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December 30, 2017

Talatala's Petition for the Setting Back of the Date of Recognition, June 1947

December 30, 2017
The Santo Tomas Guerrilla Unit was an outfit formed and operated out of northern Batangas, with its headquarters located on a hill in Mount Makiling near the town of Santo Tomas. The outfit was commanded by one former Captain in the USAFFE named Lorenzo Talatala and would later become affiliated with the President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas (PQOG), one of the large guerrilla organizations operating in Luzon. In this document1, Talatala wrote to the Guerrilla Affairs Branch of the Philippines-Ryukyus Command to petition for the setting back of the guerrilla unit’s recognition date.

[p. 1]

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HEADQUARTERS
MILITARY POLICE COMMAND PHILIPPINE ARMY
BBB MANILA NORTH ROAD

4 June 1947

SUBJECT

TO

ATTN

: Setting back of date of recognition; additional supporting papers of the Santo Tomas Guerrilla Unit (PQOG)

: Commanding General, PHILRYCOM, APO 707

: Guerrilla Affairs Branch, G-3 Section

1. In compliance with verbal instructions of Major Murray, G-3 Section, that Command, the following supporting papers are attached hereto for consideration.

(1) Ltr Col Vicente S Umali
(2) Ltr Lt-Col Ray Monte
(3) Ltr Lt-Col Ray Monte
(4) Ltr Brig-Gen Avancena
(5) Instructions Maj Fraukner
(6) Note Maj Johnson
(7) Authorization Col Hottenstein
(8) Recommendation Col Borbon
(9) Authorization Lt Inwood
(10) Note Maj Johnson
(11) Acknowledgement Major del Pilar
(12) Acknowledgement Lt-Col Talatala
(13) Memo to Lt-Col King
(14) Ltr to Maj-Gen Swing
(15) Affidavit Lt Penid
(16) Affidavit Lt Santos
(17) Affidavit Lt Gonzales
(18) Affidavit Lt-Col Pasia
(19) Affidavit Capt Beredo
(20) Affidavit Lt-Col Medrano 		12 May 1947
19 Aug 1943
6 Jan 1944
8 Feb 1944
6 Mar 1945
2 Mar 1945
30 Mar 1945
17 Feb 1945
29 Mar 1945
11 Mar 1945
4 Jan 1945
8 Jan 1945
25 Mar 1945
22 Mar 1945
14 May 1947
12 May 1947
14 May 1947
17 May 1947
17 May 1947
17 May 1947

2. It may be mentioned that during our previous petitions for recognition of this Unit, majority of our records were given as evidence, thus leaving only a few now in our possession. The said papers were given while in the field of operations and the exigencies of the situation prevented us from reproducing true copies of same. Among those furnished our original records were:

(1) Major J. Vanderpool, Guerrilla Liaison Officer, US Army.
(2) Capt Schommer, HQ 11 A/B Division at Tagaytay.
(3) Lt Col King, 8th Cavalry Regmt at Sto Tomas, Batangas.
(4) Lt Col F. S. Wright, 511th Prcht-Inf Regmt at Sto Tomas, Batangas

[p. 2]

3. Moreover, on 19 November 1944, our Hq in Bo Ulango, Tanauan, Batangas was raided and burned by no less than 300 Japanese soldiers. In this raid:

(1) Many of our records were burned;
(2) The whole house with all its contents including rice and other supplies were also burned; and
(3) Three of our men were caught, tortured, hanged and killed by the enemy. Colonels Vicente S Umali and Primitivo San Agustin knew about this raid to our CP, the former having just left the place when the raid took place.

In view of the foregoing, it is requested that the inclosed supporting papers be considered sufficient for purposes for setting back the date of recognition of the Unit.

[Sgd.] LORENZO N TALATALA
Captain, Inf (IGS)
Inspector, MPC (PA)


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Notes and references:

1 “Sto Tomas Grla Unit, I Corps, PQOG,” File No. 271-29, online at the United States National Archives.

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