“Give All the Support That You Can Give”

Message to the National Assembly

Of His Excellency Jose P. Laurel
President of the Philippines

[October 18, 1943]

Mr. Speaker, Gentlemen, and Lady of the National Assembly:

I have come this morning in my official capacity as President of our beloved Republic to
greet you on this first day of the special session of our Legislature. I have not come to
lend dignity or solemnity that you need because you have them both. With your
determination to do your duty with your known patriotism, and with the greatest title that
any Filipino can have nowadays, namely that of a citizen of the Republic of the
Philippines, you do not need the President of your Republic to come here and dignify this
solemn occasion. On the other hand, with the Speaker that you have as the head of our
Legislature—who is known to be one of the most patriotic citizens of this Republic,
whose greatest title to fame and glory notwithstanding his youth, is the crowning
achievement that he has made in his public career both as a public official and as a
Filipino—here, the presence likewise of the Chief Executive would seem unnecessary to
lend dignity and solemnity to the first meeting or the first day of the special session of
this Legislature.

I have not come either to read to you my message to this Special Session, because that
message has already been sent to you and I am sure your distinguished Speaker and you,
gentlemen, are quite familiar with the recommendations that I have made. If I have come
this morning, it is because I desire to transmit to you the little that has been done by the
Executive Department during the period of three days since the inauguration of our
Republic. It is not my duty; I am under no obligation to appear every time that the
Legislature meets in order to report what has been done or what has been accomplished
by the Chief Executive, but realizing the necessity of complete understanding and
harmony, conscious of that necessity of bringing about cohesion and integration between
the Legislative and the Executive, I have come this morning to give you information,
first, as regards the felicitations and the recognition accorded the Philippine Republic,
and secondly to ask you help in the passage of certain measures which are of prime or
primordial importance.

According to the information received by the Executive, the following countries have
recorded recognition to the Republic of the Philippines: Japan, Germany, China,
Manchuokuo, Thailand, and, by implication, Burma. And I say “by implication, Burma”
because we have not received any official recognition but simply a telegram of
congratulation. It is expected also that the Republic will receive similar recognition from
the other friendly countries of the world. In addition to this official recognition accorded
the Republic of the Philippines, we have also received numerous felicitations from
foreign governments.
It is essential that this Body should immediately enact a law—and this, I believe, I have
already recommended in my special message—creating the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
so that we may immediately carry on our international relations not only with Japan but
with the other countries not only of Greater East Asia but of the entire world. In addition,
you must have been apprised of the fact that the Imperial Government of Japan has
already accredited to the Republic of the Philippines an Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary and it is fitting and proper, as an independent nation, that we likewise, in
response to that implied recognition right from the start on the part of the Government of
Japan, also send an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan as a sign of
international courtesy and appreciation for her having sent us her Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

We cannot delay the carrying on of international relations not only with Japan but with
the other countries of the world, but in the meantime, Japan having sent us her
ambassador, it is our duty at once to send to that country an ambassador who would
represent the Philippines in her international relations in that country. This, by
implication, of course means that at the same time we should add to our departmental
organization—even at the risk of somewhat modifying the existing departmental
organization—by necessity the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

My appearance this morning is also for another purpose. And it is to show to our people
and to convince the members of this Legislature that notwithstanding the central ideal of
creating a centralized government and therefore a strong executive, the Executive alone
must need the support and cooperation of the Legislature. The Executive alone cannot go
very far and cannot do much, particularly in the adoption of measures calculated to
promote the general interest and the general welfare of our people without legislative
action or without the concurrence of this Body in many official acts of the Executive.

The appropriation of funds without which no plan can possibly be carried into effect rests
with the Legislature. In accordance with the principle that we have inserted in our
Constitution no expenditure of public money can be made except in pursuance of a lawful
appropriation, and a lawful appropriation can be made only by the National Assembly. In
the reorganization of our government in order to effect simplicity, efficiency and
economy that, likewise, cannot be done without legislative action as indicated by the fact
that, as I have said, in order to create an additional Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this
Legislature has to create that Ministry to permit the Chief Executive to appoint a Minister
of Foreign Affairs and to carry on the international relationship which we must carry on
as an independent country.

And the grant to general amnesty to political offenders under the Constitution must
receive the concurrence of this Body so that even in the matter of extension of the benign
policy of this new Republic to pardon political offenders and to invite our brothers in the
mountains and the recalcitrant elements of our society to help us in the task of
reconstruction and rehabilitation, even that needs the concurrence of the National
Assembly.
In the matter of making or entering into treaties, the Executive also needs the concurrence
of the National Assembly, and many more may be mentioned in which under the
Constitution of the Republic, notwithstanding the establishment of a strong, centralized
government, the concurrence, the cooperation and the collaboration of the National
Assembly are so vital and so necessary that nothing may in reality be done to achieve
efficacy and efficiency even to the point of relieving our masses from their suffering
without the action of this Assembly or without its concurrence.

I have mentioned this point in order to emphasize the fact that it is not the Executive that
governs alone, it is not the responsibility that is his exclusively; it is a common
responsibility, and justly enough, because the bringing about of the happiness and
prosperity of our own people cannot be the task of one man, it cannot be a glory of one
man; it is a common and joint enterprise of the whole Filipino nation and it is a
responsibility that must be accepted and faced even to the limit.

I stated in the beginning that I have come to report on certain matters which in the brief
period of three days I have already undertaken to do. First, as Chief Executive of our
nation, and in accordance with what is provided in the Constitution, I have created the
Council of State by appointing venerable men to constitute that council. Under the
Constitution, the Council of State is a constitutional order created for the purpose of
apprising the President on matters of state. The members of the Ministry or the Ministers
of State collaborate with the President in carrying on the duties of public administration.

There is, as there should be, complete understanding and complete collaboration and
complete cooperation between the President and the Ministers of State. This is
understood, but in addition to the Ministers that the Constitution has created, that
document has also provided for the creation of a Council of State supposed to be
integrated by men who have rendered distinguished services to the nation, whose
prestige, whose reputation and whose morality are beyond question or beyond debate or
beyond reproach, and after due consideration and reflection, I have appointed Don
Ramon Avancena as the Chairman or presiding officer of that Council of State, General
Emilio Aguinaldo, Miguel Unson, Rafael Corpus, Pedro Aunario and Ramon Fernandez
as members.

It is hoped that in times of great crisis when the President, either by reason of ill health or
by reason of ailment, when he finds himself hesitating or lacking in courage, when there
is, for instance, doubt in his mind after consultation with the Ministers, as to whether a
certain line of action or attitude should be adopted, I hope that the President could seek
the counsel of these venerable statesmen so that they may with the President and the
Ministers so adopt a determined attitude, whatever that attitude may be, in order to serve
the supreme and paramount interest of our people.

In addition, considering the fact that economic problems will loom large in our
administration, and considering the fact that we must attain economic self-sufficiency, we
must enact legislation providing for the relief of the suffering of our masses; we must
bring about perhaps a complete renovation of our economic system and of our public
administration in that field.

I have also deemed wise, pending the organization of the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
as we cannot delay the adoption of the necessary economic measures to give to our
people food, medicine, clothing and the essentials and the modicum or the minimum of a
civilized life, I have thought it proper, in response to the demands of what I consider
public interest, to create by Executive Order what I entitle the National Planning Board, a
board that will study and coordinate the different activities that will avoid duplication of
work in the different departments and in the different bureaus; that will devise ways and
means in order to raise revenue and really support an independent government without
relying for any length of time upon Japan or any other foreign country—in other words,
for the purpose of providing the necessary means or physical measures for this
government—this and more will be studied, considered, and appropriate
recommendations made to the Executive and the Executive to this Honorable Body; so
that we may immediately; instantly if possible.

To integrate this Planning Board, I have appointed the following gentlemen: Minister
Rafael R. Alunan, who is now Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, as ex-officio
chairman of the National Planning Board; Hon. Manuel A. Roxas, vice-president or
ranking member of that Board; Hon. Jose Yulo, member; Hon. Antonio de las Alas, and
Hon. Quintin Paredes, Ministers of Finance and of Public Works and Communications,
respectively; members ex-officio; Hon. Miguel Unson, Hon. Rafael Corpus, Hon.
Gregorio Anonas, Hon. Vicente Carmona, Hon. Vicente Madrigal, Hon. Elpidio Quirino,
Hon. ]ose Paez, Hon. ]ose Sanvictores, and Hon. Pedro Sabido, as members. .

I have consulted by own knowledge of these great men, I have sought the advice of the
high officials of the government of this Republic, and I have reached the conclusion that
no better set of determined and patriotic men, not only of their services rendered in times
past but because of their unchallenged wisdom and knowledge in the economic field, I
have no doubt that this Board, integrated as it is by these men, will be able to submit
something that would be tangible in the matter of relief or improvement upon the
suffering masses of our population.

It is the policy of the Executive in the meantime in order to avoid any disruption in the
smooth operation of the government to keep the existing organization as we have now
intact, unchanged until the Legislature shall have had enough time to submit a plan of
reorganization with reference to the creation of the different ministries, the avoidance of
unnecessary services at this time and the emphasis of those services that must be
undertaken in these crucial days.

When the time comes for your consideration of that reorganization, which I call the
organic departmental organizations, I perhaps shall have again the opportunity to give
you my views. For this purpose I do not think it would be necessary in this special
session to approve any law providing for the immediate reorganization of` our
government because we can continue the existing appropriations up to December,
keeping everybody in the government, respecting the present governmental organization;
then as it is expected that in this special session you will fix the date for your regular
session, should you deem it advisable as I have insinuated in my special message, to
make the fiscal year coincide with the calendar year because of certain advantages that a
change may offer, then I expect, Mr. Speaker, Gentlemen, that you would act wisely if
you will limit the activities of the Legislature in the special session to the approval of`
those essential measures which must be acted upon because of` their urgent character and
thereafter then you shall meet in regular session and shall have the necessary time to
enact other measures including the departmental reorganization.

Mr. Speaker, gentlemen: I rejoice in this opportunity of appearing before you in this
special session of our National Assembly the first that is being held under an independent
Republic. May I ask you to please give all the support that you can give, give all the
cooperation that you can give, give your hearts and souls, not only I ask of you but I
solicit of you to give all that you can give to your distinguished Speaker, who is your own
creation, whom you have selected and chosen to lead in the deliberations of this
Assembly and whose patriotism and love of` country we all agree and may the
deliberations and discussions of` this Legislature under the guidance of such an able man
be productive of beneficial results to our people who are suffering now outside and are
anxiously awaiting for them.

And with this hope and with the determination on your part and with the unchallenged
leadership of your Speaker, may I offer and tender to you whatever the Chief` Executive
can give you and, in speaking in this manner, I am sure I am likewise expressing the
sentiments and the words of my distinguished colleagues in the Ministries, the President
and with him the Ministers of` State, will be glad to give you what we can give, every
cooperation that we can extend, and every effort that we can give in order not only to
help you in your career as legislators but primarily and particularly so that the first
session of the National Assembly under an independent Republic may bring about not
prosperity which we cannot give, but relief and relative blessings upon the suffering
masses of our population.