Documents on the Batangas Town Bn's Request for Reconsideration - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore Documents on the Batangas Town Bn's Request for Reconsideration - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

Documents on the Batangas Town Bn's Request for Reconsideration

Batangas History
29 Dec, 2017
The Batangas Town Battalion, Army of the United States of America (AUSA), claimed to have received its authority to organize from one Major Ramon Ruffy, one of the prominent guerrilla leaders based in Mindoro during the Japanese occupation. This supposed unit was at one time affiliated with the Batangas Town Guerrillas of the Fil-American Irregular Troops (FAIT). It broke away from the FAIT when it was not attached to the 11th Airborne during the liberation period, since the United States Army only needed one company of the Batangas Town Guerrillas. It ultimately failed to obtain official recognition by the US Army. In this page are transcriptions1 of communications between the United States Army and the Batangas Town Battalion regarding the latter’s request for reconsideration.
Guerrilla Files jpeg
[p. 1]

NATIONAL COCONUT CORPORATION
220 TANDUAY
MANILA, PHILIPPINES

30 March 1948

The Commanding General
US Army in the Philippines
APO 707

ATTENTION: GUERRILLA AFFAIRS, G-3 SECTION
U. P. SITE, QUEZON CITY

S i r :

While justice delayed is justice denied, permit me to request for action on my petition for reconsideration on the Batangas Town Battalion, AUSA (Army of the United States of America), a guerrilla organization in Batangas, Batangas and of which I am the Commanding Officer.

My request for reconsideration, together with the additional competent evidences, were presented to and accepted by Lt. Col. S. J. Palos of the Guerrilla Affairs, G-3 Section, at U. P. Site, Quezon City on January 11, 1947, but until at present, no action has been made on it. This shall not imply impatience on our part. We understand the volume of work of the Guerrilla Affairs, G-3 Section, might have caused the inevitable delay.

In this connection, I wish to state that Sgt. Dominador Rivera, a casualty of my command, has been recognized as private a few months ago and definitely specified as a member of the Batangas Town Battalion, AUSA. The very evidences which supported this application for recognition as a guerrilla outfit. While a casualty recognition of a particular unit cannot be used as evidence for the recognition of the entire unit to which he belongs, still, fairness, justice, reason, and human consideration, which the American people are well-known to have in abundance, dictate that it can be used for the recognition of at least that part of the unit with whom the casualty so recognized was wounded in action.

Sgt. Dominador Rivera, having been wounded in action against the Japanese soldiers in Verde Island in between the period from 28 February to March 15, 1945, has been recognized as private. It is but proper that under the same recognized status shall fall the men with whom he fought and who fought with him. It is evident that he did not fight alone. He fought with 79 more of my men under my personal and direct command. It is but fair, just, reasonable, and humanly considerate to recognize the others who were and fought thru the same peril. In the task of determining whether a guerrilla organization is fake or not, we believe that actual combat with the enemy is a material evidence by itself.

We have never lost faith in the sense of equality of your command. If for a particular, a guerrilla is recognized, under the same particular, others have to be recognized, or if it is not to be such, what a glaring injustice and inconsistency of decision for the world to know.

[p. 2]

In view of the foregoing considerations, we beg to reiterate our request for reconsideration of our guerrilla unit, the Batangas Town Battalion, AUSA.

Respectfully yours,

[Sgd.] PABLO AGUILA

[p. 3]

HEADQUARTERS
PHILIPPINES-RYUKYUS COMMAND
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL

GSCPU 091 PI / 1183 APO 707
7 JUN 1947

Mr. Pablo Aguila
National Coconut Corporation
229 Tanduay, Manila
Philippines

Dear Mr. Aguila:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter, dated 11 January 1947, in which you request reconsideration of the unfavorable decision rendered by this headquarters on 28 June 1946 with regard to the request for recognition of the Batangas Town Battalion. This letter was misrouted in this headquarters and has only recently come to our attention. It is regretted if this delay has caused you any inconvenience.

It is the desire of this headquarters to avoid all appearance of arbitrary decisions in the case of claimant guerrilla units. Your request for reconsideration is, therefore, accepted. It must be emphasized, however, that it would be extremely helpful if you were to forward as quickly as possible such additional pertinent documentary evidence as has not been submitted previously and which, you feel, reflects favorably upon your claim. Such additional data should be original documents, or photostatic copies of the original documents, or true copies of the original documents, certified to by United States Army officers of field grade on duty with the Guerrilla Affairs Division, G-3 Section, of this headquarters.

Your request for reconsideration will be placed on file in this headquarters to await appropriate action at the earliest practicable time. However, a considerable delay is to be expected before a final decision can be rendered on your organization since many claimant guerrilla units remain to be investigated initially and review of rejected units must necessarily follow them.

Sincerely

THOMAS J. BROWN
CWO, USA
ASST ADJ GEN

Col G. F. Lillard:

Basic, ltr fr Pablo Aguila to CG, PHILRYCOM, dtd 11 Jan 47, requesting reconsideration of the Batangas Town Battalion.

1st Lt George E. Kemper

Concur: Lt Col S J Palos, Chief, Unit Branch

[p. 4]

National Coconut Corporation
220 Tanduay, Manila
January 11, 1947

The Commanding General
United States Army in the Philippines
APO 707

S i r :

Having been informed that the Batangas Town Battalion, AUSA, a guerrilla unit in Batangas, Batangas, under my command, has not been favorably considered for recognition as an element of the Philippine Army due to the fact that its activities had not contributed materially to the defeat of the enemy and that the record of service had not been supported by sufficient evidence, I have tried all my best to find or get in contact with Major Dickerson of the 24th Inf. Div., with whom I and eighty (80) of my men had fought the Japanese soldiers at Verde Island from 28 February to 15 March 1945, to obtain from them the necessary papers to the effect of the above, but until at present, I have not been able to.

The other course left for me then to do was to find the Filipino officers who have pertinent knowledge of the fact that we had engaged in activities with the American Liberation Forces that contributed materially to the defeat of the enemy. Being a self-supporting student in the City of Manila with no full time in looking for the necessary competent witnesses, I had been able to find them only a few days ago. Permit me, therefore, to present to you now the affidavits of Majors Ramon Ruffy and Florentino Medina, and reiterating my absolute faith and confidence in the sense of fairness, justice, and consideration of the United States Army, may I beg to request reconsideration of the said unit.

Very respectfully,

[Sgd.] PABLO AGUILA

Notes and references:

1 “Batangas Town Bn, AUSA,” File No. 48, online at the United States National Archives.
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