The attack on Jolo and eventual burning of the Maoist insurgents has emphasized the role of the Armed Forces in the restructuring of the society.
I have placed in an envelope No. 37-B the Report of the Philippine Army Commanding General Rafael G. Zagala on the upgrading of the Philippine Army from 9 battalions at the start of 1972 to 13 battalions during the Degoya or MV [Motor Vessel] KARAGATAN incident sometime in July 1972 so that by the time Martial Law was proclaimed on September 21, 1972, there were already 13 battalions. This was increased to 21 battalions in March 1973, at the height of the Cotabato uprising bringing it to a total of 21 battalions. From then on up to the present 12 more battalions were activated from July 1972 to the present or a total of 20 months, the Philippine Army has been able to activate, organize, train and equip a total of 24 Infantry battalions, exceeding in the process the maximum envisioned under our five-year strategic objective plan. As a result of the force build up, the total strength of the entire Philippine Army now is 35,730, or an increase of 93% over our strength of July, 1970. Of the total strength at present 39% are trainees and draftees. The speed of the force build up and its timeliness to meet critical situations was made possible in greater part through the implementation of KAMAGONG concept. This merely means the incorporation of trained man-power the 20 year old trainees who have passed the training period and qualified into the combat troops. The Command structure has also been improved. Each Infantry Division now has three organic tactical headquarters and is capable of providing command and control to 12 Infantry battalions compared to only 5 battalions under the old set-up.
Each Infantry division now has a field artillery regiment replacing the “fire support battalions” while the light armor battalions replaced by the armored reconnaissance company.
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Official Gazette for March 21, 1974: THE PRESIDENT appealed to the beneficiaries of the massive land reform program to pay for their lands as soon as they can without waiting for the amortizations to fall due, in order to help speed up land reform. “The success of the land reform program is irreversible,” the President told some 15 former landowners who came to receive full payment for their lands, and 45 farmers who had completed payment for their lands and were given the titles thereto.
CHIEF Justice William Richardson of the Supreme Court of Hawaii hailed the program of reform instituted by the President for being “very successful.” The distinguished jurist, who called on the President, together with Mrs. Richardson and Chief Justice Querube C. Makalintal, said: “Recent events proved the President right.”
CENTRAL BANK announced that money supply as of the end of February 1974 rose by P242 million or 3.2 per cent compared to its position a month ago, to level at P7,767 million. On an annual basis, the expansion was P1,134 million or 17.1 per cent. Both components of money supply contributed to the total increase currency in circulation, by P95 million or 2.9 per cent and peso demand deposits, by P147 million or 3.5 per cent. The continuous favorable performance of the external sector which realized a total surplus of S68 million during February 1971, and the increased availments of credits by the private sector, contributed to the expansion of money supply by P386 million and P43 million, respectively.No Official Gazette entries for the days March 22-25, 1974.
The reorganization is all the way down to infantry battalions which is reorganized to make it sufficiently light and mobile to insure more effective command and control at different echelons and has greater fire support capability. The squad is now composed of 9 men instead of 7 and given additional fire power. Service support units, such as one logistic support company for the brigade in Cotabato and one medical clearing platoon each to serve army units in CENCOM (Central Mindanao Command) and SOWESCOM (Southwest Command).
There has been an improvement of the logistic profile. The standard arm of the infantry soldier, the M-16 has now replaced the Garand or M-1. All of these are aimed to enhance the capability of the ground troops to move to shoot and to communicate.
However, the procurement system is still deficient. When I visited the wounded soldiers in the Fort Bonifacio Station Hospital, I noticed some of them suffering from abrasions and puncture of the soles of their feet. When I interrogated them, they admitted that they had been fighting barefooted. This was due to the fact that their shoes had become unserviceable during combat, und supplies had not been able to catch up with them.
This requires the decentralization of procurement of supplies the moment hostilities occur.
At present, the Chief of Staff has kept the system of procurement centralized in General Headquarters, AFP. After the parade and review in Fort Bonifacio on the 77th Anniversary of the Philippine Army, I directed the Chief of Staff to immediately decentralize procurement of needed items of the combat units.
I have ordered the procurement of pack howitzer [10 75?] MM for the Philippine Army. This 1st 36 have been ordered from [Milan?] of Italy to equip our field artillery regiment.
There has been an increase in the training of army troops from the enlisted men up to officers all the way to staff and command level. The Philippine Army School Center which is the unit that is charged primarily with this mission of conducting service schooling for military personnel has made an unprecedented 50% increase in its output of personnel training and various skills and occupational skill specialists. Service schooling has also been decentralized with extensions or branches at different brigade levels.
Before September 21, 1972, only 2,000 20-year olds were trained yearly. The Army has increased this number to 10,000 annually.
Emphasis has also been given to citizens training in addition to military schools. This includes vocational training.
The PC [Philippine Constabulary] has had the sad experience of total Muslim personnel in separate units. The experience with the complete Tausug company in Sulu resulted in a debacle. Two of the officers are now under detention, one for suspected treachery and cowardice, and the other for collaboration with tl1e enemy. The Bilaan incident at Talipao where the subversives allegedly took over a detachment of 21 men and thus captured 191 MM recoilless rifle, 181 MM mortar with plenty of ammunitions as well as several light machine-guns was not the result of an encounter. It was a case of the Constabulary personnel handing over the encampment of the detachment complete with armament and supplies to the subversives. The officers in command was absent. Only 9 men were able to escape. All the rest joined the subversives although some of them returned later without clothing and without equipment.
I have therefore issued an order that henceforth, the native personnel must be mixed with the regulars on the body to body system or one to one ratio. Command should also be retained by the dependable officers.
I directed the Chief of Constabulary, General Fidel V. Ramos to take steps immediately to improve the morale of the Philippine Constabulary specially in Sulu.
In fairness to them, however, the 3 battalions of Philippine Constabulary (the entire Provincial Command of Sulu has been reorganized into a battalion in order that it can operate as a tactical infantry unit) are now assigned to definite areas and sectors and are participating in the clearing operations in two islands of Jolo very efficiently and courageously. They are presently participating in the assault at Talipao where the remnants of the more than 1000 or 2000 subversives that were holed in the cave at Batong Puti where they had a training ground and where their general headquarters is located, withdrew after the paratroopers took over Batong Puti, on March 11, 1974 with the 26th Infantry Battalion leading the attack. The troops captured a significant quantity of assorted firearms, demolition materials, medicines and foodstuff, and for the first time in the fighting in Sulu we have been able to capture documents which are quite revealing and will be of definite help in subsequent operations.
Since this is the main stronghold and headquarters of the Bangsamoro Army or the Moro National Liberation Front (which is organized along the line of that of the New People’s Army of the provincial, municipal, and barrio levels) and which has a political arm, the Lupasug Revolutionary Committee (LSRC) in the case of Sulu and a military arm, the Bangsamoro Army of PMA [Philippine Military Academy].
The insurgents have been broken up into fleeing small groups of uncoordinated mobs all trying to escape the dragnet in the islands of Sulu. [Some numbers?] of high ranking officers into the [FMLF?] are proceeding smoothly, eradicating pockets of resistance.
The general plan is to clean up the entire island of Jolo first then move to the other island and clean up all of the province of Sulu as well as that of Tawi-Tawi before the Islam Conference in Kuala Lumpur which was originally set for May but now has been moved to June.
The report of the Chief of Staff on his field inspection trip 19 to 21 March 1974 is included in Envelope No. 37-B. I also include in this envelope “Far East Economic Review” date—March 11 , 1974 where on page 15 they have a one-sided story about Jolo as well as NEWSWEEK March 18, 1974 issue which, on page 24, has a good word to say about the “New Wind that Blows in the Philippines.”
March 22, was spent in celebrating Philippine Army Day, the 77th Anniversary. I attach the speech which I prepared to deliver but which I replaced with an impromptu speech wherein I honored the original 8 rebel lenders in Sulu—[Mans Bawang, Tupailong, Bagis, Jairula, Ima Maldiza, Ali Abubakar, Ani Muk Sin and Tupay Kalbi?] of Basilan as well as some other civilians who helped in the campaign at the risk of their lives and who were all awarded the rank of Datu of Kagitingan ng Barangay. At the same time, I awarded a “Distinguished Conduct Star” to Gen. Fortunato Abat, Commander of CEMCOM who cleared Cotabato, Davao, Bukidnon and Lanao.
But the height of the ceremonies was when after awarding the Distinguished Conduct Star to Col. Alcoceba on the spot since he was the Commander of the troops on parade, I promoted him to Brigadier General and pinned his star at the reviewing stand.
At the same time, the third recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Star is Pfc [Private First Class] Buenafe. I promoted him immediately with two ranks to Sergeant. Since he is a bachelor, his stripes were pinned by the First Lady. He fought the Sulu insurgents single handedly when he was left behind by his armored column and after killing many of the enemy who surrounded him, he fought his way back to his unit.
Then I went to the Station Hospital and pinned to the wounded soldiers medal on those who had been wounded in combat.
On Saturday, March 23, 1 had occasion to attend the UP [University of the Philippines] Vanguard Fraternity homecoming at Los Baños. I inspected the Kaliraya Reservoir which is also a hydroelectric project, in fact the first hydro-electric project of the Philippine Government in which we are going to set up a pump station for water from the Laguna Lake to the Kaliraya Reservoir so as to increase the electric output of the hydro-electric plant. It was grisly, cold and windy but I skied, anyway, and I caught a cold.
I inspected the new University of the Philippines in Los Baños including the Southeast Asian Agricultural Library which is supposed to be the best in all of Asia and the International Rice Research Center Institute where the new experiments are coming on very well.
The UP Vanguard meeting was a great success and a happy reunion with plenty of good-natured ribbing and hilarity including my revealing the fact that a certain Capt. Nicanor Jimenez (now Col. Nicanor Jimenez, retired, General Manager of the Philippine National Railways) when in command of the battalion combat patrol from the 31st Infantry Division which was to right of my division, 21st Division, he and his battalion almost killed me when I was returning from the enemy lines with a captured Japanese soldier which we kept in our custody for intelligence investigation and whom his (Col. Jimenez) scouts must have spotted. Of course, I pointed out that it was my lucky day because the marksmanship of the men of Capt. Jimenez was not up to standard. Anyway, he was fined not only P20 but P50 for having almost killed the President when he was still Lieutenant.
Lt. Col. P. [Juachon?] and two of his men demonstrated free fall jump from 4000 to 5000 ft. without opening their parachute and pulling open their parachute only when about 1000 ft. from the ground and hit the center of the UP Los Baños campus notwithstanding a very strong and gusty wind. Quite an impressive demonstration.
On Sunday, Imee arrived at 6:45 in the morning. I was nursing my cold and Imelda told me to slay behind while she went to meet her daughter alone. I slept and partly recovered from my illness, well enough so that I was able to accompany them to Dr. [Tamesis?] in the afternoon for a refraction of all our eyes. Imelda has acquired the habit of stealing my glasses for reading every time that she has to do some reading of some fine print. I have always scolded her but I have never been able to convince her to go to the Doctor up to now. Thank God she now has her own glasses. Imee, of course, lost her glasses in the plane and she welcomed the opportunity to have a new set as it turned out all of us needed new grades for both distant and reading.
The whole day of Monday I have devoted to catching up on my paper work.
Most important problem that now faces me is my meeting with Ambassador [William] Sullivan which I have set for Friday on the negotiations for a new trade agreement with the United States as well as the Military Agreement that must be updated.
In order to be able to get nil the proposals and recommendations, I have called a meeting of NEDA [National Economic Development Authority] at 9:30 Wednesday morning, March 27, although I am supposed to attend the Greater Manila Terminal Food Market inauguration on that day and also receive the representative of Prime Minister _______.
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