The case against Jose P. Laurel for his alleged collaboration with the Japanese during World War II was filed by the Philippine government after the war
Jose P. Laurel: 'The policy of survival in order to tide the Filipinos to better times was the sole purpose of my government during the Japanese occupation'
Jose P. Laurel: 'I am not expecting a decoration, I do not expect to be promoted. I do not claim to be a hero, but I have the right to recognition of my people of the moral value of my efforts… The moral value of my act, even on the hypothesis that I failed to save the Filipino people, should not be disregarded'
Jose P. Laurel: 'If I am a traitor, then I deserve the death of a traitor. I have no regrets. I am ready to face God and the people, conscious that what I have done for the good of my country and my compatriots and what I sincerely believed to be right in serving as I did the Philippines at a time when national survival was the main concern'
Quirino half-heartedly ran for the presidency due to lack of funding but was reassured to be funded through the connection of the late SenatorMadrigal of Bicol
Since both candidates are from Luzon, they were looking for their running mates in Visayas. Quirino chose FernandoLopez (former mayor of Iloilo City) and the Nacionalista chose Rep. Manuel Briones from Cebu
The liberal party also released a video where Laurel was received by General Homma and Tanaka with an ending showing the devastation of Ermita and Intramuros. While Quirino was dining with MacArthur and President Truman as also shown on the scene
The defeat of Laurel during the 1949 election left a strain on his heart as it was supposed to be his redemption or public vindication of his role during World War II