Aurelio Montinola, just back from a four-week visit to Negros by plane, says Roxas might come out against independence after first sounding out Washington on it. In fact, many politicians in Malacañan would willingly renounce independence if they could get away with it politically. Only Roxas could if he wanted to. As for Tydings, Aurelio startled me by saying that he was working for Cuban interests! The US is prepared to be helpful, he felt, but our leadership problems are benefiting trade rivals.

We've been hearing booms in the distance in the past two days. Some say the Japanese have attacked Antipolo and Teresa. A report also has the Japanese coming down from the mountains around Batangas to attack Lipa, and yet another report says 40,000 Japanese are around Tayabas — a surprising figure. The toll for the past week: Japanese prisoners taken, 1,037; counted killed, 9,210; total now 402,363. American casualties: 103 killed, 2 missing and 522 wounded. So how many Japanese were here in the first place?

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Ilagan freed by 37th Division troops.

Manila can expect the whole city to have electricity again by early next year. Of over 5,000 licensed shops in operation, Filipinos run 3,242, aliens have 2,200, and Americans hold only two licenses. An editorial yesterday urged Filipinos to compete in the right way and not by seeking advantages from the government.

Yesterday's House session had to be suspended after Lopez^† called Roxas a Japanese puppet and an uproar ensued.

Capt. F.M. Verano reported that Kempeitai head, Col. Nagahama, nixed Consul Jitaro Kihara and Liaison Officer Y. Imamura's proposal to allow 8,000 Japanese civilians in Nueva Ecija to surrender to the Americans. Imamura escaped anyway with his Filipina wife and five children. Told of Japanese atrocities in Manila, he answered between sobs: "I am ashamed as a Japanese. The worst traits of our troops have been unmasked in their desperate stand in Manila." Many asked him for help when their kin were in Fort Santiago. He was able to save 2,000 Filipinos there and was instrumental in releasing General Lim, who unfortunately was arrested again later.

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^† Pedro Lopez — Rep. Cebu