Jose p. laurel is a traitor?

Answer 1

José P. Laurel was appointed as President of the Phillipines by the Japanese shortly after McArthur's troops had been annihilated there, so many Americans probably thought so at the time. But Laurel had been ordered by the pro-US Philippine President (now in exile) to stay on at his Government post. For most of his tenure, Laurel's main preoccupation was to keep food distribution as effective as possible under the circumstances. Even so, many Philippinos considered him a traitor for the mere fact of his collaboration with Japan.

After the war the Americans charged Laurel with treason, but charges were never pressed because the then-President of the Philippines pardoned him. Less than 5 years later, he was a well-respected politician and political power-broker again and was even asked to run for President. He was elected to the Philippine Senate and apparently also had made up with the Americans, concluding trade agreements with them on behalf of the Philippines.