We Must All Hang Together . . .

During the Second World War, a Catholic Philippine hero, General Manuel Roxas, was captured by the Japanese, sentenced to death, and led out to a secret place to be executed.

General Roxas was one of the leaders of the Filipino resistance to the Japanese invaders who overran his homeland when, in 1942, he was captured by his enemies on the island of Midanao. Japanese headquarters in Manila ordered Roxas to be executed “secretly and immediately.” A senior Japanese officer, Colonel Nobuhiko Jimbo, was ordered to carry out the execution by firing squad. However, the Japanese command did not know that Jimbo was a Catholic. Arriving at the spot designated for the execution, Jimbo refused to fulfill the order which he considered unjust and murderous.

Risking court-martial, Jimbo flew to Manila to personally confront the Japanese Commander-in-Chief, General Homma. Jimbo’s heroic disobedience of an unlawful command and his courageous appeal to the highest authority ended up saving the life of General Roxas, when Commander Homma, moved by his subordinate’s plea for mercy, countermanded the order issued before by his own staff.

After the war, Roxas had an opportunity to repay his benefactor. Many Japanese officers had been captured in China and were being held as prisoners-of-war with a probable execution imminent. Colonel Jimbo was one of the prisoners. Roxas, who by now had become the President of the Republic of the Philippines, found out about the plight of Jimbo and arranged, through the intervention of Chiang-Kai-Shek, for his release. Being himself unaware of his fate, Jimbo found himself escorted to the Philippines. Here he was received with jubilation and affectionately thanked by the President, who honored him by naming him a Knight of Rizal.