Have to write this early as I am meeting with the oil people to finalize the agreement on the following options:
- Pull back or roll back of gas prices or
- Trust fund of P5 million
I will insist that if the level of the rate of the peso goes down from P6.00 to the dollar, they also reduce their prices and, in the meantime, set up the trust fund not only for the jeepney drivers but for other purposes like tourism.
Met Prime Minister [John] Gorton of Australia who is also for a neutral Cambodia but “understands” the American action. He is willing to stay in the background on the Djakarta conference. I informed him that I have suggested that Lon Nol be made to request the sending of an Asian observation team to Cambodia by the Djakarta conferences and such a team (civilian) to report to the conference or the UN [United Nations] sponsored conference of Asian nations on Cambodia.
Pres. [Richard] Nixon has defended his policy brilliantly in a press conference this morning.
Official Gazette for May 9, 1970: President Marcos worked uninterrupted through most of the morning, with his schedule of visitors all clear. At about noon, he conferred with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo, Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile, and Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., who came to submit the report of the executive committee of the National Security Council, which met earlier in the morning.
The President went back to the study of state papers till about 12:30 p.m. when he motored to the Manila International Airport to greet Australian Prime Minister John Gorton and Mrs. Gorton, who were making a brief stopover in Manila enroute home to Sydney from Osaka.
In the 30 minutes the Gortons spent at the MIA, the President and Prime Minister Gorton has only time for casual conversation. As soon as the Australian Air Force plane, took off with the Gortons, the President motored back to Malacañang.
He went back to his study to work further on state papers at mid-afternoon. He remained at work through the rest of the day. Among other actions, the President: 1. Designated Alfredo Pio de Roda as acting Undersecretary of Finance vice Undersecretary Roman Cruz, who was named acting GSIS general manager. 2. Directed the Philippine Navy to ferry to their home province the remains of the 13 persons who were killed in a house in Fort Bonifacio when a plane crushed there last Thursday.
The President made available the services of the Navy on the representations of Representative Cornelio T. Villareal, who sought to help the families of the unfortunate victims bring back to Sapian, Capiz the remains for burial. 3. Directed the foreign office to lend every possible assistance to the families of deported Chinese nationals, Quintin and Rizal Yuyitung, to gain free access to Taipei in order to visit the two deported nationals.
But the worry of most is the threat to P[h]nom Penh. Can it stand against the Vietcong. There are now 3,000 Special Forces trained by the U.S. Green Berets that have been flown to P[h]nom Penh. I do not believe the U.S. will allow P[h]nom Penh to fall.