Because of their refusal to join the Huks in fighting against the Japanese, the Witnesses were often suspected of being pro-Japanese. The Huks would regularly attempt to recruit the brothers for guerrilla warfare. Especially were they interested in Brother Lacanilao, since he was a fluent speaker and good organizer and they believed he possessed some “hidden wisdom” because he had dabbled in spiritism and forecast future events before he learned the truth. At first they tried to entice him with offers of high position in their organization; later they used pressure. But he steadfastly maintained his neutral position and continued serving the brothers as zone servant, visiting congregations in all the central Luzon provinces to strengthen them.

This brother translated past Watchtower articles regularly into Pampango for the benefit of the brothers. He would type or write out his translation. Then this would be lent to different families. The family heads would prepare questions on a certain section and submit these to the study conductor. The daily text was translated from the latest Yearbook available, and this would be discussed by each family after singing songs. Little by little, Brother Lacanilao also translated the Society’s book Children into Pampango, doing so orally while a battery of fourteen brothers in a circle around him copied down what he said. Since he was wanted by the Huks, he would do this translation work in hiding, at one time working in a hut in the center of a watermelon field, while brothers kept watch outside in case visitors should come. If people did come around, Brother Lacanilao would hide his typewriter underneath other things in a wicker basket and pretend to be doing something else.

Because material being translated was selected to build up the brothers in the faith, they were well fortified spiritually for the difficulties they faced. Since they were captured and investigated many times, often they escaped death only through the intervention of relatives who were with the Huk movement. On one occasion, however, Brother Armando Sarmiento, a presiding overseer, was captured, hung upside down from a tree and used as a knife-throwing target until he was killed. Thus he died faithful to Jehovah as a person who refused to violate his Christian neutrality.

In spite of the critical situation, the brothers were able to meet together for “zone assemblies” from time to time. In September of 1943, they met in barrio Mandili in Candaba, Pampanga. Brothers from Pasay City and Manila, as well as a large group from Angat, Bulacan, were invited.

Thus the brothers in central Luzon kept active and strong in faith during the war. When the war ended, Brother Lacanilao continued to build up the brothers under the direction of the branch office until one day, July 9, 1945, when a band of Huks broke into his home and demanded at gunpoint that he go with them in their fight against the Philippine government. When he steadfastly refused, the berdugo (executioner) counted to three and fired at him point-blank in front of his brothers and sisters. He lived for a half hour after this, and to comfort him his family sang a Kingdom song entitled “Forward, March Even unto Death!” This faithful brother spent his dying moments encouraging his family to faithfulness and discussing the sure hope of the resurrection.

In February of 1945 the American forces arrived, and the prisoners in the Santo Tomás University in Manila were released. Brother Dos Santos was given treatment by the United States Army and was finally released on March 13, 1945. He weighed only thirty-six kilograms (80 pounds) at that time, to compare with sixty-one kilograms (135 pounds) when interned. Telling of what he experienced in prison during the latter part of his stay, he says: “In the last months there was acute starvation. A bowl of thin rice water with salt was given to every person every day. Anything, such as camote peelings, weeds and other greens that could be gathered in the camp yard, found its way to our empty stomachs to lessen at least the horrible feeling of hunger.”

Although Brother Dos Santos had been the only Witness in the prison camp at the outset, in January of 1944 he was joined by two others, Brother Van Bolin and his twenty-year-old son John. Brother Bolin had been discharged from the American armed forces and had returned to the Philippines in 1941. Along with his son, he was determined to pioneer. They were assigned to Zamboanga City, but shortly after they arrived the war came and in May 1942 they were imprisoned by the Japanese in Zamboanga City. In 1944 they were transferred to Santo Tomás University where they were met by Brother Dos Santos. They arranged to study together regularly and they held the Memorial celebration that year inside the prison camp.

During their confinement these three brothers had used every opportunity to share the truth with fellow inmates. They had also kept their integrity to Jehovah God.

Toward the end of 1944, the Americans began periodic bombing raids on the Philippines. This caused the Japanese occupation forces to institute harsher controls on the people. At the same time, guerrillas had been mobilized, and Jehovah’s Witnesses found themselves between two fires, as it were. So, in some areas the brothers were forced to flee from their homes. Those in La Union took to the hills and jungle, and in Baguio City Witnesses took refuge in caves as a protection from the bombing. Wherever they went, they took along their literature and continued studying God’s Word.

In spite of the precautions taken, the brothers could not avoid all contact with the opposing forces, and many times they were beaten by either Japanese spies or Filipino guerrillas. Up north in Bucay, Abra, Brother Isabelo Taeza and his pioneer group, fourteen of them in all, were arrested by the Japanese. The fourteen brothers were imprisoned, to be executed after a few days. Every evening they were beaten with a piece of wood or a pick handle. No food was given them for three days. When the day of their execution came, the Japanese notified the town mayor, as was their custom. The mayor, in turn, informed the brothers’ relatives, but, when he found that some of these were his close friends, he intervened on behalf of the condemned Witnesses. Happily the execution was stopped and the brothers were freed. Certainly, on that occasion they felt the protecting hand of Jehovah over them!

Later, the same group fell into the hands of the guerrillas, who demanded that they either join them or be killed. Out of fear, one or two of these pioneers compromised on this occasion, but the majority stood firm and were not harmed.