On the Right

Manila, Nov. 14—To understand Marcos, or—rather—to try to understand him, requires a little concentration on what happened to the Philippines, and to him, during the Second World War. Fortunately, the attention does not wander because, in its gruesome way, the story is fascinating. Perhaps the basic datum is that during the occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese, ferocity was rampant. The Japs killed one million people, l/17th of the population in those days. Comparable figures for the United States would be the slaughtering of 12 million people over a period of four years. The reason the Japanese acted so brutally is that in the Philippines —unique among the occupied countries— there was an organized resistance. A young lawyer, recently graduated first in his class, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, figured prominently in that resistance.

Endeavoring to help the Americans besieged at Corregidor, Marcos was caught by the Japanese, wounded, and dragged along on the famous Bataan Death March. He survived the march, and for his pains was turned over to a Japanese torturer, whom we shall, call Mr. Shintu. Instructed to get from Marcos his knowledge of the resistance, Mr. Shintu experimented with a number of devices including filling Marcos’ belly with water and jumping on it; though settling, mostly, for simple, savage beatings with a club. Marcos agreed finally to lead a Japanese detachment to the resistance center but contrived instead to lead it into the arms of an ambush which wiped out the Japanese and liberated Marcos. “It was at the hands of the torturers,” he said years ago to a reporter, “that I learned to hate.”

About the Author

William F. Buckley Jr.

William F. Buckley Jr. founded National Review magazine in 1955.

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Manila, Nov. 14—To understand Marcos, or—rather—to try to understand him, requires a little concentration on what happened to the Philippines, and to him, during the Second World War. Fortunately, the attention does not wander because, in its gruesome way, the story is fascinating. Perhaps the basic datum is that during the occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese, ferocity was rampant. The Japs killed one million people, l/17th of the population in those days. Comparable figures for the United States would be the slaughtering of 12 million people over a period of four years. The reason the Japanese acted so brutally is that in the Philippines —unique among the occupied countries— there was an organized resistance. A young lawyer, recently graduated first in his class, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, figured prominently in that resistance.

Endeavoring to help the Americans besieged at Corregidor, Marcos was caught by the Japanese, wounded, and dragged along on the famous Bataan Death March. He survived the march, and for his pains was turned over to a Japanese torturer, whom we shall, call Mr. Shintu. Instructed to get from Marcos his knowledge of the resistance, Mr. Shintu experimented with a number of devices including filling Marcos’ belly with water and jumping on it; though settling, mostly, for simple, savage beatings with a club. Marcos agreed finally to lead a Japanese detachment to the resistance center but contrived instead to lead it into the arms of an ambush which wiped out the Japanese and liberated Marcos. “It was at the hands of the torturers,” he said years ago to a reporter, “that I learned to hate.”