Various Affidavits in Support of the Triumvirate Guerrillas

I, Serafin M. Montenegro, Filipino, of legal age, married, at present Captain MC, stationed in the Medical Detachment, Headquarters, Battalion, PA, after having been duly sworn according to law, depose and say:

That I was with the USAFFE in the whole Bataan Campaign, surrendered and was concentrated in [the] POW Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac. After my release from said POW Camp, I stayed in Lemery, Batangas.

That from 15 November 1942 to 14 February 1943, I was Battalion Surgeon of the 4^th Battalion, Fil-American Irregular Troops, Batangas area.

That on 15 February 1943, I was requested to join the Triumvirate Guerrillas as special operative for Lipa, Batangas, until I was transferred to Hunters or ROTC Guerrillas on 16 January 1944.

That in my contacts with the TRIUMVIRATE GUERRILLAS, I have known personally of their underground resistance movements which had helped much in the intelligence missions before the liberation and of their combat missions during the liberation.

That I have known the said Triumvirate Guerrillas to have been in close contact with [the] U.S. Advanced Marine in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro transmitting intelligence reports from other Allied sources in Luzon.

That during the liberation, I have known the units of the Triumvirate Guerrillas to have been in combat missions with the 158 RCT, US Army in Balayan, Batangas.

That I am very willing to be witness in any investigation that might be conducted in connection with said Triumvirate Guerrillas.

I, Mariano H. Cabarrubias, Colonel, Infantry Guerrilla, Blue Eagle, now residing in Nasugbu, Batangas, depose and say the following:

That, since 1942, I personally knew of the existence of and organized guerrilla unit in San Luis, Taal and Lemery named “TRIUMVIRATE GUERRILLAS” or Diokno’s Guerrillas, with its Headquarters at San Luis, Batangas.

That the Headquarters of the Triumvirate Guerrillas in San Luis were the Central Headquarters of all other Guerrilla Units that made contact with the Visayan and Mindoro Guerrillas. That this [group] Triumvirate Guerrillas was organized by Col Narciso Diokno and he is the CO at the same time. I knew [at] one time the son of Col. Diokno, Lt. Rafael Diokno, with other guerrillas capsized on the way back to Batangas from Abra de Ilog, Mindoro, when they contacted ranking officers of the Mindoro Guerrillas.

That on March 1945, Major Leodigario Diokno of the Triumvirate Guerrillas, with his men numbering about forty strong, were in Balayan bound for Nasugbu to ask aid from the Landing Party due to the abuses of the Japs in Lemery, Taal and San Luis, Batangas. As CO of the Rainbow Regiment Guerrillas and assigned in charge of the Balayan Sector, I personally requested Major Leodigario Diokno to lend us some of their arms so as to have a mass attack on Makukak, but instead they fought with us side by side with the 158 RCT (USA). In the fight in San Piro, Balayan, they also cooperate with us in the operation and in the said fight, Capt. Amado Diokno was slightly wounded; Lt. Constantino Diokno was seriously wounded, taken to Leyte by plane, and 2^nd Lt. Ernesto Diokno [was] also wounded, taken to San Jose, Mindoro by plane.

That the rest of the party of Major Leodigario Diokno joined the advancing forces to Lemery.

That in the liberation of San Luis, Batangas, they fought side by side with the Landing Forces and they had contributed greatly to the early defeat of the Japs, especially those in Bagong Tubig and Durungao, San Luis.

In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20^th day of June 1946.

I, Jose de la Rosa, Major, M. C., Philippine Army, 1^st Gen. Hosp., Mandaluyong, Rizal, do by these presents voluntarily, honestly and vehemently certify:

That, after the surrender of Bataan, I escaped to San Luis, Batangas on May 1, 1942 and remained there until the early part of December 1943;

That, while in San Luis, Batangas hiding from and avoiding [the] Japs arrest, I had the full and safest protection of the Triumvirate Guerrillas, whose organizers were Pedro B. Diokno and Leodegario B. Diokno;

That, aside from giving us full protection and aid while hiding, they used to give facilities, guidance and information concerning the movements, strengths and installations of the Japs to other units as that of Colonel Edwin Ramsey, U. S. Army, Colonel Dominador Bariles @ Dan Barrion, who used to drop and dine with the Dioknos on their way to and from Mindoro, and to Lt. Comdr. George F. Rowe, @ Nicholson of the Advanced Unit of the U. S. Marines in Abra de Ilog, not to mention the many others.

That I know that the leaders and followers of the said unit did not surrender their firearms to the Japs;

That, [a] transmitter, grenades, modern arms and ammunition, information and instructions from the Advanced Unit of said U. S. Marines were kept in the “White House” of the Mayor and taken to Manila, first by Col. Dan Barrion and then by Lt. Willy Hernandez;

That, to keep the morale of the people, the Dioknos used to circulate and translate the flashes taken from short wave that we oftentimes heard personally with the Diokno Brothers from some hidden radio in Taal, Batangas;

That, I know that the Triumvirate Guerrillas were attached to the 158 R. T. C. during the campaign for the liberation of the area from Balayan to Lemery, Taal, and San Luis; and that in the fighting in San Piro, Balayan, three officers of the said unit were wounded;

That members of the said unit participated in other operations in the area in question, and their efforts helped in effecting the eventual defeat of the enemy.

26 June 1946

I, Climaco Pintoy, Major, Inf. 0-1389, Mindanao Zone, HQ, MPC (PA), Delmonte Bukidnon, after having been sworn to according to law, depose and say:

1. That in 1941, before the war, I was the Station Commander, P.C., in Lipa, Batangas;

2. That I had not surrendered to the enemy during their occupation, and instead I went up the hills and organized guerrillas with Mataas na Kahoy or Lumang Lipa as my first HQ up to 1942;

3. That from 1943 to September 1944, I was a Major of the PQOG, 2^nd Corps, with Cavite as my HQ;

4. That during said period, I used to go in and out of Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro and Manila, via San Luis in most cases;

5. That in all my visits to Mindoro, Abra de Ilog, US Advanced Marines under the Command of Com. George Rowe, the Triumvirate Guerrillas whose existence I knew since 1942, had given me and other units protection and help by furnishing us information as to the strength, movements and installations of the enemy;

6. That said Triumvirate Guerrillas were composed of men from Taal, Lemery and San Luis, with the last municipality as their HQ;

7. That without their cooperation, the defeat of the enemy might not have been as easy as that, because with their cooperation, even Central Luzon was given information, arms, ammunition and transmitters from Abra de Ilog, Mindoro;

8. That one of their Liaison Officers, Lt. Rafael Diokno, perished with my man, Pvt. Federico Borillo, like real soldiers when the curricanan which they took with Capt. Licopa from the U. S. Advanced Marines in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro to Batangas with instructions, medicines and ammunition and arms turned over;

9. That the Triumvirate Guerrillas had given contributions for the success of our war against Japan more than any other unit that I know of; and

10. That I am very willing to face any and all investigators for the recognition of their sacrifices for the cause for which Americans and Filipinos fought side by side for three and a half long years.

In witness hereof, I hereby sign my name below on this 20^th day of May, 1946.

I, ANTONIO M. ENCARNACION, 1^st Lieut., Inf., PA, 0-34040, Operations Officer, Hq Batangas Province, MPC, PA, after having been sworn to according to law, voluntarily, not influenced nor threatened by any person whomsoever, depose and say:

1. That I was Regimental S-3 of the 43^rd Inf., 41^st Division in Bataan until the surrender on 9 April 1942. That I was concentrated in Capas, Tarlac from 19 April 1942 to 13 August 1942.

2. That between 22 October 1942 and 26 November 1944, was the Regimental Commander, Calaca Unit of the Fil-American Irregular Troops, having organized same after my release from the concentration camp.

3. That between 29 November 1944 to 6 April 1945, I was the Battalion Commander, 4^th Battalion, Golden Regiment of the Blue Eagle Command.

4. That I personally knew long ago before 22 October 1942 that there was an organized guerrilla unit in Taal, Lemery and San Luis – The Triumvirate Guerrillas, better known as the Diokno Guerrillas, with its headquarters in San Luis, Batangas.

5. That they kept, fed, [and] protected ex-Bataan officers and boys, as Col. A. D. Ilagan; Lt. Col. Marcelino de la Rosa; Maj. Jose de la Rosa (MC); Col. Enrique Jurado, U.S.N. (from Corregidor); and many others that did not surrender to the enemy.

6. That the Headquarters of the Triumvirate Guerrillas in San Luis was the central station of all other guerrilla units that make contact with the Mindoro and Visayan Guerrillas.

7. That with their daring cooperation and support to all Liaison Officers that went and came from and to Mindoro and other islands in the Visayas, the plan to drive and defeat the enemy was carried without much sacrifices for both American and Filipino soldiers.

8. That most arms, ammunition, supplies and transmitters from the U.S. Advanced Marines in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro under the command of Commander George F. Rowe, @ Nicholson, were brought to Manila and other parts of Luzon via San Luis and mostly at the expense of the Triumvirate Guerrillas.

9. That, like any other unit that claims heroism, the Triumvirate Guerrillas not only suffered and sacrifices, but also fought, bled and

I, IRENEO M. CABRERA, Filipino, Major, Phil. Army, after having been duly sworn, depose and say:

That during the Japanese occupation, I participated in the resistance movement as an officer in the Blue Eagle Unit in Lemery, Batangas, and after the liberation of the said town, I was appointed military mayor;

That while engaging in guerrilla activities, I learned of the underground work of the TRIUMVIRATE GUERRILLAS organized sometime in June, 1942 by Major Leodegario B. Diokno, Guer., and Capt. Pedro B. Diokno, Guer. (the latter also the occupation and liberation mayor of San Luis);

That the said organization rendered invaluable assistance to our unit, as well as to other units like those of Ramsey, Barilea, Peralta, and even directly to Lt. Comdr. George F. Rowe alias Nicholson of the Advanced Hq, Special Unit, SWPA;

That I have direct personal knowledge of the following activities of the Triumvirate Guerrillas:

1. Hiding and giving material aid during the early days of the occupation, to ex-USAFFE men like Col. Amando Ylagan, Lt. Col. Marcelino de la Rosa, Major Jose de la Rosa, and many enlisted men who fled from Bataan and Corregidor;

2. Intelligence work not only in Batangas but also in Manila and other places;

3. Clearing house or control station in the unit’s HQ in San Luis for the transmission of messages and shipment of arms, ammunition, medical supplies between Luzon and the Advanced Hq, SWPA in Mindoro; this unit gave transportation and protection to other guerrillas when not busy with its own similar activities; one of its officers was drowned on the way back from a mission in Mindoro;

4. Participation (active) in the liberation campaign: its men took part in the fighting in San Piro and Makokak, Balayan, Batangas and three of its officers were wounded; its men also fought side by side with the 158 R.C.T. in the Taal-Lemery-San Luis Sector, thus contributing in a large measure to its liberation at the cost of six men killed and many wounded.

That, if called, I am willing to testify further as to the activities of the Triumvirate Guerrillas.

Manila, 12 June 1946.