Guardian of the law

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Part of Philippine Armed Forces Journal

Title
Guardian of the law
Language
English
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Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume IX (No. 6) July 1956
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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
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, ~JULY ifSI I "I GUARDIAN of the LAW By Captain Ambrosio P. Peiia, FA . "I FTER 'eluding his pursuers Even before the formal termina for more than one year, tion of hostilities, however, vigorous General Emilio Aguinaldo, measures were taken by the Amer. President of the First Phil- ican government to pacify the counippine Republic, was finally capturt"d try. The effort fell short of the on 23 March 1901, at Palanan, desired result, largely because a large Isabela. Thereafter, the other field segment of the populace had been commanders of the Filipino re- displaced. There were repeated out. sistance forces were either cap. breaks of lawlessness and banditry, tured or foi'ced to lay down their particularly in the remote sections arms. Notwithstanding these facts, which could seldom be visited by any . + there remained a good number of Jaw-enforcing agency set up by the insurgent le4ders and their follow. American military government in the ers who defied the American author- Philippines. ities, continuing 'the fight for Phil- The Philippine Commission ippine freedom in guerrilla warfare. Meanwhile, in January 1899, the The most notable among these in- First Philippine Commission was aptrepid leaders were General Vicente pointed by President William Me. Lucban of Samar, who was captured Kinley, primarily to look into the in February 1902, and General Mi· state of affairs in the Philippines guel Malvar of Batangas, whose to seek peac;eful ways and means of .. surrender in April 1902 marked the extending American sovereignty end of or.ganized Filipino resistance over the Philippines. The Commis. against the American forces of OC· sion was headed by Dr. Jacob G. cupation. Schurman, president of Cornell UniPUILIPPINES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL ~~ versity, and the members were Ma- on the restoration of peace and orjor General Elwell S. Otis, then mi- der. litary governor of the Philippines; Creation of the PC Rear Admiral George Dewey, com- Some sort of civil government had mander of the United Stutes Asiatic to be initiated in the Philippines. Fleet; the Honorable Charles Denby, Toward this end, President McKinley former United States minister to appointed the Second Philippine China; and Dr. Dean C. Worchester, Commission, under the presidency cf a professor of the University of Mi· Jurlge William H. Taft of Ohio. The chig~m. other members all came from civil. With the exception of Gen. Otis ia-n life and included Mr. Lukt- 8. and Adm. Dewey who are already Wright, Professor Dean C Worchesin Manila, the rest of the Commis- ter, Professor Bernard Moses, and sioners arrived in the Philippines on Mr. Henry G. Ide. Unlike its pre4 March 1899, exactly one month af- decessor which was merely an adviter the outbreak of the Filipino. sory body, the Second or Taft ComAmerica-n War. Owing to the exi- mission was authorized to exercise gencies of war, the Commission was both executive and legislative func Despite the many laws passed affecting the Philippine Constabulary-from its establishment up to the outbreak of World War li-the primary mission and objective of the organization remained the same. It had always been a semi-military organizq.tion gt·eatly hampered in its work. It tions. failed to conduct a field survey. At The Taft Commission· arrived in most the Commission conducted a the Philippine9 on 3 June 1900 and number of hearings in Manila, in immediately it began to seek ways which emissat·ies of Gen. Aguinaldo and means of expediting the estab· were also heard, but the findings lishment of a civil government. In were not enough yardstick by which this task it was more successful than to gauge the Filipino sentiment which the Schurman Comrniss!or. Event. prevailed at the time. On its re- ually, in the l~alities where conditurn to the United States the Com- tions became normal, the -civil govmission, in its report to President ernment began to supplant the mliiMcKinley, recommended among oth- tary in the administration of public ers the withdrawal of military rule af~~ir:he meantime, the question as in the pacified areas; in effect the to who should take charge of the conclusion was arrived at that the problems affecting the peace and orsuccessful extension of American rule der of the country, seeped into the in the Philippines depended largely picture. Mr. Wright, who was Vice,, JULY ltsf P1·esident of the Taft Commission, era! of the Constabulary. Later, by fully recognized that the United an Act of Congress on 30 January States Army "had neither the will 1903, Allen and his successors who nor the organization to do police were members of the Reg\1lar Fore£> duty, or take part in the mainten- of the United States Army, were ance of order and supression of authorized the rank, pay and allCIW· crime, that its job was to put down ance of a brigadier general of the armed insurrection that had got be. United States Army. Another cap~ yond the control of the civil author- tain of infantry, David J. Baker, of ities." Wright also believed that the the Class of 1887-United States Mi· administration of public affairs, in· litary Academy, was designated As. eluding the restoration and main• sistant Chief of Const~rbulary. tenance C!f peace and order, was an In his report to the Secretary of affair properly reposed on o. civil War on 15 October 1901, Governor government. Therefore, he recom- Taft dealt on the general scheme of mended to his fellow commissioner~ the organization of the Philippine the immedill'te organization of an in- Constabulary, partly as follows: ~ular police force, to be charged with the mission of maintaining peace and . '~~~:: i;heth:i~~:~~!~:ri~:::~dy placed On 4 July 1901, William H. Taft was inaugurated as Civil Governor of the Philippines. Thereafter, the administration of the executive and legislative departments of the gov ernment was vested in a Civil Com. missiori. A few days later this Com· mission, w.ith the approval of the United States Secretary of War, en• acted Act No. 175 creating an insular police force which became known as the Philippine Constabu"The teneral ..,home lo to <rule an inoular force of not unedinJonehundrecl and fift7 men for ea<h pro~ince, Hletted from the natiYU thereof, who ma7 be mounted in whole or in part, and who • .., pla~ed under the Immediate command of one or more, not nceedinl' four, pro•· Lncial inopectoro. The whole bod7 I~ pla~ed under the ~ontrol of a ~hlef and four a .. lotant ~hieh of conolabulai'J' . ... FuLL powero aro rt.·en to propor\7 arm, e(julp, maintain, and dlt(:\pline the for~e. which lo onUat•d for two 7Url, unluo aooner dluharJed. The7 are d~dared to be peace offluro, and It 11 mad• their opedal dut7 to dlnharJe and oupprou brll'and .. e, Lnourrertlon, unlawful aiHm~llu, and bruchu of the p .. ce. For thlo purpooe the7 are l'h·en authorlt7 to makearrull,butarere(julredattheurUut poulble moment to brlnJ the prl::'onne.~. before a mal'lltrata for eumlnalwry. The Early Officer's Corps On 8 August 1901, upon approv- The build-up of the Philippine al by the War Department, Henry Constabulary progressed steadily unT. Allen, a graduate of the United der the capable hands of these two States Military Academy, class of American army officers. This WII'S 1882, who was then a captain of the due largely to the termination of 6th Cavalry, United States Anny in hostilities between the Filipinos and the Philippines, was officially desig- Americans which enabled Gen. Allen .,._ nated and confinned by the Civil to secure the services of trained miCommisSion, as Chief of Constabu- litary personnel from those recently lary. Allen, on assuming this post, mustered out of the United States was appointed brevet brigadier gen- Army in the Philippines and the <.OtH•TMlULA!I.'I' DI~TIU(.;TS GO 1<>~ 14 ocrose~. IQOI "'~:1'.u ~ ~~:.~~~1 ;:;~t- CG:.~!Jl.~·ft'j L!;.GbND C.HINA. &<~ .. -· PHILIPPINES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL l I PACIFIC OC~A.N Army of the erstwhile Philippine country where the civil government Republic. The bulk of officers, how. was already established. Teamed in ever, was chos.m from the non-com· country and the habits and customs missioned ranks oi the United States of its people. After suctess!ully Army who indicated their desire to completing the prescribed course the serve with the Philippine Constabu. trainees were commissioned, then lary. sent to the different parts of the General Allen placed this initial groups of four or five, composed of group of officer candidates through a captain and three or four; lieutea special course of training to ac- nants, they recruited, organized, and quaint them with the laws of the trained the enlistees in the mainte. 1 nanc~ of law and order. S. Goldsborough, had its hea'dqual·Early Organizational Set-UJ) ters at Iloilo, IloilC'. It includ~>d the Meanwhile, Gen. Allen sought ways provinces of Antique, Bohol, Capiz;, and means of extendinj!; effectin•ly Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte, Misamis (now the control of the Philippine Cun the provinces of Misamis Occidental stabulary over its area of jurisdic- and Misamis Oriental), Negros Oct ion consisting nf the pacified pro\·- cidcntal, Negros Oriental, Sama1· mce~. Ne\'CJ·theless, the s:-eneral felt and Surigao. ~ ;~~~~ e:~e:ti~:ti~~n:,~:t f;~~ ~: :~~e ple~~ly 1~i~~et:~~~~~~zo:~ul:n;·~~e c~~~ • tral headquarters. Decentralization sayas. The civil government was of administration would be the most extended to these newly pacifred profitable, (herefore, since thi~ would areas, and as an adjunct the mainpromote t>ffeetvf' field supervision. tenance of peat!! and order in these With this tnd and view, GPner·al Or- localities was taken over by the ders No. 49, dated 14 October 1901, Philippine Constabulary. In Minda was published ~rouping the pacified nao and Sulu, alV1ough the so-calleJ rrovinces into thrf.'c Con~tabular~· Moro Province embracing the vres. districts, as follows: ent provinces of Cotabato, Davao, The Firsr Distritt was consisted Lanao. Sulu and Zamboanga, litill of the provinces of Bataan, Rulacan, existed under an American military Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Panga);i governor, the Philippine Constabulanan, Rizal, Tarlac, ami Z:nnbales, J'Y was made to extend its jurisdic and the City of Manila whe1·e dis- tion insofa1· as the maintenauct! of tnrt headqua1·ters was located. Cap. peace and order was concerned. By ta1n Raker, who wa~ pn~vio11~ly ap. this arrangement the American milipointed First Assistant of Cor.stabu- tary authorities confined their activlary Was in addition assigned as Dis- ities to suppressing general armed trict Chief. uprising by the Moros against the The Second District was composed government. of the provinces of Albay, Ambo$ On account of the enlarged juris Camarines (the present province!' of diction of the Philippine ConstabuCamarines Norte and CanuH·inf'S lary, the Philippines was divided into Sur), Cavite, Masbate, Sorso~on, five Constabulary districts, pursul4nt and Tayabas (now Quezon province) to General Order No. 73, dated 13 which then included tht:" island nf June 1904 These divisions were as Marinduque. District head(]Ual'tet,; follows: · Wll'S established at lucena, Tayaba!<, The First District, under the Se· and wae placed unde1· the command cond Assistant Chief of Constabulary, of the Third Assistant Chief of Con. W. S. Goldsborough, embraced all of stabulary, Wallace C. Taylor, for· the provinces undel' the old First merly a captain of the ~9th Nebra~- District, and in addition extended its ka Inf-antry Regiment. jurisdiction over Batangas, Cavite The Third Di.~trirt, under Second and Laguna. Its headquarteL'S re. Assistant Chief of Constahulary W. mained in Manila. COH5T.t.8UI.ARY DISTRICTS. GOH0.7~. !3 JUM'- 1'?04 .. :~L.t.~ ~:!: ~~v~" .. ~ ~-d.::~v ' :~" 111111111 "':::::::::. ~~~=~ oo£":~:.:" C\-IINA ··~ The Second District still was con- lary, Howard Atkinson, still em· stituted by thl' provinces under the braced all the Visayan provinces and, old setup, minus Cavite. In addition in addition, extended its jurj~diction it acquired jurisdiction over llindo. over Palaw1m and Romblon. It lost ro. The Tl ird Assistant Chief of 'control over the two Mindanao prov. Constabulary, Wallace C. Taylor re- inces of Misamis and Surigao. Dismained as District Chief. District trict headquarters was transferred Headquarters was maintained nt Lu- to Cebu, Cebu. cena, Tayabas. The Fourth Di11trict, placed under The Third Di.ltrict, under the the Fifth Assistant Chief of ConFourth Assistant Chief of Constabu- stabulary, Jesse S. Garwood, had its headquarters established at Sa'll In 1916, under Brigadier General Fernando, La Union. It included Herman Hall, the Constabulary tlis the provinces of Abra, Cagayan, Isa· tricts were re-named and sub-divided, bela, !locos Norte, !locos Sur, La as follows: Union, Mountain Province, and Nue- The District of Central Luzon wa11 va Vizcaya. con.!'tituted out of the old First Dio; The Fifth Di.~trict, with headquar· trict, and embraced the provinces of ters at Zambo~mga, Zamboanga, em~ Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, braced all of the provi"lces in Min- Laguna, Mindoro, Nueva Ecija, P~­ danao and Sulu Captain James G. panga, Pangasinan, Rizal, Tarlac, Harbord, a regUlar officer of the Tayabas and Zambales, and the sub. United States Army, who was de. province of Marinduque. Colonel ta1led with the Philippine Constabu- Wallace C. Taylor, PC, was appointlary, was appointed as Oistrict ed as District Chief. Headquarters Chief. was maintained in Manila. From 1904 to 1916 when tht- new The Dislri("/ of Southtrn Luzon, sub-division of the Constabulary dis· constituted out of the defunct Se tricts was effected, the Philippine cond District, now embraced the pro Constabulary became oncet·ned most vinces of Albay including the subin stopping the orgy of murder, slav- province or Catanduanes, Camarine!\ cry, slave trading, kidnapping and Norte, Camarines Sur, Leyte, Samar cattle rustling which were then ram and Sorsogon, a'fld the sub province pant among the Moros. The elimi- or Masbate. District headquarters nation or slavery was the urgent de. was transferred to Legaspi, Albay. mand made upon the Constabulary. Colonel Charles C. Smith, PC, was In the mountain fa;.tness of Northern appointed District Chief. Luzon, the elimination or tribal war- The District of Visnyas, which rare and head hunting among the was practically the old Third DisNon-Christian tribes became the pa- trict, was placed unde1· Colonel Mar. ramount concern or the intrepid Con- cus D. Cronin, of the United States stabuhny men. Army, who was then recently deIn one decadP. the Philippine Con- tailed with the Constabulary. The stabu\ary _eained recognition as a na- district was composed of the provtional institution. Its services as inces of Antique, Bohol, Capiz, Ce guardian of peace and order were bu, Iloilo, Negros Oriental, Negros most outstandin.e, and in the process Occidental and Romblon. District it lwcame largely instrumental in headquarters was rr-~;-stablished at gaining the confidcnc~ of the people Iloilo, Iloilo. in the government. Time and again, The District of Norther11 L11zon, during this decadt!, the Philippine which was the old Fom·th District. Const!lbulary demonstratP.d its capa. with headquarters al San F'<'rnand<J, bilities in suppressing crime and in La Union, still embraced the same campaigning against the lawless ele pJ"Ovinces, includinll: Butanes which ments of the country. was recently separ:J.tl•d from Caga CONSTA.SUL.t.RV' DISTftjC.'fS ~·:-:~~';,~ ii ~o~i':~ ... ~~·~ .. - ~~:~"o"~ ... ~~":fs:; ~ ~0~~~": u..o~L.O ...... ,. .... s CHINA """ J ~;.:··~· , .... _, ....... ' P ~CIF IC OC.~AN The dt~lri~t """~ ThE> <.:nnsu bular} ,\l 1.~"'""~ placer! unrle1· the command of Lt. From th1· h .. gmnln~ th .. matn tiH•k Col. Cha1·les E. Nathorst, P.C. of the Conl!tahuhn~ was tn rid th" Thf' ni~trirt of .\lindanao was clJn. provinces of exilotm~r banrls ,of out stJtUtt>d of thP same provinces under laws which t·emamt>U at l~tr!Z~ after rht· defunct Fifth Distri~t. Its head- the cessation of hostilit1t>s. in thi~ quatten: remained at Zamboangll', regard the Constabulary "'a~ 11h•c••d Zamboan$:'a. Colonel Peter E. T raub, at a great disadvantaJle for ther· .. of thf' Unittrl Sta~es Army, who was immediate demand for it~ ~er•·· had been detailed with the Philip- i~es in the fielrl and its meil "'''''" prnt> Conl'tabulary since October requird to eampai~n aga1ns1 thr 1914, was assigned District Chief. elusive bandits before the~· could evt!n ex~cute "forward march." While Rizal and Laguna. In these multithese campaigns did not help toward Carious functions, aimed at mainmaking the 1·ecruit a spic-and-span taining peace and order, the Philipganison soldier, they gave him ron~ pine Constabulary pel"formed with fidence in the use of his rifle and marked success, ea!"ning th~ fitting in the skill of his officet·s. sobriquet as "Guardian of th~ law.'" In later years the constabulary While different laws wen• passed men moved around to chase bandits affecting the organizational ~etup and lad-rone:., disperse "Pulahanes" of the Constabulary from its estab. and 'uppress religious fanatics like !ishment on 8 At!,'tust 1!)01 up to thf' the "Colorums." It helped in the outbreak of World War II, none of fight against epidemics such as cho- these laws changed the primary mis !era and smallpox, as well as in the sion and objective for which th•· extermination of locusts. It was al. constabulary was ol"isdnally con so made to enforce quarantine meas ccived by the Honorable Luke E. ures against animal diseases, not Wright. Jt had always remained a ably anth1·ax, foot-~t.nd-mouth dis semi-military organization, clothed eases, glanders, rinderpests and sur with police powers co-extensive with l"U. the geographical limits and bonndaFrom the t·ankl: of the Constabu. 1-ies of the Philippines. hu·y were detailed the guards for collectors of public t·evenues, dis- The PC Under l~ili11ino Chiefs bursing office1·s, public land survey After the resignation of General OI"S, and scientific parties out on Allen in 1907, Harry H. Bandholtz, ~f exploration. Others were detailed to the Class of I8!lU, United Sta:<!~ keep close surveillance of and ~up- Military Academy, who had earlie1 pt·es:; the illegal traffic of op1um, served in the civil government as gambling, and vagrancy. In short, governor of Tayabas (Jrovince, wa~ the Constabulary rendered service to appointed Chief of Constabul11r~. ln practically every branch of the go,· 1913, Bandholtz was relieved by \Vilernment. A constabu!a, y oiiicer, .,. liam C. Rh·ers, who was i11 turn n::pecially those stationed 1n the re- lieved by Herman Hall in Ull4. Tht• mote localities, was forced by cir. two last named officers Wl'rP Jik(' cumstances to play the 1ole of a doc- wise graduates of West Pon•t. tor, judge, prosecutor, postmaster, At the outbreak of Wo1·ld Wa1· 1, and collector of internal re,·enue ~·actically all the ranking America1~ J"olled in one. regular ohic~::rs on duty with the Still, some years lat('r the Con- Philippine ConstabuJa, ;.·, including stabulary was utilized to apprehend its chief, Brigadier G•!neul Herman violators of the fish and game laws. Hall, were recalled to the United It was solely responsible in putting States Army. Fot· the first time in down· the "Tangulan" uprising at its history, a Filipino ,>fficer, Ra Tayug, Pangasinan and the Sakda\ fael Crame, a product of the S!)an rebdlion in the provinces ot Bulacan, ish infantry preparatory academ~ ir to ~<ix constabuiary districts, namely: the District of Northern LrtZota, whose headquarters was loca-ted at Bontoc, Mt. Province; the District of Central Lu~on, with headquarters at San Miguel, Tarlac; the District of Southern Luzon, with headquarters at Legaspi, Albay; the Ditttrict of Visayas, with headquarters at Cebu, Cebu; a'nd the District/! of Northern and Southern Mindanao, with headquarters at Camp Keithley, Lanao Gen. Rafae~Crame :i:~ly~a~:~g:f ~~::a~~:t:·i·c~8~C:s First Filipino PC Chief garrisoned by a const8'bulary regi1879 was appointed Chief of Con- ment composed of two battalions, ex· stabulary. Crame hm:l the distinc- cept the District of Southern Mintion of having served the longest danao whose regiment consisted of among the Chiefs of Constabulary. three battalions. He died while in office, on 1 Janua- Designated by letters "A" and I'Y 1927. "B," and letter "C" in the case of Three more Americans, Brigadier Southern Mindanao, these battalions Generals Charles E. Nathorst, Lu. were loosely knit as they WE're brok. cien R. Sweet, and Clarence H. Bo en down into provincial companies we1·s, who came to the country as designated by numbers. The la-tter member of the volunteer United were in turn broken de>wn to deStates Army, succeeded each other tachments stationed in the outlyin~t in that order, from 1927 to 1934. In municipalities within the territorial the latter year, Basilio J. Valdes, limit of the district. The master another Filipino officer, who had plan, howe\'er, made it possible for lately se1·ved as chief surgeon of the the district commander to ordt;!r to Philippine Constabulary, was ap- gether the companies and detachpoin~d Chief of Constabulary. Dur- ments from the different provinces ing the incumbency of Brigadier within his jurisdiction to form the General Valdes, drastic changes in battalion. Under this arrangement the organizational setup of the Phil· it was possible to form a combat ippine Constabulary were effected, team should the situa'tion so dedue largely to the forthcoming mand. change in the political status of the In addition to the six regiments loPhilippines. cated in the districts, Headquarters New Organizational Concept Philippine Conetabulary activated In the reorganization of the Phil- the Headquarters General $ervice ippine Constabulary on 1 January Troops, constituted largely by the 1935, the Philippines was divided in. 7th PC Regiment, whose compoCOII!>TA·U~ .. RV DI&TRIClS Go 110.15, H O(.TOKR 101 !> 6M t!:.!=" ¥&. M~=M ,9 .··· l I nents were originally garrisoned at of the Philippine Constabuhrry, was the old Sta. Lucia BarrlJCks in In. exchanged by the Manila city govtramuros, Manila and later trans- ernment for the old Gagalangin Barferred to Gagalangin Barracks, Ton· racks Compound. do, Manila. In 1935 a large tract In line with the master plan, the of land W8'S acquired in the "New General Service Troops served as a Manila Heights" area, now part of reserve striking force of the Philip· Quezon City, for the future use of pine Constabulary. lUI units, therethe General Service Troops. This fore, could be dispatched to any point tract .of land which became Camp in the country whose peace and or. Murphy, Camp Crame, and Zablan der condition went beyond the eonField, site of the ori,final air ann trol of the local Constabulary unit. La1·gely for this reason, the 7th PC a "Statf' Police" created by Com. Regimo>nt. because of ib equipment monwealth Act No. 88, dated 26 Ocanrl intense cohesive traini!lg was tobcr 1936. best fitted for sust:~ilwd comhat f'mdmg the body too unwieldy and ppe1·ations. unable t(, cope with tlw detel'iorated A new feature of tht: Philippilu" peace anrt orde1 conditions 1n thE' Constabulal'Y under GE.>n. Valdes wa~ countt·y, the State Police was abolish. un aviation unit composed of a flight ~don 23 June 1938 by Commonwealth of th1 Ct· planes, commanded by Cap. Act No. 343, up011 recommttHlation of tain h·an Proctor, of the U.S. Army President Quezon. Furthemoo1·e. the Air Co,·ps. Captain P.·octor, unfor- Act, implemented by Presirlemial Ex· tnnatf'lr, dit:d 'vhilf' in this special f'cutive Order No. 153, reconstituted deta1\ IVith th .. Philippine Constabu- the Philippine Constabulary' distinct larr. Thi~ av:ation unit was really and separate from the Philippine the foret·unnel' of the ru·esent Phil Army. It was clothed with its old ippinc Air F'orcr. national police powers. BJ·i>eadi('l A S1gnal Detachment, headE:ct Ly General Guillermo B. F1·ancisco, then the late CoL Paci11nn Tangco, was in comm(md of the 1st Regular Divi organized a:> ll neY. branch of ~erv- sion of the Philippine Army, was deice of the Philippine Constabu!an• signated as Chief of Constabulary. ~ under Gen. Vald('s. This detachment He remained i11 this post up to early was subSc'luently absorbed by thr ,JanuaJy 1942. Philippin(' Army in cady I93G, and As in the old Philippine Constabulbecam(' the fore1·unner of O\\r pre~ a1r setup, the need of a reserve force ent Signal Corps. was felt. Toward this ~nd a "GenDeactivation eral Service Troops" of a 5trength of ~nrier the provision of Sectiou 18 an infantry n:;j!'iment was o1·ganized of tht National Defense Act, and at Camp Crame in Qu('zon City, ad. pur~u:mt to Par. 2 of Executive Or- jacent to Camp Murphy, site of th(' de1- No. 11 of Presid('nt Manuel L. 1st Regular Division (PA). Quezon, dated 11 January 1936, thr War Preparations Philippine Constabulary was inac As a combat unit, the General ~('!' tivated; its units became the nu vice Troops, just as its countPrpHit cleus of the Philippine Army. The of 1935, had very much bett('l' equip· Hudquartcrs General Service Troops ment and traininll' than thP rro\·inas well al;. the 7th PC Regiment re· cia! Constabulary companies 11nd deverted to the control of th(' Army tachments. Consequently, in 'the mid to form the 1st R('gular Division die of l94I when plans we1e formul· (PA), pursua1,t to G('neral Order~ ated to create sepa rate Constabulary No. 56, Headquarters Philippine Ar· regiments which would be able to un. mr, dlrted 18 January 1936. There- dErtake in combat the usual duties after. the insular police duties, for. devolved on t he infantry it was mel'ly r('po~ed in the Philippine Con· thought best to employ fm this pur lltabulary, was to be- discharged by pose the GE:n€ral Service Troops. Th(' JUL\' 195& Philippine Constabulary, meanwhile, mands as follows: Major Miguel Diwas authorized to hike its strength vino, Executive Officer; Captain Jose from seventy-five hundred to fifteen Amorin, Adjutant and S.l; Captain thousand men, to cope with the ex.- Jose Jomelosa, S-2; Captain Alfonso isting national emergency. Dabu, S-3; Captain Andres del RoOn 17 July 1941, the 1st and 2nrl sario, S.4 and concurrently Com PC Regiments were activated by the manding Officer, Headquarters BatHeadquarters Philippine Constabul- talion; Captain Matias Linsangan ., ary out of the General Service Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion; Troops. Lieutenant Colonel Mariano and Major Francisco Roska, Com· N. Castaneda was given the command manding Officer, 2nd Battalion. of the 1st PC, while Lieutenant Col· Back in Luzon, Col. Castaiieda upon one! Manuel V. Atanacio was assign- assuming command of the 1st PC Reed to command the 2nd PC Regiment. giment, named the following constahWith the initial phase ot organir.a. ulary officers to his stuff and to the tion completed, the 2nd PC Regi- battalion commands: Mujc1· Marcos ment was transferred to the Bilibid Estacio, Executive Officer; Captain Prison Compound in the heart of Ma- Modesto Gozun, Adjutant :md S-1; nila while the 1st PC Regiment re-- Captain Louis Marohombsar, S-2; t1-- mained at Camp Crame. Captain Diosdado Rodriguez, S.3; In Mindanao the organization of a Captain Jose Jereza, S-4; Captain third ree-iment was undertaken at Antonio Obieta, MC, Regimental Camp Keithley, Lanao in early Sept- Surgeon; Captain Teodorico Apil, ember }941, under Lieutenant Col- Commanding Officer, Headquarters one] Francisco Donesa, then Senior Battalion; Captain Jose Tando, ComInspector of the Philippine Constab- manding Officer, 1st Battalion; Capt. ulary's Department of Mindanao and ain Macario Negrosa, Commanding Sulu. The elements of this regiment Officer, 2nd Battalion; and Captain came from different Constabulary Apolinar G. Fajardo, C'lmmanding units all over Mindanao and the Vi. Officer, 3rd Battalion . ., sayas. After two months the person- Lacking personnel the 2nd PC Rene) requirement of the regiment was giment was initally organized with a tilled up to a total of 58 officers and skeleton strength. None of the rifle 1000 men. It was formed into two battalions wa~ o,gani7.ed since the rifle battalions and one headquarters different companies had one or two battalion. On 7 November 1941, this officers anri about twenty-five to outfit was officially designated by thirty percent of the enlisted personHeadquarters Philippine Constabul nel. Colonel Atanacio organized his ary as 3rd PC Regiment, and placed staff out of the following Constab. under the command of Col. Donesa, ulary officers: Captain Deogracias who was relieved as Department D. Tenazas, Executive Office!·: CaptInspector. ain Jose A. Arambulo, Adjutant and Colonel Donesa subsequently or- S-1; Major Daniel Estanie!, S-2; Majganized his staff and battalion com- or Angeles Barrios, S-3; Captain MiP HI LIPPINES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL guel Capi&tnrno, S-4; 1st Lieutenant 1941, Col. Atanacio's 2nd PC RegiJose Zialcita, MC, Regimental Sur- ment was inducted to the USAFFE, geon; 1st Lieutenant Pedro Dimaano, also by Gen. George Parker, Jr., in a Ch S, Regimental Chaplain; and 3rd colorful ceremony held at the tampus Lieutenant Lupiciano Matubis, Sig C, of the University of Sto. Tomas, MaRegimental Signal Officer. Captain nita. Following its induction the reRecaredo Reyes was named command- giment was transferred to its allocating officer of the Headquarters Bat- ed area at Balara where it was a lso talion. given an intensive combat training In the latter part of August, upon on the regimental level. The 3rd PC the assignment of additional officers Regiment, on the other hand, was not and men from the provincial Con. inducted into the USAFFE until 12 stabulary companies of the Depa·rt- December 1941, at Camp Keithley, ment of Southem Luzon, the 2nd PC Lanao, by 2nd Lieutenant Charles A. Regiment was brought up to stan- Bucher, h., USA. dard strength. It was now possible The Ist and 2nd PC Regiments to organize the rifle battalions with were intended primarily for riot duJose A. Arambulo, now major, as ty on Luzon. Their training, therecommanding officer of the 1st Bat- fore, was evolved with this end and talion; Major Daniel Alvarado was view. Long marches were eonducted placed in command of the 2nd Bat· into and around Manila to harden talion; and Captain Miguel Capistra- the constitution of their respective no was assigned to command the 3rd personnel. In the course of these Battalion. Captain Oscar Rialp re- marches they were given hypothetical heved Major Arambulo as adjutant enemy to engage either in defense or and S.l, while Captain Ma:-:imo Ca- offense, or they engage an imaginary wed was designated as S-4 of the enemy air-dropped on military and regiment. civil installations in Manila and its On IS October 1941, after com- environs. An important adjunct to pleting its first phase of tuining up this training was the actual safeto company and battalion level, the guarding of public utilities vital to tst PC Regiment was . inducted to the survival of the ~eeming popula· the USAFFE, by Brigadie1· General tion of the metropohtan area, such George Parker, Jr., U.S.A., in a sim- as bridges, water aqueducts, pumppie, impressive ceremony held at ing station, sewerages, airfields and Camp Crame. The 1·egiment there- e\edric, telephone, a'nd tf>,l~graph afte1· reverted to the administrative systems. The exercises 1n heart or control of the Philippine Army. the city presented an awesome picShortly after it was transferred to a ture, but they gave an assurance of more spacious cantonment area at military strength and preparedness. Balar'l., also in Que:~;on City, where it The Philippine Constabulary trained intensively as a combat team now geared for war. on the 1·egim<>ntal level. In passing, it is notable that seA month later, on 17 Novembe1· vera\ AmeJ·ica"n officers who served l I with the Philippme Constabulary at Another American, Maxon its early stage, among which were Lough, who saw sen•icc as a lieuHenry T. Allen, William C. Rivers, tenant in the early Philippine Con. Hat-ry H. Bandholtz, and James C. stabulal·y, became a brigadier genHarbord, became outstanding milita. eral in the U.S. Army and had the ry figures of the American Expedi- distinct honor of commanding the tionary Force in Europe durin~ famed Philippine Division, composed World War I, rising to the rank of largely of Philippine Scouts, during major general. Of the four, three the Bataan campaign in 1941-1942. were Products of the United States rAbridge from Chapters lJ and Military Academy, while Harbord en- Ill of the History of the 2nd Retered the s~rvi('e a~ a reserve offi· gular Division.)