The Scribe again:

There should be absolutely no ground for fear that Nippon might ask us to make a huge military contribution toward the common East Asia cause.... If we do not know our own capacity, we should know that Nippon knows it too well.... How can we hope for independence if we cannot even put our house in order?

Truth is independence doesn't excite anyone but Aquino. Laurel is smart enough to stay away from this potential hot potato.