Last week I published part four of this series.  You’ll note there are links just above this sentence to let you navigate directly to the various installments of this article.  Enjoy.

A while back I published some articles on the ‘real Filipinos’ which pleased me, at least, greatly.  I recently came across some very well done biographical material, thanks to the US Army History Center, on one of my personal heroes and a Filipino whose life is worth knowing about, I think.  Sadly, you won’t find this material anywhere online in the Philippines … although there was never so much as a hint of scandal attached to his name, and although he was the only Filipino president to die without multiple mansions, wealth and prestige gained at the expense of his fellow Filipinos, there is little known or mention about Ramon (The Guy) Magsaysay in day to day life here.  You won’t even find him on a bank note,  the anniversary of his birth and death are seldom noted, and I personally think it’s a shame .. so rather than complain, I will inform … my readers can form their own judgment:

Ramon Magsaysay Secretary of National Defense

Magsaysay decided to base government military tactics on small-unit operations, relying on large convention sweeps only when specific circumstances dictated its use. By doing this he hoped to maintain greater pressure on the Huks, reduce intelligence leaks associated with large operations, and remove the enemy’s sense of security in Huklandia.

In a speech delivered before the Philippine General Staff, Magsaysay summarized his new tactics: "Gentlemen, I know you all have graduated from military establishments here and in the United States. Now I am telling you to forget everything you were taught at Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Benning, and the Academy. The Huks are fighting an unorthodox war. We are going to combat them in unorthodox ways. Whatever it was that hurt me most as a guerrilla is what we are going to do now to the Huk."

To support his new strategy, Magsaysay began to increase the size of the Army to twenty-six battalions that would operate in four tactical commands. With help from the JUSMAG, and monies from the Military Defense Assistance Program (MDAP), this ambitious plan was accomplished — 28,000 troops were added, to the AFP by 1955 and the number of constabulary companies increased to ninety-one. Of the twenty-six BCTs, twenty-three were concentrated on Luzon with only two deployed to the southern islands. The final battalion remained in Manila in a training /reserve status.

Emphasis was placed on patrolling (especially at night), squad/platoon size operations, and hit-and-run tactics similar to those used by Luis Taruc.

Above all other considerations, Magsaysay knew that government terror tactics had to be stopped. From his days as a guerrilla leader, he understood that the campaign depended on gaining the people’s support and allegiance.

In the past, government attempts to provide relief for the people were destroyed by just a few acts of barbarism against the villagers. He told the military that their function was to protect the people from the Huks and to assist them in whatever ways they could.

Each soldier was given two duties: to act as an ambassador of good will toward the people and to kill Huks. Army legal officers were instructed to serve as civilian counsel, free of charge, in court cases involving peasants and landlords, while Magsaysay personally investigated cases of military crimes, harshly punishing those involved. Just three months into his term as secretary, children ran to greet Army trucks when they visited villages rather than running to hide in the jungle as they had done before.

On 23 December 1950, Magsaysay ordered the Police Constabulary placed under Army control for the duration of the Huk campaign. Formed in 1901 as a national police force, the Constabulary was the oldest independent paramilitary organization in the country.

By subordinating them to the military, a move police accepted only with great anxiety, Magsaysay demonstrated how far he was willing to go to improve the government’s posture to fight the insurgency.

In another attempt to improve the quality of the constabulary forces, regular army officers were placed in command of PC units and the PC was given additional training and newer weapons and equipment.

Part 6 will follow next week.

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