
<div class="image-500">
<a href="https://kahimyang.com/resources/ruperto_kangleon.webp" rel="lightbox" title="Ruperto Kangleon (right) with Lt. General Walter  Krueger of the US Army">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://kahimyang.com/resources/ruperto_kangleon.webp"  alt="Rupert Kangleon"  />
</a>
<div>
(Ruperto Kangleon (right) with Lt. General Walter Krueger of the US Army (Photo credit: <a href="http://www.ibiblio.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="news_link" title="Ibiblio">http://www.ibiblio.org</a>))
</div>
</div>
<p>
Kangleon, who earned distinction as an all-around athlete for the First Philippines Olympic team sent abroad (1912-1913), studied in the College of Liberal Arts, University of the Philippines. However, he was really more inclined toward the military profession. Thus, he transferred to the 
Philippine Constabulary Academy in Baguio City, where he graduated in 1916. 
</p>
<p>
After his graduation, he was assigned to the Philippine Constabulary, in its Visayan 
campaign. His exploits in Oton, Panay earned him fame and military citations. He served with the 
PC until 1942.
 </p>
<p>
 At the outbreak of World War II, Kangleon was commanding officer of the 81st Infantry 
Regiment of the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE), which fought in Samar and 
in Mindanao. Apart from proving his gallantry and heroism, his exploits in encounters at the 
Davao-Agusan national highway fanned the spread of his reputation as a military strategist. 
</p>
<p>
 In the course of the war, Kangleon was captured by the Japanese Imperial Forces. He was 
imprisoned in a concentration camp at Butuan, Agusan, but managed to escape with the help of 
local resistance fighters in December 1942. Forthwith, he returned to Leyte, but in no time at all 
organized the Visayan resistance movement, based in Leyte and Samar. The Kangleon Guerilla 
unified all resistance movements in the areas and effectively controlled not only Leyte and Samar 
but their neighboring provinces as well, a feat duly recognized by both the Philippine and 
American governments. His group was credited with having exacted 3,500 casualties on the 
enemy in Leyte alone. 
 </p>

