Manila 1945: The Forgotten Atrocities: Thought Paper

“We can forgive but we cannot forget,” This film is a collection of documented events

during World War II, where it showcases the meaningless cruelty of the Japanese to the Filipinos

and the Americans during their occupation in the Philippines. The film reveals the worst of human

nature, and how we should honor the dead by remembering the past.

World War II, an event that many Filipinos seem to forget and the Japanese wanted to

forget. A brutal war that killed the most people, damaged the most property and affected the most

people all over the world over some grand scheme of domination. As part of the Axis Powers, the

Japanese wanted to dominate all of east Asia, and for that to happen the Japanese wanted to obtain

the Philippines because of it strategical position and its natural resources that can be used for

provision. At first the Japanese wanted to ally with the Filipinos in order to “drive away” the

oppressors which were the Americans at that time. But as the Filipinos continue to refuse their

offer and their relations with the Americans getting more strained, the Japanese retaliated with

anger and harassed and killed Filipinos and Americans alike in the Philippines. Many unrelated

people from all ages were killed and women were raped. Houses and historical building were either

destroyed and burned leaving Manila a fiery hell for the innocent residents. I was obviously

appalled and angered by the behavior of the Japanese to treat the lives of the residents of Manila

as if they were playthings. There were all treated like dirt and they were mocked as they died.

Worst of all, this useless display of cruelty was ordered by higher-ups from Japan, as the soldiers

used bayonets to kill rather than bullets to avoid wasting them. In addition, according to the

survivors and historians in the film the attacks were organized and it did not seem like it was only

the work of rogue Japanese soldiers. I could not just fathom that the Japanese used the lives of the

innocent Filipinos as a way to get revenge because of the Filipino’s espousal of the Americans
over Japanese rule. Nowadays people of the modern world seem to forget the atrocities that

happened on 1945, Manila. Although it may be born from ignorance, the Philippines did not do

enough in regards to honoring the dead and the surviving comfort women. For the Japanese too,

for they want the world to forget their doings in World War II as it may affect future relations with

other countries. In my opinion, erasing that dark part of history to not only in books but also in the

minds of people is disrespectful to the people that unfairly lost their lives. Remembering history

is the way of respecting the ones that died and to also serve as a guide for the people of the present

and future to not repeat it ever again.

As the saying goes, we can forgive but we cannot forget, the descendants should always

remember these historical episodes to honor who died and to prevent its reoccurrence. Although

we cannot dwell on the past forever, it is ultimately up to us to eventually forgive the people who

hurt us in the past and move on.