In defense of the state

Two occurrences that took place during my high school days come to mind as one follows recent developments on the national security front.

In April 1949, Doña Aurora Quezon, widow of Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon and First Lady of the Philippines from 1935-1944, was ambushed by Hukbalahap (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon, the Communist Party’s military wing) elements along the Bongabon-Baler provincial highway in Nueva Ecija. Ms Quezon—accompanied by her daughter Maria Aurora

“Baby,” son-in-law Felipe Buencamino, Quezon City Mayor Ponciano Bernardo, and retired AFP chief of staff Maj. Gen. Rafael Jalandoni—was on her way to Baler, Quezon, to inaugurate the Quezon Memorial Hospital.

As the party moved along the mountainous route in the Sierra Madre area, it was ambushed by some 200 men led by Huk Commander Alexander Viernes, alias “Stalin.” Ms Quezon, Baby, and Mayor Bernardo were instantly killed, while Buencamino was mortally wounded in the initial strike. General Jalandoni survived the assault.

The attackers must have known in advance that the party included prominent ladies of the country. Perhaps their message to the nation was that no one was to be spared when it served their purpose. In the months that followed, the nation was confronted by reports of continuing depredations by Huk units, mostly in Luzon. They conducted bold attacks on Army camps indicating a growing strength in numbers as well as weaponry.

At that time, we lived in Caloocan, one of the very few families to settle down in what were then practically the boondocks as far as Manila was concerned. One could sense the feeling of insecurity as sightings of armed groups moving closer to the capital became more frequent. At one point, because of these reports, my father decided to move the family out of Caloocan to a safer place in Pasay.

The turning point came about in October 1950, when in a brilliant operation conducted by elements of the AFP Military Intelligence Service (MIS), the entire secretariat of the Central Committee of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP), including secretary general Jose Lava, was arrested. They were discovered in various safe houses located all over Metro Manila. This broke the back of the communist movement and eventually led to a split in the organization.

On a personal note, let me add that a number of those arrested were working as reporters and news editors for the Philippines Herald, one of the leading newspapers of the day. My father was the editor and publisher of the paper.

Little did he realize that his work area was home to the leading figures of the PKP. He himself was not arrested, but I must assume that he was also under surveillance and suspicion by MIS agents.

Perhaps it was a measure of the confidence and the strength of the PKP and its military wing that their safehouses and meeting places were all in Metro Manila. It was as though they were preparing to take over the reins of government in the capital region.

Had the communists succeeded in overthrowing the government in 1950, what would have been the consequences?

Here are a few:

• There would be no Philippine Daily Inquirer with its hard-hitting stories on government malfeasance.

• There would be no public demonstrations in protest against government policies.

• We probably would not have a Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle or Cardinal Orlando Quevedo.

• We would have a very strong armed forces and a suffocating national security apparatus.

• Our head of government would most likely be in position for 10 years, if not for life.

• Infrastructure projects would probably move much faster.

• Hairstyles for men and women could be dictated by the head of the Communist Party.

Last week, AFP intelligence units arrested Benito Tiamzon, chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines and head of its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), along with his wife Wilma, who serves as the party’s secretary general. Their arrest came a week before the 45^th anniversary of the founding of the NPA in March 1969. The founder of the NPA, Bernabe Buscayno alias “Dante” was captured in September 1976 in the course of Operation Scorpio.

We commend the men and women of the AFP for a job well done. The freedoms we enjoy are fruits of their efforts.

* * *

On the purchase of FA-50 jets and UH-1 helicopters.

Peter Paul Reuben G. Galvez, spokesperson and acting chief of staff to the defense secretary, writes to say that what was agreed upon during the negotiations was a “Payment by Milestone” scheme wherein 15 percent of the aircraft cost will be paid in advance while the succeeding payments shall be made only upon reaching certain “milestones”—such as fabrication, assembly, and delivery of the aircraft.

The 52 percent advance payment by the government that was mentioned in an earlier column was actually the original proposal of the Korean Aerospace Industries. This proposal was never accepted by the Department of National Defense.

With respect to the 21 UH-1 helicopters that were supposed to have been delivered last year, the “Department wishes to apprise you that the delay in the procurement of the helicopters was caused by three failed biddings… it was only on 20 December 2013 that the department successfully declared a single, calculated responsive bidder. The contract has been signed and the notice to proceed has been issued by the secretary of defense. The 21 units should be delivered within 180 days from the opening of the letter of credit.”

As I mentioned some time ago, we are to receive four of the FA-50 jets by the time President Aquino steps down from office or two years from now. While this is a step forward, the scheduled delivery does not seem to reflect any sense of urgency, especially in light of the current developments in the neighborhood.