Split leadership at guerilla command
POWER and recognition in the rank and file of any organization is a given situation. Yet since time immemorial, subordinates make their own choices following stronger and straight forward leadership. It is especially pronounced in critical situations such as in war when life and death is defined.
“In Mayaoyao, Captain Manalo was somewhat desperate and irritable according to the soldiers whom he dismissed. He and Lt. Tomaliwan separated camps with more soldiers following the younger officer who also re-enlisted those who were dismissed by Captain Manalo.
“Capt. Manalo sensed danger from the natives who “got tired of his lies and look up to him as a coward. The people placed their confidence on Lt. Tomaliwan who cared for his men, suffering the same hardships and difficulties.
“The family of Lt. Tomaliwan received from the natives more attention than the family of Manalo. I never knew exactly why but I sensed that Capt. Manalo was paying more attention to his family than the people as a whole.”
On January 1, 1943, a delegation from Mayaoyao came to report the situation in their district. My father wrote: “They realized that Captain Manalo was always bluffing them and that he ran away toward Isabela without even telling the people of the coming danger as the Japanese are coming closer and closer. Only Lt. Tomaliwan, who established his HQ above Bunhian, remained with the people.”
Lt. Tomaliwan’s policy in defending Mayaoyao was “to meet the enemy outside of the district and engaged them before they may come.” Cited, as an example, is the ambush of a truckload of Japanese soldiers in Sumigar, near Mt. Polis several kilometers away from Banaue and Mayaoyao.
That policy was suspended when trench mortals and heavier artillery like machine guns were used by the superior number of the enemy.
The intense battles between Pilipino soldiers and guerilla units also saw a change of civilian leadership with Vice Mayor Bonifacio Atluna replacing Mayor Balajo who joined the camp of Lt. Tomaliwan. Mr. Atluna and company were sent to Bontoc to receive their appointments from the Provincial Governor and Major Yanase.
Ifugao Dep. Governor under intense harassment
“At Kiangan, I was practically under the eyes of the Japanese all the time, especially because I had been arguing for the innocence of Mrs. Dunuan and the families of Captain Manriquez.
Under stress and losing weight, the Deputy Governor on January 3, 1943 secretly visited and sought the advice of the Roman Catholic priest Fr. Moerman who “... gave me such enlightenment and useful suggestions that provided me more courage to face the daily grilling.”
(His eldest daughter Junia who was in her pre-teen years recalled how the family was so affected by the daily hassle our father endured just so to protect the civilian populace, shield the guerilla movement, the hiding U.S. army officers, and the two American women missionaries.)
Several bosses in public service
“On January 30, Lt. Emiliano Dulnuan of Burnay, a released war prisoner, arrived at Kiangan. He was purposely sent by the garrison commander in Bontoc to serve as an example of a healthy cooperation with the Japanese. Lt. Dulnuan held a public meeting at the Presidencia, urging the people and local officials to tell any hiding soldiers to surrender.
“Immediately after the meeting, I advised him to take it easy and insinuated the presence of the two hiding American officers, without mentioning their names. He was not fully convinced at the beginning as he was quite serious in his assignment given by the Japanese. Coming to his patriotic senses, he later relax his stance in pursuing hiding Pilipino soldiers and guerilla units.
“We appointed him chief of police at Kiangan to put in a position to go out and help us in our secret organization and protecting the Americans. He was able to meet the two American army majors in hiding and received his marching orders in the guerilla movement.
“On February 5 one George Dinagtuan arrived from Mayaoyao with a letter from Captain Manalo ordering me to report to him for active duty. Thinking the matter over, on February 8, I sent Lt. William Dulnuan, a Bataan warrior, to consult Major Volkman about the order of Capt. Manalo.
I told Lt. William Dulnuan, who was serving as our go-between with the American officers in hiding, to relay my preference to report to them rather than to Capt. Manalo. In the hand writing of Lt. William, he informed me ‘that the two American army majors Volkman and Blackburn believed that I would be more useful to the hiding army and my own people than for me to report at this time for active duty.
“They (U.S. army officers) also wanted me to point out to them those who were flying the Japanese flags in their homes. I took to mind their first suggestion. However, for their own safety I could not send the names of persons flying the Japanese flag in their respective houses since it was an order of the occupying enemy for the people to show their friendship or peace.
“On the other hand, I also informed Captain Manalo that for the present I could not report for active duty ... per instructions of the two American majors.”
Arrest of hiding Filipino soldiers intensified
“On February 26, the Japanese in Kiangan searched all houses for arms and also of hiding soldiers. They required all families to post the names of family members in conspicuous place in the house for random inspection. Any non-member visitor must be reported.
According to the Deputy Governor the new order “... was rather inconvenient because every time one has visitors, it got to be reported to the guards. The fact however, was that we knew some of our own soldiers come to town and we tell the Japanese that they are peaceful residents in the nearby barrios.”
Earlier in Banaue on Feburary 20, “the wife of William Bayer and two other women neighbors were detained at the Presidencia. They were suspected of hiding Americans, but a few days earlier Cols. Moises and Nobel were in Banaue and were escorted to Mayaoyao by Mr. Bayer.”
“Mr. Bayer reported to me later that upon reaching Mayaoyao, Cols. Moises and Nobel advised Captain Manalo that his HQ was known by the enemy. A disgruntled soldier by the name of Badal betrayed his former superior officer.”
In Boliwong, Burnay district, there were traitors who reported to the Japanese garrison in Kiangan of ‘bandits’ roaming the barrio. As a result, my father was later informed towards the end of February “... of several civilians who were forced to drink water from petroleum can containers after which the interrogators would step on their stomachs to let the water come out through any of the body openings.
“A local resident by the name of Bantiyan was one of those unfortunate soldiers betrayed by his own neighbor who was subjected to maltreatment and inhumane water treatment. As a former member of the Philippine Scouts, he knew the trick in thwarting the water treatment by pushing the base of his tongue to block up his throat and esophagus.
The interrogators, after several failed attempts to pump in water, brought him along to Lamut for further questioning. Bantiyan however, managed to escape along the way.
How Scout Bantiyan dodged his captors is a great escape indeed in these times, nobody knows.” – (to be continued)
***
Note: The narrator is the youngest son of the late Luis I. Pawid of Kiangan, Ifugao and Angeline Laoyan of La Trinidad, Benguet. He is a journalist by profession, former town Mayor of La Trinidad, Benguet, and former Executive Director of the defunct Cordillera Executive Board, Cordillera Administrative Region. He now resides in New Jersey, USA.