Heroes, Brigands, Spies

In memory of our World War 2 veterans

For 75 years, the celebration of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s landing in Palo’s Red Beach has always generated a euphoria in the public mind conditioned to think that Leyte’s liberation has been solely due to the American Ceasar’s victory over Japan. It tends to gloss over the participation of local guerillas in the bloody skirmishes that followed that landing. Indeed, the locals were put aside in the final assault against the Japanese Imperial forces, their roles relegated to being porters, couriers and guides to American soldiers unfamiliar with Leyte’s terrain. The sacrifices that they made in more than three years of Japanese occupation prior to the landing have been largely forgotten. Records that tell of their deadly encounters with the Japanese have remained in the archives, probably never to see the light of day.

But the recent declassification of such military encounters would show that there were many unsung heroes other than Ruperto Kangleon or Alejandro Balderian. Indeed, the roles of local guerrillas in the overall victory against the Japanese Imperial forces need to be reassessed, even as the erstwhile uncelebrated guerrillas have to be exhumed from anonymity and their persons acclaimed as heroes.

The Americans were never in awe of the local guerrillas’ ability to fight. Nor did they trust them with guns. But they were useful as guides, porters or couriers. There are ample illustrations of these in photographs that graphically illustrated the guerrillas’ new roles in the war of liberation. The conventional battles that followed MacArthur’s landing were almost solely in the hands of American and other allied soldiers.

Heart and blood pressure monitor

The arrival of the Americans paved the way for Kangleon to run roughshod over the forces which he could not control – the Western Leyte Guerrilla Warfare Forces in the northwestern part of the island. The organization was hastily dismantled, their structure demolished. His men took over what was left of it, helping the Americans and doing their errands. Their record of encounters against the Japanese troops were forgotten or overlooked..

After the war when its veterans came to file their claims, those of the WLGWF went unheeded even if several letters and petitions were sent to the American authorities who handled the claims. A few years ago, as many as 3,000 guerrilla fighters under the WLGWF were unrecognized. Today, more than half of these claimants have already passed away, their claims as veterans largely ignored.  But just recently, we have been able to access declassified documents that related in graphic details of their courage and heroism in the many encounters against the enemy. The deeds of many of these unheralded names clearly show their contribution to the eventual downfall of the enemy. 

As we celebrate the 75th year of MacArthur’s landing, let us dedicate a piece of this celebration to the unknown and forgotten heroes of Leyte’s liberation, even as we raise our hands in salute to the great American Ceasar as he takes center stage.#   

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