The Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in exile (, ) was a continuation of the government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines after they had been evacuated from the country during World War II. The Commonwealth of the Philippines was self-governing, although under the ultimate control of the United States.
During the conquest of the Philippines by the Empire of Japan, the government evacuated to Australia following the prior evacuation of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur in March 1942. From Australia they traveled to the United States, where they by May had established themselves in Washington, D.C., on 13 May 1942. While in Washington, the government, led by President Manuel L. Quezon, worked to maintain American interest in the Philippines, and issued shortwave broadcasts to the Philippines. Their legitimacy was supported by the U.S. government led by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Quezon joined the inter-governmental Pacific War Council. While in exile, Quezon signed the Declaration by United Nations.
While the government had been granted emergency powers by the Philippine Legislature shortly after the invasion, the term of President Quezon was constitutionally limited to end in November 1943. Shortly before this date, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution extending the term until "constitutional processes and normal functions of government shall have been restored to the Philippine Islands." Quezon died in August 1944, and Vice President Sergio Osmeña was sworn in at Washington, D.C. The government returned to the Philippines later that year as part of the American reconquest of the islands.
Background
On the morning of December 8, 1941, the Japanese invaded the Philippines. The invasion began with landings at Batan Island, about 125 miles north of Luzon island, and followed the bombing of the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor a few hours earlier. President Manuel L. Quezon was in Baguio recuperating from a recurrence of an old illness, and immediately traveled by road the 160 miles to Manila to take charge of the Filipino resistance. In meetings following his arrival, U.S. General MacArthur informed him that MacArthur would be transferring his headquarters to Corregidor island, and requested the President to join him. President Quezon initially objected, but agreed when his Cabinet endorsed MacArthur's suggestion by unanimous decision. On December 24, the President relocated there, accompanied by his family, Vice President Osmeña, Chief Justice Santos, Major General Valdes, who had been designated Secretary of National Defense, and some members of the Executive Staff. President Quezon and Vice President Osmeña began their second term on Corregidor on Rizal Day, December 30, 1941.
As invading Japanese forces advanced, all United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) military personnel were removed from the major urban areas. Manila was officially declared an open city on December 26. By then, USAFFE forces had withdrawn to the Bataan peninsula and were under siege there. By the middle of February the lack of food on Corregidor had become acute, and it was decided chat the President could be of more help by going to the unoccupied provinces to organize some plan of bringing in food for the soldiers at Bataan and Corregidor and to keep up the morale of the civilian population. At dusk on February 20, the American submarine USS Swordfish (SS-193) slipped through mine fields, was boarded by President Quezon and his party, and transported them to Iloilo, which had not yet been occupied by Japanese forces. The following night, they boarded the ship Princess of Negros, which transported them to Dumaguete. General MacArthur and his party, meanwhile, had been evacuated from Corregidor by PT boat to Cagayan de Oro on Mindanao (see Douglas MacArthur's escape from the Philippines).
The Emergency Powers Act
On December 16, 1941, President Quezon approved Commonwealth Act No. 671, which had been passed by the Philippine Legislature. This act declared a state of total emergency and invested the President with extraordinary powers in order to meet the emergency. Generally, the act authorized the President, during the existence of the emergency, to promulgate such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary to carry out the national policy. These powers included authority to transfer the seat of the Government or component parts of the government.