World War II Philippine war crimes trials

Upon the surrender of Japan in September 1945, Japanese forces which retreated into the mountain areas of the Philippines under Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita laid down their arms and surrendered to American and Philippine authorities. Some 45,000 Japanese were then held as Prisoners of War in a number of camps, and were retained by reconstituted government of the Philippine Commonwealth for labor and rebuilding efforts. These were composed of 15,000 Japanese civilians, and 30,000 Japanese military personnel. Estimates of the suffering of the Filipinos were US$1 billion of damages to property, and 1 million deaths. The Philippines demanded $8 billion from Japan as reparation for the war. In early 1947, the SCAP Legal Section were already outlining the turn over of the responsibility of managing the subsequent trials of Class B and C accused. The Philippine government in turn was apprehensive given the cost of conducting the trials, as well as being distracted by the Hukbalahap rebellion. In subsequent meetings, the agreement was for the US authorities to retain the custody and cost of detaining the accused, their eventual transfer to Japan if released, while the Philippine authorities would cover the cost of the actual trails themselves. • Planning, preparation, initiation, and the waging of war of aggression and violation of international laws; • Violation of the laws or customs of war; • Murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation and other inhuman acts committed against civilian populations before or during the war. The Executive Order also outlined the members of the tribunal, prosecutors, the terms and conduct, as well as the rights of the accused. It worked closely with the AFWESAC and SCAP Legal Section/Manila Branch as it took over their responsibility to put on trial Class B and C accused. ==Military tribunal==

Preparation by members of the Imperial Japanese Army in Cagayan Province. As soon as the American-lead trials were concluded in Manila in July 1947 the Philippine authorities took over the responsibility in putting to trial the remainder of the Class B and C war criminals. The Philippine Army tribunal was convened in the present day location of SM City Manila behind the Philippine Normal School. The NWCO was initially headed by Eleuterio Fojas, but he was later succeeded by Mariano Yanko, on the demise of Fojas in 1948. The Prosecution Department was headed by Capt. Nicanor Maronilla-Seva, while the Defense Department was headed by Pedro Serran. The NWCO was also assisted by two American lawyers who coordinated with the SCAP Legal Section/Manila Branch. Panels faced by the accused consisted of three to five members of the Judge Advocate. There were instances where panel members were asked to resign if and whenever the defense would question if they were at some point arrested, tortured, or under arrest by the accused. One member resigned for moral reasons. Finally, the military tribunal referring to Executive Order No. 68, rejected any alibi claimed by the defendant that they were merely following their superior's orders. Such was the case of Motoaki Deguchi, who was directed by Gen. Yamashita to execute without trial members of the Presidential Guards who were suspected of supporting guerrilla activities against the Japanese. ==Defendants & Outcomes==