8th Infantry (Storm Troopers) Division
Encyclopedia
The 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, known officially as the Storm Trooper Division, is one of the Philippine Army
's Infantry
units in the Visayas, combating Local Communist Units, and terrorists.
During the Japanese Occupation
in World War II
, the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Commonwealth Army
was founded and military establishment on 1942 to 1946 was active at the general headquarters on the main province of Cebu
and Bohol
in Central Visayas
.
The reconstituted by unsurrendered USAFFE officers who organized guerilla units from the remnants of the 8th Military District right after their American and Filipino Officers surrendered to the Japanese after the Battle of Bataan
in 1942. The Division's Area of Operations were the Provinces of Cebu
and Bohol
in Central Visayas
and they were tasked by General Douglas MacArthur
to combat the Imperial Japanese Army & Imperial Japanese Navy whom they fought using local Philippine Commonwealth military and recognized guerilla tactics starting 1942 until the United States military was returned to Liberate the Philippines in 1944 and aiding the local Filipino troops and guerrillas when more supplies arrived that allowed more company & regimental-sized operations to be conducted against its main nemesis, the IJA 35th Army
up to the end of the war.
During the Japanese Occupation of Cebu
, the guerillas and male civilians, who were organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units the several Infantry Regiments, Field Artillery Regiments and others and supported by the PCA 3rd, 82nd, 85th, 86th and 87th Infantry Division was fought the Japanese in the Battle of Guila-Guila in Compostela, Cebu
on March 5, 1943. This battle, commanded by Major Fabian M. Sanchez, resulted in numerous casualties to the Imperial Japanese Army and best estimates were ten (10) truckloads of dead Japanese soldiers versus one (1) Filipino killed.
During the battle for the Liberation of Cebu
in 1945, guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and it subordinate units including the several Infantry Regiments, Field Artillery Regiments and many others, supporting for the local troopers of the PCA 3rd, 81st, 82nd, 85th, 86th and 87th Infantry Division, American soldiers of the U.S. Army Americal Division
and the Cebuano guerrilla resistance conducted and fought combat operations against the IJA 35th Army
under General Sosaku Suzuki and they recaptured and liberated Cebu. They fought in the Northern Cebu Campaign, Southern Cebu Campaign, the Invasion of Liloan
, the Invasion of Mandaue, the Invasion of Cebu City
, Fall of Pardo and Basak, Battle of Daanbantayan, Battle of Toledo and the Battle of Bantayan
.
In the island Province of Bohol
starting in 1945, guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units including the several Infantry Regiments Field Artillery Regiments and many others, supporting for the local troopers of the PCA 3rd, 81st, 83rd, 85th and 86th Infantry Division, the PC 8th Infantry Regiment, Boholano guerrilla resistance and American soldiers of the U.S. Army Americal Division
liberated Bohol from their nemesis, the IJA 35th Army
, again, under General Sosaku Suzuki started the Second Battle of Bohol.
During the Operation Enduring Freedom
in the Philippines under the War on Terrorism
and the Islamic Insurgency in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. The local government troops of the Philippine Army 8th Infantry "Storm Trooper" Division was sending the clearing combat operations in Mindanao on Southern Philippines and the engagements of the Anti-Islamic and Counter-Terrorism operations and helping aided and supporting of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, the CAFGU militia forces and the U.S. Armed Forces to fought against the Islamic rebels and bandits of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF), Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF) and Abu Sayyaf
Group (ASG) and other local crinimal elements.
curb criminality in the Visayas Region.
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
's Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
units in the Visayas, combating Local Communist Units, and terrorists.
Untold History of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Commonwealth Army during World War II
8th Infantry Division, Philippine Commonwealth Army in Central VisayasDuring the Japanese Occupation
Japanese Occupation
Japanese Occupation may refer to:*Occupation of Japan, the occupation of Japan by United States forces following World War II*Japanese occupation of Burma*Japanese occupation of Cambodia*Japanese occupation of Guam*Japanese occupation of Hong Kong...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Commonwealth Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
was founded and military establishment on 1942 to 1946 was active at the general headquarters on the main province of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
and Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
in Central Visayas
Central Visayas
Central Visayas, designated as Region VII, is a region of the Philippines located in the central part of the Visayas island group. It consists of four provinces—Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor— and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City....
.
The reconstituted by unsurrendered USAFFE officers who organized guerilla units from the remnants of the 8th Military District right after their American and Filipino Officers surrendered to the Japanese after the Battle of Bataan
Battle of Bataan
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. The capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast...
in 1942. The Division's Area of Operations were the Provinces of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
and Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
in Central Visayas
Central Visayas
Central Visayas, designated as Region VII, is a region of the Philippines located in the central part of the Visayas island group. It consists of four provinces—Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor— and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City....
and they were tasked by General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
to combat the Imperial Japanese Army & Imperial Japanese Navy whom they fought using local Philippine Commonwealth military and recognized guerilla tactics starting 1942 until the United States military was returned to Liberate the Philippines in 1944 and aiding the local Filipino troops and guerrillas when more supplies arrived that allowed more company & regimental-sized operations to be conducted against its main nemesis, the IJA 35th Army
Thirty-Fifth Army (Japan)
The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final days of World War II.-History:The Japanese 35th Army was raised on July 26, 1944 in the Japanese-occupied Philippines in anticipation of Allied attempts to invade and retake Mindanao and the Visayan islands in central and southern...
up to the end of the war.
During the Japanese Occupation of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, the guerillas and male civilians, who were organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units the several Infantry Regiments, Field Artillery Regiments and others and supported by the PCA 3rd, 82nd, 85th, 86th and 87th Infantry Division was fought the Japanese in the Battle of Guila-Guila in Compostela, Cebu
Compostela, Cebu
During the Battle of Guila-Guila on March 5, 1943, guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units the several Infantry Regiments, Field Artillery Regiments and many others and supporting...
on March 5, 1943. This battle, commanded by Major Fabian M. Sanchez, resulted in numerous casualties to the Imperial Japanese Army and best estimates were ten (10) truckloads of dead Japanese soldiers versus one (1) Filipino killed.
During the battle for the Liberation of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
in 1945, guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and it subordinate units including the several Infantry Regiments, Field Artillery Regiments and many others, supporting for the local troopers of the PCA 3rd, 81st, 82nd, 85th, 86th and 87th Infantry Division, American soldiers of the U.S. Army Americal Division
Americal Division
The 23rd Infantry Division, more commonly known as the Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. In the immediate emergency following Pearl Harbor, the United States had hurriedly sent three individual regiments to defend New Caledonia...
and the Cebuano guerrilla resistance conducted and fought combat operations against the IJA 35th Army
Thirty-Fifth Army (Japan)
The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final days of World War II.-History:The Japanese 35th Army was raised on July 26, 1944 in the Japanese-occupied Philippines in anticipation of Allied attempts to invade and retake Mindanao and the Visayan islands in central and southern...
under General Sosaku Suzuki and they recaptured and liberated Cebu. They fought in the Northern Cebu Campaign, Southern Cebu Campaign, the Invasion of Liloan
Liloan, Cebu
Liloan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 92,181 people with 42,202 registered voters and has 13,381 residents....
, the Invasion of Mandaue, the Invasion of Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
, Fall of Pardo and Basak, Battle of Daanbantayan, Battle of Toledo and the Battle of Bantayan
Bantayan
Bantayan can refer to:*Bantayan Island, an island in the Philippines*Bantayan, Cebu, the largest municipality on the island...
.
In the island Province of Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
starting in 1945, guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units including the several Infantry Regiments Field Artillery Regiments and many others, supporting for the local troopers of the PCA 3rd, 81st, 83rd, 85th and 86th Infantry Division, the PC 8th Infantry Regiment, Boholano guerrilla resistance and American soldiers of the U.S. Army Americal Division
Americal Division
The 23rd Infantry Division, more commonly known as the Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. In the immediate emergency following Pearl Harbor, the United States had hurriedly sent three individual regiments to defend New Caledonia...
liberated Bohol from their nemesis, the IJA 35th Army
Thirty-Fifth Army (Japan)
The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final days of World War II.-History:The Japanese 35th Army was raised on July 26, 1944 in the Japanese-occupied Philippines in anticipation of Allied attempts to invade and retake Mindanao and the Visayan islands in central and southern...
, again, under General Sosaku Suzuki started the Second Battle of Bohol.
Untold History of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army during Post-War era
After the Second World War, The 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army is a known officially as the Storm Trooper Division was founding establishment on August 01, 1988 and they stationed and headquarters in Camp General Vicente Lukban, Catbalogan City, Samar. The local government soldiers and officers under the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army was sending the combat operations in the Visayas region and the engagements of the Anti-Communist Operations and helping aided and supported of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the CAFGU militia forces against the communist rebels of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) and other local crinimal elements.During the Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines
Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines or Operation Freedom Eagle is part of Operation Enduring Freedom and the U.S. Global War on Terrorism. About 600 U.S. military personnel are advising and assisting the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the Southern Philippines...
in the Philippines under the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
and the Islamic Insurgency in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. The local government troops of the Philippine Army 8th Infantry "Storm Trooper" Division was sending the clearing combat operations in Mindanao on Southern Philippines and the engagements of the Anti-Islamic and Counter-Terrorism operations and helping aided and supporting of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, the CAFGU militia forces and the U.S. Armed Forces to fought against the Islamic rebels and bandits of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
(MILF), Moro National Liberation Front
Moro National Liberation Front
The Moro National Liberation Front is a political organization that was founded by Nur Misuari in 1969. The MNLF struggles against the Philippine Government to achieve independence of the Bangsamoro Land...
(MNLF) and Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several military Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern Philippines, in Bangsamoro where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country...
Group (ASG) and other local crinimal elements.
Mission
The 8th Infantry (Storm Trooper) Division, Philippine Army often conducts Internal Security Operations (ISO) in their Area of Responsibility (AOR) to dismantle and destroy the remaining guerilla fronts of the Local Communist Movement (LCM) in order to attain peace and stability conducive to sustainable development in assisting the Philippine government in its socio-economic development projects; and assists the Philippine National PolicePNP
-Science and technology:* Legacy Plug and Play or PnP, an ISA bus extension, a special case of Plug and play* Principles and parameters, a linguistics framework* PNP, a type of Bipolar junction transistor...
curb criminality in the Visayas Region.
Lineage of Commanding Officers
- Brigadier General Isagani T. Delos Santos AFP (26 May 1986–31 March 1988)
- Brigadier General Federico E. Ruiz Jr AFP (31 March 1988–27 March 1990)
- Brigadier General Romulo F. Yap AFP (27 March 1990–10 January 1992)
- Brigadier General Ruperto A. Ambil AFP (10 June 1992–12 April 1994)
- Brigadier General Danilo P. Olay AFP (12 March 1994–15 March 1996)
- Brigadier General Romeo B. Tarrayo AFP (4 April 1996–15 January 1998)
- Major General Arturo B. Carrillo AFP (15 January 1998–6 November 1999)
- Major General Rufo A. De Veyra AFP (6 November 1999–7 July 2001)
- Major General Romeo B. Dominguez AFP (6 July 2001–10 February 2003)
- Major General Glenn J. Rabonza AFP (10 February 2003–4 January 2005)
- Brigadier General Bonifacio B. Ramos AFP (4 January 2005–10 February 2005)
- Major General Jovito S. Palparan Jr. AFP (10 February 2005–25 August 2005)
- Major General Bonifacio B. Ramos AFP (25 August 2005–29 July 2006)
- Brigadier General Randy S. Dauz AFP (29 July 2006–16 August 2006)
- Major General Rodrigo F. Maclang AFP (16 August 2006–15 January 2007)
- Major General Armando L. Cunanan AFP (15 January 2007–19 May 2008)
- Brigadier General Allan Ragpala AFP (19 May 2008–4 June 2008)
- Brigadier General Arthur I. Tabaquero AFP (4 June 2008–24 August 2010)
- Major General Mario F. Chan AFP (24 August 2010–TO DATE)
Subordinate Units
- 14th Infantry (Avenger) Battalion
- 19th Infantry (Commando) Battalion
- 20th Infantry (We Lead) Battalion
- 34th Infantry (Reliable) Battalion
- 43rd Infantry (We Search) Battalion
- 46th Infantry (Peace Makers) Battalion46th Infantry (Peace Makers) BattalionThe 46th Infantry Battalion is an organic unit of the 8th Infantry Division that is currently deployed it Central Mindanao and placed OPCON to the 6th Infantry Division...
- 52nd Infantry (Catch 'Em) Battalion
- 62nd Infantry (Unifier) Battalion
- 63rd Infantry (Innovator) Battalion
- 78th Infantry (Warrior) Battalion
- 87th Infantry (Hinirang) Battalion
Operations
- Anti-guerrilla operations against the New People's ArmyNew People's ArmyThe New People's Army is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. It was formed on March 29, 1969. The Maoist NPA conducts its armed guerrilla struggle based on the strategical line of 'protracted people's war'.The NPA exacts so called "revolutionary taxes" from business owners...
- Operation Enduring Freedom - PhilippinesOperation Enduring Freedom - PhilippinesOperation Enduring Freedom – Philippines or Operation Freedom Eagle is part of Operation Enduring Freedom and the U.S. Global War on Terrorism. About 600 U.S. military personnel are advising and assisting the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the Southern Philippines...
.