Dr. Jose P. Laurel
Dr. Jose P. Laurel
Dr. Jose P. Laurel
LAUREL
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Jose P. Laurel
▸ Among Filipino leaders who dominated the national stage during the
first six decades of the 20th century, the one who most deserves the
title of philosopher of democracy and economic nationalism is the late
Dr. Jose P. Laurel. Many Filipinos in those eventful decades spoke and
wrote of democracy as well as of economic nationalism, in the
political, academic and educational fields, with competence and
sometimes brilliance, but none presented or committed to print a
whole body of ideas, beliefs, and convictions on these two great
issues of the world of the 20th century better or more
comprehensively than the Sage of Tanauan whose name literally
became a by-word in Philippine politics, education, and economics in
the years following the establishment of Philippine Independence.
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More than any of his contemporaries, Dr. Laurel understood clearly the
problem that democracy must need to face in the Philippines that was
for the first time politically sovereign since the Filipinos’ brief experience
with this form of government and political faith in 1898 to 1899. More
than any of his contemporaries, Dr. Laurel also understood sharply the
role of economic and cultural nationalism in the building of a democratic
society in a developing country which is heir to all the defects and
weaknesses caused by long centuries of domination by Western powers.
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▸ After resigning from the Cabinet, Laurel opened a law office, taught
in various law schools in Manila, and began his long career as a
publicist in the course of which he was to write something like 50
books and treatises covering a wide variety of subjects. In 1924 he
was elected Senator of the Fifth District and became Majority Floor
Leader. In the Constitutional Convention of 1934 to 1935, Laurel was
elected as a delegate of Batangas. He headed the committee on the
Bill of Rights and aside from that, he was named a member of the
Committee of Seven which was given the task of hammering into
shape the final draft of the Constitution.
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▸ Laurel, easily the most astute, circumspect, and
courageous among men around President Quezon when
the Pacific War broke out and the Philippines was invaded
by Japan, was left to match wits with the Japanese and to
do all he could to minimize the rigors of an enemy
occupation. For Dr. Laurel’s role during the enemy
occupation, he was awarded the Philippine Legion of
Honor, Degree of Commander, thus symbolizing the
official attitude and evaluation of the government itself
with respect to his difficult role during the Japanese
Occupation.
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