Needed: A strong moral foundation

In the wake of the current Senate investigations of corruption in the military, impeachment cries in the House of Representatives against the Ombudsman and Supreme Court justices, the mass murders in Mindanao, a growing culture of violence and impunity, public officials should know:

“Man lives in the triple world, physical, intellectual and moral: that physical and mental vigor (mens sana corpora sano) is not enough. but that man’s life must be dominated by moral principles....history and posterity will judge us not so much with what we say as by what we do.”

“We must serve only one master — our country. We must follow only one voice — the voice of the people. The welfare of the people is the supreme purpose of all governments on earth.”

These quotations are ageless; it applies to all Filipinos in or out of public service — specially now!

It comes from President Jose P. Laurel, the only Filipino leader who served the Legislative, the Judiciary and the Executive branches of government in his lifetime. He was chief executive during the perilous war years 1943 to 1945 when we were occupied by Japan and its military forces ravaged almost the entire Southeast Asian region. 

And he lived by example; steadfastly stood by his morals and principles — in war or in peace.

Laurel’s dedication to the ideal public service concept was manifested after Japan gave “independence” to the Philippines on October 14, 1943. Laurel was elected President. He showed true grit and nationalism under so much pressure from the Japanese occupation forces.

(When Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon and Vice President Sergio Osmeña Sr. fled with Gen. Douglas MacArthur to the US via Australia after Bataan fell to the Japanese invading forces, Quezon ordered Laurel to stay behind and “protect” the country and the people).

One of his first official acts as president was to order the Japanese military guards out of Malacanang and forced the wartime occupation forces to show the world the Philippine was truly “independent.”

When Japanese wartime prime minister Adm. Hideki Tojo wanted to conscript Filipinos into the Japanese military (as they did the Koreans and the Taiwanese), Laurel refused because “no one will follow — I will be a leader without followers.”

Japan wanted Laurel to declare war on the United States. His diplomatic reply was a statement on Sept. 22, 1944:

“A state of war exists between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America and Great Britain, effective September 23, 1944, at 10:00 o’clock in the morning.” 

Later, on his September 26. 1944 radio broadcast Laurel explained “this is an official confirmation or recognition of an existing condition, a war which is not of our own making.”

As Justice Secretary under the Commonwealth cabinet of President Quezon, Laurel worked with US Army major Dwight D. Eisenhower to enshrine the National Defense Act, which enabled the organization of the armed forces of the Philippines including the establishment of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio.

Earlier, as delegate to the 1935 Constitutional convention he authored the Bill of Rights article. As member of the Philippine Assembly, he authored the bill giving suffrage to women.

Laurel obviously knew even early in his life, after his schooling in the US (Yale) and Europe, that politics, economics, and education are inseparable vital factors in national development.

He said: “we should cooperate in the building up of our national economy, and where we can actively produce we should at least, as a matter of patriotic duty, buy locally made products in preference to imported goods.”

One watershed episode in Laurel’s life historians never failed to mention was the time he led a cabinet crisis in the 1923 cabinet of American Governor-General Leonard Wood. Laurel was the Secretary of Interior, the youngest cabinet member at 32.

Laurel resigned his post in the Wood cabinet in protest against the reinstatement by Wood of American detective Ray Conley. Laurel suspended Conley on corruption and immorality charges – an administrative case. But Wood reversed Laurel’s action.

Laurel resigned after complying with his chief’s order and directed Manila Mayor Ramon J. Fernandez to reinstate Conley.

In his resignation letter, Laurel said “I cannot conscientiously continue as Secretary of Interior and at the same time have under my department a man who I am convinced, is dishonest. ...” (Mayor Fernandez also consequently resigned).

To help insure that the young Filipinos after him will be upright citizens and leaders of a better nation-State, Laurel founded in 1952 the school, now known as the Lyceum of the Philippines University, bedrocked on the motto: Veritas et Fortitudo, Pro Deo et Patria (Truth and Fortitude, for God and for Country).

Today, March 9, 2011 is both the 59th Foundation Day of the Lyceum of the Philippines University and the 120th birthday anniversary of President Jose P. Laurel, once a President, Senator, Supreme Court Justice in his lifetime and forever a Filipino nationalist and ideal public servant.