THE ASWANG: CIA AND USAF TACTICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE
The Philippines is a former Spanish colony with a diverse culture and language. However, the fearsome creature of the dark known as the ‘aswang’ is the one folklore that endured centuries of Spanish control. The locals passed down a story to scare their children from going outside at night. Then, it was passed down from generation to generation. Even in the computer age, there are still areas in the Philippines wherein the belief in this creature is strong.They can take many forms, such as big pigs, black dogs, or large vultures. The aswang, in whatever form, is commonly thought to be the cause of unexpected sickness or unexplained deaths. The CIA took this scary lore and used it to their advantage to fight communism in the Philippines, similar to the “birds aren’t real” conspiracy that was said to be the agency’s doing as well.
The Conflict After the War
As the war with the Japanese Soldiers ended, names such as Luis Taruc started to gain popularity and admiration among the people for his bravery. He was a huge hero after becoming a leader of the Hukbalahap (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon), an alliance that was formed in order to fight the Japanese invaders. With one goal, they fought side by side with the U.S. forces in order to defeat the Japanese Soldiers. However, this relationship turned sour when the Huks were expelled from Congress by former President Manuel Roxas. These former heroes opposed the Bell Trade Act, which gave the United States power over most of the Philippine economy and industries. Due to this resistance, Roxas and some of his American allies were aggravated, urging him to isolate the Huks, resulting in their rebellion. The former war heroes gained an infamous reputation as rebels, and they were also blamed for the murder of Aurora Quezon, the widow of Manuel Quezon. The fight for the Huks did not stop there. When Roxas died in 1948, he was replaced by Elpidio Quirino, but he was not able to contain the Hukbalahap. Plus, a lot of issues happened during his administration, such as personal scandals and corruption. Since there was no strong leader to lead the nation, the CIA stepped in with the help of Edward Lansdale, a practitioner of psychological warfare, wherein he used the mythical folklore aswang against the Huks. He was the most trusted confidant of Quirino's successor, then Chief of Defense Ramon Magsaysay.
The Strategy to Use the Aswang
Once Lansdale stepped on Philippine soil, he and his CIA team started to work; they had been busy doing a lot of military research about the superstitions, such as their taboos, myths, and lore. Especially those related the people living near the areas of the Huks. One of their tactics was to go over to some of these areas and broadcast these "mysterious curses." This was so that the people who helped the rebels could hear the message. The tactic was successful, resulting in some units of the Hukbalahap surrendering due to starvation.The game of psychological warfare occurred from 1950 to 1954 in Tarlac, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija. Considering the rural places in these areas, and their beliefs in mysterious creatures, the belief of the aswang was strong. This was also due to the Filipinos' superstitious nature, and some argue that belief in this creature continues today. Thus, the CIA and Edward Lansdale saw this as an opportunity to defeat the Huks.To make this more believable, a CIA-trained squad kidnapped Huk fighters and killed them vampire-style. Holes were punctured on them to resemble the bite of an aswang. Then, their bodies were left on the road for the people to see in the morning. Firing more fuel to the suspicion that the killer creature is real, surprisingly, this tactic was effective. The people who were once sympathetic to the Huks were now terrified of them.
Edward Lansdale and His Successful Tactic
With the problems that the Huks faced, they started to lose moral support. With the success of the psychological operation, especially with the use of aswang, the mission to let the once-heroes surrender intensified. This occurred until Luis Taurus and his troops surrendered in 1954 to accept a pardon. The CIA was successful in its operation, which would be considered an example of Project MKUltra, also known as the CIA mind control program.Related reads:
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