The second Philippine Republic

Download or read book The second Philippine Republic written by John Edward E. Alfonso and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Governments are established to ensure the welfare of the people. This was the concern of the Commonwealth Government when the Japanese forces arrived and occupied the Philippines in 1946. Before leaving the country to avoid capture, President Manuel L. Quezon entrusted the responsibility of looking after the safety of the people to a select group of officials who were left behind to handle the affairs of the State. Among them was Jose P. Laurel who would be chosen to lead the Second Philippine Republic during the Japanese Occupation. He used the powers granted to him by the Republic to enact policies designed to ameliorate the sufferings of the citizens. As president, Laurel was able to protect a number of persons from being captured, executed, and even from being drafted into the army by the Japanese. He ordered the planting of food crops from any available lands and distributed food to the hungry masses. Although there were some unavoidable casualties resulting from the uncontrollable brutalities of the Japanese, Laurel did all in his power to save as many as he can. The Collaboration issue after the war, however, is a clear manifestation of the division of the people’s views regarding the actions of the officials. But as Laurel’s trial proceeded, more and more people realized the reality that Laurel was not a traitor. He was a patriot who defended his countrymen from greater harm. Through his actions, Laurel kept to the orders of UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS GRADUATE SCHOOL PAGE 4 Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon and secured the welfare of the people. He performed his duty to the Filipino people and showed how much he loved them at a time of peril. President Jose P. Laurel deserves to be recorded in the history of the Philippines as a hero whom the Filipinos can be proud of. This study delves into how Laurel, President of the Second Philippine Republic, steered its course to promote the interest of the Filipinos. An examination of primary and secondary documents in the light of the Stewardship Theory was made to assess Laurel’s actions in securing the welfare of the people. An analysis was done to construct a meaningful narrative supplying the historical methodology that links the situation of the country then, how Laurel acted in response, and the results of his actions.