Yamashita treasure? Pangasinan townfolk baffled by diggings

TAYUG, Pangasinan – Municipal officials here are demanding a public inquiry on who initiated a treasurehunting activity in front of the Tayug Fire Station, which is inside the municipal hall complex.

Vice Mayor Lorna Premicias-Tacdol was among the town officials who were left wondering who could have been behind the diggings in front of the fire station, which apparently took place just when the entire country was subjected to community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Some curious municipal hall personnel, led by Adriano Santiago, have managed to peep inside the cordonedoff area with blue tarpaulin, and saw a freshly dug hole.

Other municipal officials have reportedly been able to climb down the hole, and have explored additional diggings in what looked like two old tunnels that were “long and dark.”

Local residents have surmised that the tunnels could have been part of the Yamashita legend and the treasures he stashed during World War II.

Tayug town was Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita’s base of the Second Armored Division and the 10th Reconaisance Regiment of the Japanese Imperial Army.

It was said that Yamashita, known as “Tiger of Malaya” for successfully occupying Malaysia and Singapore, was assigned to the Philippines in the later part of the war and took camp here to put up a last stand against liberating American forces.

Yamashita reportedly stationed his troops in Tayug as a blocking force against the Americans as the Japanese made their way up to Mountain Province using the Villa Verde Trail in nearby San Nicolas town.

It was also said that Yamashita brought with him his war booties gathered from his previous conquests, and hid them somewhere in Northern Luzon.

The Yamashita treasure has since been the object of countless hunting activities, both domestic and international.

But municipal officials here are concerned about how the diggings could affect the structural integrity of the two-story fire station, and how these were allowed to be undertaken during the quarantine period.

They are also seeking an inquiry on who initiated the diggings, and whether permits were issued for these.

And if there really was a series of tunnels under the fire station, the municipal officials also want to know if any artifacts or treasures were discovered and taken.

Tayug Mayor Carlos Mapili and Tayug Fire Chief Insp. Armand Corpuz have yet to issue their statements on the diggings.