Yesterday afternoon about 4:00 p.m. we heard the church bells ring loudly, and that means an air raid! Strange – we did not hear any drone of planes – and the sentry on the rooftop also seemed puzzled. A short while later, Puding, our maid, walked past the Garrison and she saw a man (about 50 years old) with his hands tied behind his back, and a Japanese soldier asked her if she knew him. (He was the one who range the church bells.) She told us he appeared demented, which he no doubt was and the penalty for doing such a thing is death!
We forgot about the incident, and had our supper. At around 6:00 p.m. Meñing went out to get the cow which was grazing nearby, and he noticed several soldiers walking up the path toward our house. Our house and that of Dr. Hofileña next door, are the last two houses before the open spaces. Past our houses, are rice fields, bordered by a coconut grove. They still had the man with them his hands tied behind his back. They stopped in front of our house briefly and then proceeded toward Dr. Hofileña’s house. By this time, we were all aware of them and were out on the balcony watching them through the morning glory vines. I saw one of the soldiers give him a push, and I knew right away what was coming! I was so upset that I went downstairs to the shelter so I would not hear any outcry. But he died like the bravest soldier. His head was partly severed and a bayonet thrust through his body! They left him in a ditch and he is still there. No one dares approach the body.