CIA activities in the Philippines

Hukbalahap (Huk) Rebellion

In 1942, the Hukbalahap was formed in order to fend off the Japanese during their occupation of the Philippines. The Huk resistance created strongholds throughout Philippine villages using guerrilla warfare tactics to fight back against the Japanese. After the Philippines were liberated from the Japanese, the United States of America began to influence and control the Philippine government. The United States ordered the Philippine government to disarm and arrest the Huks. It was presumed by the United States that the Huks were supporting communist ideals. With aid from the U.S. the Philippine military began to hunt down the Huks. Feared for their lives the Huks took refuge in the mountains and staged a rebellion against the Philippine government.

As the amount of free trade between the U.S. and the Philippines increase, land owners began to favor cash crop to the USA such as tobacco and sugar cane over rice and cereals, which resulted in lesser food supply for the peasants. During this era, the farming industry in the Philippines underwent a major transformation. Traditional land owners hired tenants with legal contracts forming a landlord and tenant relationship as an effort to maximize their profits. The obligations of this newly formed relationship of landlord and tenants made it almost impossible for the peasants to survive.

The peasants became dissatisfied and decided to form their own organizations as a way to voice their concerns, demand changes and protect their rights. After a number of protests and strikes, the situation between the peasants and the land owners remain the same. As a result, the peasants decided to join forces with the Huks to combat the injustice that was brought upon them by the land owners and the government. The union of the peasants and the Huks intensified the "Huk-resistnace" against the government of the Philippines. The Huks were hunted continuously by the Philippines and the U.S. government. The massacre of Squadrant 77 which occurred in February 1945, consisted of 109 Huks who were shot and buried in a mass grave by Filipinos and U.S. soldiers. This event was viewed as a major hostility against the Huks by the Philippines and the U.S. government.

1950

In 1950, the Huks attempted a rebellion against the Philippine government. After the rebellion attempt, the United States made it a priority to terminate the Huk resistance. In 1951, the Huks became weaker because of no armed support. The election of 1951 was an honest one and had a big effect on the population of the Philippines. The Huks tried to stop the election by using slogans like "Boycott the Election." The election day had a big turnout because of the ballast were not rigged. Many of the Huks ranks were scattered and turn themselves in. " Groups of Huks began to come into army camps, voluntarily surrendering and commenting bitterly that they had been misled by their leaders." ^[1] In 1952, support for the Huks were close to non existent. The Huks withdrew most of their forces from their old heartland in Northern Manila provinces. The main Huk forces retreated south into the jungles where they set up camps and new headquarters. The Huks believed they were safe from the Philippine forces and would have time to rebuild their forces. The Philippine army and the U.S. Battalion Combat Team (BCT) hunted the Huks into the jungles, once again forcing the Huks to retreat elsewhere.

Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay entrusted CIA agent Edward Lansdale as his military adviser. Through Lansdale's influence on Magsaysay, the U.S. was able to spread American policy into Southeast Asia. Many programs were launched by the United States such as: Freedom Company of the Philippines, Eastern Construction Company, and "Operation Brotherhood" which allowed Filipino personnel to deploy in other Asian countries for covert Filipino operations. The CIA used Philippine territory for their air bases, training camps, and for the launching of operations and logistics. The Clark Air Base, Sanga-Sanga Airstrip, and the CIA's Civil Air Transport were used on several Philippine territories which eventually aided in the overthrowing of Indonesian president Sukarno.

In the summer of 1952, Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay offered the Huks a choice either all-out friendship or all-out force.

Manila

The CIA established the Trans-Asiatic Airlines Inc. which was a front to recruit veteran Filipino war pilots. Through Manila, the CIA and the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG) engineered the bloody suppression of the nationalist Hukbong Mapagpalayang Bayans (HMB). Success from this CIA suppression was made into a model for future counterinsurgency operations in Vietnam and Latin America. CIA agents Lansdale and Valeriano used their counter-guerrilla experiences in the Philippines to train covert operatives for Vietnam and guerrilla assassins for Latin America. The Philippines became the CIA's prototype in successful covert operations and psychological warfare.^[2]

In a lecture given at the University of the Philippines Manila on August 18, 2000, Roland B. Simbulan, Coordinator of the Manila Studies Program, said about the CIA in the Philippines, "The CIA in the Philippines has engaged in countless covert operations for intervention and dirty tricks particularly in Philippine domestic policies. On top of all this is the U.S. diplomatic mission, especially the political section that is a favorite cover for CIA operatives. CIA front companies also provide an additional but convenient layer for operatives assigned overseas. In general, wherever you find U.S. big business interests, you also find a very active CIA. On the other hand, CIA operative David Sternberg fronted as a foreign correspondent for an American newspaper based in Boston, the Christian Science Monitor, when he assisted Gabriel Kaplan in managing the presidential campaign of Ramon Magsaysay."^[3]

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