Republic of the Philippines
Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Office of the Secretary
Manila

July 23, 1952

The Honorable
The Attorney-General
Tokyo, Japan

Dear Sir:

This is to certify that I have known Mr. TEOHIMI KUMAI, a member of the Japanese Forces in Iloilo during the occupation period. To the best of my knowledge and belief, Mr. Kumai has, during such period, behaved commendably and has in many instances, helped Filipino civilians and government officials. In view of such actuations, not a few people since then have reminded me of his actuations, which were not ordinary occurences among the Japanese soldiers and men during the occupation period in the City and Province of Iloilo where I have resided during the greater part of the Japanese occupation.

Very sincerely,

FERNANDO LOPEZ
Vice-President of the Philippines






CERTIFICATE

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I hereby certify that I personally know Mr. TOSHIMI KUMAI and that I came to know him when he was stationed in the Province of Iloilo as an officer of the Imperial Japanese Forces during the occupation of the Philippines by Japan.

That I was then the Governor for the Province of Iloilo and as such had on several occasions official relations with the said Mr. Toshimi Kumai during his tour of duty in Iloilo Province.

That I had known him at all times to be a gentleman and to have been very cooperative in helping me alleviate the sufferings which our people were then enduring.

That on several occasions I had requested Mr. Kumai's help to secure the release of innocent civilians and also of the members of the Guerrilla Forces who were then detained by the Imperial Japanese Forces and he had always extended me that help, among them Congressman Jose Aldeguer, who was then the Deputy Governor of the Ressistance Government under Governor Tomas Confesor in the Island of Panay, the children of Guerrilla Major, Eriberto Castellon, and others.

That during my incumbency as governor for the Province of Iloilo I had not come to know of any crime whatsoever committed through direct orders of Mr. Kumai.

This certificate is issued upon the request of Mr. Toshimi Kumai who is now detained in Sugamo Prisons, Tokyo, Japan, for him to use when his case is reviewed by the Clemency Committee of the United States.

City of Iloilo, Philippines, October 3, 1952.

FERMIN C. CARAM





(COPY)

Iloilo High School
Iloilo City, Iloilo
Philippines Islands

Mr. Toshimi Kumai
1-32 77-1, Nishisugamo
Toshima-Ku, Tokyo, Japan

Received yours dated October 10, 1952 on the 13th instant. It surprised me and my whole family to note of your present situation, more especially of my six children.

I am surprised that you cannot forget my six captured children. Thelma Castillon, Eriberto Castillon Jr., Benjamin Castillon, (Babe) Soledad Castillon, Napoleon Castillon and Nicky Castillon. They all shed their tears while I read year letter before them. After I read your letter, I asked them if they can still remember you and your commander Col. Tosuka? They all answered yes.

Allow me to inform you of the progress that the six captured children had made after the war:

1. Thelma Castillon is a university graduate - Bachelor of Science in Education - Major - Phy. Edu.

2. Eriberto Castillon Jr. - Dr. of Dentistry - National University

3. Benjamin Castillon Jr. - Pre-Med. Sto. Tomas University

4. Babe (Soledad Castillon) - Pre-Dentistry - San. Agustin College

5. Napoleon Castillon - Second Year High School -Iloilo high School

6. Nicky Castillon - Grade Four - Training Dept. - Iloilo Normal School

If they are what they are now - they owed that from you (Toshima Kumai & Col. Tosuka). Because if you were a brute or murderous as the others call you, my children will prove your innocence.

For you, Toshima Kumai and Col. Tozuka, my wife Mrs. Columba Suiza Castillon, my whole family and myself wish to convey to both of you our cherished hope of your acquital and our ever lasting gratitude.

For me, being a soldier-Officer, I could say that you and Col. Tozuka are great soldiers and Officers of the Japanese Imperial Forces.

During the liberation of Panay, I tried my best to contact you (Toshima & Tozuko) at the Concentration Camp, but I was not allowed then.

My intention was to meet you personally and express my profound gratitude for the noble character an altruism that you have extended to the prisoners of war belonging to the family of USAFFEE officers and guerilla of Panay.

Your actuations in Panay, Philippines, convinced me that you did your best within your power not to commit attrocities. There are living witnesses that could come to rescue you from your present predicament. Not only my family but from other people who were witnesses of your humanitarian acts. I can assure you and Col. Tozuka, if still alive. I'll do my best to secure affidavits from some guerilla Officers and civilians for your immediate acquital from prison camp.

Affidavits and certifications of friends are hereby attached and present these papers as your supporting evidence for your immediate acquital.

Respectfully yours,

ERIBERTO CASTILLON
Major Inf. (Res.)






Workmen's Compensation Commission
Department of Labor
Tanduay, Manila, Philippines
January 14, 1953

TO: The Minister of Justice of Japan
Tokyo, Japan

SUBJECT: Exoneration from Guilt or Extenuation of Penalty.

Sir:

In justice to a man whose acts had been condemned by the Courts to be characterized by brutalities and atrocities and sentencing him to an extreme penalty without a scintilla of guilt. I have the honor to forward to your office, as one of the living witness the truth of TOSHIMI KUMAI'S actuations in the field of military operations in my district at Panay, Philippines.

A native of Panay, a guerrilla during the war and a daughter of an officer of the USAFFE with which your country was at war, with candor of frankness and sincerity, valiantly lay before you the series of events exonerating a man Toshimi Kumai, an educated officer of the modern type, moulded in an anvil of Western civilization and human as a Christian, of all the imputations and charges of barbarity dragged against him. I should have adopted the prevailing sentiment of hatred against any Japanese of whatever category, but human and Christian as I am, I must extend only to those who are spiritually, legally and morally guilty of any crime charged by the War Commission. Knowing as God knows, the man Toshimi Kumai, together with the following officers: Col. Tozuka, Capt. Matzusaki and Dr. Nakamura had made and accorded fair and cordial dealings with all persons in our district, be they connected with the underground movement or not. To them I owe my life and lives of some of my people during the hectic days of the war.

To narrate such hair raising incidents which I thought of, to be the end of our lives when we were held captives by the Japanese Forces, I thought as my state of mind had led me to believe, that the Japanese as a whole are famed for their barbarity, brutalities and atrocities against any Filipinos or Americans much more with women which I thought it was to be the last moment to see the dusk of the day. I was belied by that degree of fear when I together with we brothers and sisters and some Filipino civilians held captives, sometime in April, 1944. Expecting of such as I had to expect to come, we were given a treatment which to my humble opinion only God's creature with a kind and human heart could have done. Those investigated and found guilty, together with those who were innocent were given food, shelter, clothings and medical treatment under the guidance of a generous and merciful officer, Toshimi Kumai. My brothers and sisters, together with some of the rest of the Filipinos held captives in the mountain were turned over to Dr. Caram, Iloilo Governor at that time. Those who were confined were given fair treatment and not subjected to rabid torture. Stern warning to the soldiers were made to indoctrinate them with the fair and human relations to prisoners of war or otherwise. I could have been appropriate to state as a visual witness over all the incidents and happenings in the districts where Col. Tozuka and his men operate. To mention specific cases of his human actuations, though in the military duty, was Mrs. Clara Carbonell, who together with her children were given comfort, aid, shelter and food although the said official knew that her husband was one of their powerful enemy. Another instance that belie the imputation was the case of the pressman owner of the La Editorial, a daily newspaper in Iloilo, who had been suspected of underground activities. Adopting the democratic ways of investigation by an officer as Kumai, trained under the American ways of life, the said pressman was accorded fair and due hearing and later released and turned over to the Governor. More of the Japanese whom I had thought of were cruel and unkind, but to this

I would emphatically say that he is a different officer in the Japanese Army as his culture had been obtained from a modern and Christian country that of the United States where the conduct of fair dealings with enemies at war were then observed by him. If ever we can attach a taint of barbarity to this officer and the others in relation to the perticular operation in my district, perhaps, the lives of my five brothers end sisters, together with Mrs. Carbonell and her children, the pressman and hundreds of Filipinos held captives, at the Kempetai headquarters, their lives would not have been spared. For if a man has that instinct of barbarity more so when his loyaly to his country be accounted for considering that at that time they already knew that defeat is inevitable, perhaps to revenge the lives of hundreds of innocent and guilty ones bad been liquidated to satisfy their barbarous and monstrous desire. To the respect for womanhood. Capt. Kumai is a good if not excellent. Such respect in him had never ceased, as throughout his tour of duty in our place, I had seen him accorded due respect to our Filipino women and children. I firmly believe that for every

rule of classification made in the conduct of any human being, there is but some exceptions. I am not a recipient of any considerations nor promise of any reward to have these events retold, but I am prompted by my conscience and Christian spirit to help those who were innocent.

At this juncture, I am ready to submit myself to be a witness in his favor for if that will only be the instance under which a person could reciprocate a dealing accorded with her family and people, I would not hesitate. I am not afraid to be quizzed on those points even in your country for nothing fails short of lies can be visualized. I offer myself and the rest of my family in defense to an erroneous verdict to a man who never simply committed a serious crime as was imputed to him.

As a prayer hereof, appealing to the sense of justice to your country, coming from an enemy during the war, I lay this plea of exoneration of the alleged guilt of the said Tushimi Kumai and other of his co-officers in the outfit at Panay during the Japanese occupation or to extenuate his culpability if ever desirable.

Respectfully submitted:

THELMA S. CASTILLON

Subscribed and sworn before me this 14th day of January, 1953, at Manila, Philippines, affiant exhibiting her residence Certificate No. 0090628, issued at Manila, on January 13, 1953

NOTARY PUBLIC
Commissions expires Dec. 31 1953