Jose P. Laurel and the 1943 Assembly of the Greater East-Asiatic Nations

Although former President Jose P. Laurel was elected to the Senate in 1951, the pejorative word “collaborator” followed him like a shadow for some time. Today, only a few consider him as such, evidenced by the host of academic works that prove he was a staunch nationalist. This article further explores his pan-Asian thought, a variation of nationalism expressed at the 1943 Greater East-Asiatic Assembly, and his desire to establish his version of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.