Letter Requesting Exception to Deadline, Application for Recognition, September 1947 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

The Batangas Intelligence Unit was one of the many guerrilla organizations that operated in the Province of Batangas during the Japanese Occupation up to the liberation of the Philippines by the Allied Forces in 1945. The unit was commanded by one Ramon Limjoco. Unfortunately, the folder containing documents related to this unit yields very little information, so that it is not even apparent if the use of the name Batangas by this unit pertained to the then-town or the province, or if it was affiliated with any of the large guerrilla outfits that operated in Batangas. This unit even failed to meet the deadline for submission of requests for recognition as an element of the Philippine Army in the service of the United States Armed Forces during the liberation of Batangas. In this document¹, Limjoco wrote to General George F. Moore, Commanding General of the Philippines-Ryukyus Command, requesting to be exempted from the deadline imposed by the command to the submission of applications for guerrilla recognition.

September 8, 1947

Gen. George C. Moore
Commanding General
PHILRYCOM, U. S. A.
APO 707

S i r :

I have the honor to request that exception be made of our case relative to the order of your good office fixing the recognition date of guerrilla organizations and/or units in the Islands. In this connection, I feel constrained to state that our guerrilla unit, the Batangas Intelligence Unit, failed to take, in due time, the necessary steps for its recognition for reasons beyond its control. As commanding officer of the Unit, I had in my custody all the pertinent papers regarding our organization and was, therefore, the proper person who should have taken the requisite steps for the recognition of the unit. Unfortunately, however, I was hurriedly sent away by the USAFFE HQ on January 8, 1945 to the United States for [a] Refresher Pilot Course, without having sufficient time to entrust the matter of recognition of our unit to another member of the organization. Consequently, no steps whatsoever could have been taken to secure the early recognition of this unit, and for the same reason, the failure to secure recognition could not be attributed could not be attributed [to] any negligence on our part.

For ready reference, we have the honor to enclose herewith the chronological history of the unit.

Knowing of your zealous attitude to do justice to the deserving, we cannot but anticipate your favorable consideration of our request.

Very respectfully,

RAMON LIMJOCO
1016 T. Ayala
Singalong, Manila

Notes and references:
¹ “Batangas Intelligence Unit,” File No. 179, downloaded from PVAO.