Despite the war, wealthy young Juan Manito of the Philippines is weathering things rather well, then in quick succession things turn for the worst, first his businessman father is killed during the Japanese invasion of Manila, shortly after that he, his mother and sister are strafed and bombed in their home by a zero piloted by someone wearing a distinctive red and white scarf, Juan is the only one to survive the attack.
Vowing revenge he realizes there is no way he can get directly at the pilot who changed his life so drastically, until he pretends to be a collaborator saying he knows where to find the Philippine and American forces hidden in the jungle.
Taking him at his word a large force of troops is sent out while at the same Juan is sent ahead with them in a plane, a plane piloted by the ace in the red and white stripped scarf.
Seeing this as his only chance to take his vengeance he beats the pilot to death with a fire extinguisher even though this mean he will crash with him.
Remarkable Juan services and is found by a group of American and Filipino resistance fighters. Telling them about the false information he has given the Japanese they are able to get to an area leading to it, there they ambush the Japanese soldiers wiping them out.
Victorious, Juan joins this group and soon becomes a resourceful guerrilla fighter who is noted for his ability to devise effective attacks with only the barest ordinance (in one attack stealing rubber tires from the Japanese army and then using that rubber to turn hand grenades into mortar shells.)
His most notable abilities however are his adaptability and skill as a trickster, as he infiltrates both the enemy and collaborators, bring them both down without them really knowing who has done it.
Soon given the nickname the Filipino Kid by both the invaders and his American allies Juan, using only his quick wits and a bolo knife, makes life hard for the Imperial Japanese Army until the liberation.