MacArthur’s desire to liberate the Philippines was genuine, honorable, and deeply felt. But in the interest of a full accounting of this history, the following facts should be weighed in the balance. On February 13, 1942, in the command bunker on Corregidor, Philippine president Manuel Quezon signed an order transferring from Philippine commonwealth treasury funds the sums of $500,000 to MacArthur, $75,000 to Sutherland, and lesser amounts to two other senior officers on MacArthur’s staff. The payments were described as compensation for past services in the U.S. military mission to the
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