Their situation became increasingly desperate as the artillery duel raged on between American and Japanese batteries. The latter had two batteries on the Boulevard embedded in concrete with the munitions cache well dug in. Cleared of civilians long ago, it's almost inexplicable that American shells or dive-bombers didn't silence the Boulevard batteries until the 14th. Meanwhile, the Remedios Hospital was in the line of fire. When American shells fell short, as they did occasionally, they landed around the hospital. As the battle proceeded, the Americans started using mortars.

The little hospital's luck held until 1800 of the 13th, when a direct hit by a heavy American shell practically disintegrated it. Dr. Tony Laora, Nurse Lorena Fernandez, Father John Lalor of the Malate Church (the only Malate Father who escaped the massacre there) and many others died. The survivors elected to evacuate to the empty lot across the street behind the leveled Limson Drugstore. They proceeded during the night — walking with hands held high — while the Japanese played target practice with them. An evacuee was hit in the thigh, which prompted Manolo to stay one more night at the hospital with his wife and two children. It was to prove a fatal decision.

The following morning at 0800, he was preparing to evacuate when another shell hit the hospital, fatally wounding his wife and three-year-old baby. His baby bled to death in six hours; his wife had difficulty breathing but hung on. He propped her on a chair and covered her with pillows against falling debris, all the while ignoring her pleas for him to save himself. Only two or three people were left in the hospital by then. His elder daughter (6-8 years old) evacuated with the Cuyugan family while he stayed to care for his wife. He put sulfanilamide powder on the small but deep shrapnel wound on her back. The shelling continued, so he moved his wife and dead baby by wheelbarrow to the ruined basement of the Quiogue house.

At 1000 of the 15th, a man named Lara came by and said that the Americans were two blocks away at the San Andres Market^†. Manolo loaded his wife back on the wheelbarrow, the other fellow loaded his three wounded daughters on another, and they joined the few making for the American lines. The Japanese stopped them quickly by shooting and killing a Mrs. Delgado — Ruby's mother. (Ruby had already lost her father on the North side.)

Manolo and Lara returned to the ruined basement to wait for the Americans, who arrived six hours later with two Japanese prisoners in tow. The Filipinos promptly beat the two into a pulp, tied them to a tree and shot them. Manolo asked for hospital aid. The Americans said sorry but the Medical Corps wouldn't be there till the next morning. It was 1400 of the 15th; Manolo's wife was only semiconscious. Never realizing that the Americans had come, she expired at midnight.

^† Probably the Malate Market in San Andres St.

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