The Senate Finance Committee headed by Sen. [Dominador] Aytona accepted all the amendments to the budget to cut short the discussion with the agreement that the differences will be hammered out in the conference committee. So I met with Sen. Aytona and House Chairman Jose Alberto with Com. [Faustino] Sychangco and we agreed at my suggestion that Com. Sychangco now work out the conference report with the House version as the basis. Most affected is my power to transfer, cut from 25% to 15% and the provision on Sec. 5 of the General Provisions on Savings specially.
Then met the Senate and House Leaders to try to get them to meet before the 22nd and work but they claim this is impossible as the joint resolution of suspension set the resumption for the 22nd and the members are out of the country or out of Manila. They agreed to a call to a caucus on the 20th.
We also agreed on the legislative program for the next special session to be called immediately after the present special session terminates on the 25th. The list of priority bills include the Constitutional Convention, oil exploration, oil commission, withholding tax for corporations, amendments to the tariff code, special fund for peace and order, special fund for land reform, agricultural cooperatives, etc.
Official Gazette for June 3, 1970: President Marcos presided at two important conferences in Malacañang, one on the appropriations bill, and the other on other urgent bills which are still pending in Congress. Both conferences were held in the morning, thus cancelling any scheduled calls on the President. In-between conferences, the President inducted Troadio T. Quiazon, Jr., the new Undersecretary of Industry.
At the first conference, the President discussed with Budget Commissioner Faustino Sychangco, Senator Dominador Aytona and Representative Jose Alberto, chairmen of their respective appropriations committees in Congress, the problems and differences in the budget bill.
In the second conference, the President discussed the essentiality of passing the bills he certified to Congress, which cover a wide range of national requirements, including development, financing, peace and order, social needs.
Present at this conference were Senate President Protempore Jose J. Roy, Speaker Jose B. Laurel, Jr., Senate Majority Floorleader Arturo Tolentino, House Majority Floorleader Marcelino Veloso, Senators Helena Z. Benitez and Dominador Aytona, and Representatives Fernando Pajarillo of Camarines Norte and Pablo Roman of Bataan.
After these conferences, the only other important event of the day was the President’s meeting with a delegation from Ilocos Sur which spoke up for the provincial administration. The group presented the side of the Crisologo faction in the Bantay incident. About 1,000 provincial officials and citizens made up the delegation.
The President also called into the meeting national officials concerned, including Secretary of Justice Felix V. Makasiar, Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile, Chief State Prosecutor Emilio Gancayco, General Manuel T. Yan, AFP chief of staff; and Brigadier General Eduardo Garcia, PC chief. The Ilocos Sur leaders at the meeting were Representatives Floro S. Crisologo and Lucas Cauton, and the mayors and barrio captains of the province.
For the rest of the day, the President concentrated on state papers.
Met with all the mayors, governor, vice-governor, board members, capitanes del barrio and barrio officials of Ilocos Sur, including student leaders who protested the alleged smear on the people and province of Ilocos Sur because of the Ora, Bantay incident. Ordered the filing of cases against the four men of [Luis] Chavit Singson who fought the PC [Philippine Constabulary] in Magsingal and illegal possession of firearms caught in Bantay by Sgt. [Caritativo?].