands.” Thus closed a scene, and faces mourned.
Radio San Francisco explained that the attacking forces were four times that of the defending army, and aside from the numerical superiority the attackers were supreme in air, on land and sea. It was added that though still with ample ammunitions, the Fil-American forces lacked food supply. In fact, they had been surviving on rations since January 20. The people believe that the American war supplies had actually fallen into enemy hands, as we had been hearing tremendous explosions these past days.
With the surrender of Bataan, the second chapter in the Japanese-American war in the Philippines ended. The third chapter has begun with the assault on Corregidor.