On 27 February at 11:00 a.m., a ceremony was held at Malacañan Palace marking the re-establishment of the Commonwealth government in Manila. When it was MacArthur's turn to speak, he was his eloquent self for several minutes but the significance of the whole affair began to affect him. He was unable to complete his prepared address. General Courtney Whitney, heading the Philippines section of G-2, and one of MacArthur's few trusted confidents,  later recalled,  "the mask that he was able to wear at times of danger and the eve of great battles did not serve him now."