By Anthony Giron
IMUS CITY, Cavite – Officials have cited and honored 13 martyrs, including a mayor, four doctors, and a military colonel, during the 75th anniversary commemoration of the Liberation of Imus from the Imperial Japanese Forces in simple ceremonies at the city hall plaza.
The sacrifice and deaths of the 13 martyrs and the events that transpired in Imus during the Japanese occupation were the highlights of the February 4 liberation commemoration day.
The 13 Imuseno martyrs, all belonging to prominent families, were killed by the Imperial Japanese Army men after being tortured, and bayoneted. They were pinpointed by the so-called "makapili" or "loro" (Filipino informants) for being members or having links with the USAFFE or the United States Army Forces in the Far East and the guerilla movement.
The sacrifices and patriotism of the 13 martyrs of Imus were similar to the so-called trece martires or 13 martyrs of Cavite who were executed by musketry on September 12, 1896 by Spanish authorities at Plaza de Armas near Fort San Felipe in Cavite City.
Just like the 13 martyrs of Cavite, the 13 martyrs of Imus were also rounded up, detained, tortured and killed by the foreign invaders.
The only difference was that while the 13 martyrs of Cavite died in mass execution through firing squad, the 13 martyrs of Imus were killed in separate places and the bodies of six of them were never found.
The 13 martyrs of Imus were Imus Mayor Elpidio I, Osteria Sr., Col. Fidel Narciso Cruz I, Dr. Jose R. Sapinoso, Alfredo R. Reyes, Reynaldo C. Buenaventura, Mauricio T. Reyes, Dr. Andres V. Dominguez, Benigno R. Manela, Dr. Lazaro R, Ilano, Jose R. Ramirez II, Dr. Modesto T. Mascardo, Modesto S. Virata and Gregorio R. Rodriguez.
One of the unforgettable incidents was the apprehension and dragging of Sapinoso, Reyes, Buenaventura, Dominguez, Mauricio and Manela within the vicinity and nearby areas of the 200-year old Nuestra Senora La Virgen del Pillar (Our Lady of the Pillar) Church on December 16, 1944, the first day of "Simbang Gabi" or Dawn Mass.
The six martyrs' arrest was made during the "zona" or Japanese military operation as the parishioners were coming out of the church after a mass.
The people scampered upon seeing the Japanese troops with many running to a church door and hiding in a dark and small alley near the church ceiling with their bodies on top of the other to prevent detection.
All those caught in the "zona," were herded in the vicinity. The Japanese operation let go of the women and children, but not for the men.
As the men were gathered, the Japanese officers called out the names of the wanted men in their list. When the men were reluctant, the "makapili" or "loro," which the Japanese soldiers brought along, went around them and pointed them out from among those rounded up.
Benigno R. Manela gave up by mistake with the wanted name call. He was confused as the name Manela was called. It turned that the name in the list was "B. Manela" or Benigno Acuna Manela and not his.
Manela and the five others, namely Sapinoso, Alfredo Reyes, Buenaventura, Dominguez and Mauricio, were brought to Dasmarinas and other places where they were detained, beaten and killed.
Osteria, a member of the USAFFE, was held by soldiers for a day and was brought to the Cuartel in Poblacion where he was tortured. He was reportedly brought to Dasmarinas later.
Cruz, a Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduate, was held by the Japanese soldiers at his house as he was cooking food wearing his "carconcillo" (underwear short). He was detained and also tortured.
Ramirez, a valedictorian graduate of the Imus Institute (II), was described as a good man. He was a virtual "sacrificial lamb' as he gave up to the Japanese soldiers just to save his family and clan from harm at that time.
The bodies of six martyrs – Osteria, Cruz, Dominguez, Mascardo, Ilano and Sapinoso – were never seen again after they were held by the Japanese soldiers.
The seven others---Buenaventura, Ramirez, Alfredo Reyes, Manela, Virata, Rodriguez and Mauricio Reyes---were all killed in Dasmarinas and their bodies were found by their relatives in the area.
During the Second World War, Imus and Dasmarinas were among the big domains of the Imperial Japanese Forces,
The Japanese forces virtually invaded all the towns in Cavite at that time, it was gathered.
During the liberation in February 1945, joint American and Filipino forces have retrieved the Imus Constabulary Barracks or Cuartel after the battle with the Japanese soldiers.
The Barracks area that was used also as a garrison during the Spanish era is now known as the Camp General Pantaleon Garcia or the PNP-Cavite headquarters.
The commemoration of the Imus Liberation Day and the heroism of the Filipinos during the Japanese occupation were contained in Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Council) Resolution No. 2001-05 that was passed in the new millennium.
Some facts about the Imus Liberation and the deaths of the 13 martyrs were gathered by Tourism Officer Danica Doma and other personnel through researches and interview with some descendants of the Imus martyrs.
Ninety-one year-old Zosima Topacio was among the few existing witnesses of the Liberation and the Japanese "Zona" at the Imus Church and the bombardment during the Liberation Day
Topacio, a cousin of two martyrs, was at the city hall on Monday for the liberation commemoration and the opening of the 13 martyrs' memorabilia display booth.
The descendants of some 13 martyrs of Imus also spoke and relayed some information about their travails and deaths.
The sacrifices and patriotism of the 13 martyrs of Imus were cited by the city officials during the Monday flag-raising ceremony. The officials also led the wreath-laying at a simple memorabilia mount. bearing the names of the martyrs, at the city plaza.
Present were Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi, Third District (Imus) Representative Alex L. Advincula, Vice Mayor Arnel M. Cantimbuhan, the city councilors, Lt. Col. Vicente O Amante, Imus police chief; department heads and employees and some descendants of the Imus martyrs.
The memorabilia booth with a bust of Osteria, the 11 other martyrs' photographs in frames with brief inscriptions about their sacrifices and deaths and commemoration videos were placed prominently at the city hall lobby.
One martyr had no photograph. A liberation commemoration officer said that no photograph was available for the display.
Information and Tourism Development Officer Edgardo Jay Saquilayan said that the 13 martyrs' memorabilia booth will be on display at the lobby everyday this February, in commemoration of the Imus Liberation Day on the 4th and the National Arts Month.
Saquilayan said that the sacrifices and deaths of the 13 martyrs of Imus are also being commemorated by the city every December 16, the day of the Imperial Japanese Army "zona" at the historical Imus Cathedral.