Affidavit of Lt. Col. Marcelino de la Rosa on the Canluran Regiment, April 1946

I, MARCELINO D. DE LA ROSA, Lt-Col, PA, of legal age, married, Filipino, at present in Camp Murphy, after having been duly sworn in accordance with law depose and say:

That, I was formerly a 1^st Lieut., PC before the outbreak of the war and had seen action in Bataan with the 2^nd Infantry Regiment, Philippine Constabulary;

That, I was one of the organizers of the VULCAN UNIT, the nucleus of the guerrilla organization in Taal-Lemery-San Luis, Batangas on 15 November 1942 which was formally organized according to [the] PA table of organization on 15 February 1943 and named VULCAN INFANTRY REGIMENT, and on 26 December 1944, as a result of the affiliation to the BLUE EAGLE renamed CANLURAN INFANTRY REGIMENT; (See attached history of the organization)

That, I was formerly a Battalion Commander and lately the Regimental Adjutant (S-1) of the VULCAN INFANTRY REGIMENT and later the Commanding Officer of the “Canluran Combat Battalion” Blue Eagle Regiment, recognized by the Commander-In-Chief, US Army Forces, Western Pacific on 6 March 1945;

That, USAFFE officers and EM of the Canluran Infantry Regiment, were not carried in the rosters of the activated and recognized Canluran Combat Battalion, because of their own written request, they reported to the Philippine Army for processing, following the advise given by the US Army officers to report on or before the expiration of the (90 days period) after the liberation of their sector. It is of ours and their belief that upon processing under the USAFFE, they will not be barred from re-processing in their guerrilla ranks and also if their services in the guerrilla organization will be given credit and there will be reward or compensation, they will not lose their benefits;

That, as the Bn CO, I could not include their names in the rosters because we were submitting daily morning reports to the Guerrilla Hqs, 11^th Airborne Division, which were the basis for rationing, distribution of supplies and ammunition and disposition of troops. We were also being checked up physically by the coordinator and inspectors. Besides, only those with arms and actually in support and operations with the 11^th Airborne were activated and recommended for recognition.

That, the “Canluran Combat Battalion,” Blue Eagle Regiment, with the (387 men) from the Hq Bn., Canluran Combat Company, “B” Company and “C” Company was recognized by the Sixth Army on 6 May ’45;

That, as far as I remember, I submitted a roster of this Battalion sometime last April 1945 at the 11^th Division Hq, at Mataas na Kahoy with Lt J P McDonald, 11^th Airborne Division guerrilla coordinator. (Above-mentioned roster has been screened and revised several times by instruction and guidance of Lt J P McDonald, until final revised roster was submitted on the above-mentioned date and place).

That, after several days, the roster was submitted, the Regimental Commander and myself were told verbally and officially by Lt McDonald that my outfit was recognized by the Sixth Army as of 6 March 1945;

That, Major Jack P Barton, USA, 11^th Airborne Guerrilla coordinator of Batangas, went personally together with Lt McDonald to the Regimental Headquarters (Lt-Col Felipe A Gahol, Ex O of the Regiment, Major Jovencio Torralba, Capt Nicolas Calanog, myself and some other officials present) and told us officially of the recognition and gave Lt-Col Gahol instructions on what to do to have the officers and men of the Canluran Combat Battalion ready for processing with the Philippine Army as soon as released by the 11^th Airborne Division from operations;

That, on 1^st July 1945, Lt-Colonel Gahol wrote to me officially regarding the instructions given by Major Barton and said letter was endorsed by me on the same date to the CO’s of the “B” and “C” companies. (See attached true copies of above-mentioned letters.)

That, on 8 July 1945, in my capacity as Bn CO, I sent official letters to Captains Valentin Mayuga and Jose R Catibog, CO’s of the “B” and “C” companies, respectively, advising them to have their officers and men ready for they might be processed in the Philippine Army on or before the 16^th of July 1945 (See attached true copies of my letter received by the above-mentioned CO’s.);

That, Col Eduardo Alabastros was told also verballyby Col A D Ylagan of the recognition of the Canluran Combat Battalion and he was furnished a copy of the rosters of the recognized troops; and the latter objected claiming that there were demotions in ranks which he himself alone could do (notwithstanding the verbal instructions of Major Barton and Lt McDonald to screen the officers and men to follow the table of organization.);

That, we only heard and learned lately that a BLUE EAGLE brigade has been recognized and the “B” and “C” companies which were already recognized and part and parcel of my Battalion were included again in the recognized Brigade;

That, a number of officers and men who originally belonged to our Regiment were not included in the BLUE EAGLE BRIGADE, especially USAFFE officers and EM who were already with the Philippine Army;

That, most of those recognized officers like Col A D Ylagan, Lt-Col Felipa A Gahol, Lt-Col Marcelino D. de la Rosa, Major Jovencio Torralba, Capts Gregorio Buño and Nicolas V Calanog and other USAFFE who were the organizers and have more knowledge and the set up of the outfit, were already processed in the Philippine Army and assigned in different stations, most of them are in Manila. But, during the preparation of the roster of the BLUE EAGLE BRIGADE, which was submitted to the Commanding General, AFPAC, on 9 July 1945, the aforesaid officers of the CANLURAN INFANTRY REGIMENT were not consulted by the officers in charge of the remaining men, who originally belonged to the set-up of the mother VULCAN INFANTRY REGIMENT;

That, the recognition of the Brigade is the disregard of the original organizers and members of said VULCAN INFANTRY REGIMENT, like Major Gregorio P Buño, Capt Juan Magsino (now dead) and others. (See letter of Lt-Col Felipe A Gahol to the CG, AFPAC, dated 5 January 1946.);

FURTHER, affiant sayeth not.

Done in the City of Manila, this 29^th day of April, 1946.