Simeona Punsalan Tapang, was the last living Huk Kumander and a proud Kapampangan, who died at the age of 92 on June 30, 2015.
Fondly also known as Lola Mameng, she was a hero and was one of the last remaining legacies of the guerrilla group, Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Hukbalahap or Huk) or The Nation’s Army Against the Japanese in English.
The Huks were a group formed primarily by farmers who fought against the tyranny of the Japanese military occupation of the Philippines and their villages and homes during World War II. They were the protectors of our people against the Japanese who invaded and were the resistance against them, fighting fiercely to protect our people. Eventually they fought against the Philippine government after the government was ordered to disarm and arrest the Huks under the orders of the U.S. for being labeled as Communists.
Many of our renowned Pilipina warriors were a part of the Huks, often joining the ranks and becoming a kumander. Lola Mameng was one of those brave and fierce Pilipina warriors who was once described by Huk Chief Kumander, Luis Taruc, as a big bodied woman with a man’s strength, fond of wearing men’s clothes and adept at handling an automatic rifle. Lola Mameng was also known and hailed for her ability of commanding her troops on the firing line.
She started out as an officer of Squadron no. 104 with the rank of Captain in 1942. In 1944 she was then promoted to Major under the 1st Regiment, Second Battalion Staff of Regional Command No. 7. Lola Mameng then joined and participated in the Battle of Mandili in Candaba, Pampanga and commanded several encounters against Japanese forces in Arayat. Her Husband, Pablo Tapang, was also a member of the Huk, but he was killed in the Candaba operations on 1948.
In 2014, the year before she died, she was awarded and recognized by the Provincial Government of Pampanga during the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awards night for her bravery and risking her life and family for the freedom and liberation from the Japanese.
