Affidavit of Mariano Cabarrubia on the Major Philips Unit, June 1947
The Major Philips Unit was a guerrilla unit that was founded and operated in or around western Batangas town of Calatagan. It was commanded by one Emilio Macabuag and took its name from a United States Army intelligence officer from whom the guerrilla outfit took directions until the latter was caught and killed by the Japanese. In this document1 is an affidavit by one Mariano Cabarrubia, Commanding Officer of the Rainbow Regiment operating out of Nasugbu, Batangas, on Macabuag and the Major Philips Regiment.
[p. 1]
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROVINCE OF BATANGAS
Municipality of Nasugbu
A F F I D A V I T
I, MARIANO H. CABARRUBIA, of age, married, former Colonel PA, now retired and residing at Lumbangan, Nasugbu, Batangas on oath declare:
That I was the CO of the Rainbow Regiment and former S-2 of the Fil-American Irregular Troops of Hugh Straughn (02515) in the province of Batangas under Lt. Col. Jorge Espina;
That I personally know Emilio Macabuag, he being a comrade in the underground activities against the Japanese;
That Emilio Macabuag is the CO of a guerrilla unit in Calatagan, Batangas that was operating under Major L. H. Phillips with HQ at Alupa, Paluan, Mindoro and that this unit was maintaining a secret radio station at Cape Santiago, Calatagan, Batangas;
That Captain Macabuag together with Lt. Marcelino Mosquera, an intelligence operative of the 6th Military District under General Peralta, contacted me on 10 January 1944 and gave me hand grenades, ammunition, cigarettes, chocolate and candies (with “I Shall Return” - MacArthur);
That through the effort of Captain Macabuag and his men together with Lt. Mosquera, four Americans who were hiding with various guerrilla outfits in this region, one of them hidden in my unit, were safely evacuated to Mindoro at the HQ of Major Phillips;
That Captain Macabuag’s unit remained active in the field of operation against the enemy until the liberation of the province when intelligence operations ceased;
That during the fight for liberation, many of the men of Captain Macabuag joined my combat battalion and fought the Japanese and Captain Macabuag himself led the men of his detachment at Calatagan, Batangas in mopping up operations the region being under my zone of operation as per assignment of CG, 11th Airborne Division;
That to the best of my knowledge, Captain Macabuag’s unit had made a name for itself and had greatly suffered from the Japs and that this outfit had rendered splendid work worthy of commendation.
In testimony of good faith, I hereunto affix my signature this 12th day of June 1947.
(Ret.)
SIGNED IN THE PRESENCE OF:
[Two unreadable signatures]