• Behind the Thousand Peso Bill

      Published on 04-11-2012 08:54 PM  
      34 Comments Comments

      When you get hold of a thousand peso bill, have you ever asked yourself who are these people in that blue gem in our hands? Many of you may not know them and most importantly, why they are there.

      A colleague of mine asked me, "Sir, who is Jose Abad Santos on the 1,000 bill?" I was a bit astounded that not all of us are familiar with Jose Abad Santos. I am sure that asked who the others are in the bill with him, I would be given a definite shrug on the shoulders.

      The thousand peso bill contains the faces of then-Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, Vicente Lim and Josefa Ilanes Escoda. You might want to memorize these names as it might be asked in some game shows. (Haha!)

      To unravel the life of one of them, let me talk about Jose Abad Santos. He became Chief Justice of the Commonwealth Government on December 24, 1942. He was also the Secretary of Finance, Agriculture and Commerce by the time President Manuel L. Quezon and Vice President Sergio Osmena fled to the U.S. to escape from the Japanese forces. On the outbreak of the war, the Chief Justice chose to stay with his family in the country and was given full authority as caretaker on behalf of the President of the Philippines.


      He was captured by the Japanese Forces at Carcar Cebu exactly 70 years ago today--April 11, 1942, together with his son and was forced to swear allegiance to the Japanese flag. But to his captors, the brave and unbowed Chief Justice said "I would rather die than be a traitor, I would prefer to die rather than live in shame." For his continuous refusal to cooperate with the enemy, the brave chief justice was sentenced for a firing squad on May 02, 1942.

      With a heavy heart and tears in his eyes, his son Jose "Pepito" Abad Santos Jr. a Lt. Junior Aid of President Manuel L. Quezon, recalled the events on the execution of the brave Chief Justice:

      He cautioned me and said "Do not cry Pepito, show these people that you are brave and not everybody has the opportunity to die for one's country, son."

      He marched proudly with his shirt flapping and after that I went up to the house; I took my prayer book and read the prayer for the dead. After a few minutes I heard a volley of shots and I knew that my father was killed.

      There are unspoken heroes, one of them is the former Chief Justice. All we have to do is look beyond the glamour of money and remember the bravery of these heroes.



      By:

      Diego Salvador
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      Comments 34 Comments
      1. redner109's Avatar
        redner109 - 05-01-2012, 03:27 PM
        thanks for d info now i know
      1. Isay's Avatar
        Isay - 05-02-2012, 07:20 PM
        Thanks for the info. )
      1. Diego Salvador's Avatar
        Diego Salvador - 05-06-2012, 06:18 PM
        Quote Originally Posted by xavisimao View Post
        Gen. Vicente Lim, highest ranking filipino military official under mcarthur during the japanese occupation. Was beheaded when trying to escape to Australia.
        Gen. Vicenti Lim was the first Filipino graduate of the West Point Academy, on the defence of Bataan were the Japanese met the stiffest resistance he was the commander of the 41st Infantry Division of Philippine Army until it finally surrendered due to lack of reinforcements. This great General was captured while on his way to Negros Island were an allied submarine is waiting and supposed to take him to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, he was incarcerated and tortured by his captors and was never seen again since 1944.

      1. Diego Salvador's Avatar
        Diego Salvador - 05-06-2012, 06:27 PM
        Quote Originally Posted by geo25 View Post
        I am familiar with Abad-Santos and Llanes Escoda. I don't really know the Filipino-Chinese guy.
        Gen. Vicenti Lim was the first Filipino graduate of the West Point Academy, on the defence of Bataan were the Japanese met the stiffest resistance he was the commander of the 41st Infantry Division of Philippine Army until it finally surrendered due to lack of reinforcements. This great General was captured while on his way to Negros Island were an allied submarine is waiting and supposed to take him to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, he was incarcerated and tortured by his captors and was never seen again since 1944.
      1. Diego Salvador's Avatar
        Diego Salvador - 05-06-2012, 06:48 PM
        Josefa Llanes Escoda was the founder of the Girls Scout of the Philippines and the Federation of Woman’s Club; she was also responsible on the establishment of the Red Cross Chapter throughout the country. Together with his husband Antonio Escoda a prisoner of war, they associated with the Volunteer Social Aid Committee or VSAC enlisted aid for the prisoners of war, especially those who participated in the infamous Death March. She opted to stay in prison with her husband and other war heroes and even turned down a chance to have freedom just to stay with her beloved inside the prison; she is more willing to die in suffering than live the rest of her life in guilt. She was executed with his husband on February, 1945 and her body was never found again.
      1. sexybianca's Avatar
        sexybianca - 06-10-2012, 02:51 PM
        Aahhhhh








        aaaaah
      1. fire2k8me's Avatar
        fire2k8me - 06-22-2012, 08:26 PM
        maytag naa koy 2k pampalit tarantula.. hehe
      1. franzyap's Avatar
        franzyap - 06-22-2012, 09:23 PM
        kuyawa d.i story aning kwartaha.. hehehe nice
      1. gunsky's Avatar
        gunsky - 06-24-2012, 06:44 PM
        Quote Originally Posted by Diego Salvador View Post
        Gen. Vicenti Lim was the first Filipino graduate of the West Point Academy, on the defence of Bataan were the Japanese met the stiffest resistance he was the commander of the 41st Infantry Division of Philippine Army until it finally surrendered due to lack of reinforcements. This great General was captured while on his way to Negros Island were an allied submarine is waiting and supposed to take him to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, he was incarcerated and tortured by his captors and was never seen again since 1944.
        Has anyone found the remains of Vicente Lim?
      1. Diego Salvador's Avatar
        Diego Salvador - 06-25-2012, 12:24 PM
        Quote Originally Posted by gunsky View Post
        Has anyone found the remains of Vicente Lim?

        Yup, his death remained a mystery until 1994, when his family was able to contact a Japanese-American eyewitness who revealed that Gen. Lim, along with more or less 50 guerrilla fighters was beheaded and buried at a Chinese cemetery.
      1. gunsky's Avatar
        gunsky - 07-01-2012, 03:57 AM
        Where exaclt is this Chinese cemetery?
      1. Diego Salvador's Avatar
        Diego Salvador - 07-02-2012, 12:14 PM
        Quote Originally Posted by gunsky View Post
        Where exaclt is this Chinese cemetery?

        He was buried at La Loma cemetery or the Manila Chinese cemetery, along with other guerrillas including Col.Antonio Escoda husband of Josafa Llanes Escoda.
      1. gierome's Avatar
        gierome - 08-17-2012, 10:52 AM
        now i know. informative kaau. tnx. ang 2 ka tao asa naman?
      1. niegel's Avatar
        niegel - 06-03-2013, 12:00 AM
        thanks sa information

        - - - Updated - - -

        ako sad niya pangutan on akong mga colleagues ani hehehe
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