Memo to GHQ Liaison: Data on the Hunters or ROTC Guerrillas, Dec 44

1 December 1944

Subject To

:Data on the Hunters or ROTC Guerrillas : GHQ Liaison Officer Confidential

1. The following data on this command are calculated to give the AIB Office a more or less clear picture of the Hunters or ROTC Guerrillas as an organization:

a – HISTORY: The Hunters were organized on the 15^th [of] January 1942 by a group of cadets from the Philippine Military Academy and the ROTC Under the leadership of ex-cadet MIGUEL VER PMA ’43 in San Juan, Rizal. The first units to infiltrate into the mountains for regular combat with the Japanese reached ANTIPOLO MTS, RIZAL on the 6^th April 1942. From here, the organization expanded to the different sections of RIZAL, MANILA, LAGUNA, CAVITE, BATANGAS, TAYABAS, and then ZAMBALES, PANGASINAN and BATAAN. The first one and half years had been characterized by action against Japanese patrols, columns, installations, and the elimination of spies and collaborators. The second one and a half years were devoted to further expansion and improvement of the tactical as well as territorial organization, intelligence work, elimination of spies and collaborators, and procurement of armament from Jap arsenals, constabulary academies, p;risons, etc.

b – TERRITORIAL and TACTICAL ORGANIZATION: The Hunters cover extensively the eastern half of SOUTHERN LUZON, and extensively the western half, and also that of WESTERN LUZON.

(1) Territorial Organizations: Southern Luzon had been divided into two divisional areas, the 44^th DIVISION Area which is composed of the provinces of RIZAL, LAGUNA, and TAYABAS, the 47^th DIVISION Area which is composed of the city of Manila and the provinces of CAVITE and BATANGAS. Western Luzon had been divided into PROVINCIAL-COMMANDS, the Bataan Command, the Zambales Command, and the Pangasinan Command. In the case of Southern Luzon, each province is a Regimental Area, each group of towns a Battalion area or a Sub-Sector. Each Battalion Area or Sub-Sector has REGULARS (or Combat-Units regularly encamped in the field) and HOME GUARDS organizations or TOWN and BARRIO UNITS which are composed of patriotic citizens of the place who compose the RESERVES. The report for duty in the combat camps [is done] by rotation. They supply the combat camps and CP’s with food, labor, clothing, information. While it is intended that their functions shall be supply and intelligence and sabotage only, they also form the reserve force and may be called upon to serve it with the regulars during the expansion of the Combat forces. So, there are Barrio Commanders, Town Commanders, Sub-Sector Commanders or Battalion Commander,

In the case of WESTERN LUZON Hunters Units, and the Town Units and Barrio Units are centralized under one command – directly under the provincial Command Posts.

CO HUNTERS C of S HUNTERS Adj.-Gen. AC of S G-1 AC of S G-2 AC of S G-2 AC of S G-2 AC of S G-3 AC of S G-4

Terry Magtangol2, PMA '44 - Guer. Col. Johnnie St. John, PMA '44 - Guer. Lt-Col. Justo Franco, Law '38 - Guer. Maj. Robert Tabberrah, Maj USAFFE - Guer. Maj. Juan Daza, Law Student - Guer. Maj. Marcelo Castillo, Maj OSP-USAFFE - Guer. Maj. Guillermo Monfort, Maj MI USAFFE - Guer. Maj. Rigoberto Atienza, Maj USAFFE - Guer. Maj. Carlos Albert, Capt OSP-USAFFE - Guer. Maj.

44th Division Location of CP: ANTIPOLO MTS Div Cmdr: NARCISO VILLA-ROTC Div AG & G-1 Oscar de la Rama - Commerce Grad ROTC G-2 - Antonio Liban - ROTC G-3 - Pedro Francisco - PMA '40 G-4 - Vicente Abaya - Maj- USAFFE IG - Ernesto Bascon - Law '37 JAG - Gregorio de Guia - Law '38 FO - Benito Legarda - ROTC MO - Dominador Feleo - MD, USAFFE

47th Division Location of CP: ALFONSO MTS CAVITE Div Cmdr: EMMANUAL OCAMPO - ROTC Div C of S - Eufracio Villanueva, PMA '44 Div AG & G-1 - Zoilo de Leon - ROTC G-2 - Max Agudo - PMA '44 G-3 - Jovito Alcova - 1st Lt-USAFFE G-4 - Arcadio Marquez - BSC IG - Jose Castillo - Law '39 JAG - Mariano Noriel - Law '40 FO - Arsenio Diaz - BSC '37 MO - J. Castillo - MD - Lt-USAFFE

44th Infantry (RIZAL) CO Jose Montefalcon PMA '44 CP PILILLA MTS, RIZAL 1st BN CP: CAINTA MTS, RIZAL 2nd BN CP: TANAY MTS, RIZAL 3rd BN CP: TAGUIG MTS, RIZAL 1st BN CP: STA MARIA, LAGUNA 2nd BN CP: PAGSANJAN, LAGUNA 3rd BN CP: CALAUAN, LAGUNA

47th Infantry (MANILA) CO Herminigildo Atienza, LL.B. CP LAS PIÑAS, RIZAL 1st BN CP: ERMITA, MANILA 2nd BN CP: STA CRUZ, MANILA 3rd BN CP: TONDO, MANILA 1st BN CP: SILANG, CAVITE 2nd BN CP: GENERAL TRIAS, CAVITE 3nd BN CP: MARAGONDON, CAVITE

46th INFANTRY (Tayabas) CO: Vicente Mohadan, ROTC CP: MAUBAN MTS, TAYABAS 1st BN CP: MAUBAN, TAYABAS 2nd BN CP: UNISAN, Tayabas 3rd BN CP: TAYABAS, TAYABAS

49th INFANTRY (Batangas) CO: Jacinto del Pilar PMA '44 CP: CALATAGAN-LIAN MTS, BATANGAS 1st BN CP: CALATAGAN, BATANGAS 2nd BN CP: MABINI, BATANGAS 3rd BN CP: LIPA, BATANGAS

(2) Coverage: The following towns with their barrios and mountains as well as field areas contain Hunters Units either Combat or Home Guard Units:

44th DIVISION AREA: A. 44th Infantry Montalban-San Mateo-Marinduque-Quezon City-San Juan-Mandaluyong-Makati-Pasig-Cainta-Taytay-Antipolo-Angono-Cardona-Tanay-Pililia-Malabon-Navotas. (San Mateo and Montalban are more controlled by the ECLGA than the Hunters. Tanay is more controlled by the Marking's Guerrillas. B. 45th Infantry Sta Maria-Siniloan-Pangil-Pakil-Paete-Longos-Lumban-Pagsanjan-Pila-Bay-Calauan-Los Baños-San Pedro. (Sta. Maria is estimated to be more controlled by the Marking's than by the Hunters. Pagsanjan-Lumban-Pila are jointly controlled by the Hunters, Hukbalahaps, and Fil-Americans) C. 46th Infantry Mauban-Tayabas-Padre Burgos-Unisan-Candelaria-Sariaya-Infanta. WESTERN LUZON AREA: A. Zambales Command: Olongapo-Subic-San Marcelino-Castillejos. B. Bataan Command: Pilar-Balanga and barrios C. Pangasinan Command: Aguilar-San Carlos-Mangatarem-Urbiztondo-Clemente-Bayambang.

47th DIVISION AREA A. 47th Infantry All Manila Districts-Pasay-Parañaque-Las Piñas-Muntinglupa-Taguig-Pateros. (There are Marking's ECLGA, Kalayaan Command, Hunters or ROTC units side by side in the city of Manila, but all along the towns south of Manila along the bottleneck are controlled by the Hunters or ROTC Guerrillas.) B. 48th Infantry Maragondon-Naic-Tanza-Bacoor-Imus-Dasmariñas-Carmona-Silang-General Trias-Indang-Baelen-Magallanes and Amador-Ternate. (Tanza, Amadeo-Dasmariñas are more controlled by semi-bandit organizations that also fight that Japanese but most of the time prey on the people. These bandits claim themselves as guerrillas. The most notorious of the bandit leaders is PATROCINIO ERNE of TANZA. C. 49th Infantry Nasugbu-Lian-Calatagan-Calaca-Balayan-Talisay-Mabini-Batangas-Lobo-Sto Tomas-Malvar-Lipa-Mataas-na-Kahoy-San Juan.

2. The following area list of other guerrilla organizations working side by side with the Hunters in Southern, Western, and Central Luzon:

a – The Kalayaan Command USPIF, formerly known as USAFFE Guerrilla Forces. This command is under Maj BERNARD ANDERSON. It has its Headquarters in the Infanta area, but its main organization is in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija. This unit has many agents in Manila and other places.

b – The Marking’s Guerrillas, led by MARCOS V. AGUSTIN, who has his Headquarters in the TANAY MOUNTAINS, RIZAL. Its main organization is concentrated in ANTIPOLO-TERESA-MORONG-BARAS-BINANGONAN-CARDONA-TANAY-STA MARIA. It has units also in MANILA and some other parts of Rizal where the Hunters have greater control.

c – The ECLGA under Major EDWIN RAMSEY, which controls SAN MATEO-CALOOCAN-SAN FRANCISCO DEL MONTE-NOVALICHES-POLO-MAYCAWAYAN-and other Bulacan towns. It has units also in Bataan, MANILA, and PANGASINAN, NUEVA ECIJA.

d – The HUKBALAHAPS of Southern Luzon under PEDRO VILLEGAS whose Headquarters is in SAN ANTONIO, LONGOS, LAGUNA. It has its main organization in LONGOS, PAETE, SAMPALOC, MAGDALENA, MAJAYJAY, Tayabas and Laguna.

e – The PHILIPPINE CHINESE GUERRILLAS formerly with the HUKBALAHAPS but later decided to be independent. It is under the leadership of [blank] and is about 80 riflemen in number. They roam from town to town in Tayabas.

f – The FIL AMERICAN GUERRILLAS which stay at San Pablo, NAGCARLAN, PAGSANJAN, and other nearby towns of Laguna. Many FIL AMERICAN groups had affiliated with the Hunters and also with the Marking’s. Due to lack of leadership since the capture of Lt. Colonel STRAUGHN, that organization has fallen into several quarreling factions.

g – EX-USAFFE Guerrillas of BATAAN under an American named BOONE. They stay at ORION, LIMAY, ABUCAY.

h – The PRESIDENT QUEZON’S OWN GUERRILLAS later changed to PIG (PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT GUERRILLAS) reputed to be functioning under the 10^th Military District. Its leader is VICENTE UMALI, formerly a Town Mayor of Sariaya, TAYABAS. This faction controls western Tayabas and some eastern Batangas towns.

3. It is estimated that the present enlisted strength of this organization is about 30,000 with enlisted supporters at some 200,000.

s/ Terry Magtangol
t/ TERRY MAGTANGOL

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