In war and peace, a perceived enemy could be the best of friend.
This is the premise of the story of the people of Dulag, Leyte about the kindness and sincerity of a Japanese officer during the height of the Pacific War in the Philippines.
Captain Isao Yamazoe was assigned in Dulag during the Japanese occupation but instead of being harsh and destructive to the Filipinos in the town, he was a loving enemy to the people which the Dulag residents during that time remembered and loved him in return.
According to Pinoy History social media platform, Yamazoe didn’t stop the schooling of children in the community during the war and he reprimanded his subordinates when they treated the Filipinos badly.
The Japanese officer was a fan of the youth who sang in unison during school presentations.
But the fierce loyalty of the guerillas was the culprit because during ambuscades, Yamazoe was a fatality in a gunfight between the imperial forces and the Filipino freedom fighters.
It was too late to save Yamazoe.
The Dulag people mourned the passing of the officer whom they considered a hero.
In his memory, the Dulag people built a monument for him after the war.
The old folks reminded the young that not all Japanese during the war were bad.
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