Eighty years ago, the Imperial Japanese Army swept through the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga during World War II, leaving behind scars that refuse to heal.
Survivors, now elderly, gather with their families and supporters at the “Bahay na Pula” or “Red House” in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, to offer flowers and remember a past that remains painfully vivid.
The crumbling structure, built in 1929 by the Ilusorio family in Barangay Anyantam, stands as a mute witness to unspeakable horrors.
In 1944, the house became a garrison for the Geki Group of the 14th District Army under Imperial Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita. Within its walls, atrocities unfolded. Filipinas were subjected to sexual slavery, and countless men and boys were executed. Eight decades later, the anguish remains sharp in the memories of survivors.
For Lola Maria Quilantang, 88, the trauma is a constant companion. Each mention of the Red House rekindles the pain she has worked so hard to bury.
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"Siyempre, may nagdadaan sa loob mo dahil yung karanasan mo nabubuksan. Nababalik na muli kahit nilimot mo na. Winawakso mo na sa sarili mo pag narinig mo yon siyempre kunakabahan ka pa rin," said Quilantang.
(Of course, it stirs something deep inside you. The memories, though hidden, resurface. No matter how much you try to forget, it all comes rushing back. When you hear about it, see it, it still makes you nervous.)
The Red House, once a symbol of wealth and stability, became a chamber of horrors during the Japanese occupation.
To this day, Lola Maria and her fellow survivors continue to demand justice for the crimes committed within its walls. Justice that remains out of reach.
"Lalaban at lalaban hanggang sa oras ng kamatayan lalaban ako para sa hustisya. Ako talaga ang tumayo sa kababaihan na malakas ang loob lalaban talaga, lalaban,” she says
(I will fight and keep fighting until the time of my death, I will fight for justice. I stand for all women with conviction, I will still fight. I will fight)
Organizations like Kaisa Ka (Pagkakaisa ng Kababaihan para sa Kalayaan) have stood by the survivors, assisting them in their legal battles.
Yet, progress is slow. The group urges the current administration to take definitive steps toward justice, not just for the survivors, but for the memory of those who perished.
Lola Maria, however, remains steadfast, even as time runs against her.
"Sa buhay na dinanas namin talaga namang yung mga lolo ninyo ang gumawa. Dapat sana bigyan niyo kami ng katarungan. Sana mahabag kayo pero nasasainyo na yan. Diyos and bahala sa atin, sa inyo at sa amin pero makakaraos din kami pero masakit sa kalooban nomin na namerwisyo sila at hindi nagbayad," Quilantang ended.
(To those whose grandfathers caused our suffering, grant us justice. We plead for your compassion, though the choice is yours. God will judge us all. We will endure, but the pain is still here, knowing they caused harm and never paid for it.)