Jose P. Laurel

José Paciano Laurel y García (March 9, 1891 – November 6, 1959) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and judge, who served as the president of the Second Philippine Republic from 1943 to 1945, which was a Japanese puppet state during World War II. Laurel was the runner-up in the 1949 Philippine presidential election. In the 1951 Philippine Senate election, he was elected to the Senate of the Philippines for the Nacionalista Party. He headed a mission to negotiate trade and other matters with the United States, which led to the Laurel–Langley Agreement of 1954. Since the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal (1961–1965), Laurel has been recognized by later administrations as a former president of the Philippines.