Thursday, September 12, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
"Tomodachi" Our Old Comrades in Arms Since "Tondo Conspiracy of 1587"
On June 20, 1899, the Japanese vessel Nonubiki Maru left Nagasaki for the Philippines loaded with 10,000 rifles, 5,000,000 rounds of ammunition and other war supplies purchased by Mariano Ponce.
Ponce with the aid of the Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, in his mission to Japan, obtained sufficient support from the Japanese military and a few Japanese politicians to enter into agreement to purchase arms and ammunition in the Spring of 1899. At the same time, arrangements were made for retired Japanese officers to go to the Philippines as advisers to the Filipino army against the Americans. These officers actually served with the Filipino forces but the attempt to ship arms to the islands was a complete failure.
Several Filipino intellectuals who immigrated to Japan like General Artemio "Vivora" Ricarte, became naturalized subjects of the Meiji government and were vying the Japanese government to sell surplus rifles left from the war in Korea to the growing Filipino rebels in the Philippines. But the Meji Government simply do not want to commit anything, as it feared retaliation from Europeans.
Mariano Ponce went to Japan days after Spanish started arresting propaganda leaders, succeeded in buying two shiploads of arms and ammunition from the Japanese government. The first shipment was loaded on the ship Nunobiki-maru, along with 10,000 arms, 5 million ammunition, accompanied with Japanese officers and volunteer soldiers who want to serve in the Filipino Rebel Army. Unfortunately, a typhoon sunk the ship off the coast of Formosa and the second shipment was not delivered until the capture of Aguinaldo by the Americans, which prompted Ponce to donate it to Sun Yat-sen, a close friend and a revolutionary against the Manchu rulers of China.
Tagawa Moritaro, a carpenter from Nagasaki, has become a successful businessman in the Philippines. It appears in June 1895 that Supremo Andres Bonifacio asked him to establish a trading company that exports hemp, tobacco, sugar and other products (produced by Katipuneros) on which the income would be used to buy Murata rifles in Japan. Bonifacio remarked that the Katipunan will pay all the expenses if Moritaro will go to Japan to arrange the purchase. Moritaro agreed to Bonifacio's deal, established the Moritaro Trading Company, went to Japan and persuaded the Meiji government to sell arms to the revolutionaries. However, nothing came out of the deal.
It is not well known that Supremo Andres Bonifacio had a secret meeting with the Japanese consul in Manila and some visiting Japanese naval officers in May 1896 and sought Japanese support for the Philippine revolution.
The man who arranged the meeting and acted as interpreter was a certain "Jose Moritaro Tagawa" (the same Tagawa Moritaro), a resident of Bocaue town, north of Manila, married to a Filipina, who was introduced to the Supremo by Pio Valenzuela. Moritaro is one of the many veterans of the Sino-Japanese War who fought on our side during the Filipino-American War. To name some of these veterans; Lieutenant Sintetu Nishiuchi, Lieutenant Asahiro Inatomi, Lieutenant Keizo Miyai, Lieutenant Kesakichi Mizumati, Sergeant Major Saburo Nakamori and Sergeant Shinobu Masuda. More research is still undertaken not only to trace the background of these men, but also to find out their motivation. Did they sympathized with our struggle for independence or were they gun for hire mercenaries?
Whatever their reasons some were highly regarded, like Captain Chizuno Iwamoto, who served as flag officer of Emilio Aguinaldo during the Filipino-American War. These men arrived in Manila toward the end of June 1899 and were met by a Japanese businessman based in Manila Moritaro Tagawa who arranged their passage by sailboat across Manila Bay to Orani town in Bataan province, west of Manila and from there by land to the headquarters of Emilio Aguinaldo in the province of Tarlac, North of Manila, they were led by a certain Captain Tei Hara.
Captain Tei Hara was born in 1864 in Ina, Nagano, he studied in the Imperial Military Academy and eventually rose to the rank of captain of the Imperial Bodyguard Division. Captain Hara fought under General Tomas Mascardo in the provinces of Zambales and Bataan and was even cited for gallantry in action. He returned to Japan and fought in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He died in 1933. What makes Hara stand out is that his deathbed request was for his sister or her heir to watch and wait for the independence of the Philippines. As soon as the Philippines was independent this news should be reported to him at his grave.
- ka tony
the 19th of June '13
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Where have all the Esteros gone?
Thailand’s
capital city, Bangkok is called the "Venice of Asia" because of its
canals, so as China's Suzhou is often dubbed the "Venice of the East."
In fact The City of Manila should be called "Venice of Asia" for the
city has more canals or esteros than Bangkok and Suzhou. Perhaps the
title Venice of Asia was not given to Manila because Intramuros, then
was the Manila they knew, minus the districts that are now part of Metro
Manila.
Old Manila had many inlet rivers, which during the
Spanish time we called "esteros" which are the seaward end or extension
of a river. They contain a mixture of fresh water from the river, salt
water from the sea and their water levels rise and fall with the tide.
Throughout Manila's history, some thirty-five esteros flowing into or
have been associated with Pasig River, Manila Bay and Laguna be Bay.
Estero de Binondo is one of two estuaries bounding the island of
Binondo, Manila's famous Chinese district. The Bridge of Spain was then
called "Fuente Espana" (now Jones Bridge) was built in 1632 to allow
easier access for the exclusive "peninsulares" living in Intramuros (Manila
walled city) via it's Puerta de Isabel II, then driven to Binondo from
the foot of the bridge of calle Escolta - (the Spanish word "escortar" to escort, where Escolta got
it's name) to be escorted by carruajes, also to cross San Fernando Bridge to go
shopping in San Nicolas district. Before 1570 "Ysla de
Binondo" as Binondo was originally known during the Manila/Acapulco
Galleon Trade, was the center of Chinese
trade. In 1594 the Chinese "Parian" or market place on Mejan Garden was
moved to Binondo on calle "Sacrista" now Ongpin street, it was given
free to the Chinese, also tax free by the Spanish Cortes for as long
they were willing
to be baptized Catholic.
Binondo and San Nicolas has Estero
de Binondo which extends to Estero de la Reina, Ongpin, Gandara,Estero de
la Industria, crosses Soler street ends at Reina Regente. Estero de
Binondo was the setting of Rizal's "Noli me Tangere," which was the back of the
house of Capitan Tiago. Binondo's waterways as Rizal mentioned in his
book had different roles of bath, sewer, laundry, fishery,
transportation and drinking water.
Tondo has the wide Estero
de Vitas, Ampioco, Patria, Estero Sunog Apog that drains water from
Manila, dumps water to Manila Bay via Estero de Vitas, Herbosa,
Moriones, Estero Teneria, Abukay, Molave, Bambang, Estero de San Lazaro
and Estero de Magdalena. Estero near Tondo's "Pritil Bridge" in 1866 was
called "Canal de la Reina" named after Queen Isabel II of Spain, drains
water
from Manila as far as Tayuman Street, Claro M. Recto Avenue and ends in
Binondo, where there's a floodgate or pumping station in that end
at Muelle de Binondo and dumps water into Pasig River at its southern
tip.
Dumps water into Manila Bay via Estero de Vitas in its northern tip,
where "casqueros" or boatmen transported goods from northern provinces
like Pampanga & Bulacan via Pasig River to Divisoria market.
Pandacan has Estero de Pandacan drains Paco and leads to Pasig River.
It was immortalized by the poet Balagtas, "Ilog Beata" his tender lyrics
"Kay Selya." That is why streets by Estero de Pandacan were named after
characters of Balagtas; Florante, Laura, Aladin, Adolfo, Flerida,
Antenor and of course "Selya" who was Maria Asuncion Rivera, the first
love of Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar.
Ermita and Malate has
Estero San Antonio Abad and Estero Balete, while Quiapo has Estero de
Quiapo and Estero de San Sebastian. Sampaloc's San Juan River and
Estero de Valencia. San Miquel, where the Malacanang Palace is located
is surrounded by the Pasig River. Paco has Estero de Paco, Estero
Concordia, Estero Balete and Estero Provisor, while Santa Cruz has Estero de
la Reina and Estero de San Lazaro.
Santa Ana the first and the
oldest of the three kingdoms of "Namayan" (the now City of Manila), also
called Kingdom of Sapa later be called "Maysapan" and Christianized
into "Santa Ana de Sapa" now simply as Santa Ana, has
Estero de Santa Clara and the longest Estero Tripa de Gallina. This long estero wasthe main
reason why Maysapan or Santa Ana was easily reached by Chinese mechant's
Junk boats bartering their Chinese goods with the locals. "Tripa de
Gallina" (chicken intestine), drains water from Manila, Paco, San
Andres, Makati as far as Forbes Park, Fort Bonifacio and then
through Buendia Avenue in Makati and Pasay (including Bangkal and Don Bosco
Makati) and then in Paranaque. Dumps water into Manila Bay via the
Paranaque River at an intersection near western side of the NAIA runway.
These canals or esteros, I mentioned are located in the old
City of Manila, not counting the rivers, esteros and canals of the now
Metro Manila. Basically Manila is surrounded by water, which flows to
the main artery of Pasig River, that meets Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay.
...so, where have all these esteros gone? They're gone to be a garbage
dump by the Manilenos, some were claimed by illegal buildings, streets
and barong-barong. But they reappear once again as "one wide estero"
during monsoon season reclaiming almost the whole city of Manila. Where
have all the esteros gone? have a "circular answer" like the Latin
phrase... "Ubi sunt qui ante nos fuerunt?" meaning "Where are those who
were before us?"
- - ka tony
the 29th of July, '13
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
The Ingenious Gentleman Supremo Luis Taruc
A nationalist, folk hero and defender of social justice, Luis Mangalus Taruc was born of peasant parents in San Luis, Pampanga on 21st of June 1913, like his father Nicanor, he became a farmer. After high school in Tarlac, he enrolled at the University of Manila, he dropout of college and opted to become a tailor in San Miguel, Bulacan.
He was deeply into socialism & in 1935 exposed to agrarian injustices and poverty around him decided to leave his haberdashery business to his wife so he can help, protect and serve the poor, maltreated and suffering peasants. Influenced by his idol socialist Pedro Abad Santos of San Fernando, Taruc joined his "Aguman ding Maldang Tala-pagobra" (AMT, Union of Peasant Workers) and in 1938, the "Partido Socialista." When the latter evolved into the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas, where he became an officer of rank.
During the 2nd World War, Taruc, together with Casto Alejandrino, Felipa Culala (Kumander Dayang-Dayang) and Bernardo Poblete (Kumander Banal of Minalin), founded the "Hukbalahap" movement (Hukbong Laban sa Mga Hapon) in a barrio of Concepcion, Tarlac on 29 March 1942. He lead a 30,000 strong guerrilla group against the Japanese invaders, harassing and attacking them at every opportunity. Hukbalahap was organized under the able leadership of Supremo Luis Taruc who they called "Lu-Lu" ("the racing one"), then "Alipato" ("the flying spark that spreads a fire"), chairman of the military committee of the united front, then the field commander of the HMB. Throughout the armed conflict of the Huks against the Japanese, in late 1943, during its political expansion, the Huks launched anew its overt operations against the Japanese which brought them into conflict with the USAFFE (United States Army Forces in the Far East) sponsored guerrilla units under an American officer Mackenzie who was spreading vicious rumors that the Huks were bandits. The result was some clashes with these guerrilla units which existed until the landing of the US "liberation forces" in October of 1944.
70,000 troops on Bataan under General Edward P. King, after months of fighting the invading Japanese Army and with food and medicine exhausted, accepting sole responsibility to disobey MacArthur's orders, chose to surrender his troops on the 9th of April, 1942. With Bataan now under Japanese control, the enemy turned their full attention to Corregidor. General Wainwright and his 26,000 troops at Corregidor were the last organized resistance on Luzon. The situation at the island of Corregidor was no better, the soldiers were weary, wounded, malnourished and diseased. At exactly noon on May 6, 1942, General Jonathan M. Wainwright surrendered to Japanese General Homma and by June 9, Allied forces had completely surrendered.
The starving Luis Taruc and his Hukbalahap, without any help from the US, with few arms and ammunition which they acquired from dead Japanese and surrendering American soldiers, Hukbalahap was the best organized anti-Japanese resistance movements in Asia. They helped and took care American soldiers who were lucky not imprisoned in the hands of the Japanese, astonishingly winning the war, Central Luzon was liberated by the Hukbalahap from the Japanese. On October 25, 1944 Gen. Douglas MacArthur waded ashore at Leyte to announce, "People of the Philippines, I have returned" and Hukbalahap were ordered to surrender their arms to the Americans. They were not recognized by the U.S. Army as real guerrilla fighters. In 1946, Taruc ran for a seat in Congress, which he won together with 6 other Communists. Charged with terrorism, he was unseated, fled to the mountains and vowed to defy the American-supported Roxas government. Luis Taruc was the dominating personality of the Huk insurgency. Between March 1942 and August 1948, the Huks became a trained and experienced force, well-equipped and well-prepared for its guerrilla warfare. The initial force of 500 armed Huks which was organized into five squadrons had increased to a fully-armed guerrilla force of 20,000 men.
But as the election grew near, the Huk reorganized their prewar peasant and labor organizations, formed the political party called, "Democratic Alliance." This party became the base of action for the various elements dissatisfied with the prevailing situation in the country. Further political trouble divided the leading Nationalista Party which resulted in the formation of the Liberal Party with Commonwealth president Manuel Roxas as its candidate. The Liberal Party consisted of conservatives and many of the prominent members were Japanese collaborators during the war.
Manuel Roxas, a very close associate of Gen. McArthur during US colonial administration was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a senator & a member of Quezon cabinet. Upon the escape of Quezon & McArthur from Corregidor because of the sure victory of the invading Japanese forces, Quezon signed a decree making Roxas in line with Qsmena to the presidency in case of his death. April of 1942, Roxas surrendered or captured, was in the hands of the Japanese. The Japanese aware of Roxas' political innovations, offered the puppet presidency before offering the position to Jose Laurel. The assurance of presidency by Quezon under the US might have stop Roxas in accepting the offer. June of 1943, Roxas was the principal author of the puppet constitution & worked in the Laurel cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio. As the 1944 US Invasion of the Philippines Part II near, Laurel & his cabinet member fled to Baquio. April 1945 US troops were in Baquio, Laurel's cabinet; Roxas, Jose Yulo, Quintin Paredes, Antonio de las Alas & Teofilo Sison crossed the US troop lines. Press released by McArthur indicated; Yulo, Paredes, de las Alas & Sison as "captured." Roxas was reported "liberated." Later in our history Manuel Roxas was "the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines."
US sponsored President Roxas declared the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed faction, HMB to be illegal and seditious. The HMB whose sole aim was the overthrow of the government, sought to establish supremacy for the movement by destroying the effectiveness of the AFP. The government realized that the Huks had no intention of any compromise of surrender until their political and economic objectives were attained.
In 1948, Taruc agreed to negotiate terms to then Pres. Elpidio Quirino. In return, Quirino promised to grant amnesty to all surrendering Huks and reinstate Taruc as congressman. Talks failed with the government accusing the Huks of violating the terms of agreement. Once more, Taruc hied off to the mountains and continued his siege. The Government considered the Huk problem a police matter, their anti-Huk campaign, the military merely saturated the Huk strong areas with combat troops and suppressed the tumultuous situations with force. They were unsuccessful and further complicated the problem with numerous abuses which destroyed the respect and confidence of the people on the military. The people left with no security in the rural areas migrated to the relatively secured urban areas. The mass abandonment of the agricultural fields adversely affected the national economy and created the squatter problem. By mid-1950, the Huk attacks increased in unbelievable proportions and the military reacted ruthlessly. In Maliwalu, Pampanga, with the belief that the people there were active Huk supporters, constabulary troopers plundered the town and massacre menfolk. The military inadequacies also reflected in their lack of knowledge of the basic military skills. The AFP did not have the knowledge about the enemy who he was, how he operated, what his objectives were and most importantly, how he gained the support of the people.
The Maliwalu incident, the ambush-killing of the wife of the late President Manuel Quezon and infamous crimes blamed to the Huks, brought increased criticism of the government. President Quirino therefore issued Executive Order number 308 which provide the complete reorganization of the entire armed forces. He also appointed Congressman Ramon Magsaysay of Zambales as the new Secretary of National Defense, in charged with the responsibility of restoring peace and order. CIA's Edward Lansdale took advantage of the situation & became the "personal adviser" of Secretary Magsaysay. Told Magsaysay to instilled in the military that the lost political base of action had to be regained by an integrated military, political and social approach. He emphasized that every soldier must be a public relations man, political warfare specialist, civil administrator and an expert in guerrilla warfare. Underlying his policy was the belief, "Any democratic government is neither of necessity nor automatically better than a communistic government in the eyes of the Common Man." The local government must clean its own house. A status quo that has bred virulent communism cannot remain unchanged. Communism seldom flourishes where the people are content and prosperous basically.
To implement his policy with the advice from CIA Edward Lansdale, Magsaysay had these goals:
1. Unity of command in the military
2. Trust and confidence of the people in the military
3. Active civilian support in military operations
4. Friendship between the people and the military
During Magsaysay's first term as president, Ninoy Aquino was his close adviser and there was a lull in Huk wars, no news about Supremo Luis Taruc. There were rumors he died of illness or was kill in the field, there was also gossips that he had escaped to China by submarine. Scared of the silence that there might be an offensive attack that the Huks are planning with the help of China, Lansdale, Magsaysay and Aquino were curious to find out whatever happened to Taruc. According to Aquino he went to Conception town and tracked down the Huk mayor Gorgonio Narciso to persuaded him to help in locating the Supremo.
Still according to Aquino, Gorgonio Narciso was a friend of Taruc's half-brother Meliton a tailor who refused to join the Huks with his brothers. Meliton's tailoring shop had flourished while it had contracts to do ROTC uniforms, but lost those contracts when some ROTC officers decided it was outrageous to be wearing uniforms tailored by a brother of the Huk Supremo. Aquino said through Meliton he got in touch with a former Huk Juan Calma and from Calma brought in another operative, Teofilo Ortiz. Came later was the Supremo's uncle Arsenio Taruc, Aquino found the bent old man hiding, hauling big baskets of fish at Divisoria Market living in poverty. These four men formed the Aquino's search party, the idea to contact Taruc through any of them.
In mid-February, Aquino received a message from Taruc "He said he was willing to grant me an interview but stipulated that Manuel Manahan, then head of the Presidential Complaints and Action Committee, was to be with me." Aquino went to Magsaysay and told him the Supremo of the Huks Ka Luis Taruc, suggesting a talk. With Magsaysay's approval, Manahan preparing to reply to meet on Valentines Day with Taruc, but the ambitious Aquino was trying on his own to interview the Supremo. Aquino using his proper contacts (Calma, Ortiz, Meliton and Arsenio Taruc), challenged Manahan and Manahan fearing leakage, cooperated.
February 15, Aquino, Romeo Taruc (Luis Taruc's son), Mahanan, Dario Arellano (a photographer) and Moises Escueta who drove the jeep, were on their way from Angeles to meet Taruc to the no man's land beyond Clark Field. The meeting was set at Hacienda Ramona at the foot of Mt. Pinatubo, 7:00 in the evening, an hour passed no trace of the Supremo but young men with in olive drab appeared with Garands, Thompsons and Browning automatic rifles. A while later came a team of heavy armed men and with them was Supremo Taruc. The Supremo had a very gentle voice, humble & greeted them with an old fashion Filipino hospitality. The Supremo asked his son Romeo to stay in one place and stay away from the camera lens, he refused to discuss possibility of peace negotiations between him and the government, he discussed about poverty, injustice, Philippine agrarian reform and willingness to cooperate with Magsaysay and said... "I'm a Filipino first and last, if I did not endorse Magsaysay last election it was because I suspected him of being a dangerously inclined to the American imperialist. But the people had spoken, had elected Magsaysay as their president. It is for us to accept their verdict." The Supremo also believed on the president's promise of internal democratization, agrarian semi-revolution and modest industrialization. The interview lasted three hours, until midnight and photos were taken during the talk. After the interview Taruc and his men escorted Aquino's party to the foot of the mountain pass and said goodbye.
Ninoy Aquino's scoop on Taruc was released by Manahan to all Manila newspapers, but after three days Aquino was informed by his "search team" (Calma, Ortiz, Meliton and Arsenio Taruc), that the Supremo wanted to meet again. According to Aquino, Taruc had fallen out with the Huk movement specially with the Lava brothers and had been relieved as commander-in-chief. The second meeting was on February 18, was held in broad daylight and lasted after sundown. Aquino said that he was convinced that the Supremo is will to negotiate because Taruc was talking about God, socialism, nationalism, about his idol/mentor Pedro Abad Santos and his love for the masses and country.
Again, according to Aquino on the last week of April his "search team" brought him a note from the Supremo, who proposed a meeting in a restaurant called "Apung Gari" in San Fernando. Aquino went to the restaurant, when a little boy came to him and said... "you have been followed, you are being watched. Go to Minalin Church this afternoon." As he went to the church of Minalin, Aquino was approached by a courier... "The Supremo can not come, on the way here last night, we were ambushed."
First week of May, Aquino again received a note from the Supremo on it defined terms on which he'll be willing to come down from the mountains.
1.) the word "surrender" was not to be used to describe his return to society.
2.) that he was to be turned over not to the army but to president Magsaysay.
3.) that he was to be provided with lawyers for his trial.
...and if the president accepted these terms, said the Supremo, Ninoy Aquino was to give a "signal" on Rafael Yabut's popular radio program "Tayo'y Magaliw" by mentioning the line... "Mura ang bigas sa Maynila." If his terms were rejected, the line should be... "Mahal ang bigas sa Maynila." Taruc's terms were accepted and the line... "Mura ang bigas sa Maynila" was the signal for the Supremo to send a note to Aquino... "I'm coming down on May 17, pick me up. I will send a guide who will bring you to where I'm." But Magsaysay changed his mind on the advised of the CIA, Edward Lansdale and army officers. To them a good commie is a dead commie and they want Taruc dead. With the help and support of Manila Times owner Chino Roces, Magsaysay was torn between Aquino, Roces and the CIA/army. Magsaysay scared of bad publicity by the media (Manila Times) he gave in to Aquino's plan.
Finally on May 17, meeting was set early in the morning at Barrio Santa Maria, Pampanga. This time troops was with Aquino, surrounded the area. Meeting was at 6:30 am & if Aquino failed to return by 9:00 am, the troops will blow the place down! According to Aquino... "Taruc was surrounded by the peasants and he looked like them, in a gray peasant shirt, brown pants & straw hat."
After shaking hands, Aquino said... “Do you accept the president's terms?"
Ka Luis Taruc said... "I accept."
Instead of meeting Magsaysay, Taruc was brought to Manila and was accused in court for revolt and terrorism, sentenced to 12 years in prison. After being denied clemency by then president Diosdado Macapagal, he was pardoned by Ferdinand Marcos in September 1968 and finally released. Ninoy Aquino and Luis Taruc didn't see each other since the Supremo was incarcerated, though when asked about Aquino, Taruc never said bad things about him and just said "he tried to do his best." The old Filipino "Don Quixote," the guerrilla hero of WW II, defender of the oppressed workers, farmers, social justice, continue to work for social and agrarian reforms, worked for Huk veterans recognition and for their proper compensation. Ka Luis Taruc passed away on the 4th of May 2005, of heart attack at the St. Luke’s Hospital at age 91. There are no statues, markers to pay tribute to the great Supremo Taruc, so I quote myself...
"Ang tunay na bantayog ay nakatirik sa ating puso at damdamin, ang nagawang lampas sa ating kakayahan ay hindi kinakailangang ipagyabang!"
- - ka tony
the 20th of June '13
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Communication is a Weapon
...who created "RAMON MAGSAYSAY" (31 August 1907 -
17 March 1957) the marketing/advertising "product" campaign with
millions of dollar media budget? The presidential winner that up to this
day still positioned in our mind a "common man," a poor mechanic and
the "best Philippine president." How did this poor auto-mechanic from
Zambales afford to spend millions of dollars on one of the most
expensive and one of the first successful political advertising campaign
in the world?
...this remarkable advertising strategy was created by the CIA officer Colonel EDWARD LANSDALE, a former advertising agency copywriter later was a propaganda writer for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS - an agency of the US federal government). The book "Gold Warriors" and the movie "The Ugly American" was based on his life and dirty unconventional military tactics. Lansdale helped the PAF develop psychological operations, civic actions and the rehabilitation of Huk prisoners in projects such as EDCOR. But the secret magic to Lansdale's CIA success was his experience in the advertising trade. Advertising can position people's mind and can reposition the competition or neutralized a problem, it is the power of communication at its highest form. To Lansdale, radical insurrections could be solved by "psychological warfare" techniques and strategies borrowed from advertising gimmicks. The ex-adman made counterinsurgency sound so simple as the direction on a hot-cake mix... "communist guerrillas hide among the people, so if you win the people to your side, the communist guerrillas have no place to hide, you can find them and finish them!"
Seventeen
months right after World War II Uncle Sam gave his colony the
Philippines independence to avoid expensive war reparation, which he was
responsible in destroying Manila to avoid American casualties from the
escaping Japanese, later Uncle Sam helped and rebuilt Japan instead, his
former enemy. Anti-American sentiment, nationalism and followed by
agrarian problems were on the rise. Before the Korean War, the "Cold
War" actually began in the Philippines early in 1946 when a real
agrarian
reform of poor farmers known as the Huks (were WW II Filipino guerrilla
against the Japanese) was malignantly re-labeled by Lansdale as "Marxist
conspiracy to
overthrow the government." Lansdale needed a "Filipino Political
Product" with an objective and positioned in the mind of the Filipino
society, to counter and reposition the problem. ...this remarkable advertising strategy was created by the CIA officer Colonel EDWARD LANSDALE, a former advertising agency copywriter later was a propaganda writer for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS - an agency of the US federal government). The book "Gold Warriors" and the movie "The Ugly American" was based on his life and dirty unconventional military tactics. Lansdale helped the PAF develop psychological operations, civic actions and the rehabilitation of Huk prisoners in projects such as EDCOR. But the secret magic to Lansdale's CIA success was his experience in the advertising trade. Advertising can position people's mind and can reposition the competition or neutralized a problem, it is the power of communication at its highest form. To Lansdale, radical insurrections could be solved by "psychological warfare" techniques and strategies borrowed from advertising gimmicks. The ex-adman made counterinsurgency sound so simple as the direction on a hot-cake mix... "communist guerrillas hide among the people, so if you win the people to your side, the communist guerrillas have no place to hide, you can find them and finish them!"
...like Lansdale, I'm in marketing/advertising business. I made an advertising "templates" which we usually do in marketing/advertising to research, study, analyzes the advantage and the problem, know/study the market and how to position the product into the consumer's mind. This is how the ex-adman Lansdale probably did in creating a must have "Filipino Political Product" for the Philippines society and for Uncle Sam's interest...
# MARKET BACKGROUND:
In 1940, Philippines was a Commonwealth of the United States. Philippines had no quarrel with Japan or the Japanese people, unfortunately there were US Armed Forces stationed in the Philippines and when the United States and Japan were unable to resolve their differences over a number of issues, war became inevitable. Filipinos were recruited to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States and fought alongside US soldiers with loyalty and determination.
During Japan’s occupation of The Philippines, there were guerrilla bands on different islands, but the most effective fighters were the Huks of central Luzon. Some 50,000 men and women, mostly poor farmers in the rich agricultural lands of Pampanga and neighboring provinces. They took to the hills and harassed the Japanese, often aided by American soldiers who escaped during the Bataan Death March. Most Huks had no education or political ideology and were driven to rebellion by the tyranny of big landowners. But among their leaders were a few radical student activists, who entered politics after the war to continue campaigning for land reform. The big landowners fought back by calling them communist terrorists.
Legally as citizens of a Commonwealth of the US, Filipinos were American nationals entitled to all benefits afforded those serving in the United States Armed Forces. However when the war ended, the US Congress passed a law, the "Rescission Act of 1946," declaring that "the service of Filipinos shall not be deemed to be or to have been served in the military or national forces of the United States or any component thereof." This effectively stripped Filipinos of their recognition as US veterans and blew away whatever benefits they may have been entitled to.
The US Congress debated the issue of Huk veteran rights. It had long been established that any Filipino who served in the US military, including those who fought as guerrillas against the Japanese, were to be considered as American soldiers. In a move that shocked Filipinos, Congress initially denied the Huks their rights and benefits under the GI Bill, breaking a promise made to them by Gen. MacArthur. They were also denied back-pay, hospitalization, mustering-out pay and burial benefits. It was the first legislative sign that America had now entered into a Cold War mentality, not against a particular nation but against an alien state of mind, colored red, subgroup "terrorist."
# MARKET ANALYSIS:
Five years after WW II during the 50s, after the US turned her back to his former colony, helped instead her former enemy Japan. Filipino patriotism was on the rise once again and socialism was gaining momentum. Agrarian problem, the black propaganda against the Chinese in the Philippines (media said that most of them were communist) will take over the entire business of the Philippines and corruption during Quirino administration, empowered the HUKS are on the rise. The Huks are socialist poor peasants fighting for reforms, resisted Japanese and other imperialist invaders, not funded or given help by the US, outlawed after WW II forced them into guerrilla warfare.
# PROBLEM:
1) Filipino Nationalism and anti-US sentiment is decreasing to the most important "Door of the Orient" where US biggest military base in the world is located.
2) US center of business/warehouse in Asia is attracted to communism because of land grabbing, agrarian problem and poverty. The present President Quirino is being blamed for the state of civil war, the imposition of martial law, the rampant graft and corruption in the reactionary government.
3) rising membership of the Huk, Filipinos are loosing faith on their government, rising poor/mass base population and rising crimes.
# OBJECTIVE:
1) create a "puppet product" that will represent the poor masses with a strong nationalistic image.
2) attack Chinese business retailers who merely ranked third after American and British among merchants of foreign nationality engaged in domestic trade.
3) create an awareness on the danger and hardship of a communist government and society.
4) enforce in school the "Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo Law" requiring the study of Rizal writings, to cover up the anti-national and anti-democratic character of the next regime.
5) support American Jesuits in preparing the Anti-Subversion Law that will whip up a counter revolutionary atmosphere of anti-communism and to trammel the people's democratic right of assembly and expression.
6) create a program of land settlement but this merely disguised land-grabbing by the ruling classes in frontier areas.
7) create and support the first Agricultural Commodities Agreement with the US, agreement designed to make use of US agricultural surplus to help perpetuate a colonial pattern of economy in the Philippines, keep local agricultural production at the mercy of US control intermediate industries requiring imported agricultural raw materials and support US propaganda.
8) support US government issue "The Brownell Opinion" making a formal claim of ownership over the US military bases in the Philippines.
9) allows US to bring its allies into the Philippines and attack the people under the pretext of regional defense.
10) allow US military bases in the Philippines to launch the interventionist and aggressive activities of US all over Asia.
# PRODUCT ANALYSIS:
1) Product - RAMON MAGSAYSAY - in February 1945, General MacArthur appointed Major Magsaysay the military governor of Zambales due to his honesty, integrity and ability. During his tenure as military governor he became an outspoken champion for veteran rights seven impressed the local population with his dedication to improving their life. A year later, President Roxas asked him to join the Liberal Party and run for a congressional seat.
He received $10 million in emergency aid to pay the military and offer rewards for information about the insurgents and was promised additional assistance under the Military Assistance Agreement of March 1947, was important for the anti-Huk campaign, he met and befriended newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Edward G. Lansdale, an Air Force intelligence officer familiar with the Philippines, the Filipino society and Magsaysay's personal JUSMAG (Joint US Military Assistance Group) advisor.
2) Background - guerrilla hero of WW II, graduated at Jose Rizal College, currently serving as Secretary of Defense under the present Quirino cabinet, was encouraged by the US to seize power from Quirino via coup d'etat but Magsaysay refused. He was credited by US and the local exploiting classes on neutralizing the revolutionary mass movement.
3) Strength - Magsaysay have a strong mass base followers, speak some English and has a strong Filipino nationalistic image.
# COMPETITION ANALYSIS:
1) Competition - present President Elpidio Quirino
2) Background - came from an elite Spanish rich ilustrado family, was a Japanese collaborator but pardoned by the US and under the CIA payroll.
3) Image - dictator, graft, corruption, crimes against the people and loosing the country's business to the Chinese.
4) Weakness - gossip about Quirino's "golden arrinola" at Malacanan, extravagant and the last of the rich elite presidential ilustrados.
# PRODUCT STRATEGY:
1) Position - The Filipino Champion of Democracy, "political product Magsaysay" as the answer to the growing Filipino patriotic sentiment.
2) Image - Magsaysay in a humble Barong Tagalog, Tagalog as his official language, open Malacanan Palace to the people specially the growing mass base, photos with poor people - shaking hands - focus on his dirty mechanic hands, man of the people, fight for democracy, strong resistance on communism and the mortal enemy of the Huks.
3) Presentation - all-out support to his bid for presidency in exchange for his brutal suppression of the masses and trammeling of democratic rights.
# COMMUNICATION PLAN:
1) to create communication campaign on Magsaysay's "Honesty" (against corrupt Quirino administration).
2) PR - newspaper write up on Magsaysay's local and international achievements.
3) print campaign on all newspapers and magazines.
4) payola and endorsements on popular radio talk show and programs.
5) make use of poster and outdoor billboards on areas that can not be reach by newspapers and radio.
# CREATIVE PLAN:
1) make use of short, but memorable campaign tagline "Magsaysay is Honest That's Why He's My Guy"
2) full page ads on the leading daily newspaper and magazines, plus vernaculars 3) create radio jingle incorporating campaign words, "Magsaysay" "democracy" "patriotism" and "honesty"
5) billboards, transit ads, posters, leaflets
6) promotional give away; pins, t-shirts, caps, pencils, key-chains
# MEDIA STRATEGY:
1) Print ads - full page, half page & one fourth page on all major newspaper, magazines and vernaculars.
2) Posters - reach weak market and none radio areas
3) Leaflets, sample ballots, pocket cards
4) Radio commercial for long reach
5) campaign buttons & pins
6) T-shirt
7) baseball caps
8) snacks, clothes, can goods, donations during "meeting de avance"
9) "meeting de avance" endorsements from former/reformed HUK members who idolized Magsaysay, like the notorious ex-HUK called "Manila Boy"
...the Magsaysay puppet regime was shamelessly proud of the fact that its chieftain Magsaysay was a running dog of U.S. imperialism. The regime tried futilely to label its slavishness as positive nationalism when faced with the anti-imperialist criticism made by Senator Claro Mayo Recto.
- - ka tony
the 17th of March,'13
Monday, April 8, 2013
The "Battling Bastards" and the "Fleeing General"
Jonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright the son of Robert Powell Page Wainwright, an officer killed in action in the Philippines, in 1902. Jonathan Wainwright was promoted to Major General (temporary) returned to the Philippines, in December of 1940, as commander of Filipino and US forces under General Douglas MacArthur. Upon the "relocation" of Douglas MacArthur to Australia said to had been ordered out of Corregidor because the President Franklin Roosevelt was concerned about the negative impact MacArthur's death or capture would have on the American public during the critical first year of the war, the unenviable position of Allied commander in the Philippines was handed down to Wainwright. Also that same month, Wainwright was promoted to Lieutenant General (temporarily).
With 70,000 troops on Bataan General Edward P. King grandson of a Confederate General of the Civil War, after months of fighting the invading Japanese Army and with food and medicine exhausted, accepting sole responsibility to disobey MacArthur's and Wainwright's orders, chose to surrender his troops on the 9th of April, 1942. King never informed Wainwright, a move which would cost him professionally. He wanted the responsibility all to himself saying: "You men remember this. You did not surrender ... you had no alternative but to obey my order." His courageous act saved the lives of thousands of his troops, who would have been annihilated by the Japanese if he had not surrendered. Of course, General King had no way of knowing the horrors they would face in captivity, including the Bataan Death March (which claimed the lives of at least 1,000 Americans and 5,000 Filipinos); brutal conditions in Japanese POW camps (where thousands more perished) and for a unlucky few, transport to the enemy homeland on "hell ships" with little food, water or ventilation. Some of the ships were torpedoed by U.S. submarines, which had no way of knowing that their fellow Americans were being held below decks.
King spent three and half years as a captive of the Japanese and was often mistreated by them because of his rank. In a meeting with his troops prior to being sent to a POW Camp in Manchuria, he assured his men, in a tearful farewell, that he alone was responsible for the surrender. In General King’s own words, "We were asked to lay down a bunt. We did just that. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
When he emerged from a Japanese POW camp, King expected to be court-martialed for failing to obey a direct order. Instead, he was treated as a hero--and deservedly so. As we noted four years ago, the surrender on Bataan was a product of false expectations and poor leadership. Any hope of reinforcing the Philippines ended with the debacle of Pearl Harbor, though MacArthur kept telling his troops that help was on the way.
When the war in the Pacific finally ended both MacArthur and Wainwright received promotions and the Medal of Honor for their defense of the Philippines. However, Edward King had a different fate. For his actions, King received no promotions and no accolades. MacArthur even refused to see or speak to him after the war believing that he should not have surrendered. In the 1977 film "MacArthur" starring Gregory Peck, his name is not even mentioned. This however, was a sentiment not shared by the soldiers. Many veterans of the Philippines Campaign of 1941-42 were angry at MacArthur and remained bitter at him for the rest of their lives. They believed that he was out of touch with what the troops were really going through during that time. At the time of King's surrender, Wainwright disapproved but later said of King's decision that it "required unusual courage and strength of character."
With Bataan now under Japanese control, the enemy turned their full attention to Corregidor then was called "The Rock." General Wainwright and his 26,000 troops at Corregidor were the last organized resistance on Luzon. In all, more than 400 fighter plane and bombing attacks were launched against the 2 square mile island. For almost a month, while the Japanese continued their wholesale slaughter of Bataan's valiant defenders during their infamous death march, Corregidor held. By May 6th the Philippine defenders had continued to fight the delaying action called for in Orange No. 3 for the full six month period determined necessary for resupply and reinforcement. The defenders had done their part, but now they knew there would be no resupply or reinforcement.
The situation at the island of Corregidor was no better. Here too, the soldiers were weary, wounded, malnourished and diseased. From the Malinta Tunnel General Wainwright did his best to direct the tactical aspects of the resistance. Unlike MacArthur, who had only once left the tunnel to visit troops on Bataan, "Skinny" Wainwright made frequent visits to the peninsula to check on the status of his men and to fight Japanese. In the months preceding his promotion to command of all forces in the Philippines, Wainwright had not only commanded the Philippine Scouts in I Corps, he had fought with them. On more than one occasion he had come under direct fire from enemy soldiers, watched men next to him die, and returned fire on the enemy. A unique kind of commander, many who witnessed his bravery called him, "Last of the Fighting Generals."
For long days and nights, General Jonathan Wainwright had struggled to determine in his mind the best course of action. He was proud of his men and they had come to love, admire, and obey him. Finally, on the morning of May 6th in the interest of minimizing casualties, Wainwright with his 10,000 troops left on Corregidor, he notified them of his decision. "With broken heart and with head bowed in sadness, but not in shame," he told his soldiers, today I must arrange terms for the surrender." At 10:15 A.M. he sent the last message from Corregidor to President Roosevelt. At exactly noon on May 6, 1942, General Jonathan M. Wainwright surrendered to Japanese General Homma and by June 9, Allied forces had completely surrendered. A historian of the Civil War, Wainwright later said of that moment, "Suddenly, I knew how Lee felt after Appomattox. Wainwright was then held in prison camps in Luzon, Formosa, and Liaoyuan (former Xi'an in Manchukuo) until his liberation by the Soviet Red Army in August 1945. He was the highest ranking American POW and despite his rank like POW General Edward King, his treatment at the hands of the Japanese was not pleasant.
In Australia MacArthur was furious, in his own mind he expected these generals to die fighting to defend the Philippines. King and Wainwright, the generals he had selected to complete their mission had let him down. On July 30, 1942 General George C. Marshall proposed that a Medal of Honor be awarded to the last of the fighting generals. It prompted an act of resistance to a Medal of Honor award, unprecedented in the Medal's history. General MacArthur wrote, in part...
"The citation proposed does not represent the truth. As a relative matter award of the Medal of Honor to General Wainwright would be a grave injustice to a number of general officers of practically equally responsible positions who not only distinguished themselves by fully as great personal gallantry thereby earning the DSC but exhibited powers of leadership and inspiration to a degree greatly superior to that of General Wainwright thereby contributing much more to the stability of the command and to the successful conduct of the campaign. It would be a grave mistake which later on might well lead to embarrassing repercussions to make this award."
During his more than three years of captivity, General Wainwright suffered deprivation, humiliation, abuse and torture at the hands of the Japanese. In his own mind he feared the moment of his return, sure that he would be considered a coward and a traitor for his surrender at Corregidor. He knew nothing of the award that had been proposed, then shelved because of MacArthur's scathing objections. Throughout the period he struggled to survive, General Jonathan Mayhew Wainright was the highest ranking and he was also one of the oldest American prisoner of war in World War II and celebrating his 60th birthday in a POW camp in Manchuria.
On October 25, 1944 General Douglas MacArthur waded ashore at Leyte to announce, "People of the Philippines, I have returned." Almost a year of bitter fighting remained for Allied forces in the Pacific. Then, on August 6, 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, three days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. On August 14 the Japanese announced that they would surrender. The final documents of surrender would be signed in Tokyo Harbor on September 2nd, General MacArthur would preside over the historic event and sign on behalf of the President of the United States.
On August 19 General Wainwright learned that the war had ended, he would finally be going home. Upon release, Wainwright was flown from Mukden, Chongqing, China. He met with Sid Huff, who escorted him to a barber and a tailor. He had lost so much weight that his uniform was loose on his wiry frame. He was flown first to Yokohama, where he arrived looking tired and gaunt on August 31st. MacArthur's second evening in Japan he met Wainwright. MacArthur recalled...
"I rose and started for the lobby, but before I could reach it, the door swung open and there was Wainwright. He was haggard and aged.... He walked with difficulty and with the help of a cane. His eyes were sunken and there were pits in his cheeks. His hair was snow white and his skin looked like old shoe leather. He made a brave effort to smile as I took him in my arms, but when he tried to talk his voice wouldn't come. For three years he had imagined himself in disgrace for having surrendered Corregidor. He believed he would never again be given an active command. This shocked me. "Why, Jim," I said, "your old corps is yours when you want it."
Wainwright arm-in-arm with MacArthur, could only respond with "general..." before he broke down in tears. MacArthur did not notice at the time of the reunion, but afterwards he realized that the cane Wainwright walked in on that evening was a present from MacArthur before the war; he had kept it near him through the years in the prison camps. It was given by MacArthur so that his friend, a fellow general, could use it as a swagger stick, a symbol of his rank; ironically, Wainwright used it to support his weakened weight and defeated spirit.
Wainwright never felt any bitterness toward MacArthur for his actions in the Philippines or MacArthur's attempt to deny him the Medal of Honor. In fact, when it appeared that MacArthur might be nominated for president at the 1948 Republican National Convention, Wainwright stood ready to make the nominating speech. He died of a stroke at San Antonio, Texas on September 2, 1953.
To many Filipinos and Americans MacArthur was a hero. Through the dark years ahead they believed that, as he had promised, he would return. But to some, specially enemy powers sought to portray MacArthur differently; Germany and Italy to Japan he was labeled in the media as arrogant, egoistic, self important, over rated, a coward, a deserter and the "fleeing general." MacArthur had been ordered out of Corregidor because the President Roosevelt was concerned about the negative impact his death or capture would have on the American public during the critical first year of the war. To counter the propaganda of the enemy, General George C. Marshall suggested awarding MacArthur the Medal of Honor. The President agreed and the same award his father had received 80 years earlier was presented to General Douglas MacArthur in Australia on June 30, 1942. Arthur and Douglas MacArthur became the only father and son in history to both receive the Medal of Honor.
Truth be told that in 1940, the Philippines was a Commonwealth of the United States. We had no quarrel with Japan or the Japanese people. Unfortunately there were US Armed Forces stationed in the Philippines and when the United States and Japan were unable to resolve their differences over a number of issues, war became inevitable. Filipinos were taken in to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States and we fought alongside US soldiers with loyalty and determination.
Legally as citizens of a Commonwealth of the United States, Filipinos were American nationals entitled to all benefits afforded those serving in the United States Armed Forces.
However when the war ended, the US Congress passed a law, the “Rescission Act of 1946,” declaring that “the service of Filipinos shall not be deemed to be or to have been served in the military or national forces of the United States or any component thereof.” This effectively stripped Filipinos of their recognition as US veterans, and blew away whatever benefits they may have been entitled to.
More than 60 years later, a new law was passed granting certain payments to eligible persons who served in the US Armed Forces during World War II to include Filipino veterans. If the eligible person was not a citizen of the United States, he was granted $9,000. For a citizen of the United States, the amount was $15,000.
In February and March 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, some 117,000 Japanese-Americans (Niseis) living along the West Coast of the United States were herded into internment camps where they were kept under difficult living conditions. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the “Civil Liberties Act,” providing each of the surviving 60,000 Japanese-American internists with $20,000 along with an apology for a grave injustice.
So much for our steadfast devotion to Uncle Sam and the red, white, and blue. By the way, the United States does not observe Bataan Day as a national holiday. Rightly so because it was a day of defeat. Seventy years after, very few Americans know what Bataan and Corregidor was all about, or where these places are located.
- - ka tony
the 9th of April, 2012
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