50th Death Anniversary of the late Jose P. Laurel

Tanauan, Batangas 06 November 2009 In recognition of the contribution of the late President Jose P. Laurel to the Filipino people, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo led today the Mass and floral offering at the grave of the former president in Tanauan City, Batangas. The tribute was for the 50th death anniversary of the former leader. Former President Laurel who has served as president of the Philippine in 1942 to 1945, went through several government positions before the highest office. He was the one responsible in instilling to the then American colonial authorities that the internal affairs of the Filipinos should be respected. As an associate justice of the Supreme Court he was famous for his definition on social justice which he penned in his decision on the case of Calalang vs. William, of which he defined social justice as must be founded on the recognition of the necessity of interdependence among diverse units of a society and of protection that should be equally and evenly extended to all groups as a combined force in our social and economic life, consistent with the fundamentals and paramount objective of the state of promoting the health, comfort and the quiet of all person and of bringing about the greatest good to the greatest number. As Philippine president, President Laurel stressed the policy that the Philippines is for the Filipino and that nobody can profess to love the Filipino more than the Filipino people themselves.(JDA/RJU)