The Japanese occupation of the Philippines is an unforgettable phase in our history as it gives us an idea about the barbarity and tragedies of war, leaving a permanent mark in the hearts and minds of Filipinos whose lives were changed and who suffered the fate of living in horror brought about by the ferocity of the soldiers from the land of the rising sun. Not all Filipinos bowed their heads to the Japanese and succumbed to their influence, thus, these Filipinos were known as “guerillas” who found haven in the mountains and wherefrom organized their resistance movements against the Japanese imperial armies and pro-Japanese Filipinos, known as “collaborators” in our history.

        This book, nonetheless, recounts the ordeals and struggles of the resistance movement known as Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit (TVGU) in Camarines Sur whose objective was to liberate the country against Japanese rule. The year 1942 saw the transformation of the then peaceful region into a battleground, and eventual creation of resistance movements or guerilla units as initial reaction towards the Japanese Greater Co-prosperity Sphere. Wenceslao Q. Vinzons, organized the first resistance group in Bicolandia, the Vinzons Travelling Guerillas, then it was followed by several guerilla movements such as the Tangcong Vaca Guerilla founded by Elias V. Madrid on March 2, 1942.

Caption: SUPERIOR ENEMY. Japanese soldiers in this file photos launch attack Filipino guerillas holed up in jungles such as Tangcong Vaca in Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

        Barrameda made mention that what the TVGU men most probably fought--and would continually clash with among others through the war years--were the “yuin”, mislabeled U.N or United Nippon. They were actually the armed component of the Ganaps. Trained for military purposes, they were members of the Japanese Auxiliary Army, drawn from the rank and file of the Ganap (Tagalog for fulfilled or completed) party and dressed in regular Japanese uniform. They were utilized as “direct replacements for regular infantry”. They also fought alongside Filipino Japanophiles who were being armed by the Japanese.

        It was an asymmetrical war such that TVGU confronted with an enemy with evident pre-eminence in training and in armaments, and bigger in terms of numbers, the men and the women- in the Unit withstood the onslaught, blandishments, and savage punishments against civilian kith and kin. Many guerillas along with innocent civilians fell in that strenuous lop-sided campaign. The capture of Naga from the hands of the Japanese forces and the battle at Taguilid Pass surely rank among the finest and most impressive operations in the whole history of the resistance movement in the country. The TVGU, though engaged in a successful series of ambushes on the Japanese forces had also its setbacks. In the midst of the Japanese offensive, investigations, arrests because of reported abuses and other administrative sanctions were effected through the year, involving mainly TVGU personnel.

        The author, Jose Barrameda Jr., presents in his book the abuses and the cruelties of some guerillas committed against their own countrymen, that these men are no Robinhood, and that they have their fair share in the reign of terror in a country at war. One of the controversial issues examined in the book is the murder of Governor Villafuerte with his wife, son and other companions in Vito, Siruma. Another important issue discussed in the book is the deadly conflict for control of all the guerilla units in the Philippines. It wasn’t a quarrel over territory among the guerillas. It was a rivalry for the top post of over-all commander.

        Using historical and descriptive method, the book is very rich in information as regards to the guerilla movements and anti-Japanese activities in the Bicol region. The use of oral history and case studies provides the basis for its being well-documented, thus, deemed a reliable source for Japanese occupation in the Philippines. As a whole, this book is recommended for reading among historians and students who would like to do a study on Japanese occupation in the localities.