MANILA, Philippines – Voting 19-0, the Senate approved the bill declaring September 2 as a special non-working holiday in Ifugao province in commemoration of the surrender of Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita at the end of World War II in 1945.
“For communities to progress, we must also consider honoring and learning from our history and the people who were part of it,” said Senate local government committee chair Juan Edgardo Angara, sponsor of House Bill No. 5553.
Under the bill, the provincial government of Ifugao, the municipal government of Kiangan, along with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) and the Military Shrines Service (MSS) would lead “appropriate and meaningful commemorative programs and activities.”
According to Angara’s office, there would be no bicameral conference committee to be convened, as the House and Senate versions are the same. This means the bill would now be enrolled for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signing into law.
Yamashita was a Japanese general who was given the byname ‘Tiger of Malaya’ for his successful attacks on Malaya and Singapore during World War II. He was later assigned to command the defense of the Philippines.
Yamashita surrendered his forces several weeks after the announcement of Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. He was later found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death in 1946.
After Yamashita’s surrender in Ifugao, the senator said the general turned over Camp John Hay in Baguio City to the combined forces of Filipinos and Americans liberating the country. (READ: Yamashita’s gold has been found and it’s not what you think) – Rappler.com
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