Announcement of the Voluntary Dissolution of All Political Parties in the Philippines

by Japanese Military Administration

Announcement

VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION OF ALL POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

December 4, 1942

Today, all vestiges of American power and authority in the Philippines have been completely obliterated and this country, after being freed from the heavy shackles of American domination, under whose foreign and unnatural suzerainty she has suffered for the last 40-odd years, returns to her former Oriental self, and with courage and fortitude, proudly faces the dawn of a new day, the start of a new era, full of hope and faith in her glorious future.

At this crucial moment in the course of Philippine rejuvenation, when the governmental, industrial, social, cultural, as well as other agencies and organizations are rapidly being renovated to conform more closely with the fundamental ideas and prevailing conditions in East Asia, it is most expedient and opportune that the existing political parties have decided, of their own accord and through their sincere desire to more fully meet with the present requirements of the country, to dissolve and liquidate their respective organizations for the purpose of fostering closer harmony, concordance, and unanimity among all Filipinos who are devoting themselves, unreservedly, to the reconstruction of their country.

The Japanese Military Administration expresses its complete agreement to, and high commendation of, this decision and action of the existing political parties, to dissolve themselves.

Unquestionably, the most urgent and paramount problem facing the people of the Philippines today is the extirpation of all traces of the American brand of politics and misgovernment from these Islands; the eradication of the ape-like mimicking of Anglo-Americanism from their manner of living and outlook on life, which, in the past, have been a curse and blight to the Filipinos, and to install, in their stead, a new system of things such as will assist and enable the Philippines to take her place as a valuable and worthy member of the Co-Prosperity Sphere—a sphere of common interest and mutual prosperity formed among Oriental peoples, with Japan as the nucleus and central force.

The pages of history are replete with countless cases of governments being prevented from carrying out necessary policies by partisan strife and political bickerings which failures eventually led to the disruption, decline and, finally, the disappearance of the nations concerned.

A brief study of the political history of the Philippines reveals that there has always been a strong tendency among the people to believe that a democratic and representative form of government is impossible unless political parties exist. On the other hand, it has been the common experience of all countries in the past that it is an inherent characteristic of political parties to invariably place first importance on party interests and party gains, sacrificing, at times, the good of the people whenever these two interests conflicted. Furthermore, political parties have their origins and their very excuse for being only when there exists conscientious differences of opinions over fundamental principles and issues over governmental policies, but it has been the common experience of all countries to have political parties continue to exist and carry on their meaningless strife and bickerings long after any fundamental differences between them had ceased to exist. As to the conditions which prevailed in these Islands, the mass of the Filipino people is the best judge whether the political parties in the Philippines have always been true to their policies and platforms and whether they conducted themselves at all times in strict accordance with the highest standards of integrity, honor and justice in all their public dealings.

Today, when the whole world is undergoing complete metamorphosis and social, economic and political systems of the past are rapidly undergoing drastic changes and adjustments, the time is opportune to subject the prevailing political systems and structures to careful scrutiny and thorough re-examination to determine whether they are in complete consonance with the clearly defined tendencies of the present or whether they should be drastically overhauled to meet the demands of the new age and conform to new deals and standards.

In East Asia, there is no denying today that the establishment of the Co-Prosperity Sphere is the fundamental guiding principle and any undertaking is to be justified and countenanced only insofar as it materially assists in or accelerates the establishment of that sphere. Under these circumstances, it must be self-evident that the unnecessary and detrimental partisanship and bickerings of the past, even the existence of the political parties themselves, which encouraged and tolerated such practices, are entirely out of place. It is, therefore, a matter of deep gratification and mutual rejoicing for the future of the Philippines that the existing political parties, recognizing the course of world events and understanding the true requirements of the times, have of their own free volition reached the decision to dissolve themselves.

In this connection, the Imperial Japanese Forces sincerely desire that all the people in the Philippines come to an even deeper understanding of the realities of the present, and to a more profound appreciation of the critical problems confronting this country today, and armed with a spirit of cooperation and affection, march arm in arm with each other and, pulling as one man, render their unstinted devotion and willing sacrifice to the realization of their common ideal—the rapid reconstruction of their country to a position of honor and trust in the Co-Prosperity Sphere.

JAPANESE MILITARY ADMINISTRATION

Source: Official Gazette. Manila, Philippines. Vol. 1. Bureau of Printing. 1942. pp.849–850.