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December 30, 2017

Medrano's Letter to the PHILRYCOM Requesting Reinvestigation, April 1947

December 30, 2017
The Fil-American Irregular Troops (FAIT) was a large guerrilla organization that operated in Luzon during the Japanese occupation during World War II up to the liberation of the Philippines. The organization was founded by the retired American Army officer Hugh Straughn and had units in many localities in Luzon, including Batangas. The GHQ Batangas Force, purportedly founded by one Jorge Espina, who was subsequently killed by the Japanese, was one of the units who sought recognition as an element of the Philippine Army in the service of the United States Armed Forces. In this document1, one I.R. Medrano, supposedly the commanding officer of the GHQ Batangas Force FAIT, wrote to the Commanding General of the PHILRYCOM, through channels, requesting for reinvestigation of his unit.

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

24 April 1947

The Commanding General
PHILRYCOM

S i r :

This is to acknowledge receipt of a copy of your letter dated 3 March 47, regarding the request of the General Hqs Batangas Force, FAIT, for recognition and to request reconsideration of the findings of the office on the matter.

The existence of this guerrilla unit and its activities are adequately substantiated by original records, papers of induction, etc which are now on file in that Office. To further support this claim, herewith are affidavits executed by the Commanding Officers of guerrilla units in and around its sphere of operation, which have already earned recognition. A more careful checking of records on file in that office will reveal that many officers of recognized units were originally members of this unit, a fact which proves that this unit, far from lacking continuity of activities, has expanded and branched out to give rise to many other units that later on were recognized by that office separately.

The members of this unit feel that the investigation thereof by a contact team of that Headquarters which lasted for about an hour and a half only was not sufficient to support its findings.

The contention of that Office that “the previous recognition of 101 officers and men from the Guerra Company x x x constitutes adequate and just acknowledgement of military service cannot be understood because the General Headquarters, Batangas Force, FAIT is altogether different from the Ibaan Regiment; the former was the mother organization of the latter, a relation that also exists between the FAIT and the Batangas Town Guerrillas, Luansing Co, etc.

In view of the foregoing, it is requested that a reinvestigation of this unit be made as soon as possible.

Advice of action taken hereon will be highly appreciated.

Very respectfully,

I. R. MEDRANO
c/o Hqs MPC (AP)


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Notes and references:

1 “GHQ, Batangas Force, FAIT,” File No. 110-3, downloaded from PVAO.

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