After the birth of Bobby, I was designated as Intelligence Officer, or Bn. S-2, 1st BCT, stationed in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
I had soldiers trained as Scout Rangers dressed in civilian clothes and armed with Thompson Submachine Guns carried in “bayon” or buri, who began operating in groups of six.
Instead of riding Army convoys as we did in Mt. Pinatubo, they operated on foot, going into the forest in search of Huks, headed by Commander KULAFU.
My job was to search for Huks hideouts, with the use of a Piper Cub plane.
We bagged more Huks that way and had around one hundred prisoners in our stockade.
Instead of attending our Christmas and New Year’s Party, I visited the prisoners, who had no change of clothes or blankets in the cold December nights, and gave those in need my own clothes and woolen blanket.
I remembered my POW days and felt sorry for them. They were mostly poor farmers suspected of supporting the Huks.
One early morning our Special Team brought from the mountains a sack containing the head of Commander KULAFU, with four others. The heads were starting to rot.
After identification of the head of KULAFU by Huks in our stockade who knew him, I ordered the heads to be buried under a big mango tree near our Club House. I was promoted to Captain.
President Quirino’s successor, Pres. Magsaysay, visited our Camp and I was charged with providing security for him. Before his arrival I brought my soldiers and one junior officer to church to pray.
Fortunately, nothing unusual happened. Later on, the wife and daughter of the late Pres. Quezon were ambushed there. Her aide-de-Camp, Gen. Falendino, was also killed with them. JBS
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