896.00/8–1848: Telegram

The Chargé in the Philippines ( Lockett ) to the Secretary of State

confidential

1548. Because of conflicting reports concerning present and immediate future policy of Philippine Government toward the Hukbalahaps, I asked President Quirino this morning if he would not be good enough to tell me what he could do concerning the situation. He said that although the legal period of the amnesty for registration of Hukbalahaps and their firearms expired August 15, Taruc1 has begged him to permit the continuance of the registration. The President said quite frankly that Taruc is having difficulties in convincing some of the leaders they should surrender but that he is continuing his efforts to bring them in. The President stated he told Taruc he would grant his request and furthermore that he would instruct the constabulary not to attack or provoke concentrations of Hukbalahaps unless the latter should commit acts against the peace of the country. At this point in the conversation the President emphasized that the constabulary had definite instructions not to attack or provoke concentrations of Hukbalahaps except on instructions from him. He said that this instruction meant that for the time being at least the constabulary would not open a campaign against a concentration of Hukbalahaps or even provoke them for the purpose of trying to force them to register themselves or their arms. The President said that in case the constabulary, in performing its normal police functions, should encounter a Hukbalahap singly (as distinguished from groups) without firearms he should not be molested, but should he be bearing firearms he should be apprehended just as any other person carrying arms against the law. He stated he had given specific orders to the constabulary that any Hukbalahap encountered with his firearms who demonstrated his intention of registering should not be molested but should be permitted to register. In view conflicting stories as to what registration of firearms involves, I queried the President on this point. He replied that it means an absolute surrender of the arms at the time of registration but that the Hukbalahap is given an opportunity at the same time to request a license to bear arms. The request for license must go through normal procedure and answer may not be given the Hukbalahap for two or three months. I informed the President I had been told a small skirmish occurred yesterday in the Mount Arayat sector during which three Hukbalahaps had been killed and ten captured. His look indicated [Page 633] he had not heard of the report but he said that in ease the constabulary provoked the Hukbalahaps against his instructions he would take action against the responsible officers to insure the execution of his instructions. President Quirino stated that he had ordered disarming of private guards so that only one force would exist for the maintenance of the peace and that is the government. He added that the constabulary is now performing its normal police and protective duties, saying that he could not keep the constabulary within its barracks as such action would leave the maintenance, or disturbance of peace in the hands of dissident elements. President Quirino informed me that he now has numerous special representatives in the Hukbalahap country whose duty is to extend economic and social assistance to the Hukbalahaps. Throughout the conversation the President gave me the impression that he felt confident that his policy as outlined above will eventually be successful although his last statement on the subject was that he realizes that among the Hukbalahaps are a number of criminal persons who would prefer to continue a lawless life rather than surrender.

Lockett
  1. Luis M. Taruc, leader of the Hukbalahaps negotiating with the Philippine Government. The “Huks” during World War II were a people’s anti-Japanese guerilla force which, after the war, became a peasant opposition to the Philippine Government. Taruc was regarded as a Communist.