Filipino Resistance in WW II

The combined American-Filipino army was swiftly defeated in the Battle of Bataan and the Battle of Corregidor in April of 1942. But Filipino resistance against the Japanese occupation continued throughout the War. The guerilla forces included uncaptured Filipino army units, a communist insurgency, civilians, and supporting American agents. Throughout the duration of the War, they all played a role in the Filipino resistance movement.

The Mission of Filipino Resistance

Prior to the Invasion of Leyte, the U.S. had set up relations with some of these Filipino guerrilla units. First, they were valuable in understanding how to navigate across the island. Second, they provided intelligence on the positions and movement of Japanese troops. Also, some Americans that escaped from Bataan set up resistance units. Some units even had medical detachments. However, the main purpose of the guerilla forces was not to engage the enemy in direct combat. Rather, they would gather intelligence for the Allied invasion.

The Filipino Resistance and the 44th General Hospital

My Dad landed on Leyte with the U.S. Army’s 44th General Hospital in November of 1944. Subsequently, they set up their hospital tents near the central crossroads village of Burauen. There they would interact with members of the Filipino resistance forces.

Japanese Sympathizers on Leyte

In parallel with Filipino resistance, some Filipinos supported the Japanese during their occupation. But once the U.S. invaded in October of 1944 the Japanese were forced into a defensive battle. Consequently, local retribution was carried out on the sympathizers.

Since the Japanese occupation, the Filipino guerrillas clashed with sympathizers in the village. Now that the Japanese retreated, there was swift retaliation on those who supported the Japanese. The Mayor of Burauen, a Japanese sympathizer, had spread propaganda promising a better future with the Japanese. Upon the U.S. infantry arrival, he was taken down to the river by Filipino guerrillas, not to be seen again. Apparently, he was not a good swimmer.

The Battle of Buffalo Wallow, November 19, 1944.

A Schoolteacher Who Leads Filipino Resistance on Leyte

Dad described a Filipino woman from a nearby village that came into the 44th’s camp one afternoon:

“She was slight of build, but looked tough. She had a bolo knife attached to her belt. On the other side of her belt hung the head of a Japanese soldier. She requested to speak to an officer.” Through an interpreter she told Dad and other officers of her exploits killing Japanese soldiers. Dad continued, “She said that she would sneak up from behind and dispatch them with one slash of her knife.” Not wanting to question her story, the officers convinced her to let them take care of the head.

The Battle of Buffalo Wallow, December 1, 1944.

Nieves Fernandez in the News

Her story may have been confirmed by an Associated Press (AP) newspaper article, dated October 26, 1944. It described a 38-year-old Filipino schoolteacher from Tacloban, Leyte, named Nieves Fernandez:

Captain Nieves Fernandez was a schoolteacher who became the only known Filipino female guerrilla leader. Working with guerrillas south of Tacloban, Miss Fernandez rounded up native men to resist the Japanese. She commanded 110 natives who killed more than 200 Japanese with knifes and shotguns made from sections of gas pipes. The Japanese offered 10.000 pesos for her head. She was wounded once. There is a bullet scar on her right forearm. In her battles, she was a master guerrilla fighter; an excellent crack shot, and hand-to-hand combatant. She helped liberate her island from the Japanese occupation, and the guerrillas also provided valuable intelligence during MacArthur’s assault on the islands.

Captain Nieves Fernandez shows to an American soldier how she used her long knife to silently kill Japanese soldiers during occupation, 1944.

Also, Esquire magazine published an article describing the exploits of Captain Fernandez.

A Symbol of Filipino Resistance

In summary, my Dad told many stories of his time on Leyte. Without a doubt, it was evident that he had a great admiration for the defiant and courageous people of the Filipino resistance. After the War Dad brought back a Filipino bolo knife (pictured below) from Leyte. It has a carved wooden handle and a sheath made from a coconut log. Certainly, it was one of his most treasured artifacts from the War. I don’t know who gave him the knife. But I can imagine the two of them, although from different cultures, shared a unique bond from their War experiences. In my opinion, the bolo knife is a great symbol of the Filipino resistance movement.

For More Information

For more information on the Filipino resistance movement see the book “Philippines’ Resistance:
The Last Allied Stronghold in the Pacific” by Klytie Xu, Stacey Anne, and Baterina Salinas. The book was published in 2017 by Pacific Atrocities Education. It is available on Amazon.