Memo Recommending Recognition of San Juan PQOG 1st Battalion, January 1946

The President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas (PQOG) was a guerrilla organization which fought the Japanese in World War II. The guerrilla outfit was among those that operated in Southern Luzon, including Batangas. It had many units in the province, one of which was in the eastern Batangas town of San Juan. In this January 1946 document¹, President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas Commanding Officer Vicente Umali wrote to the Commanding General of the United States Army’s Western Pacific Command recommending the recognition of the PQOG’s San Juan Battalion.



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HEADQUARTERS
PRESIDENT QUEZON’S OWN GUERRILLAS
Advised by Col. Wendell W. Fertig 0254976
Luzon, Philippines

25 January 1946

SUBJECT TO

: Recommendation for recognition : The Commanding General, AFWESPAC, APO 707

1. Recommend the recognition of the 1^st Battalion, San Juan Regiment, President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas, for the following Reasons:

a. Authority to organize the San Juan Regiment was granted by the undersigned as Commanding Officer, President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas, on 15 May 1942. Dr. Emilio Bolaños of San Juan, Batangas, was designated as Commanding Officer of this Unit, with the rank of Major, on the same date.

b. Complete powers were given to Major Emilio Bolaños to recruit and organize members of the San Juan Regiment, from San Juan and Rosario, Batangas and Candelaria, Tayabas Area.

c. As per instructions, this unit of the President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas shall collect and evaluate all matters of military intelligence about the enemy, and transmit the same to my Headquarters without delay. This unit was also authorized to gather and collect arms and ammunition possessed by unauthorized persons. Reports were to be rendered periodically and as the circumstances required.

d. The activities of the Unit are summarized as per attached brief history of the Organization. (Incl. No. 1)

2. All members of this Unit were not carried in the approved roster of the 1^st Regiment of the President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas, in view of the fact that only one Regiment covering the provinces of Tayabas, Batangas, Laguna, and Cavite was organized and approved by the Headquarters.

[Sgd.] VICENTE S. UMALI
Colonel, Inf.
Commanding

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Notes and references:
¹ “1ST BN, SAN JUAN REGT., I CORPS, PQOG,” File No. 271-21, downloaded from PVAO.

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