Characters in the guerrilla movement

The guerillas were generally clusters of Philippine Army and constabulary men who distrusted pledges of no harm to all who would peacefully turn in their arms and surrender. Atrocity stories discouraged them from giving up the only protection – their weapons. They soon found refuge in the interior, remained hidden for some weeks or months biding their time. Then they slowly emerged to reconnoiter, learned of others who were also in hiding, and eventually decided to band together for mutual support.

Some were survivors from Bataan and other Luzon campaigns who took a stand on non-surrender. Many were members of the Philippine Scouts or members of Leyte regiments active in the Luzon areas. Weary and dejected, weak from malaria, dysentery and tropical ulcers, they sought sanctuary in their own homesteads.[i]

Galo Maglasang of Ormoc and Marino Avila of Maybog, Baybay were typical examples of soldiers who made their way back to Leyte after their stint in Luzon.  Both were members of the acclaimed 91^st Regiment, but each went his separate way going home to Leyte. Maglasang escaped from the concentration camp in Manila by faking his release papers with the Japanese officer in charge of the barracks, who “released” him on August 12, 1942.

From there he visited an uncle at Ft. McKinley whom he saw only once in his life because that was the address he had given in his papers, then made his way to Lucena, Quezon  where a boat sailing for Carigara, Leyte was available. He paid his way to Leyte with money he hid in his socks. When he arrived in Carigara, he started walking to Pinamopoan where he met a brother of a friend who guided him all away across the mountain to Lonoy, a barrio of Kananga. Here the Tomada family took him under their care and fed him.

Nikon D5600

He finally made the last 20 kilometers to Ormoc on foot and horseback because luckily in Barrio Juaton, his friend Dionisio Torrevillas lent him a horse for his last few kilometers. He arrived in his family’s farm in Patag, Ormoc, exhausted but raring to fight again. The farm was at the edge of a forest at that time, making it easy for him to hide himself. When he reported to Miranda for duty, he was advised to rest and come back after he had fully recovered. Both Torrevillas and Maglasang later played active roles in the Western Leyte Guerrilla Warfare Forces.[ii] 

Avila was a technical sergeant in the 91^st Regiment when Bataan surrendered, forcing him to fend for himself along with a few “escapees” from the death march. Since Lucena was the gateway to the Visayas, he also took a boat to Leyte, ending up in Inopacan. From there he walked along the shoreline, hiding at the first signs of Japanese patrols, until he reached Maybog, some 26 kilometers away from the town proper.

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[i] Op cit, Lear, p.33

[ii] Justimbaste and Burgos Interview of Galo Maglasang at Mahayag, Ormoc City, June 2003

[iii] Justimbaste and Burgos Interview of Marino Avila of Maybog, June 2003