Philippine Council of State

“ During the Philippine Revolution, a number of her sons volunteered to fight and die side by side with their Filipino comrades-in-arms. Nor was that all. Long before the outbreak of the current Greater East Asia War, her Imperial Government freely and unreservedly declared that she had no territorial ambition in the Philippines. This declaration the Imperial Japanese Forces reaffirmed when they occupied Manila early last year. They had come here, they announced, merely to fulfill Japan's "sacred mission, the establishment of Asia for the Asians, the Philippines for the Filipinos." ”

“ Let us build and reconstruct our country and heal the wounds of the past, for it is only in this way that we can realize within the shortest possible time our supreme aspiration to be free and independent. ”

“ Why continue resisting those who have honestly, sincerely, and bravely shown by deed that they are really doing their best to make us free? Japan could have treated us as a conquered enemy, imprisoned our soldiers for the duration of the war, and devastated our country. ”

“ We have a common cause, a common destiny. Let us all cooperate with our true liberators to the limit of our capacity and ability. Let the misguided remnants of the USAFFE who are still hiding in the mountains abandon any futile resistance which at best can only mean unnecessary sufferings and sacrifices of our people. ”

“ To normal life let everybody return as the rest of us have done, certain that it is there, and not in the fastness of the mountains, where we all can best strive for the peace, happiness, and prosperity of our fatherland. ”

“ True to her lofty and ennobling mission, Japan went farther. She avowed through her Premier, General Hideki Tozyo, before the Imperial Diet on January 21, 1942, that: "As regards the Philippines, if the peoples of those Islands will hereafter understand the real intentions of Nippon and offer to cooperate with us as one of the partners for the establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, Nippon will gladly enable them to enjoy the honor of independence." ”