IT WAS in the late sixties when the HMB under the leadership of Faustino Del Mundo alias Commander Sumulong grew even more. There were business establishments which were legal fronts and contributed immensely that in no time at all the dissident’s chest fund was running into millions. But the money in the HMB treasure chest became the source of discord among its leaders.
Top commanders like Bernabe Buscayno alias Commander Dante and Commander Freddie believed that the organization is now being run mafia type. On top of it there were no accounting of these funds. It was Commander Freddie’s gripes that reached Commander Sumulong. And to complete the anger of Sumulong, news reached him that Freddie was convincing Dante to disengage from the Sumulong group and put up an honest to goodness revolutionary faction. Dante was mum on the intriguing proposal despite his misgivings on the leadership of Sumulong.
The death of Freddie in the Orani, Bataan gun battle fed Dante’s burning suspicion and aggravated his apprehension that he would be the next victim. Accounts of that historic Orani gun battle in 1969 indicated a set up when Freddie’s Group was wipeout. Many of the discontented HMB members suspected Sumulong had a hand in the successful government raid on Freddie’s lair whose decimation under suspicious circumstances spread like a prairie fire.
It was during this time in 1969 that the presidential elections were being contested by reelectionist President Ferdinand Marcos and Cebu Senator Sergio Osmena Jr., the Liberal Party standard bearer. Strategists of Osmena predicted his loss in Central Luzon unless they neutralize Huk power. It was widely believed then that Sumulong had already forged a pact with Marcos the latter and some of his henchmen rendezvoused secretly with the Huk chieftain.
Osmena’s political leaders in Tarlac who were aware of the growing rift between Sumulong and Dante took advantage of the suspicious move and forthwith formed a splinter group, the New People’s Army (NPA). Told of of Dante’s schism, Sumulong distributed mimeographed letters condemning the betrayal of Dante even as he vigorously denounced certain politicians for the organization of the NPA. He also went on the air over radio station in Angeles City ranting mad over the betrayal.
While Sumulong’s control of his field commanders was soon getting of hand, he kept an unrelenting tight grip over local political and businessmen-collaborators. The formation of NPA under Dante’s leadership vindicated Tarlac braintrusts as politically correct. Marcos was soundly beaten in Pampanga. Marcos’ defeat in Pampanga signalled the start of Sumulong’s downfall.
Marcos did not take his electoral debacle in Pampanga without remorse. He understood why he lost to Osmena in Cebu. It was his opponent’s home province. He nagged his political lieutenants about the promised Sumulong’s support but no one could give a logical and acceptable explanation. Thereafter, Sumulong’s control on his own men became doubtful. Then his grip started to loosen after the Freddie massacre. It slipped furthermore with the disengagement of Commander Dante. The formation of the breakaway caused Sumulong to abandon his ‘fortress in Angeles City.
It was during the first quarter of the second term of Marcos when a para-military group called ‘Monkees’ conceived by elite officers from Camp Olivas stepped up their search and destroy operations against the HMB.
(In the next part, the battle lines are drawn between the government forces against the HMB. Monkees vs. Beatles)