Legendary Yamashita Treasure resurfaces?

Is the Yamashita treasure real? Why and how were the Marcoses suddenly connected to it? Who is Yamashita?

Nobody really knows, but interesting developments regarding the Yamashita Treasure have recently cropped up.

On "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho", we learned that sometime in 2010, the local government of Ifugao discovered a tunnel near the location where Yamashita surrendered to the Americans during World War 2.

The tunnel in Tinoc, Ifugao.

It almost confirms the story about how Yamashita, before he surrendered, hid his wealth in various caves and tunnels.

It was said that General Tomoyuki Yamashita arrived in the Philippines on October 4, 1944, allegedly bearing what we now refer to as the Yamashita Treasure – about US$100 billion worth of looted valuables from different parts of Southeast Asia.  The Philippines was their last stop before heading home to Japan.

But barely a year in the country, World War 2 broke out and in September 1945, General Yamashita, surrendered to the Americans in Kiangan, Ifugao. He allegedly hid his wealth in over 100 caves and tunnels before accepting defeat.

So the 2010-discovery of a 15-meter tunnel in Tinoc, a town next to Kiangan where Yamashita surrendered, piqued the interest of a few individuals.

Five years later, authorities researched about the tunnel. The KMJS team went to investigate and found bottles of alcohol (offerings to the mountain gods, locals say), remains of massive landslides blocking the tunnel, a hole allegedly made by illegal treasure hunters, and no treasure.

Some locals also kept a few items retrieved from the tunnel:  a chest with Japanese characters carved in its body, a Katana sword, and a telephone cable.

The chest recovered inside the tunnel

Tinoc residents say they want to restore the tunnel and turn it into a historical landmark and a tourist spot. Hopefully, the income generated from these efforts will give them the treasure they’ve been looking for. — LA, GMA News