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Jose P. Laurel: An Annotated Bio-Bibliography, 1918-1974
Jose P. Laurel: An Annotated Bio-Bibliography, 1918-1974
LAUREL
An Annotated Bio-Bibliography,
1918-1974
1922 - The Cabinet Member
JOSE P. LAUREL
(1891-1959)
His life and all that he stood and fought for is the
testimony of his people's character and ideals, a
source of inspiration and pride of his country and
race.
JOSE P. LAUREL
(1891-1959)
THE LIFE OF
JOSE P. LAUREL
THE LIFE OF JOSE P. LAUREL
Jacoba Garcia
Sotero Laurel
Sotero Laurel, scion of an illustrious family of Tanauan, Batangas,
studied law at University of Sto. Tomas. He had dreams of pursuing
his studies in Spain, where intellectuals, rich and the leaders of his
county sought knowledge and recognition. His father's death,
changed his plans as he was left with task of looking after the affairs
of the family. He married Jacoba Garcia, a sweet, mild-mannered
and thoughtful girl of his town.
Emilio Aguinaldo
LAUREL AS A
YOUNG MAN AND
STUDENT
LAUREL AS A YOUNG MAN AND STUDENT
Orphaned at young and tender age, he cause his mother deep concern
for his safety, welfare and future. He found more interest in
countryside, hunting and swimming in rivers, than attending classes.
His abhorrence for classroom was his way of rebelling against harsh
system of discipline of Spanish system of education. His teachers
gave up on him.
He study at San Juan de Letran, where his father had studied. He got
good marks in some subjects, like Latin and Algebra. Jose failed his
first year in Letran because a failure in one subject becomes a failure
in all. This was a disappointment to his mother who placed high
expectation in young boy and hoped that he would follow in his
father's footsteps.
LAUREL AS A YOUNG MAN AND STUDENT
While studying at Manila High School he had to work for his school fare. Among his
classmates at were Elpidio Quirino, whom many years later he had to fight in political
battle, General Basilio Valdez, and others who later became stalwarts in their respective
careers. Because of inexperience, he had no choice but to settle
for a job where he felt his little knowledge of Latin would keep him in good
stead. He worked in church as an acolyte to pay for his room and board.
The daily early morning chores in church greatly influenced his life.
His daily participation at mass as "sacristan" deeply cut in him the virtues
of self-sacrifice, self-effacement and humility. These virtues were to
mark him as sharply different from the other great men of our time.
Elpidio
LAUREL AS A YOUNG MAN AND STUDENT
In 1911, he graduated from high school with high honors. In same year he married
Paciencia Hidalgo, a beautiful, patient and understanding lass of his town. At the same
time, he enrolled in College of Law at University of the Philippines.
Because he had to work his law course and with responsibility of
supporting a family, he looked for another job. He found one at Office
of the Code Committee. He developed kinship of mind with man who
headed the Committee, Justice Thomas Atkins Street, whose philosophy
greatly influenced him. It was during tutelage of the outstanding
American lawyer that he came into association with other great
legal minds such as Francisco Ortigas and Manuel Araullo,
who became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
Philippines.
Paciencia Hidalgo
LAUREL AS A YOUNG MAN AND STUDENT
He sailed for United States in 1918 together with other Filipino pensionados who were to
become great men of the country. He matriculated at Yale University, bent on mastering
constitutional law. Armed with same zeal and determination
that flushed him out from his truant days in his hometown, he made
name for himself in campus of the famous American University.
• Jose P. Laurel's resolve to correct himself was good measure of his strong will and
headstrong courage.
• It also served him in good stead during horrifying Japanese occupation
• Gentle as father that he was to his brood of nine children, he imposed same
dedication and spirit that he had.
• He built solid family that is a
model of his country and his
own philosophy.
Seated, from left to right: Rosenda (Mrs. Avancena), Doña Paciencia, President
Laurel, Natividad (Mrs. Guinto), and Potenciana (Mrs. Ypuangco).
Standing, from left to right: Salvador (former Senator, Assemblyman, and Vice-
President), Sotero (former President of Lyceum, former Assemblyman, and former
Senate President Pro Tempore), Jose B. Jr. (former Speaker of the House), Jose S.
III (former Ambassador to Japan), Mariano (banker), and Arsenio (race car driver).
President Jose P. Laurel and his wife, Paciencia, with their children.
LAUREL AS A MAN, FATHER AND HUSBAND
Dr. Jose P. Laurel was the only Filipino to reach top-rung positions in
all three branches of our government.
As a glowing tribute the Manila Times says in its editorial of November 7,1959:
He and he alone risked the contumely and stigma attached to working with the invader, a
mission which brought him, together with a dubious distinction he never sought, the
knowledge that he had truly carried out his mission: the protection of his fellow-
countrymen. This and this alone was his goal in accepting a burden that would have
crushed a smaller-spirited man."
LAUREL, THE
PRESIDENT
LAUREL, THE PRESIDENT
• The end of war found him, with some of his associates in war-time government, in
Japan, and in jail, not because he refused to declare war against United States and allow
his countrymen to be conscripted to Japanese army and war, but
because Americans accused him of collaboration with the Japanese.
• Isolated from his family and countrymen and languishing in
Japanese jail for more than a year while awaiting adjudication and
disposition of his case by the American occupation forces and his
own government, he found time and peace within the confine of
his prison cell to write his memoirs.
LAUREL, THE PRESIDENT
• He did across pages of book, The World in 2030 AD by
Earl of Birkenhead, handed over to him by his young
son, Salvador Laurel.
• In July 1946, Laurel and other members of his party
charged with collaboration were brought back to
Philippines to face charges filed against them in
Philippine courts.
• Arriving in military transport plane, he was mobbed by
great throng of people who welcomed him with loving
sympathy as their hero.
• In court trials, government case against Laurel was
unpopular and generated so much heat and divisive rather
than unifying that President Roxas was forced to issue
general amnesty proclamation covering all political
offenses committed during the war.
LAUREL, THE PRESIDENT
• In 1949, Nacionalista Party drafted him as standard bearer of party for presidency of the
Philippines.
• It was bitter fight between him and Elpidio Quirino. Laurel won people's vote but lost
count in what was considered as most fraudulent election procedure committed in
country.
• Running for senator in succeeding election of 1951, he gathered highest majority and
number of votes ever received by candidate up to that time and served to vindicate him
from ignominy of collaboration issue and fraudulent elections of 1949 to which he never
conceded defeat.
LAUREL AS A
LEGISLATOR
LAUREL AS A LEGISLATOR
• After twenty years since his first stint in Senate, Laurel's second term was marked
with dedicated legislative maturity.
"He authored and sponsored fundamental legislations which are Republic Act No. 1425,
included in curriculum of all public and private colleges and universities courses on life
and works of Jose Rizal, particularly Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and
Republic Act No. 1124 that created by Board of National Education charged with duty
of formulating general educational policies and directing educational interests of our
nation".
• During his second stint in Senate, he found occasion to publish his thoughts and
ideas on education in his book entitled Moral and Educational Orientation for
Filipinos.
• Legislature of Philippines during Laurel's terms in it was made all richer by glow of
his giant mind.
LAUREL AS AN
EDUCATOR
LAUREL AS AN EDUCATOR
• Laurel dutifully labored hard and by force of his dynamic leadership, and skill at
negotiation, he won the admiration and respect of his counter-part, Dr. James Langley,
and American people.
• After eight months of successful negotiation he came
back from the United States with the
revised trade agreement known as the
Laurel-Langley Agreement.