Pro-Government Militias
The Lost Command (Philippines)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 142 |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1975 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The Lost Comand was formed in 1975 by Carlos Lademora, then a provincial PC commander in Agusan del Sur in Eastern Mindanao. Another source refers to the group already in 1973. |
| Date dissolved: | June 23, 1986 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | In June 1986, Carlos Lademora surrendered, allegedly in response to government calls for national reconciliation. There are no PGM activities reported after this day. |
| Termination Type(s): | government defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution); military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | unclear |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | security forces; ex soldiers; criminals |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Davao, Mindanao, Samaar |
| Force Strength: | [400, 800] |
| Target(s): | civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The Lost Command was engaged in protecting large logging and plantation interests, but there is no evidence that this was their purpose. The group was accused of running an organized crime operation that controls logging and gold mining activities in the region. The term lost command is used rather loosely for breakaway factions of certain groups (e.g. lost command of the Moro National Liberation Front). Therefore, the term not explicitly used for this group. One source points out that this lost command was also known as Charlie's Angels. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The Lost Command was founded with the purpose of fighting Muslim secessionists and the communist guerillas of the New People’s Army. One news source says their mission was to search and destroy the enemies of President Ferdinand Marcos. Lost Command’s leader Lademora was reported to be very successful killing rebels and the military highly valued their record. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | In 1981, the Lost Command, alongside members of the CHDF killed 45 men, women and children who were residents of Barrio Sag-od (Wikipedia). There are accusations that the Lost Command terror-bombed a church Easter service. The PGM rejects the accusations of the bombing and the massacre. PGM members intimidated local people who resisted the development plans of multinational agribusiness companies. Another news source reports that the PGM brutalized people and ran extortion rings. The military values the PGM’s record enough to condone its alleged abuses. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: | A news source from 1982 estimates that the Lost Command had 275 to 400 members. When Lademora surrendered, the Lost Command was reported to have 800 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The PGM was founded and led by Philippine Army Lieutenant-Colonel Carlos Lademora. Lademora had been a PC-commander until 1979, when he resigned. The Lost Command enjoyed the designation of special government paramilitary unit. When in 1981 six men from the Lost Command killed three policemen and a government militiaman, Lademora dispatched a hit team, which killed the responsible PGM members. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.