Makapili

Last updated
Makapili
Makabayang Katipunan ng mga Pilipino
Leader Benigno Ramos
FoundationDecember 8, 1944
DissolvedAugust 15, 1945
CountryFlag of the Philippines (1943-1945).svg  Second Philippine Republic
MotivesSupport for Japanese occupiers in the Philippines
Ideology Filipino nationalism
Major actionsMurder, torture, collaboration
StatusDefunct
Size6,000
Preceded by
Ganap Party

The Makabayang Katipunan ng mga Pilipino (Patriotic Association of Filipinos), better known as the Makapili, was a militant group formed in the Philippines on December 8, 1944, during World War II to give military aid to the Imperial Japanese Army. [1] The group was meant to be on equal basis with the Japanese Army and its leaders were appointed with ranks that were equal to their Japanese counterparts. [2]

Contents

Background

As the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic was established on October 14, 1943, with the Declaration of Independence by Pres. Jose P. Laurel, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo expected the Philippine leadership to openly side with Japan with a declaration of war against the United States and Great Britain. Pres. Laurel resisted this, and in the alliance treaty he drafted he left out the provision of conscription of Filipinos to fight for Japan. [3] [4]

With Laurel's lack of cooperation to the Japanese goals, Gen. Shigenori Kuroda enlisted the help of Benigno Ramos to form a "Peace Army," whose main role was to support the Japanese military in suppressing the Filipino resistance against their occupation. With the support of the Japanese Military Administration, Ramos gathered other pro-Japanese leaders to his residence in Mandaluyong, and present were Gen. Artemio Ricarte, Sotero Baluyut, Pio Duran, Leon Villafuerte, Andres Villanueva, and Aurelio Alvero. [3]

In line with the Japanese agenda was the question of the effectiveness of the Bureau of Constabulary to fight off banditry and insurgency. The BOC was mainly ineffective due to the confiscation of its weapons by the Japanese military out of fear that most of its members were formerly trained by the United States military. The only armed force allowed by the Japanese was the Presidential Guards. Ramos then proposed the Peace Army would be used to support the BOC to maintain peace and order. Baluyut who was Laurel's representative pointed that the President was not consulted on this, but Ramos insisted that the President's approval was not necessary since they were supported by the Japanese Military Administration. The Japanese Military Administration released 2,000 rifles to the MAKAPILI at their headquarters in Christ the King Compound, along E. Rodriguez Ave., in Quezon City. [3] [5]

Pres. Laurel protested against the formation of the MAKAPILI as it did not form with allegiance to the Republic, but that to Japan, with then Japanese Ambassador Shōzō Murata. [6] But, in response, Laurel was informed by the Ambassador that he should attend the formal inauguration of the MAKAPILI, and his absence would be considered by Tokyo as non-cooperation. Pres. Laurel with a few other officials thus attended the formal establishment of the MAKAPILI on December 8, 1944. Initial members were mostly composed of Ramos' GANAP Party which was an offshoot of the Sakdalistas who helped the Japanese in recruiting manpower for their administration of the Philippines. [7] [3] [8]

During the inauguration, Ramos declared that the Makapilis were independent of the Republic of the Philippines, and were only answerable to the Japanese Commander-in-Chief, Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita. When Pres. Laurel spoke, he reminded the MAKAPILI never to betray the country and their loyalty is to the Philippines. The friction between Ramos and Laurel was evident, and from the original plan of having Laurel as Supreme Adviser and Ricarte as Supreme Head, Ramos declared himself as Supreme Commander of the Makapili. [3]

Operations

Like Ganap, the Makapili's main area of support was Metro Manila, although it established chapters across the islands, attracting some support. [9] In all, it attracted to 6,000 members, many of them poor or landless farmers who came to the group due to vague promises of land reform after the war. [10] They were armed with bayonets and bamboo spears but when the number of the Japanese puppet force grew, they were equipped with rifles. [11]

Makapili were not used to fight the American forces [6] and were merely deployed to counter the recognized guerrilla and the Philippine Commonwealth military activity by anti-Japanese forces in rural areas. [10] The group was initially used as guards for Japanese and government facilities. [11] The Japanese did not trust the Makapili on its own so most of these were not assigned as separate detachments but were assigned to Japanese units. [2]

During the Battle of Manila, Ramos and his leaders found themselves in Pasay on the side of the Japanese. He ordered the burning of all the houses west of Taft Avenue and south of Libertad Avenue to delay the advance of the 11th Airborne Division into southern Manila. [3]

After the war ended in 1945, the group was disbanded and vilified for its involvement in some of the Japanese atrocities in the islands. Individual members faced trials for treason as a result. [12]

A 1951 film of the same name was made starring Justina David. [13]

Legacy

The Makapili was strongly and extensively vilified by the Filipino people after the war. For example, post-WWII Filipino films portraying Makapili members typically show them wearing bayong, a woven basket made from leaves, with eye holes and pointing out people whom they suspect of being resistance sympathizers. They are then shown leaving the area while Japanese soldiers are now guarding the resistance sympathizers they pointed out.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces of the Philippines</span> Military forces of the Philippines

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. The President of the Philippines is the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP and forms military policy with the Department of National Defense, an executive department acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out, while the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines serves as the overall commander and the highest-ranking officer in the AFP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emilio Aguinaldo</span> President of the Philippines from 1899 to 1901

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who is the youngest president of the Philippines (1899–1901) and became the first president of the Philippines and of an Asian constitutional republic. He led the Philippine forces first against Spain in the Philippine Revolution (1896–1898), then in the Spanish–American War (1898), and finally against the United States during the Philippine–American War (1899–1901).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People Power Revolution</span> Series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines in 1986 that overthrew Ferdinand Marcos

The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and electoral fraud. The nonviolent revolution led to the departure of Ferdinand Marcos, the end of his 20-year dictatorship and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fidel V. Ramos</span> President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998

Fidel Valdez Ramos, popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure. Rising from second lieutenant to commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Ramos is credited for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy during his six years in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose P. Laurel</span> President of the Philippines from 1943 to 1945

José Paciano Laurel y García was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and judge, who served as the President of the Japanese-occupied Second Philippine Republic, a puppet state during World War II, from 1943 to 1945. Since the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal (1961–1965), Laurel has been officially recognized by later administrations as a former president of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuel Roxas</span> President of the Philippines from 1946 to 1948

Manuel Acuña Roxas was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fifth President of the Philippines from 1946 until his death in 1948. He served briefly as the third and last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from May 28, 1946, to July 4, 1946, and became the first President of the Independent Third Philippine Republic after the United States ceded its sovereignty over the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libingan ng mga Bayani</span> National cemetery in the Philippines

Libingan ng mga Bayani is a national cemetery within Fort Andres Bonifacio in Taguig City, Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Manila (1945)</span> 1945 battle in the Pacific theatre of World War II

The Battle of Manila was a major battle of the Philippine campaign of 1944–45, during the Second World War. It was fought by forces from both the United States and the Philippines against Japanese troops in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. The month-long battle, which resulted in the death of at least 100,000 civilians and the complete devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst urban fighting fought by American forces in the Pacific theater. During the battle, Japanese forces committed mass murder against Filipino civilians, while American firepower killed many people. The resistance of the Japanese and American artillery also destroyed much of Manila's architectural and cultural heritage dating back to the city's founding. The battle is widely considered to be one of the most intense and worst urban battles ever fought, with it being the single largest urban battle ever fought by American forces.

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was attacked by the Empire of Japan on 8 December 1941, nine hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although it was governed by a semi-independent commonwealth government, the United States of America controlled the Philippines at the time and possessed important military bases there. The combined Filipino-American army was defeated in the Battle of Bataan, which saw many war crimes committed and the Battle of Corregidor in April 1942, but guerrilla resistance against the Japanese continued throughout the war. Uncaptured Filipino army units, a communist insurgency, and supporting American agents all played a role in the resistance. Due to the huge number of islands, the Japanese never occupied many of the smaller and more minor islands. The Japanese control over the countryside and smaller towns were often tenuous at best.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japan–Philippines relations</span> Bilateral relations

Japan–Philippines relations span a period from before the 16th century to the present. According to a 2011 BBC World Service Poll, 84% of Filipinos view Japan's influence positively, with 12% expressing a negative view, making the Philippines one of the most pro-Japanese countries in the world.

Benigno "Ben Ruben" Ramos y Pantaleón was a Filipino author, writer, organization founder, politician, and was an advocate for the independence of the Philippines from the United States who collaborated with Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemio Ricarte</span> Filipino general

Artemio Ricarte y García was a Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. He is regarded as the Father of the Philippine Army, and the first Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines though the present Philippine Army descended from the American-allied forces that defeated the Philippine Revolutionary Army led by General Ricarte. Ricarte is notable for never having taken an oath of allegiance to the United States government that occupied the Philippines from 1898 to 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Executive Commission</span> Provisional Filipino government

The Philippine Executive Commission was a puppet government set up to govern the Philippine archipelago during World War II. It was established with sanction from the occupying Imperial Japanese forces as an interim governing body prior to the establishment of the Japanese-backed, Second Philippine Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Philippine Republic</span> 1943 state during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines

The Second Philippine Republic, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines and also known as the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Republic, was a Japanese-backed government established on October 14, 1943 during the Japanese occupation of the islands

The Ganap Party was a Filipino political party that grew from the Sakdalista movement. Benigno Ramos, who served as its leader, was also the founder of the Sakdalista movement. The party took its name from the Tagalog word ganap, which means "complete".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese occupation of the Philippines</span> 1942–1945 Japanese occupation of the Philippines during WWII

The Japanese occupation of the Philippines occurred between 1942 and 1945, when the Japanese Empire occupied the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KALIBAPI</span> Fascist Filipino political party during the nations Japanese occupation

The Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas, or KALIBAPI, was a fascist Filipino political party that served as the sole party of state during the Japanese occupation. It was intended to be a Filipino version of Japan's governing Imperial Rule Assistance Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose T. Almonte</span>

Jose T. Almonte is a retired Filipino Army general. He was the National Security Advisor and Director-General of the National Security Council in the Cabinet of Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos. He was also the head of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the Director of the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (EIIB) during the administration of Pres. Corazon Aquino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Falange</span> Philippine section of the Spanish political party Falange

The Philippine Falange, the informal name for the Spanish National Assemblies of the Philippines, was a Philippine falangist political party that was a branch of the Spanish Falange. It was founded in 1936. The party was initially led from the late 1930s by Spanish citizen and businessman Andrés Soriano. A leadership struggle occurred between Martín Pou and Enrique Zóbel de Ayala.

1944 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1944.

References

  1. "G.R. No. L-943" . Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 Edwards, Duval A. (2008). Jungle and Other Tales: True Stories of Historic Counterintelligence Operations. Tuczon, AZ: Wheatmark, Inc. p. 92. ISBN   9781587369452.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 De Viana, Augusto (31 December 2019). "Aurelio Alvero: Outstanding Student Leader, Poet, Writer, Traitor, A Misunderstood Nationalist?". TALA: An Online Journal of History. 2 (2). ISSN   2651-7108 . Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  4. Jovito Salonga, 'A tribute to Dr. Jose P. Laurel'
  5. Totani, Yuma (2015). Justice in Asia and the Pacific Region, 1945-1952. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 32. ISBN   978-1-107-08762-0.
  6. 1 2 Friend, Theodore (1988). The Blue-Eyed Enemy: Japan against the West in Java and Luzon, 1942-1945. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp.  174. ISBN   0691055246.
  7. Matthiessen, Sven (2015-11-06). Japanese Pan-Asianism and the Philippines from the Late Nineteenth Century to the End of World War II: Going to the Philippines Is Like Coming Home?. Leiden: BRILL. p. 190. ISBN   9789004305533.
  8. William J. Pomeroy, The Philippines: Colonialism, Collaboration, and Resistance, p. 114
  9. "ASIAN JOURNAL a San Diego original. The 1st Asian Journal in Ca,USA. A Filipino American weekly. Online - Digital - Print Editions" . Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  10. 1 2 Stein Ugelvik Larsen, Fascism Outside Europe, Columbia University Press, 2001, p. 785
  11. 1 2 Jowett, Philip (2020). Japan's Asian Allies 1941–45. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4728-3697-7.
  12. "G.R. No. L-885" . Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  13. "Makapili (1951)". IMDb. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.