The Manila Chronicle, Friday, 19 February 1943
Our Defense Correspondent reports that the Philippine Air Force has activated the 3rd Fighter Squadron at Bautista Air Force Base, Palawan. This unit is equipped with the American-built Lockheed P-38 twin-engine long-range interceptor. The new unit serves alongside the 2nd Fighter Squadron as part of the Fourth Composite Wing, responsible for air defense of Palawan and Mindoro. In other defense news, the 11th Fighter Squadron of the First Fighter Wing at Villamor Air Force Base has taken charge of its first North American P-51 fighters, strengthening the aerial protection of the capital.
The Freeman (Cebu), Saturday, 20 February 1943
The destroyers Iraya and Sembrano have completed their working-up, and have formally taken their places as part of Destroyer Squadron Seven, attached to the Northern Fleet. The shipyards of the nation continue to pour forth fine warships to take their part in the defense of the nation against possible aggressors.
Philippine Minesweeper Zambales, off Zamboanga City, Sunday, 21 February 1943
Lieutenant Ramon Rosario could still feel the sting of his flotilla commander’s review of his action in attempting to board the apparent smugglers’ banca a few days previously. The CO wanted prisoners who could be questioned, not floating debris. Yet Rosario had kept his command, and been sent out to continue monitoring shipping movements. He had done so far more carefully and thus far had no further incident.
The small dradis screen showed a contact some four kilometers distant on a bearing of zero-four-five relative. Rosario swung his glasses in that direction but saw nothing, as night cloaked the vessel from sight. “No running lights,” he thought. “This is definitely suspicious.”
He ordered a course change to intercept, and sent his hands to alert stations. “Do not fire unless I give the order,” he said, with as much authority in his voice as he could muster. Standing over the shoulder of the dradis operator, he watched the range close.
At five hundred meters Rosario went out onto the bridge of the Zambales and peered into the darkness. He thought he could make out the shape of a darkened vessel heading southwest, for Jolo perhaps. This was no banca, but a small inter-island freighter of perhaps three hundred tons.
“Chief, prepare a boarding and inspection party. On my order, illuminate the vessel and order her to heave to.”
“Target is increasing speed,” cried the dradis operator. “Estimate target speed is now eight knots sir.”
Obviously a lookout on the unknown vessel had seen the Zambales’ lights, and her captain had decided to make a run for it. Undaunted Rosario ordered the Zambales to increase speed to overhaul the fleeing merchantman.
“Illuminate!” he ordered as the range came down to one hundred meters. The powerful searchlights on the Zambales focused on the cargo craft, holding her in a cone of brightness. “Heave to immediately!” he shouted at the unknown vessel. He was relieved when the unknown complied; in a few moments, a boarding party was away to inspect the vessels papers and manifest.
Two hours later the Zambales was headed back towards Zamboanga, with the cargo vessel, now identified as the Philippine-flagged Dona Maria, under her careful watch. While her manifest had shown the Dona Maria laden with a mixed cargo consigned to merchants in Tarakan and Balikpapan, inspection had found crate after crate of cigarettes hidden beneath sacks of rice and sago.
While the Dona Maria was a mere smuggler, who was he to say that her activities were not related to the upsurge in bandit activity in the region? Rosario would let the authorities on shore figure that out, but the capture of the smuggler would offset some of the opprobrium he had gathered in the incident of Basilan.
The Davao Herald, Monday, 22 February 1943
The destroyers Balatukan and Kabuyao were completed today in the naval shipyards at Butuan, and have embarked upon their builders’ trials.