Japan apologizes for ‘Battle of Manila’

Japan apologizes for ‘Battle of Manila’
By Evelyn Macairan
The Philippine Star 02/19/2006

After 61 years, an official of the Japanese government yesterday finally apologized to the victims and relatives of the estimated 100,000 non-combatant Filipinos who perished in the historic Battle for the Liberation of Manila.

The speech delivered by Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki was the most awaited part of the commemoration of the historic event through a wreath-laying ceremony before the marker of Memorare-Manila 1945 near the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.

"The terror that each Filipino man, woman and child must have experienced in Manila 61 years ago is beyond the imagination of any human being," he said.

"With this historical fact in mind, I would like to express my heartfelt apologies and deep sense of remorse over the tragic fate of Manila," the ambassador said in an emotional speech.

"About 100,000 Filipino civilians were killed, many of whom suffered atrocities by the Japanese military," he added.

The Battle for Manila began on Feb. 3, 1945 and lasted 28 days.

Former ambassador to Spain and Memorare-Manila 1945 president Juan Jose Rocha said that while the devastation of the city of Manila happened more than six decades ago, the wounds of war could not completely heal unless there was repentance on the part of the aggressor.

Rocha, now 68 years old, lost 14 members of his family during the 1945 bombardment of Manila.

The Japanese ambassador said that while this is not the first time that a ranking official of the Japanese government had asked for the forgiveness of the atrocities committed by their military for the civilians who died in Manila in 1945, this is not the first time that their country has apologized for the wrongdoings during World War II.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, he said, made a "comprehensive apology" during a conference in Jakarta, Indonesia last year and issued a similar comment.

Yamazaki explained that it was only yesterday that he had the opportunity to express his regret for the events that took place 61 years ago as it was the first time for him to be invited to attend the commemoration of the Battle of Manila.

He said he was pleased that despite the war, the Philippines and Japan have now established good relationships and Japan has in fact become a top trading partner of the Philippines and one of its largest foreign investors.

This year, the two countries mark the 50th year of the "normalization of diplomatic relations."

"Our two governments have declared 2006 as the Philippines-Japan Friendship Year to celebrate the past 50 years of shaping the very warm relations between our two countries and our two people," Yamazaki added.

Former ambassador Miguel Perez-Rubio, who headed the Presidential protocol during the term of former President Corazon Aquino, said that being incarcerated for two months in a Japanese prison called kempeitai might have saved his life. His family was killed because they were in Manila.

Perez-Rubio, now 80, said the loss of his family was very difficult to forget. "I was shocked to learn that one day my family had been wiped out."

However, he said yesterday’s commemoration was a good occasion to move forward.

"Let’s start a new chapter, let us start a new page in history, a page of friendship. Of course, personally I cannot say I will forget what happened to my family, it’s something very personal to me," he added. — With AFP