Affidavit of FAIT-Nasugbu Officers on the Arms Surrender to the Japanese, August 1945
The Fil-American Irregular Troops or FAIT was a guerrilla organization founded in 1942 by the retired American Colonel Hugh Straughn, who would unfortunately be captured and executed by the Japanese. The FAIT had many units operating in Batangas, including Nasugbu, where its 1st Regiment would be attached to the 11th Airborne Division of the United States Army after the Nasugbu Landing of 31 January 1945. In this August 1945 document1, Capt. Ramon Garcia and Captain Tomas Fernandez of the Nasugbu-FAIT swore in an affidavit about the necessity of surrendering firearms to the Japanese to avert zonification of the town of Nasugbu.
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COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES ) S. S.
NASUGBU, BATANGAS )
A F F I D A V I T
We, ROMAN GARCIA AND TOMAS FERNANDEZ, both citizens of the Philippines, of legal age, married and residing in Nasugbu, Batangas, after having been sworn in accordance with law, depose and say:
That we are both captains in the guerrilla organization of the Nasugbu Fil-American Troops; that during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines before the landing of the American forces of liberation in Nasugbu, Batangas, we were the custodians charged with the care and safekeeping of all the arms of the Nasugbu Fil-American Troops in the CP of the organization in Balaytigue, Nasugbu, Batangas; that on or about the month of January, 1944, we were summoned by the then Mayor Florencio E. Oliva of Nasugbu to his office and informed us that the commander of the local Japanese garrison had sensed that there were guerrillas in the town; that the said Mayor Oliva was being required by the said commander to surrender not less than 10 arms to them, otherwise, upon failure to do so, the town would be zonified; that to prevent the projected zonification of the town which might endanger the lives, peace and security of the civilian population, we sacrificed some of our arms and surrendered to the said Mayor Oliva 10 infield rifles, Cal. 30; that because of this, the proposed zonification was averted.
That on or about the month of February, 1944, Captain Mariano H. Cabarrubia, commander of the P. C. detachment that was stationed at Palico, Nasugbu, Batangas, called us to a conference; we were advised that he could no longer convince the commander of the local Japanese Garrison that there were no guerrillas in town and in the wilds of Nasugbu; that he was being ordered by the said Japanese commander under threat of punishment, to wage a campaign against the guerrillas, otherwise the Japs would undertake the campaign themselves, and torture and kill any person suspected of being a guerrilla; that to prevent this eventuality and the possible untimely clash between the Japs and the guerrillas in hiding which would again threaten the lives, property, peace and security of the populace, Captain Cabarrubia solicited our help and requested us to surrender some of the arms of the organization, to which request, we and our staff members acceded for the interest of the people; that we surrendered to Captain Cabarrubia 7 infield rifles, 1 garand, 5 pistols (45 Cal.), 1 pistol (32 Cal.), 1 U.S. Army hand grenade, model 1938 and 10 rifles of local made (paltics and barogs).
That the unsurrendered arms of the Nasugbu Fil-American Troops consist of the following:
1 infield rifle which is out of commission.
| [Sgd.] Capt. Roman Garcia | [Sgd.] Capt. Tomas Fernandez |
Acting Municipal Mayor
Nasugbu, Bat.