Ships sunk in a shallow home harbor could be salvaged and many crewmen recovered; ships lost during a relief expedition could not. A stronger assault on the Philippines also aligned with political versions of War Plan Orange that demanded a rapid advance, even though admirals had steadily lengthened the timetable. Pearl Harbor's incomplete fuel and support infrastructure could further complicate any rapid fleet sortie. The limitation was emotional: the Philippines might prompt a relief effort without creating the continental outrage needed to keep an attrited fleet advancing irrationally.
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The Philippines as the operational lure
Attacking the Philippines could draw intact American ships into the western Pacific, where losses at sea would be permanent.