Difference between revisions of "Southern Leyte Province, Philippines"

'''Col Ruperto Kangleon's daughter recounts family ordeal during WW II'''

*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=59780

*Tuesday, October 18, 2011

:by ES Gorne

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Oct. 18 (PIA) -- Being a member of the family of highest guerilla leader in Leyte, the 81-year old daugther of then WW II Col. Ruperto Kangleon recounts how their family suffered the ordeal of escaping from the grips of Japanese army wanting to hostage the immediate family of Kangleon during the second world war.

The fifth child of the ten siblings of then Col Kangleon, Sister Lourdes Tagle Kangleon disclosed that for at least seven narrow escape sometimes in barefoot to different places like Barili and Carcar both in Cebu City, Jetafe in Bohol, Malitbog, Hinundayan, Libagon, Sogod and St. Bernard for almost four years in hiding away from their father, who fought against the enemy of the state during the weekly kapihan segment of the “Action Center” cable tv program at the Senior Citizen’s Building in Maasin City this morning.

Sister Kangleon, a medical doctor by profession who graduated at UST Medical School and took her post graduate studies in U.S. in 1956, is connected to the Medical Mission Sisters – International Religious Congregation of Women.

She recounted in one of their escape route to a three – hour walk to the deep jungle of Libagon, wherein she, her mother and youngest daughter Cecilia were not able to join her other three brothers and older sister, Corazon escape , because she was very sick.

And to their fear, her brothers and sister Corazon were caught by the Japanese soldiers, however, failed to use them as a leverage for their father to surrender, Kangleon recounted.

She recalled their father replied to the Japanese soldiers that he would not surrender and leave the fate of his four children at the hands of God. The four of children were brought to Tacloban City to join with the rest of people who were in prisoned by the Japanese soldiers.

The younger Kangleon remembered how their survived without food most of the time as they are enroute of their escapes, some times they scratch for rootcrops different places, pressed their throats to appease hunger, among other sufferings because they were the target of the Japanese soldiers being the family of the leader of the guerillas.

After the war, she was grateful that all of the members of the family were all reunited.

She noted that the driving force of her father to be strong and dedicated to defend the nation is his love for the country.

The late Col. Ruperto Kangleon later became the Secretary of the National Defense during the administration of then President Carlos Garcia and a senator of the third congress of the Republic of the Philippines.### (PIA SoLeyte/esg)