CAP College Self-Learning Series

For

History 1
(Philippine History and Culture)

Module IV
(The Philippine Commonwealth and the Japanese Occupation
and Liberation in World War II)

Contents

Lesson 1. The Commonwealth of the Philippines

Lesson 2. The Japanese Occupation in World War II

Lesson 3. Liberation and Restoration of the Commonwealth

Government
 History 1
(Philippine History and Culture)

Module IV. The Philippine Commonwealth and the Japanese

Occupation and Liberation in World War II

Copyright 1991

CAP College
149 Legaspi St., Makati
Metro Manila

and

SONIA M. ZAIDE
55 Rizal Street
Pagsanjan, Laguna 4008
Philippines

Revised by

CARIDAD A. RODRIGUEZ, M.A., Professor Emeritus

Silliman University
1994

All rights reserved

 INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT

At CAP COLLEGE you learn through self-instructional modules, otherwise

known as CAPsels (short for CAP College Self-Learning Series), such as the one you are
now reading. To gain the most out of these materials, it is important that you observe the
following instructions:

1. Every subject or course has an average of five modules, each one of which
contains two to five or more lessons. You must satisfy the work prescribed by
each module before you can sit for the final examination that will determine
whether you pass or fail the course.

2. Make effort to do some extra reading. The titles listed under Suggested
Readings are neither exclusive nor conclusive. Any reference book on the
subject will do.

3. Test your own progress by performing the Self-Progress Check Test at the end
of each lesson. Read the test instructions carefully and understand them well.
Do not look at the answers while taking the test.

4. Check your answers with the key at the end of the module. Unless there is
specific instruction on how to score your paper, compute it by dividing the
correct answers with the total number of points and multiplying the quotient by
100. Keep your own scores. If you get 70% or higher, you pass; otherwise,
you have to review the lesson and do the re-test, if any, before advancing to the
next one. Take note that in some cases, these lesson tests are presented as
Activities. Do them the same way

5. At the end of the module, perform the Module Test. Clip the question sheet
from the module and submit them with the answer sheet to:
The Dean of Studies
CAP College
149 Legaspi Street, Legaspi Village
1229 Makati City
for correction and grading. Make sure to affix the proper amount of postage
stamps. Do not forget to enclose all accomplished SPCTs in each Module
Test. (See no. 3 above). Corrected tests will be returned to you with the
corresponding grade or further instruction, if needed. While waiting, go on to
the next module and observe the same study procedure.

6. When you are done with all modules of all subjects in which you are enrolled,
you are to come to the College to take the final tests in person. If you are in
the province, arrangements will be made for you to take them at a pre-
designated place or center.
 Module IV

The Philippine Commonwealth and the Japanese Occupation and Liberation in

World War II

Scope of the Module

Module IV consists of three lessons as follows:

Lesson 1. The Philippine Commonwealth
Lesson 2. The Japanese Occupation in World War II
Lesson 3. Liberation and Restoration of the Commonwealth Government

Overview of the Module

The fourth module contains information on the conditions in the Philippines from
the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth to the Japanese occupation in World
War II. This module also includes the political, economic, social and military policies of
the Japanese administration up to the liberation of the Philippines by the Americans and
the restoration of the Commonwealth Government in 1944.

Objectives of the Module

1. To familiarize the students with the political, economic, social and cultural life
of the Philippines during the Commonwealth period.
2. To know and evaluate the wartime policies and nature of Japanese military rule
in the Philippines.
3. To trace the steps or various battles in the liberation of the Philippines.
4. To appreciate the efforts of Sergio Osmeña and the other officials of the
government-in-exile to restore the Commonwealth government in the
Philippines.
Suggested Readings

Baclagon, Uldarico. Philippine Campaigns. Manila: Grafix House, 1952.

Buenafe, Manuel E. Wartime Philippines. Manila: Philippine Foundation Inc.,

1950.

Cannon, Hamlin. Leyte: The Return to the Philippines. Washington D.C., Office
of the Chief of Military History, Dept. of the Army, 1947.

Lear, Elmer. The Japanese Occupation of the Philippines, Leyte 1941-1945. New
York: Cornell University, 1961.

Recto, Claro M. Three Years of Enemy Occupation. Manila: People's Publishers,

1946.

Willoughby, Charles A. The Guerrila Resistance Movement in the Philippines

1941-1945. New York: Vantage Press, 1972.
History I
Module IV

Lesson 1. THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. realize the fact that although the Filipinos accepted American rule they never
stopped aspiring for freedom and independence;
2. know the achievement of the OSROX Independence Mission and how it
resulted in dividing the people into the Pros and Antis groups;
3. understand the differences in the provisions of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting and the
Tydings-McDuffie Law and how it gave rise to Quezon's leadership;
4. appreciate the achievement of the Commonwealth government;
5. know how the Japanese made early penetrations in the Philippines.

Neither the material and cultural progress which the Philippines enjoyed under the
American flag nor the gloomy prophecies made by the American imperialists concerning
the future of a free Philippines deterred the Filipino people in their aspiration for
independence. From 1919 to 1934 they campaigned for independence and sent twelve
independence mission to America. As a result of their campaign, the Commonwealth of
the Philippines was finally established in 1935. This was a preparatory step to the
establishment of the Third Republic on July 4, 1946.

Independence Aspiration of the Filipinos. Freedom was the unfading dream of

the Filipinos. It was an ever-living ideal watered with their blood and tears for over three
centuries, from Mactan to Bataan. In its name, they fought more than 100 revolts, one
national revolution against Spain, and one war against America, and participated in the
two global wars -- the First and the Second World Wars. It was realized for a brief time
with the establishment of the First Philippine Republic (1899-1901), only to be lost in a
war against the Americans.

Defeated in war, the people accepted American rule, trained in the precepts of
democracy, and assimilated American political and cultural legacies. But they never
ceased to aspire for freedom. Failing to obtain it by force of arms, they determined to
continue their libertarian struggle by force of reason and justice.
 Every year since 1907 the Philippine Assembly and later the Philippine
Legislature passed resolution expressing the Filipino desire for independence. The
Nacionalista Party won every election because of its stirring battle cry: "Immediate,
Complete, and Absolute Independence!" All Filipino resident commissioners in
Washington, D.C. crusaded for Filipino liberty.

First Philippine Independence Mission (1919). During the First World War the
Filipinos temporarily stopped their independence campaign and supported the United
States against Germany. After the war they resumed their independence drive with
greater vigor. On March 17, 1919, the Philippine Legislature passed the famous
"Declaration of Purposes", which stated the inflexible desire of the Filipino to be free and
sovereign. A Commission of Independence was created to study ways and means of
attaining the liberation ideal. This commission recommended the sending of an
independence mission to the United States.

On February 28, 1919, the First Philippine Independence Mission, headed by

Senate President Quezon, left Manila for Washington. It consisted of 40 prominent
Filipinos representing the political, educational, and economic elements of the country.
The Filipinos were received by Secretary of War Baker, who extended to them the
courtesies of the American nation.

President Wilson, in his farewell address to Congress on December 2, 1920,

recommended the granting of Philippine Independence. Unfortunately, the Republican
Party then controlled Congress, so that the recommendation of the outgoing Democratic
President was not heeded.

Other Independence Mission. The failure of the First Independence Mission did
not discourage the Filipino people. In subsequent years other independence mission were
sent across the Pacific. The second mission was sent in 1992, the third in 1923, the
fourth in 1924, the fifth in 1925, the sixth in 1927, the seventh in 1928, the eight in 1930,
the ninth (OSROX Mission in 1932, the tenth (one-man mission consisting of Benigno
Aquino) in 1931, the eleventh in 1933, and the twelfth in November 1934.

The enormous funds needed to defray the expenses of this mission were first
provided by legislative enactments. Later Insular Auditor Ben Wright ruled that the use
of public funds for the independence campaign was illegal. Voluntary contributions were
solicited. The Filipino people patriotically responded with generous donations to the
independence chest.

The OSROX Mission. In June 1933, the Osmeña-Roxas Mission returned to the
Philippines with the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act. The Act was the first definite
commitment of the United States to grand independence after a transition or
commonwealth period of ten years. Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas, who secured the
bill was discussed in the Philippine Congress, a controversy on the provisions resulted in
the splitting the Nacionalista Party into the Anti and the Pro factions. The Anti was led
by Quezon and the Pro was led by Osmeña and Roxas.

After 1930 the independence drive gathered momentum. By this time the
powerful American dairy farm labor interests favored the granting of Philippine
independence because they wanted to close America's door to Filipino duty-free exports
and laborers that were competing with American dairy farm products and labor. Their
support of the Filipino cause was thus motivated by selfish consideration. Taking
advantage of the new turn of events, an independence mission was rushed to America in
December 1931. This was the ninth mission, popularly called "OSROX Mission", after
its leaders, Senate President Pro-tempore Sergio Osmeña and House Speaker Manuel A.
Roxas.

Of the numerous independence bills submitted to Congress, the Hare-Hawes-

Cutting Bill was favored by the OSROX Mission. This bill, commonly known as the
HHC Bill, was sponsored by Representative Butler B. Hare, Senator Harry B. Hawes and
Senator Bronson Cutting. It was passed by Congress on December 30, 1932, vetoed by
President Herbert Hoover on January 13, 1933, and repassed over the Presidential veto on
January 17, 1933. Thus HHC Bill became a law.

The Pros versus the Antis. The HHC Act proved to be a disruptive factor in
the Philippine politics because it divided the people into two opposing camps -- the Antis
and the Pros. The Antis, led by Senate President Quezon, opposed the Act because of its
objectionable features. The Pros, headed by Senator Osmeña and Speaker Roxas, upheld
it on the ground that it was the best independence measure that could be obtained from
Congress.
 Before the final passage of the HHC Act, Senate President Quezon, who was in
Manila, expressed his objection to the pending independence legislation. In December
1932, he sent a one-man mission (Aquino) to Washington with "definite instructions"
regarding his objections. Aquino, however, was won over by Osmeña and Roxas to their
side.

The following year Quezon left Manila as the head of the eleventh mission. The
home bound OSROX Mission met the Quezon Mission in Paris. The two missions failed
to come to an understanding. With strained relations, they returned together to Manila.

Shortly after their arrival, the Philippines was convulsed by a political war
between the Antis and the Pros. It eclipsed the famous Osmeña-Quezon fight in 1921,
which split for the first time the Nacionalistas into two warring factions -- the
Unipersonalistas (Osmeña Wing) and the Colectivistas (Quezon Wing). On October 17,
1933, the Quezon-controlled Philippine Legislation rejected the HHC Act. The following
month, Quezon himself led the twelfth mission to Washington to secure a better
independence act.

The Tydings-Mc-Duffie Law (1934). Following a series of conferences with

President Franklin D. Roosevelt and various congressional leaders, Quezon was able to
win the Congress to his side. A new independence measure, called the Tydings-
McDuffie Law (so named after its sponsors Senator Millard E. Tydings and
Representative John McDuffie), was passed and signed by President Roosevelt on March
24, 1934. It was a revised copy of the spurned HHC Act of 1933. The only difference
from the HHC Act were the change in the title, the elimination of military reservations,
and the modification of certain vague provisions.

The Tydings-McDuffie Law was a revised copy of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act.

It provided for a 10-year transition period under the Commonwealth of the Philippines,
preparatory to the granting of independence on July 4, 1946; a graduated tariff on
Philippine exports to America beginning with the 6th year of Commonwealth; an annual
quota of 50 Filipino immigrants to America; control of the currency, coinage, foreign
trade, and foreign relations by America; representation of the Commonwealth in America
with one Filipino resident commissioners; and representation of the United States
President in the Philippines with an American High Commissioner.
 The Triumph of the Antis. On April 30, 1934, Senate President Quezon,
proudly returned to Manila with a copy of the Tydings-McDuffie Law. The next day,
May 1st, the Philippine Legislature accepted the law. This did not end the controversy
between the Antis and the Pros, for the latter is insisting that the Tydings-McDuffie Law
was the same as the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Law.

The issue was presented to the people in the general election of June 5, 1934. The
Pros went down in defeat. Quezon and his men surged to power by popular vote.
Osmeña and Roxas were reelected to the Legislature, but they lost their respective
positions as President Pro-tempore of the Senate and Speaker of the House. Quintin
Paredes became Speaker of the House and Jose Clarin became the Senate President Pro-
tempore.

Calling of the Constitutional Convention. The Tydings-McDuffie Law

authorized the Philippine Legislature to call a constitutional convention to draft the
Constitution of the Philippines. Accordingly, on May 5, 1934 the Philippine Legislature
passed an act setting the election of 202 delegates to the convention.

Governor-General Frank Murphy, by special proclamation, designated July 10,

1934 as the date for the election of the delegates to the convention. Many of them had
never participated in politics before. Others were distinguished politicians who had
occupied ranking positions in the government. Two outstanding Filipino leaders --
Senate President Quezon and Senator Osmeña -- did not present themselves as
candidates.

The election was the quietest so far in the political annals of the Philippines. It
was non-partisan. There were no thrilling rallies, no fiery oratory, and no boisterous
fanfare. The voters cast their votes for the candidates whom they considered meritorious.

The Delegates of the Convention. The men who were elected represented the
cream of Filipino intelligentsia. Of the 202 delegates, the majority were lawyers,
including many who had been judges, legislators, and cabinet men. Others were
educators, scholars, writers, physicians, farmers, businessmen, labor leaders, and
religious ministers. With the exception of a few rich hacenderos and financiers, the
delegates were mostly of the middle class.
 Both youth and the old age where represented in the convention. The oldest
delegate was Teodoro Sandiko, former revolutionary general and signer of the historic
Malolos Constitution, who was then past 74 years of age. The youngest was Wenceslao
O. Vinzons youth leader and orator, who was less than 25 years old.

Inaugural Session of the Convention. At 10:30 in the morning of July 30, 1934,
the Convention met in inaugural session at the hall of the House of Representatives,
Legislative Building, Manila. The Batanes delegates were delayed in coming to Manila
because of the difficulty of transportation. A vast crowd jammed the session hall to
witness the opening ceremonies.

The Convention was formally opened by Senate President Quezon. A solemn

invocation was given by Bishop Alfredo Verzosa of Lipa. After the invocation, President
Quezon delivered a short speech, after which he ordered the calling of the roll of
delegates. A quorum was declared. Jose P. Laurel, a delegate from Batangas, was chosen
temporary chairman, and presided over the election of the Convention officers.

The elected officers of the Convention were Claro M. Recto, president; Ruperto
Montinola and Teodoro Sandiko, first and second vice-president, respectively; Narciso
Pimentel, secretary; and Narciso Diokno, sergeant-at-arms.

Organization of the Convention. As a whole, the Convention was too unwieldy

a body to draft a constitution. It was therefore divided into committees. There were
seven standing committees on the organization and functions of the Convention and forty
committees of the constitutions. The largest and most powerful of these committees was
the Sponsorship Committee of 87 members, with Delegate Filemon Sotto as chairman.

According to the rules adopted by the Convention, any delegate could submit
constitutional proposals. These proposals would be studied by the pertinent committees,
which in turn would make their reports to the Sponsorship Committee. It was the duty of
the Sponsorship Committee to consider the different constitutional proposals submitted
by the committees and to prepare a draft of the Constitution.

Drafting the Constitution. After working for some time over the numerous
proposals received from the different committees, the Sponsorship Committee found out
that it could not work fast enough owing to its large membership. Accordingly, on
October 8, 1934, it created a Sub-Committee of Seven to draft the Constitution. This
body was composed of Filemon Sotto, (chairman), Manuel A. Roxas, Norberto
Romualdez, Manuel C. Briones, Conrado Benitez, Miguel Cuaderno, and Vicente
Singson Encarnacion. They were called the "Seven Wise Men" by the press.

On October 20, 1934, the Sub-Committee of Seven reported the finished draft of
the Constitution to the Sponsorship Committee, which in turn submitted it to the
Convention. Every article of the draft was discussed and debated on by the delegates in
their public sessions. On January 31, 1935, the Convention approved the draft, with
certain amendments. The draft and the approved amendments were then referred to the
Committee on Style for polishing and revision.

On February 8, 1935, the Constitution was approved by the Convention by a vote

of 177 to 1. Twenty-two members were absent. One member had died in August 1934.
The only dissenting vote was cast by Delegate Tomas Cabili of Lanao. He opposed the
Constitution because it did not provide the system of popular election of the members of
the National Assembly from Lanao.

The drafting of the Constitution lasted six months -- from July 30, 1934 to
February 8, 1935. Some delegates however, had signed the document beginning
February 9. Altogether, there were 200 signers.

Two copies of the Constitution were not signed by the delegates -- Tomas Cabili
(who opposed the Constitution) and Amancio Aguilar (deceased). The paralytic Gregorio
Perfecto, delegate from Manila, in a scene of dramatic suspense, signed the constitution
in his own blood. The act reminded the audience of the Katipunan blood compact.

Approval by the President of the United States. The Tydings-McDuffie Law

required that the Constitution be approved by the American president. For this purpose, a
constitutional mission was sent to the United States. The mission was composed of
Senate President Quezon, Convention President Recto, and Delegate Roxas.

On March 23, 1935, President Roosevelt approved the Constitution of the

Philippines. The news of the approval was received by the Filipino people with great joy.
 Ratification of Popular Vote. The Tydings-McDuffie Law further required that
the Constitution, after its approval by the President of the United States, be submitted to
the Filipino people for their ratification or rejection. On May 14, 1935, the plebiscite on
the Constitution was held. The qualified voters of the Philippines, including women who
possessed the voting qualifications, went to the polls. This was the first time that Filipino
women exercised the right of suffrage.

The Constitution was overwhelmingly ratified by the electorate. The ballots cast
in favor of it totaled 1,213,046 and those against only 44,963. The result of the plebiscite
showed the real desire of the Filipinos for independence.

The 1935 Constitution. The 1935 Constitution was one of the noblest
documents written by Filipinos. It embodies the ideals of liberty and democracy which
Filipinos had aspired for and an American-type of government which they had been
trained in. The Bill of Rights and the structure of the new government were modeled
after the American Constitution. In one respect, the Philippine Constitution was superior
to the American Constitution, because the preamble of the first invoked the aid of the
Divine Providence.

First Election Under the Constitution. As a preparatory step towards the

establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the first national election under
the Constitution was held on September 17, 1936. Three political parties took part in this
election namely: (1) the Coalition Party, (2) the National Socialist Party, and (3) the
Republican Party. The candidates for President and Vice-President were Manuel L.
Quezon and Sergio Osmeña (Coalition Party); General Emilio Aguinaldo and Raymundo
Melizza (National Socialist Party); and Bishop Gregorio Aglipay and Norberto Nabong
(Republican party).

By an overwhelming majority vote, the Filipino people elected Quezon and

Osmeña of the Coalition party as President and Vice-President, respectively, of the
Philippines. The majority of the elected members of the National Assembly likewise
belonged to this party.

Inauguration of the Commonwealth Government. On the beautiful morning of

November 15, 1936, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated amidst
colorful ceremonies held on the steps of the Legislative Building in Manila. The historic
event was witnessed by a crowd of around 300,000 people.

The invocation prayer was read by Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes of Cebu. After
the prayer, Secretary of War George H. Dern, as the personal and official representative
of President Roosevelt, delivered an address in which he extolled the progress of
democracy in the Philippines. He was followed by Governor General Murphy, who read
the proclamation of the President of the United States. The oath of office was then
administered to President-elect Quezon, Vice-President-elect Osmeña, and the Members-
elect of the National Assembly by Chief Justice Ramon Avanceña of the Philippine
Supreme Court. After the oath-taking ceremony, Secretary of War Dern, on behalf of the
President of the United States, proclaimed the termination of the Government under the
Jones Law and the birth of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Thereupon President
Quezon delivered his inaugural address. A long parade ended the inaugural ceremonies.

Achievements of the Commonwealth immediately upon assuming the presidency

of the Philippine Commonwealth, Quezon undertook the task of laying the foundations of
the future Philippine Republic. According to President Quezon, "I would rather have a
government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by Americans."
Among the achievements of the Commonwealth were as follows:
1. Reorganization of the government by creating new offices including the
Department of National Defense, the Institute of National Language, and the
National Council of Education; the Filipinization of the judiciary from the
Supreme Court down to the municipal courts; and the establishment of two
new courts, namely, the Court of Appeals and the Court of Industrial Relations.
2. Granting of woman suffrage, after a special national plebiscite in which
447,725 women voted in favor of woman suffrage and 44,397 against.
3. Creation of new chartered cities -- Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Zamboanga,
San Pablo, Quezon City, Cavite, and Tagaytay.
4. The adoption of the National Language, based on Tagalog.
5. Promotion of social justice, as shown by the Eight-Hour Labor Act enacted by
the National Assembly and the appointment of public defenders (Government
lawyers) to defend the rights of poor laborers in the courts.
6. Compulsory military training of able-bodied Filipino youths, under the
supervision of General Douglas MacArthur.
7. Taking of the 1939 official census of the Philippines.
 8. Improvement of the Philippine economy, as revealed by the growth of
agriculture, commerce, and industries.
9. Creation of the JPCPA (Joint Preparatory Committee on Philippine Affairs)
which recommended (1) the granting of the Philippine independence on July 4,
1946, as provided by the Tydings-McDuffie law and (2) the extension of
Philippine-American preferential trade to December 31, 1960.
10. Passage of three amendments to the 1935 Philippine Constitution, which were
ratified by the national plebiscite on June 18, 1940. These amendments were
(1) the tenure of office of the President and Vice-President was four years
with reelection for another term; (2) establishment of a bicameral Congress of
the Philippines, with the Senate as upper house and the House of
Representatives as lower house; and (3) creation of an independent
Commission on Election composed of three members to supervise all
elections.

Commonwealth Elections on the Eve of War with Japan. While American-

Japanese relations were worsening and when the ominous clouds of war were darkening
Pacific skies, the Philippines was agog over the national elections of November 11, 1941.
These elections were the first to be held under the amended Constitution of 1935 -- and
they proved to be the last in President's Quezon's political career.

The presidential campaign was thrilling and colorful, notwithstanding the looming
spectre of war. Once more the Nacionalista Party surged to victory in the polls.
President Quezon was reelected over his adversaries -- Juan Sumulong of the popular
Front, Pedro Abad Santos of the Socialist Party and Hilario C. Moncado of the Modernist
Party. His running mate, Vice-President Osmeña, was also reelected. Owing to the
system of block voting, all the 24 Nacionalista candidates for the Senate were elected.
The minority parties won only three seats in the House of Representatives.

Early Japanese Penetration. For several decades prior to the outbreak of the
war, the Japanese already made a continuous move to penetrate the Philippines chiefly in
Davao district, in shipping and in deep-sea fishing industries. The Japanese control of the
abaca lands in Davao was acquired in the 1920’s and by the 1930’s they wholly
controlled the area by lease and contract basis.
 The Japanese commercial penetration also expanded. There were Japanese textile
and retail stores in many provinces and cities of the Philippines. Japanese were engaged
in certain coastal seas on the pretext of being repaired when actually they were measuring
the depth of Philippine coastal waters, so that the best map of the Philippines was in
Japan. By 1940 more than 25,000 Japanese were scattered all over the country with
heavy concentration in Davao and Baguio, with a total investment amounting to
P100,000,000.

Quezon's Secret Plan to Join the British Empire. The relations between the
Philippines and the United States during the transition period were not always
harmonious; as most vividly exemplified in President Quezon's secret approach to British
authorities to join the British Empire as a self-governing dominion, like Australia and
Canada.

As early as August 1933, then Senate President Quezon informed his British
friend and adviser, Frank Hodsoll (also a prominent businessman in Manila), that if
hostile pressure groups in Washington, D.C., successfully lobbied for the abandonment
by the U.S. of the Philippines. "He (Quezon) would be prepared to go to London and, in
the name of 14,000,000 inhabitants of the islands, ask for admission to the British
Commonwealth of Nations."

In January 20, 1935, Quezon told Hodsoll to act as his secret liaison agent and
contact British officials about the possibility of the Philippines joining the British
Empire. By this time, President Quezon, was concerned about the threat of a Japanese
invasion and the apathy and disinterest of the United States in strengthening the military
defenses of the Philippines.

The British Foreign Office seriously considered the implication of President

Quezon's offer, and by December 1936, they expressed their approval for secret talks to
be held in London between Quezon and the British Foreign Minister, Anthony Eden.
However, on February 19, 1937, the proposed secret discussion were disclosed to the
U.S. Charge d'Affaires in London Ray Atherton, who immediately alerted to the U.s.
State Department about Quezon's contacts with the British authorities.

President Roosevelt and other high American officials were aghast, and the
Assistant Secretary of State, Francis B. Sayre, was instructed to censure Quezon. Being
an astute politician, Quezon, denied that he formally made the offer and riposted that if
the U.S. would not fortify the Philippines to make her impregnable to a Japanese
invasion, it was his duty to seek protection from any other power for his country's
survival, his first choice being Great Britain; but if Britain would not help, he would turn
to "another great power in the Far East". That "great power" was none other than Japan
itself. Quezon earlier noted to his British adviser, Hodsoll that he (Quezon) would
consider a treaty of amity and alliance with Japan if the United States and Britain refused
to protect the Philippines.

Ironically, U.S. war plans from 1937 onwards, which became their war strategy
during the Second World War, anticipated that the U.S. would concentrate on winning
the war in Europe, and was prepared to accept the initial fall of the Philippines, Guam,
and possibly Hawaii, to Japan. Furthermore, U.S. authorities themselves considered the
permanent declaration of the Philippines as a neutral country, like Switzerland, during the
secret Japan-US diplomatic negotiations in 1941. Evidently, President Quezon, in toying
with the idea of joining the British Empire or seeking appeasement with Japan, was
acting as a fervent patriot, putting his country's interests rather than maintaining perpetual
allies or enemies of any country.

(SEE NO. 3 OF "INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT")

History I
Module IV

Lesson 1
SELF-PROGRESS CHECK TEST

FILL IN THE BLANKS. Write the correct word/s that would best complete the
following statement:

_______ 1. The _______ was the first autonomous colony in Asia.

_______ 2. President _______, in his farewell address to Congress in 1920,
recommended independence for the Philippines.
_______ 3. The Hare-Hawes-Cutting Bill was secured by the ________ independence
mission to the U.S.
_______ 4. However, Senate President _______, fearing he would be outdone, went
against the HHC Bill.
_______ 5. The _______ law of 1934 was only a minor improvement on the HHC Bill.
_______ 6. The first constitutional convention in 1934-35 was presided by _______.
_______ 7. The lone delegate who opposed the 1935 Constitution was _______.
_______ 8. The 1935 Philippine Constitution was different because it had to be signed
and approved by the _______.
_______ 9. The first president of the Philippine Commonwealth was _______.
_______ 10. In 1933-37, Quezon disgustedly planned to join the _______.

(SEE NO. 3 OF "INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT")

History I
Module IV

Lesson 2. THE PHILIPPINES AND WORLD WAR II

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. understand the background of how the Philippines was involved as a theater of
war in World War II;
2. know the different measures made by President Quezon and the American
advisers to prepare for war;
3. trace the course of Japanese military invasion from the outbreak of the war to
the fall of the Philippines as finalized by the fall of Corregidor on May 8,
1942;
4. evaluate the military and political policies of the Japanese under the Japanese-
sponsored Philippine Republic;
5. appreciate the sacrifices of the guerilla movement to protect the civilians in
the free areas and fight the Japanese;
6. compare the life of the civilians in the free areas to civilians inside the
Japanese-occupied areas.

Japanese Invasion and Occupation of the Philippines in World War II. A

series of events led to the rapid deterioration of American-Japanese relations: the League
of Nations Commission (three were Americans) condemned Japan as the aggressor in
Manchuria in Europe; Japan was pursuing her undeclared war with China; the U.S.
gunboat Panay was sunk by a Japanese bomber in the Yangtze River; and Japan landed
troops in French Indo-China in July 1941. American sympathies were with the Allied
Powers, Britain and France.

A message for July 4, 1941 by President Manuel Quezon in his Loyalty Day
address states in part:
“We owe loyalty to America, and we are bound to her by bonds of
everlasting gratitude. If the United States decides to enter the war, it will
be our war as much as the war of the United States, and her decision will
be our decision. In such event, she will find all the people of this country
 to the last man on her side, fighting under her banner and praying to
Almighty God for the victory of her arms.”

War Preparations. Throughout the year 1940, both American and Filipino
leaders were reviewing the welfare and protection of the civilian population in the
Philippines in the event of a hostile attack. At the request of High Commissioner Francis
B. Sayre, General Grunert, Commanding General of the Philippine Department,
explained in detail to President Quezon the urgent need for joint collaboration in
preparing for civilian defense. A committee was formed to formulate a plan for civilian
protection. President Quezon thereupon established on April 1, 1941, the Civilian
Emergency Administration by Executive Order No. 335.

The objective of the Civilian Emergency Administration (CEA) were: (a) to

establish a civil body of ministering to the needs of the population in an emergency and
providing relief to the population of areas affected by catastrophe; (b) to establish
secondary units in each province to initiate plans for the provision of organized
emergency groups, so that these will be prepared to function at any moment; (c) to form
civilian auxiliary units for war-time service.

In the summer of 1941 the fourth year high school students were called for
military training. Army reservists were enlisted in the Philippine Scouts, and most
important of all the Philippine Army was made part of the United States Foces. Lt. Gen.
Douglas MacArthur was called back to active service by President Roosevelt to take
command of the newly formed United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) on
July 26, 1941.

When President Manuel Quezon gave a statement in a public address in March

1940 that “he was no longer of the opinion that the Philippines can defend itself against
the aggression of a first-class power,” this indicated a sad realization of the inadequacy of
the Philippine defenses. The Japanese pronouncement of a “Co-Prosperity Sphere”
meant that the Philippines was going to be within the theater of war operations. In the
cities and towns people started hoarding food and other goods.

To show that war was getting so near, practice blackout and air-raid drills were
made in big cities and towns. Air-raid shelters were also constructed in many places.
 Still the people had high hopes that the war would not come as special Japanese
envoy Kurusu was on his way to the United States capital for an amicable agreement.

Outbreak of the War. At dawn of Monday, December 8, 1941 -- Feast Day of

the Immaculate Concepcion -- the newspaper boys awakened Manila with shrill cries:
"Extra! Extra! JAPAN RAIDS HAWAII!" The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,
mightiest U.S. naval base in Hawaii, took place exactly at 2:30 a.m. of the same date
(Philippine time). According to American time, it was 7:55 a.m. December 7, 1941 -- a
"date which will live in infamy" as President Roosevelt said. At last, the war, which the
Filipinos dreaded, had come. The Pacific -- by name an ocean of peace -- became an
arena of a global war. The people were shocked by the news of war. There was
excitement everywhere, but no panic. Men from all walks of life, including college boys
as young as sixteen years of age, jammed the Army headquarters, volunteering for
combat service.

First Japanese Air Attacks on the Philippines. A few hours after the Pearl
Harbor attack, Japanese air squadrons swept Philippine skies. The first point to be
bombed was Davao City in Mindanao. The air attack took place at 6:30 a.m. December
8, 1941. Tuguegarao, Baguio, Iba, Tarlac, and Clark Field were subsequently raided.
The enemy air attacks were most destructive at Clark Field, were the American Air Force
was blasted on the ground.

Before sunrise of Tuesday, December 9, the city of Manila experienced its first
wartime air raid. The sleeping residents were awakened from their slumber by the
wailing alarm of the sirens. The Japanese planes soared over the moonlight city and
bombed Nichols Field. The USAFFE anticraft batteries thundered to action and filled the
sky with bursting flask.

For the first time in their lives, the Manilas witnessed the frightful spectacle of a
real war -- the zooming of planes, the explosions of bombs, and the wanton destruction of
human beings and property. Appalled by such terrible experience, they prayed for Divine
Protection, for they realized that only God stood between them and death.

Japanese Invasion Begins. On December 10 the Japanese invaders made their

first successful landing at Aparri and Vigan in Northern Luzon. Two days later, more
assault forces made a beachhead in Legazpi in Southern Luzon. Way down south in
Davao the Japanese landed on December 20. Two days later the main Japanese invasion
forces, under the command of Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma, landed in Lingayen. Other
landings took place at Atimonan and Mauban on December 24.

General MacArthur could not stop the enemy landings because his Air Force had
been destroyed on the first day of the war and he lacked naval support after the
withdrawal of Admiral Thomas C. Harts's fleet to the south. The enemy dominated both
air and sea.

While the invading Japanese were landing at various points of the archipelago,
their planes were busy bombing the military objectives and the civilian evacuation
centers. At noon of December 10 they bombed the U.S. Navy Yard at Cavite, reducing it
to a heap of smouldering ruins, and raided Nichols Field and Fort McKinley. Captain
Jesus Villamor and two other Filipino pilots bravely engaged the raiders in battle.
Villamor shot down one enemy plane. He was the first Filipino to win fame in aerial
combat. For this feat, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by General
MacArthur.

On December 11, over Batangas airfield, Captain Villamor and five other Filipino
airmen attacked two enemy formations of 27 planes each. Two Japanese planes were
shot down during the dogfights, but Villamor lost two men -- Lt. Cesar Basa and Lt.
Geronimo Aclan.

Cheerless Christmas of 1941. As Christmas approached, fighting raged with

increasing fury in Luzon's battle areas, and the enemy air raiders rained more bombs on
Manila and other places. The cold, misty dawn of December 16th came, but there was no
traditional misa de gallo in the churches of Christian Philippines. It was suspended
owing to the exigencies of the war.

Two days later, the Japanese planes bombed Iloilo City, blowing up the gasoline
stores and inflicting heavy damage on Camp Delgado. This was the first Japanese air
attack in the Visayas.

The war situation began to loom ominously hopeless for the USAFFE. General
Homma's forces were closing in on Manila in a pincer movement from north and south.
Realizing the futility of defending Manila, General MacArthur ordered the transfer of
valuable military supplies of the USAFFE to Corregidor and Bataan and those that could
not be moved were destroyed.

In the afternoon of December 24, the eve of Christmas President Quezon,

accompanied by his family and War Cabinet, moved to Corregidor, where the
Commonwealth Government was transferred. He left Secretary Jorge B. Vargas, Justice
P. Laurel, and other top officials in Manila to look after the people's welfare during the
critical times.

The next day, December 25, 1941, was cheerless Christmas Day. Twice in the
morning, the Japanese planes soared over Manila and dropped propaganda leaflets. In
the afternoon they returned and bombed Nichols Field. They strafed a crowded
Pagsanjan-bound passenger train at College Junction, Laguna, killing many passengers
and wounding many more. Christmas that year was indeed dreary. There was no singing
of Christmas carols and no exchange of gifts. From the Japanese, the people received a
macabre Christmas gift -- death from exploding bombs!

The Retreat to Bataan. Day by day the USAFFE suffered reverses in all battle
sectors. The Filipinos and the Americans fought bravely, but owing to lack of air power ,
they could not offer much resistance.

On December 23, 1942, General MacArthur put into effect the secret military
plan, WPO-3 (War Plan Orange No. 3) which provided for the withdrawal of all
USAFFE forces to Bataan Peninsula, where the last stand against the enemy invaders
would be manned. In consonance with his orders the northern USAFFE army fighting in
Northern Luzon under General Jonathan M. Wainwright and the southern army fighting
in Southern Luzon under General Albert M. Jones began to retreat towards Bataan.

On December 26, while the northern and southern armies of the USAFFE were
retreating to Bataan, General MacArthur proclaimed Manila an "Open City" in order to
save it and its inhabitants from the ravages of war.

Three days later, on December 29, President F.D. Roosevelt sent a message to the
Filipino people, praising their gallant resistance against the Japanese invaders and
promising their liberations. "I give to the people of the Philippines, he declared, "my
solemn pledge that their freedom will be redeemed and their independence established
and protected".

Second Commonwealth Presidential Inauguration. On December 30, 1941,

amid the crashing echoes of war, the second inaugural of the Commonwealth was held.
Outside the Corregidor tunnel, Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos administered the oath of
office to President Quezon and Vice President Osmeña. Among those who witnessed the
simple ceremony were General MacArthur, American High Commissioner Sayre, and the
members of the War Cabinet. On that same day, at the residence of Jose Yulo in Manila,
the elected members of the Philippine Congress were sworn into office by Justice Jose P.
Melencio.

In a stirring inaugural address, President Quezon urged his embattled nation to

continue the struggle at all cost. "No matter what sufferings and sacrifices this may
impose upon us," he said "we shall stand by America with undaunted spirit, for we know,
that upon the outcome of this war depends the happiness, liberty and security not only of
this generations yet unborn."

Japanese Invaders Enter Manila. By the last day of 1941 MacArthur, who was
fighting against the overwhelming odds, had succeeded in bringing his retreating northern
and southern armies inside the jungled ramparts of Bataan, where he hoped to make his
last stand. Meanwhile, Manila was stunned by the terrifying news that Japanese forces
were converging on the city from the north and south. Jorge B. Vargas, whom President
Quezon had designated as Mayor of Greater Manila and the city authorities, took
precautionary measures for a peaceful entry of the enemy. The residents were warned to
maintained peace and order. Large signs were hoisted in certain strategic places reading:
"OPEN CITY! NO SHOOTING!"

On January 2, 1942, the Japanese invaders entered Manila. The occupation was
bloodless. Many Filipinos bravely stayed out of doors and curiously watched the
cavalcading troops. None of them cheered, none applauded.

The Escape of Quezon and Sayre. Realizing the ultimate collapse of the
USAFFE in the Philippines, President Roosevelt wired President Quezon to come to the
United States. This was a matter of military expediency and political significance. If
President Quezon were to fall into the hands of the Japanese, America's prestige in the
Philippines would be weakened; moreover, there would be no Filipino leader who could
maintain the continuity of a Philippine government-in-exile abroad.

In response to the wishes of the American president, Quezon, with his family and
the war Cabinet, left Corregidor by submarine on the night of February 20, 1942.
Evidently God was kind to him, for he successfully slipped through the Japanese
blockade and reached Panay. From Panay, he and his party went to Negros, then to
Mindanao, and later reached Australia by plane. After a brief rest in Australia, he crossed
over to the United States, reaching San Francisco on May 8, 1942. A special train brought
him to Washington, where President Roosevelt and other high American officials
welcomed him with open arms.

High Commissioner Francis B. Sayre and his party also escaped from Corregidor
by another submarine and eventually reached America.

Bataan's Heroic Stand. On January 9, 1942, General Homma hurled his troops
against the USAFFE line in Bataan. The Fil-American troops resisted with magnificent
courage. The Battle of Bataan was on. Day and night, week after week, the fierce fight
raged. On the blood-drenched, flaming peninsula of Bataan, the Filipinos and
Americans, fighting side by side as brothers-in-arms, wrote a new epic in the annals of
war, a new chapter in Philippine-American history.

But the Fil-American defenders faced a hopeless situation in Bataan. They had no
air and naval support; they were insufficiently equipped and outnumbered; they were
starved of food, medicine, and ammunitions; and the aid, which they had expected from
America never arrived.

Gallant Exploit of Sergeant Calugas. The Battle of Bataan is replete with

stirring sagas of personal heroism and gallantry in Combat. One of them was the story of
a Filipino army cook, Mess. Sergeant Jose Calugas of the Philippine Scouts, who
courageously manned an abandoned cannon and delayed the advancing Japanese
invaders, thereby saving his retreating comrades from annihilation. This happened in
Culis, Bataan, on January 15, 1942. For his extraordinary gallantry, "above and beyond
the call of duty", he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military
decoration given by the U.S. Government to a soldier. He was the only Filipino to have
received this high military honor during World War II.
 Igorot Heroism in Bataan. A stirring episode of the Battle of Bataan was the
gallant exploit of the Igorots, the hardy and tough fighters from the rocky highlands of
Northern Luzon. These Igorot soldiers fought side by side with their Filipino brothers
against the Japanese invaders.

In February 1942 General Homma, in an attempt to cut off the USAFFE's First
Corps from its communication and supply lines, ordered the 20th Japanese Infantry to
attack the left flank from the rear. The Igorot Company of the 11th Infantry, 11th
Division, fiercely resisted the enemy assault and died to the last man.

The USAFFE High Command immediately ordered a counterattack by a tank unit

of the 194th Tank Battalion, supported by infantrymen. These infantrymen were Igorot
who volunteered to even the score for their slain kinsmen. Armed with pistols and riding
on the war tanks, which they guided through the almost impenetrable jungle, they
ferociously fought the 20th Japanese Infantry. After annihilating the enemy, they easily
returned to their camp. They had avenged the tragic fate of the Igorot Company.

MacArthur Flees to Australia. As the epic Battle of Bataan raged with volcanic
fury, President Roosevelt realized the hopeless situation. Accordingly, he ordered
MacArthur to go to Australia and take command of the newly formed Southwest Pacific
Area.

In compliance with the order of his superior, General MacArthur left Corregidor
on the night of March 11, 1942 in four fast PT boats. He was accompanied by his family
(Mrs. Jean MacArthur and 4-year old son Arthur), his military staff and two naval
officers -- Rear Admiral H.G. Rockwell and Captain Harold G. Ray. Eluding the
Japanese naval patrol successfully, MacArthur and his party reached Cagayan, Mindanao,
and there, they boarded three army planes for Australia.

On March 17, 1942, immediately after landing at Bachelor's Field (40 miles south
of Darwin) General MacArthur told the world: "I came through and I shall return".

The hard-pressed Fil-American troops in Bataan and Corregidor -- and the whole
Filipino people in fact, who were being the brunt of Japanese invasion -- were electrified
by his pledge. On these three words -- "I SHALL RETURN" -- the people pinned their
hope and their faith in ultimate victory. They implicit confidence in MacArthur. Deep in
their hearts they thanked God for his escape and prayed for his speedy return to the
Philippines.

The Fall of Bataan. Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright succeeded MacArthur as

commander of the Fil-American troops, now changed from USAFFE (United States
Armed Forces in the Far East) to USIP (United State Forces in the Philippines). He
occupied MacArthur's headquarters in Corregidor, and from there he directed the gallant
defense of Bataan. The brave Filipino and American defenders reeled before the
smashing onslaughts on the invaders, but they held their ground and fought on with
tenacious courage.

Despite terrible odds and the reductive propaganda of "Tokyo Rose" about
America's inevitable defeat, the hungry, tired, and sick Fil-American defenders continued
to fight. But theirs was a hopeless struggle. The much-awaited "miles of convoy from
Australia" carrying reinforcements, armaments, and food supplies never came.

From the deep tunnel of Corregidor, the VOICE OF FREEDOM, radio station of
the USAFFE, proudly broadcast to the world: "Bataan still stands!"

On March 21, 1942, numerous leaflets in empty beer cans attached to red and
white cloth streamers were dropped by Japanese planes on Bataan. These leaflets
contained a message to General Wainwright urging him to surrender. Instead of
surrendering, Wainwright continued to fight.

On April 3, 1942, Good Friday to the Christians and Jimmu Tennon-Sai

(Commemoration Day of Emperor Jimmu) to the Japanese, General Homma unleashed
the full fury of an all-out Japanese offensive in Bataan. Thousands of Japanese
infantrymen, supported by artillery barrages and tank firepower, pounded the Fil-
American lines. Overhead the Zeros, pride of Japan's air corps, soared and bombed the
foxholes, hospitals, and ammunition dumps of Bataan. From the sea the enemy warships
poured lethal shellson the defenders' positions. Bataan was doomed. The defenders,
weakened by hunger, disease, and fatigue, fought fiercely, and died as heroes. The crack
divisions of Generals Lim, and Capinpin were torn to bits by the plunging legions of the
Rising Sun, and over all the bloody peninsula of Bataan the enemy swarmed like a tidal
wave.
 On April 9, 1942, Bataan fell. There was no other choice. General Edward P.
King, American commander of the Bataan forces, surrendered in order to stop the
carnage and prevent further killing of the hopeless defenders. Sadly, but proudly, the
VOICE OF FREEDOM told the world: "Bataan has fallen, but the spirit that made it
stand -- a beacon to all the liberty-loving peoples of the world -- cannot fall!"

General Edward P. King surrendered with 18,000 of his men. Around 2,000 of
these soldiers escaped to Corregidor Island at the entrance of Manila Bay. This was
followed by heavy bombings and artillery fire directed against Corregidor.

The Death March. More than 76,000 USAFFE forces, including 66,000
Filipinos, laid down their arms in Bataan. This mass surrender, according to John
Toland, American author, "was the greatest capitulation in U.S. military history". Aside
from these prisoners, there were 26,000 civilian refugees (men, women, and children)
who were trapped behind the USAFFE lines in Bataan.

The infamous "Death March" began in Mariveles and Cabcaben on April 10,
1942. The prisoners, weakened by hunger, thirst, sickness, and fatigue, painfully trudged
at the points of Japanese bayonets along the road to San Fernando, passing through
Limay, Balanga, Orani, and Lubao. Many perished on the way due to the Japanese who
gave no food, water or medicine to the war prisoners, in violation of the Geneva Prisoner
of War Convention and brutally killed those who could no longer walk. Many more
would have died were it not for the fact that Filipino townfolks, who witnessed the
suffering of the vanquished defenders of Bataan, surreptitiously furnished food, water,
and fruits to the starving marchers and, at the risk of their lives, pulled hundreds of
prisoners when the enemy guards were not looking and aided them to escape.

In San Fernando the weary and hungry marchers were herded like cattle into the
boxcars and were transported by railway to Capas. Before reaching their destination,
hundreds of prisoners died due to suffocation. From Capas' railroad station, the war
prisoners again marched on foot to their prison camp at Camp O'Donnell. Only some
56,000 reached the camp alive on April 15, 1942.

This prisoner’s camp was a greater hell than the Battle of Bataan. According to
the records of the War Crimes Commission, which tried the surviving Japanese military
officers who were responsible for the atrocities committed in the Philippines, 22,155
Filipinos and 2,000 Americans died in Camp O'Donnell.

The Fall of the Philippines. The fall of Bataan marked the doom of the
Philippines. Rocky Corregidor, guarding the entrance to Manila Bay, continued to defy
the Japanese forces, but with the capture of Bataan it could no longer resist the enemy
assaults.

General Wainwright displayed superhuman efforts to defend the Island fortress,

but in vain. No general could save Corregidor then. And no army of the size that he had
under his command could hold the place against overwhelming odds.

On May 6, 1942, Corregidor fell. Nearly 12,000 Fil-American soldiers were

taken prisoners. Fortunately, unlike their comrade-in-arms of Bataan, the Corregidor
prisoners did not undergo the rigors of a "Death March". With the fall of Corregidor,
organized resistance against Japanese invasion of the Philippines came to an end.

General Wainwright, the valiant defender of Corregidor, suffered humiliation at

the hands of his captor, General Homma during the surrender negotiations. After
concluding the unconditional surrender of all forces under his command, he was taken to
Manila. At 11:40 of the night of May 7, he personally read over the Radio KZRH (at the
Heacock Building Escolta, Manila) an order to all sector commanders throughout the
Philippines to cease further resistance to Japanese arms and surrender their forces to the
nearest Japanese army authorities. The order was eventually obeyed by his subordinate
American officers. On May 10, Major-General William F. Sharpe, Jr., commander of the
Visayan-Mindanao forces, in compliance with the order, surrendered to the Japanese in
Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

The war was over as far as the American forces in the Philippines were
concerned. But to the Filipino people, the war was still on. Many Filipino officers and
men refused to heed Wainwright's order. They fled to the hills with their arms, and, with
the help of the civilian population, they waged a relentless guerrilla warfare against the
Japanese invaders.

Martyrdom of Chief Justice Abad Santos. The fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942
and the fall of Corregidor on May 6 were publicized events during the war and were
deeply mourned by the Filipino people during that time. Another sorrowful event was
the execution of Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos by the Japanese in Malabang, Mindanao
on May 2, 1942.

President Quezon wanted to bring Abad Santos to Australia and later to the
United States. But the latter preferred to remain in the Philippines to help his people in
their darkest period of need. At Zamboangita Point (Negros Oriental) he and his son
Pepito, said goodbye to President Quezon.

From Zamboangita Point, Abad Santos and his son proceeded to Bacolod where
they took passage on a ferryboat for Cebu City, arriving there on April 7. Three days
later, as the Japanese invaders were landing in Cebu, Abad Santos heard the sad news of
the fall of Bataan.

To evade capture by the enemy, Abad Santos, accompanied by his son, Col.
Benito D. Valeriano and two constabulary soldiers, fled Cebu City in a car, speeding
southward to the town of Barili. Unfortunately, before reaching Barili, they were caught
by the Japanese troops -- at 8:00 a.m. April 11.

General Kiyotaki Kawaguchi, commander of the Japanese forces in Cebu,

interrogated Abad Santos and asked him to take the oath of allegiance to Japan and
collaborate with the Japanese military authorities. With courage and dignity, Abad
Santos refused, saying: "I cannot accede, General, to the things, you ask of me. To obey
your command is tantamount to being a traitor to the United States and to my country. I
would prefer to die rather than to live in shame".

Two weeks later, General Kawaguchi went to Mindanao with a Japanese invasion
force. He brought with him the two prisoners -- Chief Justice Abad Santos and his son.
After capturing Parang, Cotabato, the Japanese invaders marched overland to Malabang,
Lanao. At this Muslim town, Abad Santos and his son were billeted in a house near a
river.

Several times Abad Santos was interrogated in Malabang by the Japanese military
authorities. He was repeatedly asked to collaborate with Japan, and he always gave a
defiant answer. For his heroic refusal to collaborate with the enemy he was condemned
to die.
 Before his execution, he was given permission to say goodbye to his son. When
his young son learned that his father was about to be executed he cried. The brave father
comforted him, saying: "Do not cry, Pepito. Show these people that you are brave. It is
a rare opportunity for me to die for our country. Not everyone is given that chance."

After a last prayer and a tearful farewell, Chief Justice Abad Santos left his
disconsolate son. He then faced with serene courage the enemy firing squad and died in
the finest tradition of heroic martyrdom. This happened in the afternoon of May 3, 1942
at Malabang, Mindanao.

General Roxas Saved by a Chivalric Japanese Officer. Shortly after the

execution of Chief Justice Abad Santos, Brigadier General Manuel A. Roxas, who fell
into Japanese hands in Mindanao on May 11, 1942, was ordered by General Yoshihide
Hatashi, Director-General of the Japanese Military Administration, to be executed for
refusing to collaborate with Japan. Fortunately, a Christian Japanese officer, Lt. Col.
Nobuhiko Jimbo, a man of humanity and chivalric credo, intervened and saved his life.
Jimbo's act of compassion for an enemy showed that not all Japanese militarists were
barbarians.

It is interesting to recall that Roxas, upon orders of President Quezon who was
then resting in Dansalan on his way to Australia left Corregidor in an old rickety single-
engine Bellanca plane, on March 22, 1942, and landed safely at Dansalan. President
Quezon wanted to bring him to Australia. Roxas demurred because he believed his
presence in the Philippines was needed to boost the morale of the people and the armed
forces. Apparently convinced by his logic, President Quezon sadly proceeded to
Australia, leaving Roxas behind.

After the departure of Quezon and party, Roxas toured the province of Mindanao
and the Visayan except Cebu and Leyte, and helped General Sharpe, commander of the
USAFFE forces in Mindanao and the Visayas, in maintaining the morale of the troops
and civilian population. At Bacolod, Negros Occidental, he met his friend, Chief Justice
Abad Santos, who was also left behind by Quezon. The two friends had an enjoyable
reunion, without knowing that it would be their last meeting on earth. Immediately after
the fall of Corregidor on May 6, General Wainwright, upon pressure of the Japanese
conquerors, ordered the commanders of USAFFE units in all parts of the Philippines
including General Sharpe, to surrender to the victorious Japanese. In compliance with
Wainwright's order, General Sharpe assembled all his troops at Malaybalay, which was
designated by the Japanese military authorities as the place where the USAFFE troops
would lay down their arms. Hence, Roxas became a war prisoner.

When General Hayashi learned that General Roxas was one of the prisoners in
Malaybalay, he dispatched an order to the Japanese Army Headquarters in Davao City to
interrogate Roxas and to execute him should he refuse to collaborate with Japan.

Major General Torao Ikuta, Japanese commander of the Japanese forces in

Mindanao, assigned his chief of staff named Lt. Col. Jimbo to grill Roxas. For three
days, Jimbo talked with Roxas, who courageously refused to collaborate with Japan.
Although he failed to persuade Roxas to join the Philippine Executive Commission,
Jimbo came to admire the prisoner for his brilliant intelligence and patriotism. For
humanity's sake, he did not obey General Hayashi's harsh order to execute Roxas.
Instead he hid Roxas in a safe place at the Furukawa Plantation and had him rushed by
military plane to Manila, where he submitted Roxas' case to General Homma and General
Takazi Wachi (who had succeeded General Hayasyi as Director General of the Military
Administration) and pleaded for Roxas' life. He succeeded in his humanitarian mission.
General Homma, upon General Wachi's recommendation, rescinded Hayashi's execution
order.

On November 22, 1942, Col. Jimbo brought Roxas to Manila in a Japanese

warplane. Immediately upon landing in Manila, Jimbo took Roxas directly to his home,
where Mrs. Roxas and his children welcomed the returning hero and his savior with tears
of joy.

Guerrilla Warfare. The resistance against the Japanese during the period of
occupation started with the organization of small independent bands led by unsurrendered
soldiers and civilians mostly without sufficient arms. They did not have any carefully
laid out plans of operation. Some were motivated by vengeance against the enemy
because a member of the family had been maltreated by the Japanese; some bands are
formed because of a strong patriotic desire to overthrow the invaders; others joined for
adventure and excitement now that they could handle a gun and there was no strong
authority to be afraid of in the hills and mountains; still to others, resistance was the only
means to self-preservation.
 The operation of these bands ranged from commandeering brodering to stealing
of guns, cows, pigs, chickens and other things they coveted, raping and hold-ups, petty
sabotage, harassing and liquidating collaborators. But common to all were sporadic hit-
and-run ambushes on Japanese patrols and garrisons. Many of these, of course, were
committed without approval of the leaders.

The resistance movement was a people's war against the invaders. Physicians,
social workers, writers, tenants, and laborers, and even women and children took part in
it. Poorly armed, miserably clad, and inadequately fed, the Filipino guerrillas bravely
carried on the bitter struggle against the Japanese. Besides giving battle to the enemy,
they gathered valuable information, concerning Japanese ships and troops, airstrips,
fortifications, and war plans, and this information was transmitted by radio to
MacArthur's headquarters in Australia.

Among the Filipino guerrilla leaders were Guillermo Nakar in Northern Luzon;
Macario Peralta, Jr. in Panay; Wenceslao Q. Vinzons in Camarines Norte; Roque B.
Ablan in Ilocos Norte; Bado Dangwa in the Mountain Province; Salvador Abcede in
Manila and the surrounding provinces; Arsenio M. Escudero of San Pablo City; Ruperto
Kangleon in Leyte; Salipada Pendatun in Cotabato; and Dimaporo Ali in Lanao.
Governor Tomas Confessor and Brig. Gen. Manuel Roxas likewise rendered invaluable
services to the resistance movement, although they did not actually participate in combat.
Some Americans figured prominently in the movement, among them were C.A. Thorpe,
Weldell W. Fertig, Hugh Strungh, Bernard L. Anderson, Robert E. Lapham, Walter M.
Causing, Russel W. Volkmann, Edwin F. Ramsey, and Donald Blackburn.

The success of the guerrilla warfare was due, in large measure to the support of
the people. Since not all men and women could flee to the hills to resist the invaders,
many had to stay in the cities and towns pretending to collaborate with Japan. In reality,
however, they were supporters of the guerrillas, and they suffered because they bore the
brunt of the Japanese atrocities. During the zona (zoning) of the towns they were herded
like cattle in churches and school houses, starved and tortured for days, and many were
brutally put to death.

Civilians in the Japanese Occupied Areas. In the provinces occupied by the

Japanese, a semblance of government was hastily set up. This government was
theoretically the same as under the Commonwealth. The set up of officials in the
provinces and municipalities were the same, but in practice all powers rested on the
Japanese garrison commander. There are no elections held in both provincial and
municipal levels. These officials, aside from their political impotence, they were afraid
of reprisals from the Resistance Movement. They were placed there simply to create the
fiction of civil normalcy and to make the people believe that the Japanese were sincere in
granting the Filipinos democratic rights – that the Filipinos were running their own
government. But actually their main function was to collect taxes. There were also
policemen, but their job was to gather information about the guerillas and to guide
Japanese patrols to guerilla hideouts. Aside from being used as tools for espionage, the
other officials like board members and councilors were used as agents ferret out
Americans and other officials hiding in the mountains. The Japanese also used them to
recruit laborers for Japanese projects and to encourage food production.

All political parties were abolished, only the Kalibapi was allowed to exist.
Those who stayed with the Japanese counted themselves lucky. At least they were
staying in their own house, walking on paved streets, enjoying a water system, and
lighting system. The search for food was the main pre-occupation and the greatest
problem. Movement from place to place was restricted. Only persons having passed like
Kalibapi pins and enter-town passes were permitted.

For security measures the Japanese ordered the organization of “home guards”
and “neighborhood associations”. Life in the Japanese occupied areas was far from
peaceful because of nightly visits and attacks guerillas.

Social affairs were common and movies were reopened. The Japanese allowed
church activities and services to go on unmolested.

One could surrender to the Japanese and learn to cooperate with them, but in
many instances those who did became victims of Japanese atrocities. There was always
uncertainty as to what would happen to one – the next day or the next hour.

Classes in Niponggo (Japanese language) were opened in towns and cities.

Elementary and high schools were restored but was not well attended.

Civilians in the Unoccupied Areas. The war efforts of the guerillas could not
have succeeded without the cooperation of the civilians. Many civilians had run to the
hills. In the midst of the chaos and occupation of the provinces there was a need for
some sort of authority to establish peace and order. Civilian governments were put up.
At first, the Japanese pursued a policy of attraction to persuade the people who had
evacuated to the hills to come down to the towns they had deserted. While many people
came down to the towns, a lot of others stayed put in the mountain.

Living conditions of the people in the unoccupied areas was hard and arduous.
The problem of keeping the guerillas supplied with food and keeping the civilians from
starving was indeed great. Because of the zoning plan of the Japanese, there had been a
widespread exodus of the mountain population to the lowland barrios. This was called
the “safety zone.” The Japanese drew a demarcation line beyond which all people living
there were called bandits and therefore could be shot on sight. When a Japanese soldier
was hurt in a barrio, the Japanese would avenge the wrong by killing all the people in that
barrio. Food production was always hampered by Japanese and guerrilla military
operations.

Next to the lack of food was the lack of clothing and medicines. For the lack of
money, people resorted to the barter system. Some regions in the Visayas and Mindanao
printed emergency paper money. The state of health in the unoccupied areas was
deplorable. Not only was food lacking but there was always the fear of being caught by
Japanese. Malaria was rampant and people resorted to herbal medicine. Education was
almost neglected.

The period of the Japanese occupation, lasting three years (1942 – 45) was one of
the darkest interlude in the history of the Philippines. Under the guise of emancipating
the Philippines from bondage to Western imperialism, Japan brought her within the orbit
of its so-called benevolent “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” but instead the rich
Philippine natural resources were plundered, innumerable atrocities were inflicted on the
Filipino, and their education and culture were extremely regimented. Japan installed a
puppet republic (Second Philippine Republic), which the hostile Filipino people
repudiated.

Japanese Military Administration. On January 3, 1942, the day after the

bloodless occupation of Manila, Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma, Commander in-Chief of the
Japanese Imperial forces in the Philippines, proclaimed the establishment of the Japanese
Military Administration for the purpose of supervising the political, economic, and
cultural affairs of the conquered land. The administration was headed by a Director
General.

Acting upon directives from Tokyo, the Japanese Military Administration issued
severe restrictions that the helpless people were forced to obey. Curfew and blackouts
were maintained in Manila. Martial law was declared. All firearms, ammunitions, and
other war materials were confiscated. Any hostile act against the Japanese army was
punishable with death. A military proclamation stated that for one Japanese killed ten
prominent Filipinos were to pay with their lives. The use of radio transmitters was
banned, and later all radio receiving sets were "reconditioned". All allied nationals were
interned at the University of Santo Tomas (Manila), and in Baguio, Los Baños, and other
places, where concentration camps for them were established.

Everything was placed under the Japanese control. All industries, factories,
banks, schools, churches, printing presses, and theatres were supervised by the Japanese
military authorities. The use of the Filipino flag and the singing of the Philippine
National Anthem and American songs were prohibited. The circulation of American
dollars was banned. Japanese notes were circulated to replace the Philippine currency.

Philippine Executive Commission. The Japanese invaders brought with them a

plan for a puppet government to be composed of prominent Filipinos, but most Filipinos
regarded this change with suspicion of a sinister design of conquest. On January 8, 1942,
the Japanese High Command ordered Mr. Jorge B. Vargas, then Mayor of the City of
Greater Manila, "to organize the Administrative Constitution as soon as possible."

Mayor Vargas lost no time in approaching the Filipino leaders to discuss with
them the Japanese order. The leaders found themselves in a helpless situation. Because
of the defeat of the USAFFE, the country lay prostrate before its conquerors. The United
States could give no protection to the people. Under the circumstances, and in deference
to President Quezon's "Last-minute instructions", the leaders agreed to comply with the
mandate of the victorious foe.

On January 23, 1942, Vargas and his associates addressed a "Letter of Response"
to the Japanese High Command, stating that they were ready to obey the orders of the
Japanese army for "the maintenance of peace and order and the promotion of the well-
being of our people". On the same day, the Philippine Executive Commission was
established by the Japanese High Command. It was composed of Mr. Vargas, as
Chairman, and the six Filipino department secretaries -- Benigno S. Aquino
(Commissioner of the Interior), Antonio de las Alas (Commissioner of Finance), Jose P.
Laurel (Commissioner of Justice), Rafael Alunan (Commissioner of Agriculture and
Commerce), Claro M. Recto (Commissioner of Education, Health and Public Welfare),
and Quintin Paredes (Commissioner of Public Works and Communications). Jose Yulo,
former Speaker of the National Assembly, was named Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court. To each department of the Executive Commission was assigned a Japanese
adviser and several Japanese assistant advisers.

Subsequently, the Philippine Council of State was created to act as an advisory to

the Executive Commission. It was composed of 32 signers of the "Letter of Response"
and other members appointed from time to time by the Japanese High Command.

Changes in Local Government. The Japanese military authorities changed the

local governments (provincial, city, and municipality), curtailing their autonomy, which
had been introduced by America.

Three provinces were abolished, namely, Batanes, Marinduque, and Romblon.

The municipality of Batanes Province was placed under the Cagayan Province; those of
Marinduque under Tayabas Province; and those of Romblon under the Capiz province.
The municipalities of Baler and Casiguran were taken away from Tayabas Province and
given to Nueva Ecija, the island of Polilio and the municipality of Infanta were likewise
segregated from Tayabas Province and annexed to Laguna province. The four cities --
Quezon City, Tagaytay City, Dansalan City, and Zamboanga City -- which had been
chartered by the Commonwealth Government, were demoted to their former rank ad
municipalities.

The provincial governors, city mayors, and municipal mayors assumed both
executive and legislative powers. The Provincial boards, city councils, and municipal
councils were retained, but they only served as advisory bodies to the local executives.

The City of Greater Manila. Upon orders of the Japanese Military

Administration, Chairman Vargas promulgated Executive Order No. 76, dated August 6,
1942, which created the City of Greater Manila composed of Manila proper, Quezon
City, and the surrounding towns of Caloocan, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasay,
and Parañaque.

The chief officials of Greater Manila were the city mayor, the city assistant
mayor, the city treasurer, the city assessor, the city fiscal, the city health officer, the city
architect-engineer, and the city fire brigade commander. These officials were appointed
by Chairman Vargas with the approval of the Japanese Military Administration.

A Japanese adviser and several assistant Japanese advisers were assigned by the
Japanese Military Administration to the City of Greater Manila.

Japanese Propaganda. Since the first days of the Japanese occupation the
Japanese authorities had activated all propaganda agencies in order to win the Filipino
people from their loyalty to America and gain their collaboration in the prosecution of the
war. Under the auspices of the Hodoo-Bu (Propaganda Section) of the Japanese Army,
attractive posters and handbills were circulated in towns and cities, containing catchy
slogans -- "Asia for the Asiatics"; "Philippines for Filipinos"; Asia is One".

Freedom of speech and of the press were suppressed. All newspapers were
controlled by the Japanese Simbunsya (later called PIAM) was also in Japanese hands.
Books, pamphlets, and periodicals -- glorifying Japanese history and culture, Bushido,
and military achievements -- swamped the reading marts of the Philippines. Movie films
and stage shows publicized Filipino-Japanese collaboration. Japanese newsreels were
shown in Manila and in the provinces. Two of these pictures were the Dawn of Freedom
(originally entitled Dawn with the Stars and Stripes) and Tatlong Maria (Three Marys) --
both released by Eiga Haikusha.

The Japanese language (Nippongo) and Japanese culture were taught and
disseminated. These were made compulsory subjects in the schools and were included in
civil service examinations. Every year there was a so-called "Nippongo Week", which
was commemorated with programs in Nippongo. Classes in Nippongo were conducted in
schools, government offices, and commercial firms. To encourage further the study of
this language, various contests in it were held with attractive cash prizes to the winners.

As part of the Japanese cultural invasion of the Philippines, many Japanese poets,
artists, musicians, stage actresses, professors, scholars, and scientists came to Manila.
They tried to impress the Filipinos with the achievements of Japan in the realms of arts,
letters and sciences.

Other Agencies of Japanese Propaganda. Aside from the mass media, the
Japanese Military Administration conceived of other ways of attracting the Filipino
people. Various institutes were organized to foster the "spiritual rejuvenation" of the
Filipinos. Among these institutes were GETI (Government Employee's Training
Institute), the Institute for Former USAFFE Men, the New Philippine Cultural Institute,
and the Preparatory Institute for Government Scholars to Japan.

Neighborhood Associations (Samahang Magkakapit-Bahay) were established in

cities and towns in occupied Philippines. They were patterned after Japan's tanari-gumi
(neighborhood societies). Ostensibly, the Neighborhood Associations were formed to
promote the spirit of neighborliness among the families and to serve as channels for the
distribution of prime commodities (rice, matches, sugar, etc) to the people. These
Neighborhood Associations however served as a spy network. The members of these
associations were instructed to report in case a new resident came to live in the
neighborhood or to observe the movements or activities of their neighbors.

KALIBAPI, Chief Organ of Japanese Propaganda. The chief organ of

Japanese Propaganda was the well-organized Kapisanan ng Paglilingkod sa Bagong
Pilipinas (Society for service to the New Philippines), popularly known as KALIBAPI. It
was created by Chairman Varga's Executive Order no. 109, dated December 4, 1942,
upon instructions by the Japanese Military Administration, and was launched at the
Luneta, Manila, on December 30 (the 46th anniversary of Dr. Rizal's martyrdom), amidst
a colorful ceremony, attended by a huge crowd composed mostly of government
employees, officials, and laborers.

It was the wish of the Japanese to utilize the KALIBAPI as a propaganda to gain
the people's cooperation and goodwill. But the Filipino leaders, while feigning sympathy
with Japan, adroitly used the association to serve instead the interests of their people.
The KALIBAPI assisted actively in food production by initiating a nation-wide fruit-tree
planting campaign. It fostered the teaching of the National Language and propagated the
teachings of Filipino heroes. It sponsored national art expositions, cultural contests,
provincial fairs, and patriotic holidays. Moreover, it encouraged athletics and
calisthenics in order to improve the people's health.
 By Ordinance No. 17, dated May 1, 1944, President Laurel reorganized the
KALIBAPI into the "People's Party", and, as such, it became the only political party in
the Philippines during the Japanese occupation. It was strengthen in order to render
greater service to the people. Affiliated with it were various auxiliary bodies, such as the
"Junior Kalibapi", the "Women Auxiliary Service', the "Kalibapi Leaders' Institute", and
the "Kalibapi Labor Institute". As of April 10, 1944, the KALIBAPI had 811 provincial
city, and municipal chapters throughout the Philippines with a total membership of more
than 1,500,000 adult KALIBAPI members and 80,000 Junior KALIBAPI members.

Not Collaborators, But Patriots. It should be noted that Vargas, Laurel,

Aquino, Recto, and other Filipino leaders who were compelled to serve in the puppet
civil government (Executive Commission) established by the Japanese conquerors were
not "collaborators" as many postwar writers erroneously and unfairly called them. These
writers, particularly Americans, had not witnessed or experienced the atrocities
perpetrated by the Japanese during their occupation of the Philippines and thus did not
know actually that these Filipino leaders risked their lives to protect the helpless Filipino
people from enemy brutalities and that they secretly supported the guerrilla movement
against Japan. These leaders pretended to collaborate with the Japanese Military
authorities for the survival of their people.

Also it should be recalled that President Quezon before leaving Manila for
Corregidor on December 24, 1941, gave last-minute instructions to Laurel, Vargas, and
other Filipino leaders to stay at their posts and serve under the Japanese conquerors in
order to protect the defenseless people during the dark period of enemy occupation.
General MacArthur knew these presidential instructions, and added in advice to them
"never to take the oath of allegiance to Japan".

By their mock "collaboration" with Japan, Dr. Laurel and other Filipino officials
during the occupation period were able to save thousands of Filipino lives. If they had
not accepted the offer of the Japanese High Command to serve in the Executive
Commission, most likely a Japanese military government would have been established or
a puppet civil government might have been created composed of General Artemio
Ricarte, Benigno Ramos (Sakdalista supremo) and other pro-Japanese Filipinos. Either
way, it would have been calamitous for the Filipino people.
 On January 28, 1942, a radio broadcast from Tokyo announced the establishment
of a new government in Manila consisting of Vargas, Laurel, Recto, and other Filipino
leaders. This government was the Philippine Executive Commission. High
Commissioner Sayre of the U.S. who was in Corregidor with President Quezon was
alarmed. Quezon was worried, for he firmly believed in the patriotism of Vargas and his
companions. Immediately, he wrote a letter to General MacArthur who was then in
Bataan, stating in part.

"In reference to the men who have accepted positions in the commission
established by the Japanese, everyone of them wanted to come to Corregidor, but
you told me that there was no room for them here. They are not "quislings". The
quislings are the men who betray their country to the enemy. These, men did
what they had been asked to do . . ."

But one of them, Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos preferred martyrdom rather than
cooperate with the Japanese. He was repeatedly asked to collaborate with Japan and he
always gave a defiant answer. For his heroic refusal to collaborate with the enemy he
was condemned to die. He faced with serene courage the enemy firing squad and died in
the finest tradition of heroic martyrdom in May 1942 at Malabang, Mindanao.

Premier Tojo and Philippine Independence. From the very start of her
occupation of the Philippines, Japan sought to convince the Filipinos that her mission was
that of a "liberator of the oppressed races in East Asia" and that it was her intention to
establish, under her leadership, a "Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" for the happiness
and prosperity of all Oriental nations. Consequently, on January 21, 1942, Premier
General Hideki Tojo, in a speech before the Imperial Diet, declared that the Philippines
would be granted "the honor of independence", provided that the Filipinos would
cooperate in the establishment of the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere". He
reiterated this promise on January 28, 1943, in an address before the Imperial Diet. The
Filipino people were indifferent to such promises because they looked upon Japan as
having delayed, rather than hastened, their independence.

On May 6, 1943, Premier Tojo addressed a mass meeting at the Luneta, stating
that he was "convinced more than ever of the propriety of early Philippine
independence". Upon his return to Japan, he told the Imperial Diet, on June 16, 1943,
that the Philippines would be given independence in the course of the current year.
 The Framing of the Constitution. Two days after Tojo's speech at the Imperial
Diet, the Japanese ordered the Filipino officials to prepare for the coming of
"independence". Acting upon orders of the Japanese military authorities, the KALIBAPI
held a convention in Manila on June 19, 1943 and "elected" twenty members of the
Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence (PCPI). This constituent body was
charged with the task of framing a constitution for the forthcoming "Republic". It was
headed by Dr. Jose P. Laurel.

The Filipino people, who hated the Japanese conquerors, simply ignored the
PCPI, derisively calling it "Please Cancel Philippine Independence".

Dr. Laurel and the members of the PCPI themselves did not like their work. They
tried their best to delay it. The Japanese military authorities were chagrined by their
lukewarm attitude, for they were under strict orders from Tokyo to rush the preparation
of the constitution. As a matter of fact, Premier Tojo visited Manila again on July 10,
1943 and directed the PCPI members to speed up their constitutional labor.

Under strong pressure from the Japanese military authorities, the PCPI was
compelled to finish the needed constitution, which was signed by the members in public
ceremony on September 4, witnessed by a captive audience of government employees
and members of the KALIBAPI. Three days later, the constitution was "ratified" by 117
KALIBAPI delegates to the general assembly, which was convened for such purpose.

The Constitution of the Japanese-Sponsored Republic. The constitution

consisted of a preamble and twelve articles. It was written in two languages -- Tagalog
and English. The Tagalog text contained 27 pages and the English text 22 pages.

The constitution provided for a "Republic of the Philippines" with tripartite

powers -- Executive (president), Legislative (National Assembly), and Judicial (Supreme
Court and Lower Courts). It was transitory in the sense that it was to be in effect only for
the duration of the war. According to its last article, within one year after the termination
of the war the Filipino people would by popular suffrage, elect delegates to a
constitutional convention which would draft another constitution. There was no
provision regarding the office of the Vice-President. The Bill of Rights emphasized the
duties and obligations of citizens more than their constitutional rights and liberties.
Owing to the exigencies of war, the powers of government were concentrated in the
President of the Republic who became thus more powerful than the unicameral National
Assembly and the Supreme Court. Tagalog was declared the national language of the
Philippines.

Birth of the Japanese-Sponsored Republic. After the "ratification" of the

constitution, the KALIBAPI prepared the ground for the establishment of the Republic.
On September 20, 1943, various KALIBAPI conventions were held throughout the
country, and "elected" half of the 108 members of the National Assembly established by
the new constitution; the other half being the provincial governors and city mayors.

On September 22 the National Assembly met in an inaugural session at the

Legislative Building, Manila. The Speaker was Benigno S. Aquino, Director General of
the KALIBAPI. The lone woman member of the National Assembly was Mrs. Elisa E.
Ochoa of Agusan. The greatest achievement of the National Assembly during the
inaugural session was the "election" by its members of Dr. Laurel as President of the
Republic of the Philippines.

On October 14, 1943, the new Republic (Second Philippine Republic) was
inaugurated amid solemn ceremonies held in front of the Legislative Building. The
Invocation Prayer was said by Right Reverend Cesar Ma. Guerrero, Auxiliary Bishop of
Manila. Jorge B. Vargas, whose office as Chairman of the Philippine Executive
Commission had terminated, read the announcements of the withdrawal of the Japanese
Military Administration. The President of the PCPI read the "Declaration of the
Philippine Independence". Congratulatory remarks were made by Lt. Gen. Shigenori
Kuroda, Commander-in-chief of the Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines. The
Filipino flag, which had previously been banned by the Japanese, was hoisted and the
Philippine National Anthem, also previously prohibited, was sung. The climax of the
ceremonies was the inaugural address of President Laurel.

Foreign Relations of the Republic. The new "Made-in-Japan" Republic was

recognized by Franco's Spain and by the Axis Powers and their satellite states -- Nazi
Germany, Fascist Italy, China (Nanking Government), Manchuko, Croitia, Slovakia,
Bulgaria, Hungary, Burma, Thailand, and also by the Vatican.
 The Japanese embassy was established in Manila under Ambassador Syozo
Murata, former highest adviser of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the Philippines. In
turn, the Republic opened a Philippine embassy in Tokyo under Ambassador Jorge B.
Vargas.

The first foreign treaty concluded by the Republic was the Japan-Philippine Pact
of Alliance, which was signed in Malacañang Palace on October 14, 1943. The text of
this pact had been prepared in Tokyo and brought to Manila in its final form. It provided
for political and economic cooperation between Japan and the Philippines, and also for
military cooperation.

Shortly after assuming the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Laurel accompanied
by Minister Recto and Paredes and Assemblyman Jose B. Laurel Jr. attended the
Assembly of Greater East Asiatic Nations, which was held at Tokyo on November 5-6,
1943. This assembly adopted a Joint Declaration otherwise called the "Pacific Charter"
setting forth the principles of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Government Changes under the Republic. Under the new Republic, the
Ministries were established, replacing the Department of the defunct Philippine
Executive Commission. Each Ministry was under a Minister, assisted by a Vice-
Minister. New bureaus, boards, and other offices were created.

Aside from the Supreme Court, five Courts of Appeal were created one for each
of the five Judicial Districts into which the country was divided. To assist the President
of the Republic in the administration of the whole country, seven Administrative Districts
were established, each under a commissioner.

The Real Collaborators. A despicable phenomenon during the Japanese

occupation of the Philippines was the existence of renegade Filipinos who collaborated
with the Japanese invaders and aided them in oppressing their own compatriots and
fighting for Japan against the guerrillas and the Allied forces. They were not the high
government officials (President Laurel, Recto, Aquino, Osias, Vargas, Yulo, etc.) who
pretended to collaborate with Japan in order to save the Filipino people; they were not the
former officers and men of the USAFFE who joined the Bureau of Constabulary and
other offices of the puppet Republic, for they were really secret agents of the guerrillas.
They were not the intellectuals, teachers, professionals, landlords, and farmers who were
secret supporters of the guerrilla movement. The collaborators, representing a very small
minority of the population, were the ignorant and fanatical Japanophiles (pro-Japanese),
namely, the Ganaps, the Palaaks, the United Nippon, the Pampars, and the MAKAPILIS.

The Ganaps were formerly the pro-Japanese Sakdalista, headed by the frustrated
Tagalog writer-demagogue, Benigno Ramos, the founder of the Sakdal Party. It should
be recalled that the Sakdalistas had risen in arms against the Philippine government in
1936 in Laguna and Bulacan Provinces, but they were suppressed by the Constabulary
troops. The Ganaps served as informers and spies for the Japanese military authorities.
They squealed on the guerrillas and their supporters, who were thus arrested, tortured and
later imprisoned or executed.

The Palaaks were members of the so-called Bamboo Army, which the Japanese
Army organized in 1943. They were recruited from the Neighborhood Associations in
different towns. They were armed with bamboo spears and were divided into platoons,
companies, and battalions. Their duties were (1) to help the Japanese apprehend the
guerrillas and their supporters; (2) to render guard duties for the Japanese army; (3) to
report to the Japanese military authorities the presence of guerrillas in the towns.

The U.N. (United Nippon) was a military organization, whose members were
drawn from the Ganap Party. They were given military training by Japanese officers,
armed with Japanese rifles, and wore Japanese army uniforms. They fought with the
Japanese troops against the guerrillas.

The Pampars were a notorious band of Filipino collaborators named Pambansa

Pag-asa ng mga Anak ni Rizal (National Hopes of the Sons of Rizal). They were
organized by the Japanese military authorities in Pililla, Rizal Province, in 1943. The
commander was a Filipino renegade named "Colonel" Cristino Pendon, a native of Pillila.
They were trained by Japanese army officers in combat tactics and armed with Japanese
rifles. They wore blue denim uniforms with short pants. They performed sentry duties
for the Japanese army and served as auxiliary combat troops.

The MAKAPILIS. The worst collaborators were the notorious Makapilis who
were members of the fanatical pro-Japanese organization called the Makabayan
Katipunan ng mga Filipino (Patriotic Society of Filipinos), which was headed by General
Artemio Ricarte, Benigno Ramos, and Pio Duran, three leading Filipino Japanophiles.
This huge politico-military organization was sponsored by the Japanese military
authorities, who were irked by the non-cooperative attitude of President Laurel, Recto,
Osias, Vargas, Yulo, and other ranking officials of the Philippine Republic. As a matter-
of-fact, they distrusted the loyalty of these officials to Japan.

The MAKAPILI organization was inaugurated in Manila on December 8, 1944,

amidst a gala ceremony attended by General Yamashita, commander-in-chief of the
Japanese Forces in the Philippines, President Laurel, General Ricarte, Benigno Ramos,
Pio Duran and high officials of the Republic and of the Japanese Armed Forces.

The Republic in Crisis. By August 1944, the situation of the Japanese made the
Philippine Republic critical. Its existence depended on the might of Japanese arms.
Inasmuch as the tide of war was definitely turning against Japan, it was doomed.
MacArthur was winning his battles in the jungle islands of the Southwest Pacific and was
leapfrogging his way towards the Philippines.

Since August 9, American bombers began their devastating raids on Japanese

military installation in Mindanao, Visayas, and greater Manila, paving the way for the
coming of MacArthur and his liberation forces to the Philippines. Realizing the
impending arrival of MacArthurs's mighty forces, the Japanese military authorities
strengthen their defenses, while the Filipino guerrillas intensified their attacks on the
enemy.

Peace and order crumpled as the desperate Japanese soldiers increased their
oppression of the people, whom they knew were hopefully waiting for their American
liberators, looting their foodstuffs and forcing them to work in military installations and
arresting and torturing them for supporting the guerrillas. In retaliation, the guerrillas
ambushed the Japanese patrols, sabotaged the enemy military operations, and assaulted
the Japanese garrisons.

As chaos gripped the country, President Laurel promulgated Proclamation No. 29

on September 21, 1944 proclaiming martial law in the Philippines. That was shortly after
the surprise morning air raid by American bombers on Japanese fortifications around
Manila. The following day (September 22), President Laurel, pressurized by frantic
Japanese military authorities, was compelled to issue Proclamation No. 30, declaring war
on the United States.
 This war declaration was significantly ineffective for two reasons: first, President
Laurel did not submit the war declaration to the National Assembly for approval, as
required by the 1943 Constitution: hence, it was illegal, and second, he made it clear in
the proclamation that there would be no conscription of Filipinos for war service; hence,
the war declaration was valueless. Anyhow, with or without the declaration of war,
Laurel who was a sagacious statesman and a valiant patriot, knew that his people would
never fight for Japan against the United States. He issued the seemingly formidable war
declaration to pacify the ruthless Japanese military authorities and thus save his helpless
people from mass massacre by the brutal enemy forces.

The landing of General MacArthur and his liberation forces in Leyte on October
20, 1944 presaged the inevitable downfall of the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Republic
-- the Second Philippine Republic in History.

The Commonwealth-in-Exile. Meanwhile, as the Filipino people agonized

under the Japanese occupation of their land, the government of the Commonwealth-in-
exile was functioning in Washington, D.C. with Quezon as President and Osmeña as
Vice-President. It should be recalled that President Quezon, accompanied by his family,
Vice-President Osmeña, and war cabinet, had successfully escaped from Corregidor on
the night of February 20, 1942 and eventually reached the United States, where he was
welcomed by President F.D. Roosevelt.

The Commonwealth-in-Exile existed from May 13, 1942 to October 3, 1944. On

June 14, 1942, it became a member of the wartime organization of Allied countries called
the "United Nations" (not the present United Nations Organization). By virtue of its
membership in this "United Nations", it assumed the rights and privileges of an
independent nation. It was also given a seat in the Pacific War Council and was invited
to participate in several international conferences.

Despite his failing health, President Quezon labored to focus the intention of the
American public on the fate of his struggling people. He appeared before both houses of
the United States Congress, held conferences with President Roosevelt, and delivered
speeches to inform Americans about the Philippines. The members of his War Cabinet
busied themselves publicizing the heroism of the Filipinos and urging their early
liberation from Japanese oppression.
 The U.S. Congress, upon President Roosevelt's recommendations, enacted two
joint resolutions, namely; Joint Resolution No. 93 and Joint Resolution No. 94, which
Roosevelt signed on June 29, 1944. Joint Resolution No. 93 provided that the "United
States would drive the treacherous, invading Japanese from the Philippine Islands, and
thereupon establish the complete independence of the Philippine Islands". Joint
Resolution No. 94 created the U.S.-Philippine Rehabilitation Commission composed of
nine Americans and nine Filipinos to study the post-war economy of the Philippine-
American trade relations.

It should be noted that President Quezon's term expired on November 15, 1943,
after serving eight consecutive years, as provided by the amended 1935 Philippine
Constitution. On this date, November 15, 1943, Vice-President Osmeña would have
become President of the Philippines. In view of the fact that President Quezon, who was
seriously ill of tuberculosis, wanted very much to continue as President of the
Philippines. Vice-President Osmeña, a man of genuine patriotism, humanity, honor, and
sincerity, wrote to Quezon and President Roosevelt nobly renouncing his constitutional
right to assume the Philippine Presidency on November 15, 1943. Such a chivalric
gesture is unprecedented in the political annals of the Philippines.

Accordingly, the U.S. Congress promulgated Joint Resolution No. 95, which
President Roosevelt signed on November 12, 1943, three days before the expiration of
President Quezon's term. This joint resolution extended Quezon's presidential term until
the restoration of the normal functions of democratic processes in the Philippines.

Thus Quezon continued as President until his death at Saranac Lake Sanitarium in
the morning of August 1, 1944. Upon hearing of the sorrowful news of the death of his
great friend and partner in fame, Osmeña cried saying: "We have lost a great patriot". At
2:40 p.m. August 1, 1944, he became the President of the Philippines. He was sworn into
office at Washington, D.C. by Associate Justice Robert H. Jackson of the U.S. Supreme
Court.

(SEE NO. 3 OF INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT”)

History I
Module IV

Lesson 2
SELF-PROGRESS CHECK TEST

Multiple Choice: Write the letter representing the correct answer on the blank
before the number.

_____ 1. To save the city from being destroyed, Manila was declared (a) surrendered (b)
neutral (c) open city.
_____ 2. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor was to (a) capture Hawaii (b) cripple
U.S. military defense in the Pacific (c) declare war against the U.S.
_____ 3. MacArthurs’ retreat to Bataan was a (a) brilliant strategy (b) mistaken strategy
(c) wrong move.
_____ 4. The fall of Bataan was on (a) October 20 (b) May 6 (c) April 9, of the year
1942.
_____ 5. The Japanese landed first in (a) Aparri (b) Davao (c) Legaspi.
_____ 6. The president of the Japanese sponsored Philippine Republic was (a) Jorge
Vargas (b) Jose P. Laurel (c) Claro M. Recto.
_____ 7. The only political party allowed to exist by the Japanese was the (a) Kalibapi
(b) Kempetai (c) Samurai.
_____ 8. The primary need of the civilians in the Japanese occupied areas was (a)
clothing (b) food (c) medicine.
_____ 9. During the Japanese occupation there was (a) some freedom (b) much freedom
(c) no freedom of speech and press.
_____ 10. The Japanese general responsible for the Bataan Death march was (a)
Yamashita (b) Homa (c) Tojo.

(SEE NO. 4 OF “INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT”)

 History I
Module IV

Lesson 3. LIBERATION AND RESTORATION OF THE

COMMONWEALTH

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. evaluate the Japanese situation in the Philippines by the year 1944;
2. trace the route of the Allied Forces in the liberation of the Philippines;
3. understand why the Allies landed in Leyte and not in Mindanao;
4. know the activities of the Philippine Commonwealth Government-in-Exile;
5. appreciate the efforts of President Sergio Osmeña in solving the problems of
the newly-restored Commonwealth government;
6. realize how the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit contributed to the relief of the
civilians during liberation;
7. trace the paths followed by the American liberation forces in the liberation of
the Philippines.

The return of the Allied Forces to the Philippines was a long and arduous series of
“island hopping” operations. The American naval and marine forces fought their way
from the northern vicinity of Australia to the islands of Solomon, New Guinea and
Morotai. From here, many places in eastern Indonesia and the Philippines were within
bombing range. Territorial losses during the early part of the war were being recovered
and the way to the Philippines was being paved. Air strikes were undertaken in Luzon,
Mindanao, and the Visayas. At this time, the plan to have the Allied landing in
Mindanao was changed to a better strategy – the idea to land in Leyte in the Visayas was
conceived.

Landing in Leyte. On October 20, 1944 huge American and other Allied Forces
under the personal command of General Douglas MacArthur, commander-in-chief in the
Southwest Pacific, landed on Leyte island in the center of the Philippines. After securing
the first beachhead in the Philippines through the surfs of Leyte Gulf, General
MacArthur, President Osmeña and Gen. Carlos Romulo landed side by side up to the
shore and saw the Philippine flag and American flag raised together over two coconut
trees. Immediately the Civil government was established in Leyte, and the
Commonwealth Government was declared restored on Philippine soil.

Upon landing in Leyte, Gen. Douglas MacArthur made a proclamation which said
in part:
“I have returned by the grace of Almighty Go; our forces stand again on
Philippine soil --- soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have
come dedicated and committed to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy
control over your daily lives…”

Likewise, President Sergio Osmeña made a proclamation, which states as follows:

“Our forces have struck. We are pressing forward. The enemy is being
destroyed. Long live the Philippines.”

The landings were preceded by devastating air and naval bombardments in which
U.S. 7 Fleet and 3rd Fleet, Australian warships, and the R.A.A.F. played a supporting
th

part. The Japanese was caught unaware and the landing operations were achieved with
only slight casualties on the Allies. Men, tanks, and heavy equipments were streaming
ashore and advanced inland. In an abrupt change of tactics, the Japanese Air Force sent
land-based bombers from the Visayan islands for an assault on American ships in Leyte
Gulf. Not a single American ship was lost in this encounter.

The Japanese were prepared for a strong defense in southern Mindanao, but the
battle of the Philippine Sea gave the Americans a clue that Japanese defense in the
Visayas was weak. The once intended point of re-entry into the Philippines was at
Sarangani Bay in Southern Mindanao.

Two of the escort carrier group stayed in Leyte to support the troops ashore. The
third escort carrier direct its efforts against enemy airfields in Cebu, Negros, Panay,
Southern Mindanao, and Bohol. The idea was to get the airplanes at the source before
they could take off to attack the forces in Leyte.

Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Two weeks after the landing in Leyte, the
United States election for president was held. The Democratic Party unanimously
renominated Roosevelt for a fourth term with Harry S. Truman as his running mate. The
vote of November 7, 1944 registered a decisive victory once more for the president. But
the president was not destined to see the end of the war. While taking a much-need rest
at Warm Springs, Georgia, he suddenly died of as cerebral hemorrhage on April 12,
1945. He was the only president of the United States ever to be elected for four times.

The Restoration of the Commonwealth. From August to October 1944, the tide
of war decidedly turned in favor of the United States, as American planes began to bomb
targets in the Philippines. On October 20, 1944, the main attack force of 174,000
American troops, ferried by an armada of 700 warships, landed at Leyte. After the first
wave of Marine troops had made a beachhead, General MacArthur waded ashore, at Red
Beach, near Palo, Leyte, accompanied by President Osmeña, General Carlos P. Romulo
and General Basilio Valdez. "I have returned", MacArthur told the jubilant Filipino
nation.

On October 23, the Commonwealth Government was declared restored, with

Tacloban as the temporary capital.

Japan's Collapse in Leyte. The liberation forces of General MacArthur

encountered stubborn resistance in Leyte. Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita rushed
reinforcements to Leyte by ships and by planes. The Americans, using new carbines,
flame-throwers, amphibian tanks, and faster fighter planes, smashed the enemy at all
sectors of the island. In fanatical desperation, Japanese suicide pilots known as kamikaze
crashed their planes on the American transports and warships at Leyte Gulf.

While the land battles raged furiously on the island, the Japanese fleet sailed out
in three columns towards Leyte Gulf, bent on destroying MacArthur's armada and
trapping him on the island. The first column Japan's central fleet, coming from
Singapore, steamed past Palawan and through San Bernardino Strait (Samar); the second
column, the southern force, coming from Borneo, approached Surigao Strait on its way to
Leyte Gulf; and the third column, the northern force, coming from Formosa, rushed
southward and entered Surigao Strait. These three Japanese naval forces were
intercepted by the American task forces under Rear-Admiral J.B. Oldendorf, Admiral
William F. Halsey, and Rear-Admiral Thomas L. Sprague, and were annihilated in a
series of naval engagements off Samar, Cape Engaño, and Surigao Strait. These three
engagements, fought on October 23-26, 1944, were collectively called the "Second Battle
of the Philippine Sea" or the "Battle for Leyte Gulf".
 The decisive naval victory of the Americans paved the way for the liberation of
the Philippines. After the defeat of the Japanese navy, General Tomokuyi Yamashita,
successor of General Juroda as Commander-in-chief of the Japanese forces in the
Philippines boasted that he would wipe out the Americans.

Last Days of Japanese Occupation. On December 21, 1944, President Laurel

and his Cabinet moved to Baguio. The Japanese forces also retreated to the "Yamashita
Line", a battlefront stretching along the jungle of Sierra Madre from Antipolo to Aparri.
In the course of their retreat, the Japanese pillaged Filipino homes, commandeered rice,
chickens, carabaos, horses, pushcarts, and bicycles; tortured and massacred innocent
civilians; and burned the towns and villages.

On December 15, another American landing was effected at Mindoro, thereby

bringing MacArthur closer to Manila. Meanwhile the American planes were busy
blasting Japanese shipping, airfields, fortifications, and other military installations in
Luzon and other islands.

On January 9, 1945, General MacArthur struck Luzon, landing in full force at

Lingayen. The Filipino guerrillas and civilians, who had waited for three long years for
his return, welcomed him. The liberating Yanks, reinforced by the fighting guerrillas,
rushed towards Manila. All Japanese opposition on the way collapsed before the
irresistible advance of the liberators.

Liberation of Manila. On February 5, the advance units of the first Cavalry

crossed the river in amphibian tanks. They were reinforced by the infantrymen of the
37th Division, who had entered the city from the north. Elements of the 11th Airborne
Division who has parachuted down on Tagaytay Ridge, entered from the south. The
Japanese forces in South Manila, trapped by the converging American columns, fought
with fanatical courage. Crazed by their desperate situation, they plunged Paco, Ermita,
Malate, and Intramuros in a ruthless orgy of rape, destruction, and blood. They burned
private homes, government buildings, beautiful colleges, and historic churches. They
destroyed valuable books, documents, furniture, and art objects. They massacred
hundreds upon hundreds of helpless civilians, men, women, and children. They spared
nobody. They killed even the harmless priest and nuns, including the Jesuit fathers of the
Ateneo de Manila, the Christian Brothers of De La Salle College, and Sisters of St.
Escolastica, Santa Teresa, Assumption, Santa Isabel, and Santa Catalina Colleges.
 On February 7, as these Japanese atrocities were taking place in South Manila,
General MacArthur entered the city from north. He was warmly welcomed by the
liberated internees and the population. He saw the raging battle across the river. His
heart felt heavy with sorrow to see the ravages committed by the enemy on the brave
Christian city which he had loved so much.

On February 23, 1945, the bloody Battle of Manila ended. Manila lay prostrate
amid the sad ruins of her once historical churches, swanky edifices and beautiful
colleges.

Battles for Liberation of the Philippines. General MacArthur continued his

attacks against the Japanese. A series of amphibious landings and air attacks were made
in various parts of the Philippines still in enemy hands. On February 15, 1945, the Yanks
landed at Mariveles. On the following day, combined air and sea landings were effected
at Corregidor. On February 23, the Filipino guerrillas, assisted by American airborne and
infantry troops, liberated the Allied internees at Los Baños.

With lightning-like strokes, General MacArthur struck at various other points of

the Japanese-occupied Philippines. Palawan was invaded on March 1; Panay on March
18; Romblon and Zamboanga, on March 29; Masbate on April 2; Bohol on April 11;
Cotabato on April 19; and Davao on May 4. All these places were liberated by the
Americans.

The Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU). It was for the purpose of giving
immediate relief to the suffering people as soon as areas were liberated that the Philippine
Civil Affairs Unit was created by the Southwest Pacific Army (SWPA) General
Headquarters. They knew the experience in previous campaigns that, generally, during
the landings and subsequent periods of active fighting there would be chaos and
dislocations among the civilians. In order to care for the civilians and to free the
commanding General from the burden of handling civil affairs, PCAU’s accompanied
each task force. They were not, however, combat units although they were under the
direct command of the commanding General of the Army.

The policy in Civil Affairs was to render all possible assistance to the Filipino
people through:
 1. The re-establishment of the national, provincial and municipal organs of
government throughout the islands.
2. The extension of emergency relief in the supply of essential food, clothing,
and medicine to the Filipino people.
3. The provisions for hospitalization of the sick and wounded and shelter for the
homeless.
4. The transfer to appropriate agencies of government of full responsibility
covering all of these and related civil matters as rapidly as such action could
be taken without manifest prejudice to the interest of the people.

A system of wholesalers, retailers and agents was set up by the PCAU to provide
everyone with the items available. Foodstuffs, clothes and shoes were distributed in the
various municipalities. All confiscated Japanese goods were distributed where they were
needed.

Pertaining to currency, the new Victory Series of the Philippine money was used.
The rate of exchange was two Victory pesos to one U.S. dollar.

Liberation of the Philippines. On July 5, 1945, General MacArthur announced

the liberation of the Philippines. His communiqué declared that "the entire Philippine
Islands are now liberated and the Philippine campaign can be regarded as virtually
closed."

General Yamashita, with his surviving Japanese troops, was trapped in his
stronghold in the mountains of Northern Luzon. The once proud Japanese conquerors
were held at bay and where on the verge of inevitable collapse.

The End of War. On May 6, 1945 the war in Europe came to a close because of
Germany's surrender to the Allied Powers. This was called V&E day, meaning,
"Victory-in-Europe-Day". But the war in the Pacific continued. The Japanese warlords
still defied the Allies.

What brought Japan finally to her knees were the horrible atomic bombs. The
first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and it wiped out 60% of
the city. Two days later, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. On August 9,
Nagasaki felt the terrific explosion of this second atomic bomb: 40% of the city vanished.
Unable to carry on the struggle and at the public behest of Emperor Hirohito, Japan
finally surrendered unconditionally on August 15, 1945. Two days later President
Laurel, a refugee on Nara, Japan, dissolved the "Republic of the Philippines."

On September 2, 1945, the war with Japan ended. On this day, called V-J Day
(Victory in Japan Day) the formal ceremony of Japan's surrender was held on board the
USS Missouri at Tokyo Bay. General MacArthur, newly appointed Supreme
Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan, presided over the historic
ceremonies.

Restoration of the Commonwealth. President Osmeña, with calm courage and

quiet dignity, tackled the arduous task of rehabilitating and reconstituting the land which
had been cruelly ravaged by war. He reestablished the pre-war bureaus and offices and
created new ones to meet the exigencies of the times. He reorganized the Cabinet and the
Council State. He distributed relief commodities to indigent families, reestablished the
provincial and municipal governments, reopened the schools and colleges, and
rehabilitated the industries, trade, transportation, and communication.

On June 9, 1945, the First Congress of the Philippines met for the first time since
the election of its members on November 11, 1941. Senator Manuel A. Roxas, former
brigadier-general in the USAFFE, was chosen President of the Senate, with Senator
Elpidio Quirino as President Pro-Tempore; while Representative Jose C. Zulueta became
speaker of the House of Representatives, with Representative Prospero Sanidad as
Speaker Pro-Tempore. This Congress passed various measures concerning the
rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Philippines.

Last Commonwealth Election. The last anniversary of the Commonwealth of

the Philippines, marking the 10th year of its existence was celebrated on November 15,
1945. At this time President Osmeña was in Washington. D.C., where he was busy trying
to secure aid from the United States government for the relief and rehabilitation of the
war-torn Philippines.

The term of office of President Osmeña was drawing to a close. The national
election, the last under the Commonwealth regime, was set on April 23, 1946. Senate
President Roxas and his friends defected from the Nacionalista Party and formed their
own party, the Liberal Party. Two major political parties thus arose to contend for their
national offices; namely the Nacionalista party, with Sergio Osmeña and Senator Eulogio
Rodriguez as official candidates for President and Vice-President, respectively; and the
Liberal Party, with Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino as standard-bearers for President
and Vice-President, respectively. Of the several minor parties, only the Modernist Party
presented official candidates for President and Vice-President; namely, Hilario C.
Moncado, and Lou Salvador.

The election of April 23, 1946 resulted in the triumph of the Liberal Party. Roxas
and Quirino were elected President and Vice-President, respectively. Their party won
nine out of 16 contested senatorial seats, making a total of 13 Liberals and 11
Nacionalistasin the Senate and 60 out of the 98 seats in the House of Representatives.
President Osmeña, on hearing the news of his political defeat, accepted the verdict of the
people and congratulated the victor.

On the sunny morning of May 26, 1946, Roxas was inaugurated amidst
impressive ceremonies as the last President of the Philippine Commonwealth. The
inaugural ceremonies were held on the grounds of the ruined, shell-blasted Legislative
Building and were witnessed by a mammoth crowd of 200,000 people. The outgoing
President, the dignified, gray-haired Osmeña, accompanied the youthful Roxas to the
scene of the ceremonies, wished the latter a sincere good luck, and drove away to a well-
earned retirement. Earlier that same day, he issued a farewell message to the Filipino
people expressing his gratitude for having been given the opportunity to serve them for
more than 40 years, facilitating his worthy successor, President Roxas, humbly thanking
God for the realization of Philippine independence, and announcing his retirement to
private life.

The climax of the inaugural ceremonies was the inaugural address of President
Roxas as the third and last President of the Philippine Commonwealth. Speaking in
magnificent English and sonorous eloquence, he voiced the gratitude of the Filipino
nation to the United States and acknowledged Quezon, Osmeña, and other heroes of the
race.

From Commonwealth to Republic. From May 28, when Roxas was

inaugurated as the last President of the Commonwealth, to July 4, 1946, the scheduled
date of the proclamation of the Philippine Independence, President Roxas prepared the
groundwork for the advent of a free and independent Philippines. He was ably assisted
by the Congress of the Philippines, which was organized on May 25, with Senator Jose
Avelino as President of the Senate, and Eugenio Perez as Speaker of the House of
Representatives. On June 3, 1946, President Roxas appeared for the first time before the
joint session of the Congress to deliver his message on the state of the nation. Among
other things, he informed the members of the Congress of the grave problems and
difficulties facing the country.

(SEE NOS. 3,4 AND 5 OF "INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT")

History I
Module IV

Lesson 3
SELF-PROGRESS CHECK TEST

True or False: On the blank before each number, write the word True if the
statement is true and False if it is otherwise.

_______ 1. The Battle of the Philippine Sea made the Americans decide to land in Leyte.
_______ 2. To liberate Manila the American invasion forces landed in Aparri and
Legaspi.
_______ 3. The return of the Allied Forces to the Philippines was a long and difficult
series of battles from island to island.
_______ 4. The landing in Leyte was achieved with little casualties on the Allied side.
_______ 5. From Leyte, the Allies landed in Masbate to be near Manila.
_______ 6. The Japanese retreat from Manila was marked by heavy destruction of life
and property.
_______ 7. The commander of the armed forces of the Japanese in the Philippines at the
time of the Allied liberation of the Philippines was Gen. Yamashita.
_______ 8. The Japanese’s final surrender to Gen. MacArthur on September 2, 1946 was
held in Manila.
_______ 9. The first capital of liberated Philippines was Tacloban.
_______ 10. The Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) was part of the Allied Army who
attended to the needs of the civilians.

(SEE NO. 4 OF "INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT")

History I
Module IV

ANSWER KEY

LESSON 1
1. Commonwealth of the Philippines
2. Woodrow Wilson
3. OsRox (Osmeña-Roxas)
4. Quezon
5. Tydings McDuffie
6. Claro M. Recto
7. Tomas Cabili
8. U.S. President Roosevelt
9. Manuel L. Quezon
10. British Empire

LESSON 2 LESSON 3
1. c 1. True
2. b 2. False
3. a 3. True
4. c 4. True
5. a 5. False
6. b 6. True
7. a 7. True
8. b 8. False
9. c 9. True
10. b 10. True