796.00/4–154
No. 358
Memorandum by W.
Park Armstrong, Jr., Special Assistant to the
Secretary for Intelligence, to the Secretary of
State
Subject:
- Intelligence Note: The Philippines, Negotiations with the Huks
The Magsaysay Administration recently reopened its military offensive against the Huks, thus concluding a “cease fire” and a two-months’ period of “peace” negotiations with the Communists. The cease-fire period may have enabled the Communists to regroup their forces and strengthen Communist morale, but it also provided the government an opportunity to resume its military offensive with congressional support.
The Government’s negotiating terms were: (1) a gradual surrender (perhaps up to six months) of all Huks with their arms; (2) surrenderees to stand trial if there were charges against them; if not, they would be free to return to their homes or go to a government settlement project; and (3) immediate receipt of a detailed roster of Huk personnel and a complete inventory of all arms.
The Communists ostensibly were willing to agree to a gradual surrender of men with their arms, but in addition insisted on two crucial points which the government would not accept: (1) maintaining control over their arms during the surrender period in order to guarantee the government’s good faith; and (2) the lifting of the present legal ban on the Huks, the Communist Party, and the Communist-controlled National Peasant’s Union (PKM).
By its willingness to negotiate on a basis of firm but generous terms, the government has allayed congressional pressure for an amnesty with the Communists and has placed the onus for the resumption of hostilities on the Communists. In resuming military operations, the government now faces the task of convincing Congress of the soundness of its decision by producing tangible results. The government will probably concentrate on capturing Huk leaders in an effort to demoralize the guerrilla movement. There is [Page 590] some evidence that even now the leadership is scattered and that operations are poorly coordinated. However, there are no indications that the major Huk leaders will defect under pressure. Mass surrenders appear unlikely since the Huks are already reduced to a hard core of some 2,500.
The Communists will most likely strive to preserve the nucleus of their military strength but will continue to agitate for “peace” and legalization of their activities. It is unlikely that the government will compromise on its “unconditional terms.”1
- On May 17, Luis Taruc surrendered to the Government of the Philippines, pleaded guilty to charges of rebellion, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and fined.↩