Pahayag ng Isang Naging Kumander ng Huk sa Philippine Veterans Legion (Statement of a Former Huk Commander) (Tagalog poster distributed in the Philippines)
A Philippine Veterans Legion broadside, Tagalog version. A question-and-answer statement by an unnamed former Huk commander sits beside a ragged figure with a cartridge belt and vignettes of hammer-and-sickle banners, a family torn apart and a church struck by a hammer and sickle. It claims Huk leaders are communists serving Russia, while most Huks are not. The tell is testimonial, with fear-appeal icons tying the movement to Russia and to attacks on family and church.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1950
- Period
- Cold War
- Made by
- Philippine Veterans Legion; distributed by the U.S. Information Agency (Propaganda Posters Distributed in Asia series)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Truman Administration
- Leader
- Harry S. Truman
- Audience
- Foreign public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Themes
- War and the military, Security and surveillance
- Event
- Cold War
- Source
- Unidentified Source blurred: contractors, cutouts, buried disclosure
- Source
- U.S. National Archives (NARA), Record Group 306, Propaganda Posters Distributed in Asia, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work; NARA RG 306)
U.S. Information Agency / Department of State, c. 1950-55. National Archives, Record Group 306 (NAID 5730073, 306-PPA-174).
Text on the object
Pahayag ng Isang Naging KUMANDER ng HUK sa Philippine Veterans Legion PHILIPPINE VETERANS LEGION Tanong: Sabihin mo nang buong katotohanan, bakit ka sumapi sa mga Huk? Sagot: Nais kong mapabuti ang mga kalagayan ng aking mga kababayan. Tanong: Paano ka nabuhay bilang isang Huk? Sagot: Sa isang liblib na kubo sa mga bundok. Isang buhay na napakalungkot. Nawalay ako sa aking kasintahan, mga minamahal na kaanak, at sa aking mga kaibigan. Tanong: Ikaw ba'y binabayaran ng mga suweldo bilang isang Huk? Sagot: Wala, kailanma'y hindi. Tanong: Paano kayo kumukuha ng pagkain? Sagot: Kumukuha ng pagkain ang mga Huk sa mga mamamayan. Tanong: Bakit mo iniwan ang organisasyon ng Huk? Sagot: Natuklasan kong mga Komunista ang mga lider ng mga Huk. Nalaman kong ito'y katotohanan. Tanong: Ang ibig mo bang sabihi'y mga Komunista ang lahat ng mga Huk? Sagot: Hindi sa gayon! Hindi mga Komunista ang karamihan sa kanila. Manapa'y tanging mga lider lamang nila ang mga naghahangad na ipagbili ang Pilipinas sa Rusya. Tanong: Iyan ba ang dahilan kung kaya ka sumuko? Sagot: Nakipaglaban ako bilang isang kawal ng Philippine Scouts noong nakaraang digmaan. Nakihamok ako alang-alang sa ikapagtatamo ng isang malayang Pilipinas. At ngayo'y mapababayaan ba nating malinlang tayo sa pagkakaloob ng ating bayan sa kamay ng Komunistang Rusya? Ako'y isang Pilipino, hindi isang tautauhan ng Rusya! Tanong: Sa palagay mo kaya'y marami sa mga Huk ang nakababatid niyan? Sagot: Iyan ang isang malungkot na pangyayari. Hindi nila nababatid na sila'y nililinlang ng mga lider na Komunista. Tanong: Binabalak ng Philippine Veterans Legion na ilagay sa mga kartel ang iyong mga pagtatapat upang mabasa ng lahat. Sang-ayon ka ba sa bagay na ito? Sagot: Oo, sapagka't nais kong malaman ng ating mga kababayan na mga Komunista ang mga lider ng Huk. Kailangan nilang matanto na ang Komunismo'y labag sa ating simbahan, laban sa ating mga pamilya, laban sa ating kalayaan, at laban sa ating bansa. Huwag nating pahintulutang madala tayo sa mga panlilinlang ng mga lider na Komunista! [captions] "MGA KOMUNISTA ANG MGA LIDER NG HUK" / "ANG PATAKARANG KOMUNISTA AY KAAWAY NG ATING KAANAK" / "NALALABAN SA ATING BANSA AT SA ATING KALAYAAN" / "AT LABAG SA ATING SIMBAHAN" [on flag icons: PKM; IHS] "AKO'Y ISANG PILIPINO.... HINDI ISANG TAUTAUHAN NG RUSYA!" Ipinamamahagi ng Philippine Veterans Legion bilang isang makabayang paglilingkod
Statement of a Former Commander of the Huk in the Philippine Veterans Legion PHILIPPINE VETERANS LEGION Question: Tell the whole truth, why did you join the Huks? Answer: I wanted to improve the conditions of my countrymen. Question: How did you live as a Huk? Answer: In a remote hut in the mountains. A very lonely life. I was separated from my sweetheart, my beloved relatives and my friends. Question: Were you paid a salary as a Huk? Answer: No, never. Question: How do you get food? Answer: The Huks get food from the townspeople. Question: Why did you leave the Huk organisation? Answer: I discovered that the Huk leaders are Communists. I learned that this is the truth. Question: Do you mean all the Huks are Communists? Answer: Not so! Most of them are not Communists. Rather, only their leaders are the ones who want to sell the Philippines to Russia. Question: Is that the reason you surrendered? Answer: I fought as a soldier of the Philippine Scouts in the last war. I fought for the sake of winning a free Philippines. And now shall we let ourselves be deceived into giving our country into the hands of Communist Russia? I am a Filipino, not a puppet of Russia! Question: Do you think many Huks know that? Answer: That is a sad matter. They do not know they are being deceived by the Communist leaders. Question: The Philippine Veterans Legion plans to put your confessions on posters for everyone to read. Do you agree to this? Answer: Yes, because I want our countrymen to know that the Huk leaders are Communists. They need to realise that Communism is against our church, against our families, against our freedom, and against our country. Let us not allow ourselves to be led by the deceptions of the Communist leaders! [captions] "The Communists are the leaders of the Huk" / "The Communist policy is the enemy of our family" / "Fought against our nation and our freedom" / "And against our religion" [on icons: PKM; IHS] "I AM A FILIPINO.... NOT A PUPPET OF RUSSIA!" Distributed by the Philippine Veterans Legion as a patriotic service
Transcribed from the printed text; the lower-right red-on-pink caption fragments are read as they appear. Translation is literal.
