Executive Order No. 68




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES [ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 68, September 26, 1945 ] DEMOBILIZATION OF ELEMENTS OF THE PHILIPPINE ARMY AND OTHER GUERRILLA UNITS IN THE FIELD. WHEREAS, the Commonwealth Government has been advised by the Commander-in-Chief, United States Army-Forces, Pacific, of the termination of hostilities and the surrender of Japanese forces; WHEREAS, the Government has further been advised by the Commander-in-Chief, United States Army Forces, Pacific, that this termination of hostilities and surrender of the Japanese forces has rendered unnecessary the maintenance for further field service of elements of the Army of the Philippines in addition to regularly activated units and of those guerrilla units already recognized; WHEREAS, continued assembly and maintenance of headquarters is not a prerequisite to recognition of guerrilla units; and WHEREAS, the demobilization of guerrilla units in the field will not prejudice the continuance of recognition of such guerrilla units as can produce evidence showing that they have maintained organized military forces in the field in effective opposition to the Japanese, which will be the basis for award of such benefits as may be authorized to members of such units; NOW, THEREFORE, I, SERGIO OSMEÑA, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the Philippines, do hereby order: 1. That all unrecognized guerrilla units be disbanded and that all members thereof return to their homes and engage in their normal civilian pursuits.1âшphi1 2. That all arms, ammunitions, and military supplies and equipment in the possession of unrecognized guerrilla units or of individual members of such units be immediately turned in to the Commander of the nearest unit of the United States Army or of the Army of the Philippines. 3. That all records of unrecognized guerrilla units disbanded in conformity herewith, together with any request for recognition and evidence in support of such request, be assembled and turned in to the Commander of the nearest unit of the United States Army or of the Army of the Philippines for forwarding to Headquarters, Philippine Army. Done at the City of Manila, this 26th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and forty-five, and of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the tenth. (Sgd.) SERGIO OSMEÑA President of the Philippines By the President: (Sgd.) JOSE S. REYES Secretary to the President The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation