Makapili

Makabayang Katipunan ng mga Pilipino (Filipino for Alliance of Philippine Patriots) better known as the Makapili, was a militant group formed in the Philippines in 1944 during World War II to give military aid to the Imperial Japanese Army.[1] Organised by Benigno Ramos and Artemio Ricarte, they were born out of José P. Laurel's refusal to conscript Filipinos for Japan.[2]

The Japanese decreed that the group should be founded in November 1944 when they brought together many of the supporters of the defunct Ganap Party.[3] Like Ganap its main area of support was Metro Manila, although Makapili established chapters across the islands, attracting some support.[4] In all it attracted 4 to 6,000 members, many of them poor or landless farmers who came to the group due to vague promises of land reform after the war.[5] Their main purpose was to counter guerilla activity by anti-Japanese forces in rural areas and to this end members of Makapili were given rudimentary military training.[5]

After the war ended in 1945, the group was disbanded and vilified for its involvement in some Japanese atrocities in the islands and individual members faced trials for treason as a result.[6]

A 1951 film of the same name was made starring Justina David.[7]

References

  1. "G.R. No. L-943". Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  2. Jovito Salonga, 'A tribute to Dr. Jose P. Laurel'
  3. William J. Pomeroy, The Philippines: Colonialism, Collaboration, and Resistance, p. 114
  4. "ASIAN JOURNAL a San Diego original. The 1st Asian Journal in Ca,USA. A Filipino American weekly. Online - Digital - Print Editions.". Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 Stein Ugelvik Larsen, Fascism Outside Europe, Columbia University Press, 2001, p. 785
  6. "G.R. No. L-885". Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  7. "Makapili (1951)". IMDb. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
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