| Summary/Abstract |
Part of a larger, in-depth biographical study of the Filipino writer and diplomat Leon Maria Guerrero (1915–1982), this article deals with Guerrero’s wartime activities. Having studied under American Jesuits at the Ateneo de Manila in the 1930s, Guerrero became critical of the Americans during the Japanese occupation. As an officer in the Military Intelligence Service in Bataan, he was disillusioned with America and was forcibly employed by the Japanese. This article explores the reasons behind Guerrero’s transformation during the Japanese occupation. After the war, a People’s Court was established to try charges of collaboration. Guerrero was never indicted in the court and, as one discerning observer, Tomas Santiago, noted, he was able to escape trial despite having served as propagandist for the Japanese Hodobu or Department of Information. Was Guerrero a traitor? And if so, whom did he betray? This article addresses these questions in the context of how Guerrero responded during his work as a radio commentator to the challenges posed by the Japanese occupation – akin to walking a tightrope. The article analyses selected and preserved radio commentaries in addition to taking note of oral and historical accounts. It concludes with a consideration of the wider ramifications of the politics of collaboration in the context of American policy towards the Philippines.
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