I was later on transferred to the Filipino Headquarters to become a file clerk after I met Capt. Mariano Gonzales from Bucay, Abra there. He was the Chief Files and Storage Officer, Hq. P.A. in Manila, and we knew each other there before the war. He gave me an ID and a Pass to look for my brother inside the Camp.
To be near the Hq. Filipino Camp, I was transferred to another quarters, where I met 3rd Lt. Emilio Purugganan from Bangued. He had been my classmate from elementary grades to 3rd year high school. We helped each other until we finally got released as sick POWs on August 4, 1942, the second batch of released sick POWs.
Capt. Gonzales was released and went home to Abra. When the ex-POWs in Abra were required to report at the Provincial Building upon the return of General MacArthur, he was one of those POWs who were tied together and burned alive in a house outside of the town. Lylis Demead jumped and escaped but died as a guerilla. He was my deskmate then. Around thirty in all were killed.
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