An excerpt from Laurel's Tagalog speech to the guerrilleros:

You guerrillas hiding in the mountains, you think that you are sacrificing yourselves for what you think is best for the Philippines.... We here think we are doing the same. Let's unite, for in unity we shall be strong; strong enough to fight anybody who may threaten us — even the Americans — and yes, even the Japanese.

The Japanese are piqued with Laurel for procrastinating on the guerrilla situation. Laurel was told: "Everything is stalling, stalling, stalling. It seems to us all you Filipinos are waiting — yes, waiting, for the Americans. Bah ... as if they'll come!"

According to my source, Laurel calmly replied:

Now that you mention it, it really seems as if you Japanese are the ones expecting the Americans. You seem to be quite preoccupied in building air raid shelters, airbases and the like. We Filipinos are facing much too difficult times to be worrying about how the war will turn out.

People are beginning to reevaluate Laurel; giving him the courage necessary to do his job in these difficult times. Lately, he's been acting less like a puppet. No doubt he's read the writing on the wall.