Archival.docx

"PART I-II: DON'T NEGLECT THE HELP, PAY THEIR RIGHTFUL DUES: BEFORE THEY WERE FILIPINO, THEY WERE ALWAYS HUMAN"























Desmond Narain Doulatram
APS 600: Research and Methodology
October 9, 2016
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The report I analyzed was a classified report of investigation on the pay status of the Philippine Army Personnel who aided American Operations against the Japanese in the Philippines. This was during the period of July 26, 1941 to June 30, 1946. This report was declassified having been a secret report for obvious reasons of safety and security on both sides with the Philippine forces on one side and the American Military personnel on the other. It can be found in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office within Record Group 407 of the National Archives Catalog.
There were three principal issues the report addressed. The first was the question on revising Public Law 301 that would allow members of the Philippine Army to qualify for the benefits of the Missing Persons Act which under current legal procedures they were excluded from enjoying. The second was to examine the policy governing the recognition and payment of members of the Philippine Army whose status was based on being recognized as guerilla. And the third and final part of the report was to ascertain the answer to the question of equalizing the pay rate of the Philippine Army personnel with that of the United States Army.
This report basically summarizes administrative disputes stemming from lack of equality for the Philippine Army personnel who rightfully deserved equal treatment considering they too were at equal risk of being apprehended by the Japanese forces in World War II. This report was written by Major General WM G. Livesay as a report investigation. It was originally a classified folder document about four hundred plus pages in length and can now be accessed online through the National Archive Catalog. The report is pretty invaluable as it comes with a list of appendixes but the author himself claims that evidence is insufficient to approve giving benefits under the Missing Person Act to certain Filipino Army personnel under pending casualty status.
Despite constant pressure to equalize pay for Filipinos, the report states that it had yet to receive formal approval from the United States, its President, and its Congress. The irony of the situation is that in 1942, President Quezon of the Philippines raised the rates of the Filipino Army officers to that of the United States along with enlisted Filipino Scouts. In 1944, President Osmena issued a similar executive order to equalize the pay scale between Filipinos and Americans but the United States President prevailed in revoking this order. This report basically stated the bureaucratic nature of the US Army in dealing with Filipinos. Even the criteria for approval of payment were extremely harsh. Despite aiding the American cause, a certain criteria had to be met. Some of these people were issued Certificates of Consideration instead of actual payments despite risking their lives for the American political position. However, despite the obvious unfairness due to discriminatory practices against the mentally colonized Filipinos who are stated in the report as accepting some of these conditions, Major General WM G. Livesay does conclude in his report that Public Law 301 needed to be amended to provide equal pay to Philippine Army personnel who were under casualty status. The example displayed by Major General Livesay demonstrates his commitment to at least equalize treatment of Filipinos who were equally aiding the United States in a tremendous task of overcoming the fearless Japanese forces.
When further analyzing the document, I came to the conclusion that the 1940s was not the best time to be a minority under the care of the United States of America as is also obvious in the 1940s Census. With obvious discrimination, one can readily see the hierarchy given and enacted to the Filipinos with them not receiving their fair share despite being equally human. This folder document found in the National Archives is an invaluable source of primary history detailing discrimination within the 1940s bureaucratic structure of the United States and its Army. It provides first hand accounts of actual situations with Filipinos being viewed as second class despite encountering similar risks being at the actual location of conflict and having no where to run but to remain in the Philippines. I believe this document serves a purpose in providing first hand evidence of how we Humans have grown and thus is useful in humanizing our interpretation of the situation particularly through the act of insight and sheer will of not repeating our past mistakes. This document gives us the opportunity to see in full scale the inhumane experiences of minorities of Asian and Austronesian descent who are often viewed less than their fellow man because of the given power structure of the time that often condoned and justified such discriminatory practices regardless of its immorality.























Bibliography

United States National Archives and Record Administration. Record Group 407,
"Report of Investigation. Pay Status of Philippine Army Personnel who Supported Operations of U.S. Forces Against the Japanese during the Period 26 July 1941-30 June 1946, by Maj Gen Wm G. Livesay" (College Park, MD) https://catalog.archives.gov/id/17101111 (accessed October 5, 2016).








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