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Manila: Crushed between two powers

February 4, 2013

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Do any Manileños remember what happened between February and March 68 years ago when two powers – Japan and the United States – turned the Philippine capital into a battleground?

Manila’s population was decimated and centuries of historic treasures were lost forever.

In remembrance of this tragedy,  I would like to share with you today a piece that my hubby Alan wrote on the Battle of Manila.

It is also good to remember this in the light of present events – as Japan and the Philippines cozy up to each other and Manila pressures the US into taking sides in the West Philippine Sea conflict.

The month Manila died

by Alan C. Robles

Hot Manila

It was meant to be liberation. Instead it became obliteration.

Between February and March, 1945, Japanese and American troops fighting for possession of Manila slaughtered at least 100,000 Filipinos who’d been expecting deliverance. Manila was flattened. By the time the fighting ended, one of Asia’s most beautiful cities was reduced to acres of debris, ash and heaps of rubble. The only things standing were burned, blackened stumps and hollowed out shells of buildings.

It was an apocalpyse the city’s inhabitants hadn’t expected. When 1945 started, many Filipinos were looking forward to being freed from the grasp of a cruel conqueror. In 1942, Japanese invaders had defeated a US army composed largely of Filipinos, most of them untrained. The Japanese had promised an “Asia for the Asians” in a “Co-Prosperity Sphere” free of white imperialists. Instead they simply imposed their own imperialism, maltreating Filipinos, kidnapping women for use in mobile army brothels, seizing, torturing and murdering all who opposed the new rulers.

Now it was time for payback: the Americans, commanded by General Douglas Macarthur, had returned in overwhelming strength and Filipino guerrillas were flocking to join them. The Japanese navy and air force were shattered, the army driven back.

To read the rest, please click on this link…

 

 

Tagged With: Battle of Manila, destruction of Manila, General Douglas MacArthur, Japan's "Co-Prosperity Sphere"

Comments

  1. Alizarin Viridia says

    April 4, 2013 at 5:39 AM

    hello! HELLO! anybody home?

    it’s now april, last posting was april 1?
    what’s up, latest RAISSA’s piece section was scutlled
    while the most commented were retained? what gives?
    Changes doesn’t maintaining or encouraging entusiasm to CPMers

    is this BLOGSITE already scuttled or was I just LOSR in cyberspace?

    speak up guys!

  2. Aiizarin Viridia says

    April 2, 2013 at 3:32 AM

    AM SORRY ms raissa,allan and CPMers, I used a lot of space just
    trying to post my ideas on vote buying and clean elections. Persistence
    is what we need in our country because our foot pathways, roadways
    and highways is littered with obstacles. Perhaps Ms Raissa can just delete
    the duplications.

  3. Alizarin Viridia says

    April 1, 2013 at 8:58 PM

    so I tried posting the piece by installments
    by a few paragragphs.
    like this:

    A PLEA TO ALL CPMers to help STOP VOTE BUYING.
    Let us not lose our FOCUS, our sense of URGENCY
    The May Election is at hand not sabah or north korea.
    Other wise natutulog na naman tayo sa pancitan.

    Please THINK AND WRITE about the ways on
    HOW FILIPINOS CAN STOP VOTE BUYING, I am sure CPMers
    Can come out with a thousand and one ways to stop vote buying.

    Let me start with the ESSENTIALS and later with the MINUTIAE:

    ONLY THESE INSTITUTIONS CAN STOP VOTE BUYING (1) Office of the President,
    (2) the COMELEC, (3) the DILG, (4) the PNP, (5) the AFP, and the Bureau of
    Prisons of DOJ.

    CPMers can provide DETAILED AND SPECIFIC suggestions on how these institutions CAN STOP VOTE BUYING, Example :

    1-The President can issue an Executive Order STRONGLY directing . . . . . . .
    2-THE COMELEC can direct its deputized agencies to move their butts . . .
    3-THE DILG through its field staff can start identifying politicians’ BAGMEN . . .
    In past elections some DILG people themselves became bagmen.
    4-The PNP and AFP prepare its INTELLIGENCE and be ready to use their police powers to temporary detain vote buyers days or hours before the election ,
    5-DOJ and its correctional facilities should work in Tandem with AFP and the PNP

    • Victin Luz says

      April 2, 2013 at 8:52 AM

      PNOY must start the MUSIC ……in his KAMAGANAK ……if cash withdrawals can not be justified vs expenses during this election period , COMELEC must disqualify those candidates before the election day… AMLA …can provide the cash flow…Police and the Military can be tapped for any arrest if needed.

      • Alizarin Viridia says

        April 2, 2013 at 7:05 PM

        thanks victin luz for

        the first ricochet?
        the first echo?
        the first push?

        what about amendments to limit campaign contributions

        5 million from corporations or groups or organizations
        3 from individuals
        given to both contesting candidates

        TO ACHIEVE TRUE DEMOCRACY of a govt by, for, and of the people
        NOT PEKENG DEMOCRACY by, for, and of the RICH
        and members of the establishment and dynasties.

        • Alizarin Viridia says

          April 2, 2013 at 7:14 PM

          LET ME QUALIFY

          NO INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATION SHALL BE
          ALLOWED TO CONTRIBUTE TO MORE THAN
          ONE CANDIDATE FOR A GIVEN ELECTIVE POSITION.

          One measure to put a stop to the JOKE
          of EXPENSIVE ELECTIONS in the
          Philippines.

        • Victin Luz says

          April 2, 2013 at 11:52 PM

          Agree sir , there must be a limitation to the amount to be contributed and one candidate only for designated positions say Mayoral Position. Hindi pweding mamangka ka sa two or more candidates for Mayor by spreading your contributions to all of them…

  4. Alizarin Viridia says

    April 1, 2013 at 8:47 PM

    CPMers can provide DETAILED AND SPECIFIC suggestions on how these institutions CAN STOP VOTE BUYING, Example :

    1-The President can issue an Executive Order STRONGLY directing . . . . . . .
    2-THE COMELEC can direct its deputized agencies to move their butts . . .
    3-THE DILG through its field staff can start identifying politicians’ BAGMEN . . .
    In past elections some DILG people themselves became bagmen.
    4-The PNP and AFP prepare its INTELLIGENCE and be ready to use their police powers to temporary detain vote buyers days or hours before the election ,
    5-DOJ and its correctional facilities should work in Tandem with AFP and the PNP

  5. Alizarin Viridia says

    April 1, 2013 at 8:46 PM

    For PEOPLE AND THE POLITICIANS TO BELIEVE THAT PNOY WILL REALLY JAIL THEM TO ENFORCE ELECTION LAWS AND BE PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT OF HIS POLITICAL PARTY, THEN WE CAN HOPE FOR A CLEAN ELECTIONS.
    Vote buying follows the law of supply and demand. CUT THE SUPPLY COMPLETELY AND THE DEMAND WILL DISAPPEAR.

    If WE STOPPED JUST 70% OF VOTE BUYING in this coming elections, we are likely to cut both arms of DYNASTIES. Losing both arms in this May elections, VOTE BUYERS in the 2016 ELECTIONS will lose its head, DECAPITATED and the dynasty families might THINK of forgetting public service. All that depends on how many will be put behind bars, hospitalized or in wheel chairs.

    What says you CPMers? Let’s help stop THE COMELEC from making it itself continue to be the biggest joke among the constitutional offices.

  6. Alizarin Viridia says

    April 1, 2013 at 8:45 PM

    sorry ms raissa but being makulit, the
    makulits always try to find other ways
    of cooking bananas like this:

    Minutiae: Can CPMers compare vote buying WITH illegal drugs business? Who are the drug lords? The pushers? The addicted? There are 18,022 elective positions subject to people’s choice come that fateful day in May 2013.

    YES, another thing CPMers might want to discuss or analyze: AMEND, REPEAT AMEND the election law TO LIMIT ELECTION CAMPAIGN or whatever CONTRIBUTIONS OF CORPORATIONS TO FIVE MILLION PESOS AND FOR INDIVIDUALS TO THREE MILLION PESOS. And see its impact on vote buying.

  7. Alizarin Viridia says

    April 1, 2013 at 8:34 PM

    that last try may have been cosidered
    and sent to SPAM. and will need
    resurrection.

  8. Alizarin Viridia says

    April 1, 2013 at 8:32 PM

    I’m really makulit so here’s another try:

    A PLEA TO ALL CPMers to help STOP VOTE BUYING.
    Let us not lose our FOCUS, our sense of URGENCY
    The May Election is at hand not sabah or north korea.
    Other wise natutulog na naman tayo sa pancitan.

    Please THINK AND WRITE about the ways on
    HOW FILIPINOS CAN STOP VOTE BUYING, I am sure CPMers
    Can come out with a thousand and one ways to stop vote buying.

    Let me start with the ESSENTIALS and later with the MINUTIAE:

    ONLY THESE INSTITUTIONS CAN STOP VOTE BUYING (1) Office of the President,
    (2) the COMELEC, (3) the DILG, (4) the PNP, (5) the AFP, and the Bureau of
    Prisons of DOJ.

    CPMers can provide DETAILED AND SPECIFIC suggestions on how these institutions CAN STOP VOTE BUYING, Example :

    1-The President can issue an Executive Order STRONGLY directing . . . . . . .
    2-THE COMELEC can direct its deputized agencies to move their butts . . .
    3-THE DILG through its field staff can start identifying politicians’ BAGMEN . . .
    In past elections some DILG people themselves became bagmen.
    4-The PNP and AFP prepare its INTELLIGENCE and be ready to use their police powers to temporary detain vote buyers days or hours before the election ,
    5-DOJ and its correctional facilities should work in Tandem with AFP and the PNP

    For PEOPLE AND THE POLITICIANS TO BELIEVE THAT PNOY WILL REALLY JAIL THEM TO ENFORCE ELECTION LAWS AND BE PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT OF HIS POLITICAL PARTY, THEN WE CAN HOPE FOR A CLEAN ELECTIONS.
    Vote buying follows the law of supply and demand. CUT THE SUPPLY COMPLETELY AND THE DEMAND WILL DISAPPEAR.

    If WE STOPPED JUST 70% OF VOTE BUYING in this coming elections, we are likely to cut both arms of DYNASTIES. Losing both arms in this May elections, VOTE BUYERS in the 2016 ELECTIONS will lose its head, DECAPITATED and the dynasty families might THINK of forgetting public service. All that depends on how many will be put behind bars, hospitalized or in wheel chairs.

    What says you CPMers? Let’s help stop THE COMELEC from making it itself continue to be the biggest joke among the constitutional offices.

    Minutiae: Can CPMers compare vote buying WITH illegal drugs business? Who are the drug lords? The pushers? The addicted? There are 18,022 elective positions subject to people’s choice come that fateful day in May 2013.

  9. Alizarin Viridia says

    April 1, 2013 at 8:31 PM

    I thought I got it finally but it went somewhere, may be
    the piece will appear here later or tomorrow after
    cogitation and moderation.

« Older Comments
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist Then they came fof the Trade Unionists, and I did not out speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me— And there was no one left to speak for me. —Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)

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