The billions worth of gold deposits that were looted in the different parts of the Asia-Pacific region that were brought and buried by the Japanese Imperial Army in the country which became popularly known as the Yamashita treasure does not actually exist or is highly improbable, an official of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) said here recently.
PVAO Deputy Administrator and Assistant Secretary retired Brig. Gen. Restituto Aguilar disclosed that Gen. Tomoyoki Yamashita, popularly known as the Tiger of Malaya, was in the country for only 20 days when American Gen. Douglas McArthur aided by American forces landed in Leyte to fulfill his promise that he shall return and started the hostilities that liberated the Philippines from the tyrannic Japanese rule on September 3, 1945.
He pointed out that it was impossible for Yamashita to amass the gold and bury the same in various locations around the country when the Japanese forces were already fleeing towards Northern Luzon while the American forces were advancing, thus, the Japanese forces had to ensure their safety first rather than hiding their supposed loot.
Further, he explained that the fleeing soldiers will not also waste their time burying the said loot because they will prioritize carrying their food, firearms and ammunition and eventually secure their safety and protect their higher authorities.
The PVAO official stipulated that it is also impractical for the Japanese forces to bring their loot from the Asia-Pacific region to the country through their vessels because the country’s exit and entry points had already been deployed with submarines by the American forces that caused the sinking of hundreds of Japanese ships.
According to him, what is likely possible is that the buried hold bars in strategic areas in the country could have been the handy work of the predecessors of Yamashita.
Aguilar said that Yamashita’s predecessors include Gen. Homa and two other generals where one of them was allegedly killed in Iloilo.
He recalled that based on the narration of historians, Yamashita flew in the country from Japan that is why it was impossible for him to have brought his alleged loot and that while in the country, the American forces landed in Leyte after only 20 days that eventually started the country’s liberation from the Japanese rule.
He called on the public not to be misled by those who continue to insist on the presence of the so-called Yamashita treasure so that they will not eventually lose their hard-earned money.
Aguilar stipulated that people should be circumspect in the use of their money, especially in investing this to finance the search for the Yamashita treasure because the loot does not actually exist in the first place that could lead to the eventual loss of their money.
The Cordillera is identified as one of the areas in Northern Luzon where the so-called Yamashita treasure is supposed to have been hidden by the Japanese forces while fleeing from the pursuit of the joint American and Filipino forces.
