Gen. [Felizardo] Tanabe has reported that a liquidation squad of three were sent to Manila Monday evening headed by a certain Ben Mallari, not the Ben Mallari ambushed with Max Llorente but one from Candaba, Pampanga. Commander Madrigal confirmed it to our asset at Tarlac.
The KM boys, [Fernando] Barican, Nelson Navarro and Nilo Tayag are in Bulacan and other provinces drumming up interest in their People’s Congress on the 17th of March. But the interest in the demonstrations is waning and the fever is dying down.
So at the rate we are moving the old schedule of April or June may be kept and not any earlier. This will give us time to prepare even the evidences against the subversives.
We are trying to scrounge for weapons especially M-16’s and ammunition in Vietnam. There are officers there who are willing to give them free to us even at the risk of violating regulations. And sad to state beggars we are and choosers we cannot be. So I have directed 500 M-16’s to be bought at cut rate prices if necessary. I would like at least a million rounds of .223 ammo to go with them.
Official Gazette for March 11, 1970: President Marcos devoted most of his working day to state business, particularly in the study of state papers and reports, while acting on urgent problems. Among others, he made new designations to important posts notably that of the Gold Mining Industry Assistance Board to which he named Norberto de Guzman, former Baguio City Mayor. He also received officials and consulted with aides during the day.
Among the groups he received were those composed of Public Service Commission officials and the officers of the University of the Philippines Planning Society. The PSC officials headed by Commissioner Enrique Medina conferred with the President on the petition of jeepney operators to hike their fares. The President told the commissioners it was his feeling that a hearing be set as soon as possible to decide the petition. Present were Commissioners Jose Cadiao and Paz Planas, among other officials, with Secretary of Justice Felix V. Makasiar sitting in on the talks. The UP group called to present the President with a plaque of appreciation for his concern for the planning profession, as borne by the scholar ships granted to government personnel for advance study at the UP Institute of Planning.
Toward noon, the President received a group of congressmen who took up with him various matters affecting their constituencies. Early in the afternoon, the President directed Secretary of Commerce and Industry Leonides S. Virata to look into reports that a number of gasoline retailers have increased their prices. The Chief Executive has received reports that despite assurances from big oil companies that they will not raise the price of fuel, some retailers have actually gone ahead and increased the prices on their stock. The President also directed Secretary Virata to include in his investigation the prices of auto spare parts.
In the course of the day, the President forwarded to the Commission on Appointments two nominations for national posts in Davao Oriental and in Oroquieta City. Nominated were Teodoro D. Nano, Jr. as Register of Deeds of Davao Oriental, and Arercio O. Casing as City Engineer of Oroquieta City.
The ambushes of the Maoists are by M-16’s and M-79’s while most of our boys are still using M-1’s. Dante [Bernabe Buscayno] barely escaped by motorcycle the other day that [?] his nephew who was killed was handcarrying some ammo to him. We have only about 400 M-16’s in the entire AFP.
Have rested today. No exercise and golf because of the teeth extraction. Asked Joe Guevarra to include the results of the survey in his column.