COMMUNIST PARTY ACTIVITY IN PANAY AND NEGROS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R009500520009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 1, 2000
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: December 7, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRINEITIREZETUNCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY Philippines
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
Communist Party Activity in Panay and Negros
! t
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DATE DISTR. 7 Dee. 1953.
NO. OF PAGES 5
CULATE
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NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO 25X1A
REPORT NO.
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I. Relationship Between RMB and FOF.
l. The FOF is a reserve force of the RMB, and FOF members are classified as
"progressive reserves"' of the Philippine Communist Party and the HMB.
This classification derives from the fact that while FOF members are
active in a legally registered labor union, their objectives, in general,
parallel the long range policies of the Philippine Communist Party and
the HMB. Althougb the rank and file members of the FOF are not aware of
this classification of their membership, FOF officers have been so informed.
2. FOF officers believe that the loyalty of rank and file members to their
leadership is so strong that they will follow the decisions of their leaders.
When the need arises, and when arms are available in sufficient quantities,
FOF members will be armed to participate in HMB operations in the Visayas.
3. The FOP organization is strong in the following localities in Negros:
San Carlos, Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, Bazo, Hinigaran? La Castel-
lano., Isabela, Binalbagan, Himamserlan, Kabankalan? !logy and San Carlota,
1.
II. FOF-HMB Officers.
Nicanor Dirson?2 who is also known as Alfredo Fernandez, is an HMB
organizer and director who was sent by Guillermo Capadocia to organize
HMB units in the mountains of Negros Occidental. He succeeded in
organizing 50 men at Tam*, Kabankalan? Negros Occidental, where he was
captured with his men and with some documents. In order to protect his
men, Dimson confessed to being personally responsible for their activities.
The men subsequently were released. While he was in Negros, Dimson con-
tacted Zacarias Seminio, President of the FOF Chapter in Paupandan,
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Negros Occidental. On Capadocia's orders, Dimaon did not contact other
por units in order to confine his work to the mountain areas.
2. Manuel Palacios is the first vice president of the TO?, as well as chief
of the FOF organization in Negros. In June 1951, Palacios was confined
In the Government's Panay Task Force Stookade in /lollo City, Iloilo.
%leers was released on the basis of the testimony of Pedro Torres
y Term& who was then under detention, and upon the intervention of
Governor Rafael Lacson. Torres exonerated Palacios by stating that the
latter had quarrelled with Capadocia at a meeting in FOF Headquarters
In Iloilo in .1949, thus demonstrating that the two were not on good terms.4
3. Governor Leeson armointed Palacios a deputy agent of his office after re-
leasing him from the stockade. Leeson supporta Palacios because the
latter commands a considerable politioal force in Negros. Palacios has
aperoximately 40 mill arms in nog, in addition to an unspecified quantity
of arms in Talubangi, Kabankalan, Negros Occidental. Edmund Vail and
Pedro Buenaventura, relatives of Palacios who are brothers-in-law, control
a cache of aperoximately 30 weapons in flog. Neither Vail nor Buena-
ventura are members of the row, but they represent Palacios in 'logo and
Buenaventura is a deputy agent of Leeson.
4, Zacarlas Semiro,who formerly was a close associate of Guillermo Capadocia?
is President of the Pulupandan Chapter of the FOP, as well as an organizer
for the Mindanao zone of the FOF. Seminio and Pelacios directed a person
known as %Meng who burned sugar oane on the La Carlota Sugar Central and
other sugar estates following a strike in 1948. Tonieng served as a body-
guard for FOP President Jose M. Nava. Seminio was released from the Panay
Task Force stockade during 1951 following the intervention of Governor Leeson.
5. Julio Preshitero, legal adviser for the FOP and an organizer for the Mindanao
zone, was arrested with Jose Nava. He was released when he agreed to give
evidence to the Government, following Lacson's intervention. Presbiterop
who is confining his testimony to Jose Nava; visited Loreto Gareza, President
of the Himamaylan (Negros) Chapter of the roFt and Rosendo Jacildo of the
Pulupandan Chapter who are confined in the Panay Task Force stockade .5
Presbitero succeeded in seuggling letters out of the stockade, and he
promised Gareza and Jaoildo that Lacson would arrange their release. Gareza
had been arrested previously by the Philippine Constabulary (PC) in Negros
for making inflammatory speeches. Lemon arranged his release.
6. Jose Valdevleja, a member of the Pulupandan POP Chapter, is now in Davao
as an organizer for the Mindanao sone of the FOP, but he is in fact engaged
in organizational work for the HMB.
7. jacildo, Caress, and Valdevieja attended a labor school which was operated
by the Philippine Communist Party on Pinpin Street in Manila during 1946
as rop. representatives.
III. Relat o s of Guillermo Ca docia with the FaF.
1. Immediately prior to his departure for the mountains of Panay as HMR Super-
visor of RECO-6 in 1949, Guillermo Capadocia had a conference with Jose Nava
and other senior FOP officials in Iloilo City. Nava called a second con-
ference after Capadocia had gone underground, and it was decided to oust
Capadocia from the FOP' directorate in order to conceal the relationship of
the FOP to the R1113.
2. It November 1949, Nave ordered Restitute Sunni, one of his bodyguards, to
join the BNB in the mountains. Sumili was to take with him a box of arms,
a box of ammunition, and a box of grenades. Sumili refixed to accept this
assignment, and he departed for Mindanao. He is now confined in Iloilo on
charges of rebellion, but he has not testified against Nava. In addition
to arms NM supalled the HO-with medicines.
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IV. Conditions in Negros Occidental.
Residents of Negros Occidental have described the provincial administration
as being "a la Comeunista".6 In support of this description, they have
cited the following examples:
(a) Intimidation by Temporary Police at checkpoints, as well as
irregularities in the eheekpoints at Tallow, Valladolid, and
La Castellana.
Displays of farce by Lacsonte men which have included threats
and intimidation of opponents of the Governor.
(c) Destruction of sugar cane of haciendas owned by farmer Senator
Pedro C. Bernaez by Temporary Police who have so intimidated
hacienda laborers that no cane has been milled for two years
(d) Threats by Leeson to delegates attending the Liberal Party con-
vention in Binalbagan during September 1551. Laespn later
walked out on the convention, and Binalbagan Police subsequently
were replaced by Temporary Police employed by Leeson.
(e) Sponsorship by Leeson of the FOP as a labor organization. The
Binalbagan Sugar Central Labor Union is sponsored by Leeson
under,a new name,,with Jose Valencia? chief of the Temporary
Police for the Third District, a Leeson protege and bodyguard,
as leader. Palacios manipulated this change in the union leader-
ship, although the organization is composed principally Of POP
members.
(f) Necessity for Military Intelligence Service (MIS) agents to obtain
Lamont; permission to operate in Negros. The activities of MIS
agents are obstructed by Lemon's men.
(g) Domination by Leeson ,of Captain Maroial Enriquez? PC Provincial
Comeander. Public knowledge of this situation has resulted in
a loss of prestige for the PC.
V. pp ActivitieliALM.sy..
1. BMB RECO-6 in Panay does not aspire to overthrow the local Government,
nor do plans include the elimination of Government forces. RECO-6 leaders
consider themselves incapable of succeeding in these actions, and encounters
with Government troops are the result of unavoidatae incidents or unauthorized
activity by undisciplined units.
2. The mission of RECO-6 includes the following:
(a)
To divert attention from the main HMB endeavor in Luzon, where
the Philippine Communist Party Political Bureau and the gm
over-all command are situated.
To fulfill organizational purposes.
To demoralise the local Government.
To imerove the morale of HMB sympathizers.
To conduct propaganda activities.
To collect supelies and to became familiar with Pansy terrain.
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3. HMB members who have surrendered or who have been captured declare that
they were attracted to the HMB by propaganda, or that they joined the HMH
without knowing its aims. Webers of RE00-6 units actually have joined
of their own volition, and they have been Indoctrinated in Communist aims
and are familiar with HMB purposes.
4. Members of RECO-6 who have surrendered have done so for the following
reasons:
(a) Because of the failure of the Manila Political Bureau to assist
them.
00 Because of continued raids by Government troops.
(c) Because of shortages of food and arms, as well as widespread
illness.
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Surrendered and captured HMB members have ignored the indoctrination
which the Government has conducted in detention camps. They believe
that the HMB campaign will succeed eventually, and they believe that
events in Palmy represent only a temporary failure.
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1. oninent. The description of FOP members as "progressive
reserves" of the Philippine Communist Party and the HMB was originated
by Guillermo Capadocia, ranking HMB and Communist leader who was
killed by Government forces in September 1951.
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1111.1111Comj
Comments , which this report supplements, des-
cr b the present position of the FOP labor organization since the
arrest of Jose Nava on 3 May 1951. This report also referenced previous
reports on Nava and included additional information on other persons
mentioned in this report.
2.11.11.0_omment. A press report of 4 September 1951 indicated that
Dimson, ro t =ical director of HMB Field Command 64, pleaded guilty
to Government charges following his arrest. Be was given a 1O-ear
prison sentence.
25X1A 3. Comment. Torres, an FOP officer frmn San Ferique, Negros
Occ dental, is an HMB political director and advisor, as well as a
member of RECO-6. He is now confined in the Panay Task Force eteckade.
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Comment, President Quirino suspended Governor Leeson on
22 Novem er 1951.
25X1A 4. Comment. This quarrel with Cepadocia was in fact at ordinary
difference of opinion, but it was exaggerated by Torres in an effort
to exonerate Palacios.
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5. Comma*. Among several Philippine Communist Party documents
which were confiscated in August 1947 was a letter addressed to
Comrades Leon and Panda. Leon has been identified as Leopoldo Ponelas,
Congress of Labor Organizations (CLO) leader. Pando may have referred
to Mate p del Cestillo who is Immin to have used this pseudonym recently.
This document, dated 26 August 1946, was a report from Negros Occidental
signed by Benito Serrano, which may be a true name. Serrano described
the Provincial Committee of the For as follows: Presidents Palacios;
Second Vice-Director of the Organization Department: Cerise (Gareza);
Chief of Fipatce Committee: Siminio (Seminio).
In a section referring to Communist Party organization, Serrano referred
to the comrades studying "therent probably referring to Manila. HO
stated that Gareza would be head of the (Party) Organization Department, '
and that Valdevia (Valdevieja) would be head of the (Party) Rduoatica
Department in Negros Occidental.
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6. .1111Cemment. The phrase "a la Communistan has been interpreted as
a generalized reference to the arbitrary actions of the provincial
administration, rather than as an indication that the public is aware
of actual Communist activity on the part of provincial officials.
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Serrano also referred to Hacildo (Tagalog spelling of Jacildo who may
be identical with the person referred to in this reporq in connection
with Party work and declared that he was still a candidate because
. he was still weak. The remainder of the document described the
Party's close cooperation with Jose Nava and complained that Capadocia
was a problem because he sought to direct both the Party and the FOP
organizations himself.
25X1A 19111korezt, It is believed that the FOP is maintaining a policy
o remain ng inconspicuous at the present time, but that the organize..
tion oonstitutes as a reserve force of the BNB and Communist Party
in Negros. In some areas, the !OP is changing the name of its units
In order to maintain the loyalty of its membership and in an effort
to avoid being linked with subversive activity. The FOP organization
has control of private arsenals of arms and ammunition. The organiksa-
tion is using the political power of Governor Leeson as protection,
and it is engaging in political activity in collaboration with Leeson
in order to increase its influence with him.
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25X1A -. Comment, 1116 general
observations on the subject of Leeson and his provincial administra-
tion are in agreement with those which have been reported by other
Sources. However, it has net been reported previously that Leeson is
being exploited b; the FOP, and thus by the Communists., while Leeson
himself believes that he is using the pm
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