Affidavit on the Dispute between Felino Paran and the Municipal Police of Lipa, May 1945
[TRANSCRIPTION]
The Lipa Guerrilla Regiment used to be known as the “Second Batangas Regiment” when it was affiliated with the Marking’s Guerrillas of Marcos Agustin. It was formed by a former USAFFE officer named Felino Paran. Upon Paran’s capture by the Japanese, command was assumed by Miguel Lina and became known as the “Lipa Guerrilla Unit.” The organization ultimately failed to collectively gain official recognition by the United States Army, but some of its members did get this coveted accolade. In this document1, Louis Herrmann of the CIC swore in an affidavit on his involvement in the dispute between Paran and the municipal police force of Lipa.
A F F I D A V I T
I, Louis G. Herrmann, Special Agent, C.I.C., 11th C.I.C. Detachment, 11th Airborne Division, A.P.O. #468, having been first duly sworn, do affirm and declare:
That on or about 8 May 1945, I was ordered by my superior officer, Lt. David Finn, to proceed to the headquarters of Lt. Col. Felino Paran, Lipa Guerrilla Regiment, Lipa, Batangas. This was because of a dispute reported to the 11th C.I.C. detachment, between Lt. Col. Paran and the municipal police force of Lipa, Batangas. The latter had issued a warrant for the arrest of Melecio Gonzales, Victor Latag, Florentino Castillo, Benito Cueto, Prisco Mauhay, and Leon Magtibay, all of whom were under the command of Lt. Col. Paran. The charge against them was murder, and Lt. Col. Paran had refused to turn them over to the municipal police on the grounds that, as guerrillas, they did not come under the jurisdiction of the civilian police.
I went to the headquarters of Lt. Col. Paran and told him that these men would have to be turned over to the municipal police at once. He said, “These men have committed no crime. I ordered the arrest of Esteban Briones, who was a Japanese collaborator. He resisted arrest and my men were forced to shoot him in [the] line of duty.” I told him that regardless of whether or not they were guilty, they would have to stand trial. He then gave orders for the accused men to accompany me to the municipal police station in Lipa, Batangas, which they did.
That I was also ordered by Lt. David Finn to warn Lt. Col. Paran on the action of men under his command. It had previously been reported to Lt. Finn that his (Paran’s) men had alleged that they were representatives of the C.I.C., and that this gave them the authority to confiscate goods and to make arrests. I warned Lt. Col. Paran that the C.I.C. would not tolerate any such misrepresentations. Lt. Col. Paran stated that the charges were false, and that none of his men had ever made any such statements.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 27th Day of May, 1945.