By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

After three treasure hunters died when a tunnel collapsed in Sibulan, Negros Oriental last week, a local historian in Bacolod City denied the fabled Yamashita treasure, also referred to as “Yamashita’s gold,” is in Negros.

In a radio interview over the weekend, Modesto Sa-onoy said the hunt for the Yamashita treasure started after World War II, when reports circulated that the Imperial Japanese forces buried stolen gold bars from their conquests in the country.

Sa-onoy believes the Yamashita treasure, which was named after Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita, is not located in Negros since the general was never assigned to the island, nor did he ever step foot in Negros.

Sa-onoy said it would be “stupid” for the general to leave behind gold bars due to the American presence and it would be more logical to have brought them back to Japan.

He also pointed out, excavations and surveys of war tunnels dug out by the Japanese in Barangay Patag, Silay City have all come up negative for any treasure.

Sa-onoy added, under the law, any treasure found cannot be owned by any individual as the country would acquire it is part of national heritage. Gold bars, in particular, would become part of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas gold reserves.

Based on a separate research conducted by Watchmen Daily Journal, Yamashita was assigned to the Philippines in late 1944, when he assumed command of the Fourteenth Area Army, which oversaw the defense of Luzon during the American landings in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

Yamashita eventually surrendered to allied forces in 1945 and was executed after being found guilty of war crimes in 1946./DGB, WDJ