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Raul Ilogon .

ON May 7, 1942, Corregidor was capitulated. And then on May 10, 1942, Gen. Jonathan Wainwright gave the order for the total surrender of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (Usaffe).

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But not all soldiers obeyed. Many chose to hide in the mountains and waited for the day to fight again.

There was one group headed by Maj. Claro Laureto in Davao that started to fight a guerrilla warfare even before the surrender, inflicting many casualties on the enemy. He and his unit did not obey the order to surrender.

Soldiers under Capt. Salipada Pendatun put to siege Japanese garrisons in Pikit, Cotabato and Malaybalay, Bukidnon, killing many enemy soldiers.

There was Capt. Luis Morgan, an American mestizo, commander of Philippine Constabulary detachment at Kolambogan, Lanao, before the surrender. Instead of surrendering, he marched his forces to Baroy where he set up perimeter defenses.

In Tamparan, Lanao, Datu Salub and Datu Dimalaang sent an invitation to Japanese forces in Dansalan for a showdown. One company of Japanese soldiers were sent to accept the challenge. Of the 126 Japanese soldiers, not one survived. Yes, all were killed.

Four months after the surrender, guerrilla activities reached serious proportions. They grew strong, becoming a headache for Japanese occupation forces.

In Mindanao, no less than 70 guerrilla units sprouted all over. There was no pre-arranged coordination with each other but as if on cue each one started to organize.

But there was a problem. There was no central command. If it has to survive a long-drawn guerrilla war, all these forces should fight as one cohesive force. Worse, in some areas there were bitter rivalries among them. Blinded by personal gain and ambition, lieutenants started promoting themselves to generals. Short of funds, some turned to banditry and extortion.

Capt. Luis Morgan, whose forces liberated all towns of Misamis Occidental and part of Zamboanga, had built a strong organization of 600 un-surrendered men, including officers ranked higher than him. This made the situation awkward. He was junior in rank and did not have the training to lead a large military organization.

William Tate, son of an American veterinarian with a Moro mother who was appointed chief of police of Mumungan, Lanao, by the Japanese before he defected to Capt. Morgan introduced Lt. Col. Wendell Fertig. He did not surrender and was hiding in the mountains of Mumungan, Lanao. At first, Lt. Col. Fertig hesitated when offered by Capt. Morgan take over the leadership of his organization.

But when Lt. Col. Fertig finally accepted, they immediately went to work for the unification of scattered Mindanao guerrillas.

To command respect, Morgan and Tate started to spread the rumor that an American general had landed from Australia to take the lead in the fight against the enemy. The 42-year-old Fertig grew a goatee in order to look older and wore a star on his shoulder, molded from a silver dollar by a Maranao tinsmith.

Lt. Col. Fertig was now a brigadier general and Morgan, his chief of staff, a full colonel. Col. Morgan started travelling far and wide — Zamboanga to Leyte — urging guerrilla units to fall in line with the general who landed from Australia.

Their forces grew. Many joined but some were skeptical. Fortunately, Fertig was able to establish radio contact with Navy headquarters in the US. Fertig’s luck shone when he was recognized by MacArthur as the commanding officer of whole Mindanao forces, the 10th military district. But he did not get his star. It was denied and he was back to his old rank of lieutenant colonel.

But even without his star, he continued to shine. He was given the authority to print money by President Quezon. A monetary board was formed and printing of emergency notes known as guerrilla money started as soon as possible.

The recognition by MacArthur was strengthened further by the landings of submarine bringing much needed war materials. Propaganda materials like cigarettes, matches, chocolates, magazines and mass kits were all brought in. These were all printed with “I shall return” and  “Liberty.”

Shortly after, the civil government was re-established in all free areas. Public officials and civil servants who did not cooperate with the enemy were called back to duty.

Unification of all forces, although not without problem like few refusing to fall-in line and two mutinies, were completed in August 1943.

Fertig was able to organize six divisions under the 10th military district with the strength of 35,000 men. It was able to liberate 85 percent of Mindanao, confining the Japanese in their garrison areas only and leaving the rest of Mindanao as guerrilla country.

The 10th military district under Col. Wendell Fertig was recognized as the best and well-organized military district in the whole Philippines.

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