Report of your armed forces

Media

Part of The Philippine Educator

Title: Report of your armed forces
Language: English
Year: 1953
Rights
Fulltext: REPORT on YOffil ~ARMED FORGES By Major Gener;l CALIXTO DUQUE C UR country today finds itself in an atmosphere of world instability and insecurity. Barely seven years after it was born from the l_'uins of a global ·war, sinister forces agam threaten it both from within and from without. The uneasy shadow. of the truce in Korea, the bristling bastion that is Formosa, the Red-inspired offensive in Indo-China, the threat to Thailan~'s borders, the upsurge of communist power in Indonesia... all these portentous rumblings are grim signs that this young nation is again hem:ined around by the nakedness of a war of aggression. With these circumstances,~ feel it my duty to emphasize here that on the home front our people have marveloudy withstood the threat from within. Your armed forces have routed the dissidents to allow the normal growth and development of our industrial as well as rurel areas. From a dangerously precarious position in 1949, we have risen to a vantage position over the tools of rebellion and chaos. We have successfully fulfilled our commitments in Korea while in Luzon we have whittled down the Huks to a point where their only chance of survival is to move continually in small groups or "ace inevitable annihilation. From a captured document by elements of "G" Company of the 8th BCT last May 5 somewhere in Quezon province, we have discovered that the Huks admit that their defeat at the., hands of government troops has been due to "weak Addre'" delivered by General Duque before th~ Defender• of Bataan and Corregidor last 17 J'uly 1953. 54 ,, v~tel:igence: \Nhortage of arms, ~an power, • I ~unds, s~sten!. of communication, and internal d1ssen£lon among o12f own. lead~rs." Calling <attention to reverses suf- • fered by them, the enemy circular cites • the factors to rhich the losses can be . attributed and • scribes the points that · /· ,, must be observe by< every Huk in guerrilla warfare. The document calls for strict compliance with a harsh warning to all HMB members that "this circular must never fall into the hands of the "enemy, for it will mean th~t we ourselves taught them how to defeat us". If only for admitting the weaknesses of the Huk <l)fganization and the sue- .,~. cesses of the government forces, the captured document has great significance. Let not this, however, lead you to a hasty conclusion that we may now :relax· our relentless campaigns against the enemy. It would be folly to slacken our • vigiiance and lose thereby through a false sense of security. The Huks mav lie low for the · present, "but their victo~ designs, their doctrines of force violence and revolution will continue 'in spurts and spasms in the approved manner of modern vandalism. In reporting to you this modest degree of military success gained for the internal security of our country, I wish0 you would consider the fact that the manpower involved has not been more than 54,000 officers and men including a yearly expeditiona<'Y fc,rce to Korea. Whatever stability we have gained and all the taxpayers' money that have been spent · for national defense, I must say you owe to the muscle and sweat of the Filipino soldier, the loyal Filipino G.I. who is the noblest embodiment of the people's will to promote and defend the happiness and well-being of the country.'· Compare our strength with those of the ~ountries in Asia today, in Europe, and elsewhere. Compare the degree of leadership, the stamina, the courage and gallantry that he has displayed. They bear the earmarks of the great fighters before them, men like you who stood the shock of steel and armor on Bataan in a death-grapple so unevenly matched. The soldierly virtues and success of our soldiers today stand as a tribute to the spirit and trarlition of the veterans and defenders before them. Recently, one foreig:1 newspaper !:I!;It ) ) ~ ~-!! nti ~ REP~'}T ON YOl1_ ARMED FORCE_ S 55 ; EUi- , s.om_e i~si~ua, ~ons and do~b{s purported-) of thousands of veterans who fought and c~ : ly mdicatmg · at rumblings from this suffered and died e~e without a paper ~ part of the world migh~ give rise to a of induction, a roste:r~ a s'3rvice record, · ~fu; , . .military coup. This sus¥,- cion, my friends or even a gun. '1 at was the highhas been engendered b: unkind critics water mark of loya" y and patriotism. gu~. h _? - k lor w o have not learneu enough of the Fili- I ask you now, gentlemen, to reconsilrning pino soldier to appreciate his native vir- der with me your role as reserve of1i!Oiar tues. It is short-sighted and should not cers of this citizen army. I ask you of ilie unduly disturb you. So long as there now to reaffirm your solemn declaration rlclves is enlightened ,leadership in your armed , to come to the aid of the state when and forces, so long as our own young men if that time should ever come. I urge still believe in our democratic ways and you to re-examine your position and ask institutions, and so long as we still en- why it had not been possible to call more joy the freedoms for wh~'th we fought reservists to the colors. It would be and died ... there is no cause for alarm. within your prerogative as citizens to I must be emphatic when I tell you that see the evils and short-comings of your your .a.rmed forces shall continue to pre- military establishment so that your own serve peace and orde1· above anything law-makel'S might see where_ the weaker else. No one is more determined than links are today. We now see the ten ./ we are to keep your armed forces strict- dency to ignore the AFP's claim for a ly above partisan politics. It is a most greater share of the budget so that prediff,icult and trying task but we mean paredness might not just be a hollow to enforce it lustily if o~ly to preserve promise and a sham. our democratic ideals. Towards this problem of restoring the interest and welfare of reservists, the The National Defense Act, Common- General Staff has evolved a ;,~Ian creat.wealth A~t No. 1, clearly e~tab~ishes the ing a Reserve :3ureau, a special staff ~'ill! i leg~l basis for the orgamzatlon of a section intended to supervise and coordi! i'll· nat10nal force to be con: posed of a regular nate the training of reserve officers and .;!:,ynu complem~nt and a trame? reserve. Let reservists all over the archipelago. With me remmd you that this Act contem- the Provincial Commander as the nucleus plated the conscription of 20-year-olds at of a cadre of advisors, it is planned that an average annual rate of 40,000. reservists might be grouped conveniently . The threat of internal aggression, how- to recei':'e. as much military i.nformation ~ ev~r,. offset the emphasis on training and and tramm~ that ~11 reserVIsts should buildmg up of our reserves during the have from time to bme. years immediately following the estab- . I appeal strongly to you all for c~n. lishment of the Republic. Obviously, we f1dence an~ ass?rance on the mtegnty could not have borne the task of a huge and noble mtentwns of ~ou: a~e~ fornational defense outlay to include both ces today. As Ion&: as. It IS Withm my operations against the Huks and the humble power to mamtam the good name training ;, of our 20-year-old reservists. of the organization! I shall not relent But we have not entirely neglected that my appeal for pubhc support. You and phase of our national defense efforts. I have a sacred. coven.ant to elevate t~e The concept of building up a citizen ar- standard ?~ officership and leadership my around a small core of professional of your Citizen army. . , . soldiers is still intact and unchanged. In these days w~~n pass10nl:( run high When we fought the last war in the hills and personal ambitions seem to cast a and hinterland, no one ever questioned ~hadow upon the better things in life, I whether a man was a regular or reserve Implore of you ~ use common se~se ~nd or guerrilla or a mere volunteer. . . whe- a more matu~e JUd~ent. ~ear m mmd ther an officer came from ROTC or the that Co~umsm, wlll co~e m wh~n terPMA or just one of the many run-of-the- ror and VIolence seethes m our midst. mill guerrilla units of 1945 vintage. All We • cannot afford to lose the peace -of them built up a magnificent unity. . . . we enJOY today.. Th~ .country needs the tl-~ a unity to fight aggressjon to a point ~eassur~nce of Its mihtary leaders that where yeats later, it seemed unlfelievable · hberty. IS .far dearer to our generation for America to lrive credence to hilndreds than hfe 1tself ever was. ., '