Resolution Requesting Garrison of American Soldiers in Cuenca

WHEREAS, on April 17, 1945, all muncipal officials of the re-established Commonwealth Government of Cuenca and its leading citizens adopting a resolution appealing to the Hon. Provincial Governor of Batangas for him to represent officially to the Commander-in-Chief of the American Liberating Forces for said province of Batangas to secure the necessary provisions from the United States Army Headquarters for the support of the soldiers of the guerrillas unit of Col. Pedro Pasia, who were and have been in active operations to clean Jap snipers, copies of which resolution were transmitted to said Provincial Governor on April 18, 1945, by a letter of the Municipal Mayor and to the Commander-in-Chief of the American Liberating Forces for the province of Batangas; and

WHEREAS, no support from the United States Army Headquarters for the maintenance of the said guerrilla unit in the way of provisions or food has been given up to this time and the head of the guerrilla unit has received only promises based on the official recognition of the Cuenca-Fil-American guerrillas by the Commander-in-Chief of the American Forces in the Pacific Area; and

WHEREAS, Jap snipers continue to roam in the vicinity of the Macolot Mountain and that their number may still be considerable as evidenced by their continuous depredations from time to time resulting in the stealing of cows and other foodstuffs by Jap snipers and in the deaths of several civilians found and machine gunned by them which had been reported by Col. Pasia to the Headquarters of the 11^th Airborne Division at Mataasnakahoy; and

WHEREAS, from time to time, Jap snipers had been killed by the guerrilla unit of this municipality, which fact is a matter of record in the headquarters of the said 11^th Airborne Division at Mataasnakahoy where the cases had been reported;

WHEREAS, Col. Pedro Pasia, Commander of the guerrilla unit stationed in Cuenca had advised the Municipal Mayor of his decision to disband for the time being his soldiers who are patrolling the mountain area to protect the people from the incursions and depredations of the Jap snipers by reason of the absence of provisions for the maintenance of the said soldiers, which the civilian population can no longer afford to provide; and

WHEREAS, the disbandment of the guerrilla unit of this town due to the absence of provisions for their subsistence will make it easy for the Jap snipers to enter the town and openly take possession and reoccupy the same after the great sacrifices of American and Filipino lives and properties to liberate the same from the grip of the Japanese forces; and

WHEREAS, the people feel that in the absence of [the] guerrilla unit, the necessity for the American forces to put up a garrison in the town of Cuenca to protect the people from the incursions and depredations of Jap snipers is forthwith imperative.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS IT HAS BEEN RESOLVED, by all the municipal officials of the town of Cuenca to request the Honorable Provincial Governor to confer immediately with the Commander-in-Chief of the American Liberating Forces for the Province of Batangas with a view to arrange for the immediate stationing of American soldiers in the town of Cuenca to prevent its reoccupation by the Japanese, with all its attendant horrors and atrocities.

BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Honorable, the Provincial Governor of Batangas and the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army in the Province of Batangas.