MANILA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared Sept. 3 of every year a country-wide special working public holiday in commemoration of the surrender of the Japanese military forces led by Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita in Baguio city during World War II, the presidential office said on Tuesday.
Yamashita was later tried for and convicted of war crimes committed by Japanese troops under his command during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines between 1942 and 1945.
He surrendered to the combined American and Philippine forces on Sept. 2, 1945 in the town of Kiangan in Ifugao province. On Sept. 3, he was brought to Baguio City, where he formally signed surrender documents before the American high commissioner.
Duterte has signed the law on Feb. 14, but a copy of the law was released on Tuesday.
