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February 2, 1942

The Philippines already has a new spic-and-span government. Jorge Vargas, who has surfaced overnight, was named head of the Executive Commission, the central administrative organization. Under him are six departments whose heads are called Commissioners, under which are several bureaus. All these officials had signed a manifesto in which they accepted the new Japanese regime, praised the good plans of the conquerors and offered their collaboration towards the reconstruction of what the war has destroyed.

Everybody knows this is a puppet government. Behind it is an invisible government which actually rules and governs.

It is rather amusing to see how these sons of the Rising Sun are ruling the island of Luzon which, so far, is the only one they have occupied. Nobody knows the name of the general who commands all the invading forces, nor any of all the other generals and chiefs of the campaign. At the bottom of all orders is written “Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Expeditionary Forces”, but no name is ever given. Sometimes the Press carries the pictures of personages of the new government giving banquets or holding receptions, but the names are not mentioned. All that is said is “A representative of the Commander-in-Chief” or “a Japanese offical”. We are under an anonymous government of shadows, mute and mysterious.

All of us know that neither Vargas nor anyone of his subordinate officials can lift a finger without the permission of the “shadows”. Well-informed persons have assured me that Vargas is always accompanied by a Japanese officer in his house, in the office and in the streets. Even in going to church, he is accompanied in the car by an officer who remains at the door of the church where he is within view.