When
war broke out in the Philippines, some 300 Philippine
Military Academy and ROTC cadets, unable to join the
USAFEE units because of their youth, banded themselves
together with a common desire to contribute to the war
effort throughout the Bataan campaign. The "ROTC
lads", as they were referred to, did their bit
to protect the civilians and to assist the USAFEE forces
by way of intelligence and propaganda.
After
surrender of American and Philippine forces on Bataan,
and organized resistance ceased, the entire group went
up to the Antipolo mountains, bringing with them arms
secured from civilians and USAFEE stragglers, and began
calling themselves the Hunters.
The
Hunters originally conducted operations with another
guerrilla group called Marking's Guerrillas, with whom
they went about liquidating Japanese spies. Led by Miguel
Ver, a PMA cadet, the Hunters raided the enemy-occupied
Union College in Manila and siezed 130 Enfield rifles.
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