Scramble For Leadership

Now that control over the Philippines has been exerted, and stability has begun to return, it's time for the Executive Commission to gather and determine where final authority lies in the nation. There are three candidates to choose from. Emilio Aguinaldo, hero of the revolution against the Spanish, is a long time supporter of Philippine independence and has spoken out how under the United States, the people of the Philippines are just a consumer market for American exports, if not pariahs because Filipinos are not even considered citizens of the United States. Artemio Ricarte, chief of the Philippine Army during the wars against Spain and the United States, then exiled for his refusal to swear fealty to the American occupiers. His love for the country never waned, and even while living in Japan he worked towards seeing our eventual independence. José Laurel, the more moderate choice, this Supreme Court Justice was educated internationally and has familial connections with Japanese officials, so could be well positioned to build ties between the Philippines and the Japanese, and thereby develop our case for independence.