INDEPENDENCE OF PHILIPPINES

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22830, 2 October 1939, Page 10

INDEPENDENCE OF PHILIPPINES

* — NATIONAL ASSEMBLY’S DEMAND COMPLETION IN 1946 SOUGHT (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received October 1, 7.10 p.m.) ■ MANILA, October 30.' The National Assembly, by 53 votes to seven, after a night-long session of bitter debate, adopted a resolution that the Philippines want complete independence in 1946 and do not desire a re-examination of the independence question. The opening session of the war emergency meeting of the Philippine . National Assembly on Monday, unexpectedly debated independence. Mr Jose Romera, a member of the Joint Preparatory Committee, and a leading member of' President M. L. Quezon’s party, proposed postponing independence in view of adverse world conditions. The speech aroused strong unorganised opposition. It was the first time that any member of the Filipino majority party had openly broached postponement. . The speech coincided with the arrival of 14 United States bombers, officially sent *to assist in the , preservation of neutrality. “We talk of the ignominy of slavery,” said Mr “We are not slaves. We are free in all but form. We may be slaves if we refuse to recognise the logic of .contemporary events.” . . The Commonwealth of the Philipipnes is governed by a dual instrument consisting of a permanent Constitution and an Ordinance governing relations between the United States and the Commonwealth.. The Ordinance lapses in 1946, after which the Commonwealth would automatically become the Republic of the Philippines.