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Government in exile of the

Commonwealth of the Philippines
The Government of the Commonwealth of the
Philippines in exile (Spanish: Gobierno de la Government of the
Commonwealth de Filipinas en el exilio, Tagalog: Commonwealth of the Philippines
Pámahalaáng Kómonwélt ng Pilipinas sa in exile
pagpapatapón) was a continuation of the government Gobierno de la Commonwealth de
of the Commonwealth of the Philippines after they had
Filipinas en el exilio (Spanish)
been evacuated from the country during World War II.
The Commonwealth of the Philippines was self- 1942–1945
governing, although under the ultimate control of the
United States.

During the conquest of the Philippines by the Empire of

Japan, the government evacuated to Australia following
the prior evacuation of U.S. General Douglas
MacArthur in March 1942. From Australia they traveled War flag[a]
to the United States, where they by May had established
themselves in Washington, D.C., on 13 May 1942.[1] Coat of arms
While in Washington, the government, led by President Anthem: 
Manuel L. Quezon, worked to maintain American "The Philippine Hymn" 
interest in the Philippines, and issued shortwave
broadcasts to the Philippines. Their legitimacy was 0:51

supported by the U.S. government led by Franklin D.

Roosevelt, and Quezon joined the inter-governmental Status Government-in-
Pacific War Council. While in exile, Quezon signed the Exile of an
Declaration by United Nations. Unincorporated
and organized
While the government had been granted emergency U.S.
commonwealth
powers by the Philippine Legislature shortly after the
invasion, the term of President Quezon was Capital-in-exile Melbourne
constitutionally limited to end in November 1943. (1942)
Shortly before this date, the U.S. Congress passed a Washington,
resolution extending the term until "constitutional D.C.
(1942–1944)
processes and normal functions of government shall
Tacloban
have been restored to the Philippine Islands." Quezon (1944–1945)
died in August 1944, and Vice President Sergio Osmeña
was sworn in at Washington, D.C. The government Common languages English
returned to the Philippines later that year as part of the Spanish
American reconquest of the islands. Tagalog
Philippine
languages
Background Government Government-in-
exile
President  

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On the morning of December 8, 1941, the Japanese • 1942–1944 Manuel L.

invaded the Philippines. The invasion began with Quezon
landings at Batan Island, about 125 miles north of • 1944–1945 Sergio Osmeña
Luzon island,[2][3] and followed the bombing of the U.S. High Commissioner  
base at Pearl Harbor a few hours earlier. President • 1942–1945 (acting) Harold L. Ickes
Manuel L. Quezon was in Baguio recuperating from a Vice President  
recurrence of an old illness, and immediately traveled • 1942–1944 Sergio Osmeña
by road the 160 miles to Manila to take charge of the • 1944–1945 Vacant
Filipino resistance. In meetings following his arrival,
Historical era World War II
U.S. General MacArthur informed him that MacArthur
would be transferring his headquarters to Corregidor • Japanese invasion 8 December
island, and requested the President to join him. 1941
President Quezon initially objected, but agreed when • Japanese occupation 3 January 1942
his Cabinet endorsed MacArthur's suggestion by • Government evacuation 12 March 1942
unanimous decision. On December 24, the President • Return to the Philippines 20 October 1944
relocated there, accompanied by his family, Vice • Restoration 27 February
President Osmeña, Chief Justice Santos, Major General 1945
Valdes, who had been designated Secretary of National • Surrender of Japan 15 August 1945
Defense, and some members of the Executive Staff.
Preceded by Succeeded by
President Quezon and Vice President Osmeña began
their second term on Corregidor on Rizal Day, Commonwealth Commonwealth
December 30, 1941.[4][5] of the of the
Philippines Philippines
As invading Japanese forces advanced, all United States
Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) military
a. National flag displayed inverted as the war
personnel were removed from the major urban areas.
flag
Manila was officially declared an open city on
December 26. By then, USAFFE forces had withdrawn
to the Bataan peninsula and were under siege there. By the middle of February the lack of food on
Corregidor had become acute, and it was decided chat the President could be of more help by going to
the unoccupied provinces to organize some plan of bringing in food for the soldiers at Bataan and
Corregidor and to keep up the morale of the civilian population. At dusk on February 20, the
American submarine USS Swordfish (SS-193) slipped through mine fields, was boarded by President
Quezon and his party, and transported them to Iloilo, which had not yet been occupied by Japanese
forces.[5] The following night, they boarded the ship Princess of Negros, which transported them to
Dumaguete.[6][7] General MacArthur and his party, meanwhile, had been evacuated from Corregidor
by PT boat to Cagayan de Oro on Mindanao (see Douglas MacArthur's escape from the Philippines).

The Emergency Powers Act

On December 16, 1941, President Quezon approved Commonwealth Act No. 671, which had been
passed by the Philippine Legislature. This act declared a state of total emergency and invested the
President with extraordinary powers in order to meet the emergency. Generally, the act authorized
the President, during the existence of the emergency, to promulgate such rules and regulations as he
may deem necessary to carry out the national policy. These powers included authority to transfer the
seat of the Government or component parts of the government.[8]

Evacuation from the Philippines

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MacArthur had sent some of the boats which had evacuated his
party back to the southern tip of Negros Island to pick up
President Quezon's party.[9] Major Soriano, President Quezon's
aide, met boat PT-41 and redirected it to Dumaguete, where it
embarked President Quezon's party and transported them to
Oroquieta in what was then the province of Misamis.[6] From
there, they traveled to the Del Monte plantation in Mindanao,
where they remained overnight and were picked up the following
day at Del Monte Airfield by two B-17 aircraft that transported
them to Batchelor Airfield, 40 miles from Darwin in Northern
Manuel L. Quezon visiting Franklin
Australia, where they transferred to Douglas DC-5 aircraft for
D. Roosevelt in Washington, D.C.,
transport to Alice Springs. There, they were reunited with the
while in exile
party of Vice President Osmeña that had been transported in a
separate aircraft.[6] The parties flew together to Adelaide, spent
the night there, and took an overnight train to Melbourne.[6]

President Quezon felt that he should be in Washington. The U.S. government agreed and, in the
spring of 1942, the SS President Coolidge, which had been pressed into service to evacuate U.S.
citizens from parts of Asia after the Japanese attacks and converted into a troopship, transported
Quezon and his party to the U.S. escorted by the cruiser USS St. Louis, departing Melbourne on April
20 and arriving in San Francisco on May 8.[10]

Quezon and party were met in San Francisco, and military aides were assigned to escort the party on a
special train which had been assigned to transport them to Washington D.C. The train arrived in
Washington on May 13, and was met by President Franklin D. Roosevelt along with his wife, Eleanor
and members of his Cabinet. Quezon and his family were transported by motorcade to the White
House. They spent the night at the White House and were guests of honor the following day at a
luncheon hosted by the Roosevelts to formally welcome the exiled Philippine Government to the
United States, underscoring its legitimacy.[11]

The government in exile

Members of the war cabinet were heavily involved in civic and social activities such as endorsing the
sale of war bonds, participating in parades with heroic themes, involvement with commemoration
and celebration of Philippine historic events such as Rizal Day. These activities were very successful in
sustaining American interest in the Philippine Commonwealth, and had immense impact on the
Japanese-occupied Philippines through shortwave news broadcasts which the Japanese were unable
to stop. The government in exile also published a news magazine in the United States called
Philippines. President Quezon was invited by President Roosevelt to join the Pacific War Council, and
was asked to sign the United Nations Pact for the Philippines; in doing so, Quezon became a signatory
of the Atlantic Charter.[12] Representing the Philippine Government, on June 14, 1942, President
Quezon signed the Declaration by United Nations of January 1, 1942, joining with the group of
nations pledged as being "engaged in a common struggle against save and brutal forces seeking to
subjugate the world,"[13] making the Philippines one of nine governments-in-exile to do so.[14]

The United States government considered issues relating to the Philippines to be internal affairs due
to their claim to sovereignty over the islands. Due to Japanese plans to establish an independent
Philippine state, the United States considered recognizing the Philippines under the exiled

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Government as an independent country, including with an exchange of ambassadors. While this was
decided against, Roosevelt declared that they would treat the Quezon government "as having the same
status as the governments of other independent nations."[15]

President Quezon had been elected to a six-year term as the second President of the Philippines and
the first President of the Philippine Commonwealth, taking office on November 15, 1935.[16] In 1940,
The 1935 Constitution was amended by the National Assembly to change the legislature from a
unicameral assembly to a bicameral congress and to change the term of office of the President from
six years with no reelection to four years with a possibility of being reelected for a second term.[17] The
amended constitution contained a provision saying, "No person shall serve as President for more than
eight consecutive years."[18] Quezon's term as President, then, would end on November 15, 1943.

President Quezon sent a lengthy letter to President Roosevelt on October 17, 1943, emphasizing that,
"Japanese infasion has destroyed all semblance of constitutional government and its institutions in
the Philippines and it seems to me that legally I should remain in office until I am returned by the
might and power of the United States to the constitutional and lawful seat of my government... The
power and authority to determine who is the head of government in exile in Washington rests
exclusively with the President of the United States."[19] In light of noncompliance with Article VII
Section 2 of the Commonwealth constitution, Quezon was willing to submit the question of the
legality of his status as President to the U.S. Congress. Vice President Osmeña initially demurred, but
later agreed and, on November 12, 1943, the U.S. Congress passed Joint Resolution 95 authorizing the
Philippine President and Vice President to "continue in their respective offices until the President of
the United States shall proclaim that constitutional processes and normal functions of government
shall have been restored to the Philippine Islands."[20] The resolution was signed into law by
President Roosevelt, ending the issue of presidential succession in the Philippine Commonwealth.[21]

President Quezon suffered from tuberculosis and spent his last years in hospitals[22] or tuberculosis
resorts. For a month early in 1944, he stayed at Anne Hathaway Cottage on the grounds of Grove Park
Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, which was home to the government in exile at the time.[23]

He died on August 1, 1944, in Saranac Lake, New York.[22] Vice President Osmeña became president
of the Commonwealth upon Quezon's death. He was sworn in by Associate Justice Robert Jackson in
Washington, D.C.[24] He returned to the Philippines the same year with U.S. military liberation
forces.[25]

References
1. Talmon, Stefan (1998). Recognition of Governments in International Law: With Particular
Reference to Governments in Exile (https://books.google.com/books?id=scc8EboiJX8C).
Clarendon Press. p. 295 (https://books.google.com/books?id=scc8EboiJX8C&pg=PA295).
ISBN 978-0-19-826573-3.
2. Morton, Louis (1978). The Fall of the Philippines (https://books.google.com/books?id=xS5BvQEA
CAAJ). Department of the Army. ISBN 978-0-7581-7385-0.
3. Morton, Louis. "Chapter VI: The First Landings" (http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-PI/U
SA-P-PI-6.html). United States Army in World War II : The War in the Pacific : The Fall of the
Philippines (http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-PI/). Retrieved March 13, 2020.
4. Pabico 2006, p. 54.

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8/6/23, 5:08 PM Government in exile of the Commonwealth of the Philippines - Wikipedia

5. "The Philippine Government : from Manila to Washington". Philippines. The Commonwealth of the
Philippines. III (1). March 15, 1943. (see also "The Philippine Government from Manila to
Washington" (https://repository.mainlib.upd.edu.ph/s/rare-periodicals/media/4311). University of
the Philippines Diliman. Retrieved March 13, 2020.)
6. Quezon, Manuel III (2001). "Escape from Corregidor, December 8, 2001" (https://philippinesfreepr
ess.wordpress.com/2001/12/08/escape-from-corregidor-december-8-2001/).
7. "Swordfish (SS 193)" (https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-al
phabetically/u/united-states-submarine-losses/swordfish-ss-193.html). Naval History and Heritage
Command. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
8. "Commonwealth Act No. 671 : AN ACT DECLARING A STATE OF TOTAL EMERGENCY AS A
RESULT OF WAR INVOLVING THE PHILIPPINES AND AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT TO
PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO MEET SUCH EMERGENCY" (https://www.offici
algazette.gov.ph/1941/12/16/commonwealth-act-no-671/). officialgazette.gov.ph. December 16,
1941.
9. Sandler, Stanley (2003). World War II in the Pacific: An Encyclopedia (https://books.google.com/b
ooks?id=5iT6orBAT0gC). Routledge. p. 198 (https://books.google.com/books?id=5iT6orBAT0gC&
pg=PA198&dq=quezon). ISBN 978-1-135-58199-2.
10. Garcia, Mauro; Rivera, Juan F., eds. (1978). "Red Letter Days in President Manuel Luis Quezon's
Life" (https://archive.org/details/quezon-in-retrospect-philippine-historical-association-historical-bul
letin-volume-xxii/page/n383/mode/2up). Quezon in Retrospect (https://archive.org/details/quezon-i
n-retrospect-philippine-historical-association-historical-bulletin-volume-xxii). The Philippine
Historical Association. p. 373 (https://archive.org/details/quezon-in-retrospect-philippine-historical-
association-historical-bulletin-volume-xxii/page/n386).
11. Pabico 2006, p. 74.
12. Pabico 2006, p. 77.
13. "The United Nations Pact" (https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Dip/UNPact.html). ibiblio.org. January
1, 1942.
14. Jakubec, Pavol (May 3, 2019). "Together and Alone in Allied London: Czechoslovak, Norwegian
and Polish Governments-in-Exile, 1940–1945" (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F07075332.2019.16001
56). The International History Review. 42 (3): 465–484. doi:10.1080/07075332.2019.1600156 (htt
ps://doi.org/10.1080%2F07075332.2019.1600156).
15. Who is a legitimate government in exile? Towards normative criteria for governmental legitimacy
in international law (https://www.ilsa.org/Jessup/Jessup12/Talmon_Who%20is%20a%20legitimat
e%20government%20in%20exile.pdf), in Guy Goodwin-Gill/Stefan Talmon (eds.), The Reality of
International Law. Essays in Honour of Ian Brownlie (Oxford University Press, 1999), pp.499-537
16. "The Executive Branch" (https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/about/gov/exec/).
officialgazette.gov.ph/. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
17. "Constitution Day" (https://officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/constitution-day/).
officialgazette.gov.ph. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
18. "1935 Constitution amended" (https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1935-constitution-a
mmended/). officialgazette.gov.ph/. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
19. Pabico 2006, p. 81.
20. Gripaldo 1990, pp. 314–315.
21. Pabico 2006, p. 82.
22. Cacas, Rita M.; Lott, Juanita Tamayo (2009). Filipinos in Washington (https://books.google.com/b
ooks?id=K0dqG7yu5IYC). Arcadia Publishing. p. 43 (https://books.google.com/books?id=K0dqG7
yu5IYC&pg=PA43&dq=%22manuel+quezon%22+died). ISBN 978-0-7385-6620-7.

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8/6/23, 5:08 PM Government in exile of the Commonwealth of the Philippines - Wikipedia

23. Boyle, John (August 17, 2022). "Philippine government stayed at Grove Park Inn during WWII?"
(https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2022/08/17/answer-man-grove-park-inn-stay-phili
ppine-government-during-wwii/10336499002/). Asheville Citizen-Times.
24. "The President's Day, August 1, 1944" (https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1944/08/01/the-presiden
ts-day-august-1-1944/). officialgazette.gov.ph/. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
25. Chamberlain, Sharon W. (March 5, 2019). A Reckoning: Philippine Trials of Japanese War
Criminals (https://books.google.com/books?id=JByIDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA15). University of
Wisconsin Press. p. 15. ISBN 9780299318604.

Bibliography
Pabico, Rufino C. (2006). The Exiled Government: The Philippine Commonwealth in the United
States During the Second World War (https://books.google.com/books?id=OZ_hAAAAMAAJ).
Humanity Books. ISBN 978-1-59102-498-9.
Gripaldo, Rolando M. (1990). "The Presidential Succession of 1943" (https://jstor.org/stable/42633
192). Philippine Studies. Ateneo de Manila University. 38 (3): 301–315. JSTOR 42633192 (https://
www.jstor.org/stable/42633192).

Further reading
High Commissioner to the Philippine Islands (1945). "II Recapitulation—Occupation to Liberation"
(https://books.google.com/books?id=cOn_d9VtvfEC&pg=PA3). Report: Message from the
President of the United States Transmitting the ... Report . (https://books.google.com/books?id=c
On_d9VtvfEC) U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 3–6.
"The Philippines, 1898–1946" (https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/APA/Historic
al-Essays/Exclusion-and-Empire/The-Philippines/). history.house.gov. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
"At the urging of the Americans, Quezon's government-in-exile moved from Australia to the United
States. With no need for an official go-between, FDR agreed to suspend the office of the high
commissioner, in theory, strengthening Quezon's hand. But with no country to govern, the
government-in-exile primarily handled ceremonial events."
"CHAPTER X : GUERRILLA ACTIVITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES" (https://history.army.mil/books/w
wii/MacArthur%20Reports/MacArthur%20V1/ch10.htm). Reports of General MacArthur : THE
CAMPAIGNS OF MACARTHUR IN THE PACIFIC : VOLUME I (https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/
MacArthur%20Reports/MacArthur%20V1/). "On 16 June 1943, Major Emigdio Cruz, P.A., arrived
in Australia from Washington on the first leg of a secret mission to Manila on instruction of Manuel
Quezon, President of the Philippine Government-in-Exile. After conferring with General MacArthur
and members of his staff, Major Cruz sailed aboard the submarine Thresher and landed on
Negros on 9 July." (Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-60005 : Facsimile Reprint,
1994 : CMH Pub 13-3)
"PART II : THE PHILIPPINE COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT-IN-EXILE". ORIGINS OF THE
PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC : Extracts from the Diaries and Records of Francis Burton Harrison (http
s://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/57563/095.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y)
(PDF). pp. 143–240.
Villanueva, James A. (2019). Awaiting the Allies' Return: The Guerrilla Resistance Against the
Japanese in the Philippines during World War II (Dissertation} (https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/r
ws_etd/send_file/send%3Faccession%3Dosu1552026873539029%26disposition%3Dinline&ved=
2ahUKEwi60Y7vg_H1AhVCJ0QIHTgMBk04HhAWegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3kpQy_D6nEoZ27zR
l8TmpN) (PhD thesis). The Ohio State University.
Smith, George W. "Chapter seventeen: A Kidnapping" (https://books.google.com/books?id=ihtZLX
3wa0QC&pg=PA69). MacArthur's Escape: John "Wild Man" Bulkeley and the Rescue of an
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American Hero (https://books.google.com/books?id=ihtZLX3wa0QC). Zenith Imprint. ISBN 978-1-

61673-751-1.
Garcia, Mauro; Rivera, Juan F., eds. (1978). "The Philippine Government: From Manila to
Washington" (https://archive.org/details/quezon-in-retrospect-philippine-historical-association-histo
rical-bulletin-volume-xxii/page/n361/mode/2up). Quezon in Retrospect (https://archive.org/details/
quezon-in-retrospect-philippine-historical-association-historical-bulletin-volume-xxii). The
Philippine Historical Association. pp. 349 (https://archive.org/details/quezon-in-retrospect-philippin
e-historical-association-historical-bulletin-volume-xxii/page/n13)-257.
Paredes, Amante F. (1978). "A Government in Exile" (https://archive.org/details/quezon-in-retrosp
ect-philippine-historical-association-historical-bulletin-volume-xxii/page/n371/mode/2up). In
Garcia, Mauro; Rivera, Juan F. (eds.). Quezon in Retrospect (https://archive.org/details/quezon-in-
retrospect-philippine-historical-association-historical-bulletin-volume-xxii). The Philippine Historical
Association. pp. 358 (https://archive.org/details/quezon-in-retrospect-philippine-historical-associati
on-historical-bulletin-volume-xxii/page/n371)-365. (Reprinted from This Week, July 31, 1955,
pp.10-11)

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