Japanese archaeologists may retrieve bones for free

CEBU - Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the province may grant the request of Japanese archaeologists to retrieve bones of their dead soldiers for free if the excavation team would give something back to the communities where the bones would be excavated.

An excavation team from Japan, which dug bones of Japanese soldiers that died in Cebu during the war, has asked that it be allowed to dig for free the next time around.

The team has already dug 249 bones from the southern part of the province but some residents in the area reportedly ask for payment for bones they themselves have excavated. The team would continue excavation next year.

But during a courtesy call, Garcia told the team that she may grant their request if they would give something back to the communities the excavations would encroach. 

“You are asking me to ask the people not to sell it but what is the contribution of the Japanese government to the community? What good does this do to the community? Helping these towns may be the final step to closure of the terrible war that we went through,” Garcia said.

Garcia said Capitol can set certain guidelines but only if the team will make the retrieval of bones a joint undertaking with the province.

“If this will be a joint undertaking, certain guidelines will be set,” Garcia said.

The team promised to convey the invitation to the Japanese government but said initially they would welcome the proposal.

Being the most densely populated island in the Philippines during World War II, Cebu served as base of Japanese soldiers during an occupation that began with the landing of the Japanese Imperial Army in April 1942.

About three years later in March 1945, Philippine and American forces landed and reoccupied the city during the liberation of the Philippine Islands.

Cebuano soldiers led by American James Cushing were credited for the capture of the Koga Papers, which said to have changed the American plans to retrieve the Philippine Islands from the Japanese in 1944 by helping the US and Philippine Commonwealth troops enter Cebu in 1945.

The bones of soldiers that were retrieved in Cebu would be brought to Japan to be honored as heroes.  — Garry B. Lao/JMO (THE FREEMAN)