13 MAY

Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines

1943 - The Director-General, Japanese Military Administration, gives instructions during the Second Oath-Taking Ceremony of former USAFFE officers and men during Japan's Occupation of the Philippines in World War II; the three cardinal requirements for achieving Philippine independence are given to the Filipinos, with the Director-General concluding his address by encouraging them to be the foundation for the establishment or the establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere; the Director-General's words seek to receive the loyalty of Filipinos and stresses the Japanese policy of granting the Filipinos independence:

All of you who have solemnly taken the oath of allegiance to the Imperial Japanese Forces are herewith granted the status of provisional release... Formerly, you were all regular members of the USAFFE and in that capacity actively took up arms against the Imperial Japanese Forces...This generosity to former Filipino combatants is due entirely to the magnanimity of the Imperial Japanese Forces in the Philippines which is acting in strict accordance with the basic national policy of the Imperial Japanese Government which considers only the Americans as enemies and looks upon the Filipinos as friends and brothers and not as hostile foes.

xxx The Philippines at the present moment is in a position which is quite opposite to what you faced at the time you took up arms against Japan. On January 21 of last year and again on January 28 of this year the Imperial Japanese Government enunciated to the entire world its basic policy of granting independence to the Philippines should the Filipinos come to understand the true intentions of the Japanese nation in waging the War of Greater East Asia and cooperate actively in the establishment of the Co-Prosperity Sphere of Oriental people.

 Photo credits: http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2009/10/images-during-japanese-sneak-attack-of.html