Played five holes of tolerable golf in [Bahay] Pangarap at 6:00-7:00 notwithstanding the vertigo and congested nose. Feel good.
Oil has been struck in an offshore drilling off Brunei on a shelf that extends towards Sulu and Palawan. So there is excitement about the oil concessions on this shelf specially those close to Palawan like Seafront, Industrial Minerals, Phil. Overseas, Trans-Asia, Caltex, Esso, etc.
So I have ordered the expeditious grant of the applications for concessions provided that the applicants promise to drill immediately otherwise the lease or concession is cancelled.
But in Fortune Island the Chinese Nationalist Government has put up a military detachment and so I have directed that we show acts of jurisdiction over the islands, reefs, shoals and banks in the area west of Palawan. The Air Force has been directed to conduct an air photo of all the islands and for the navy to set up signs and symbols of
Official Gazette for August 14, 1970: President Marcos received a number of callers, most of them official calls, and in-between did a full measure of paper work and, as usual, attended to other pressing state business.
Two of the earliest callers were Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata and BIR Commissioner Misael Vera. The conference focused on revenue and other financial matters. Next to see the President was the Philippine women’s Softball team, which will compete abroad for the Asian Women’s Softball Championship. The group was headed by Prof. Agustin Cailao of the Philippine Amateur Softball Association, who represented Gov. Isidro Rodriguez of Rizal, president of the association.
In the afternoon, the President discussed with US Ambassador Henry Byroade at a closed-door conference matters of mutual interest to the Philippines and the United States. Following the US envoy were the members of the Presidential Dollar repatriation mission, headed by Undersecretary of Labor Raoul Inocentes. The group will leave Tuesday for points where Filipinos are working, as far as the United States and Canada. The mission members called on the President for final instructions.
The members of the group include Alfredo Antiporda of the Central Bank, Isidro Villanos of the Philippine National Bank, Sergio Barrera of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cresencio Siddayao of the Department of Labor. One of the President’s late visitors was Ambassador Alberto Katigbak, newly designated envoy to the Vatican. He called to make his farewells before leaving for his post.
The rest of the President’s working day was devoted to his desk work. The commission of 61 officer-aspirants in the reserve force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines was one of the official recommendations approved by the President. Their commission was recommended by General Manuel T. Yan, AFP chief of staff, and Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile. Of those approved as commissioned officers, eight are first lieutenants in the Medical Corps, one captain and one first lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General’s Service, one first lieutenant in the Dental Service, one first lieutenant and 39 second lieutenants in the Philippine Army, one major and three second lieutenants in the Philippine Constabulary, one second lieutenant in the Philippine Air- Force, one ensign in the Philippine Navy, one second lieutenant in the Women’s Auxiliary Corps, and five second lieutenants in the Nurse Corps.
occupancy, and for Seafront Oil to set up signs in their concession of occupancy and of the area being worked.
At the same time I am going to give a tax bonus to the first and second holes that bring in oil. This should push everybody into drilling immediately.
My fear is that the shelf west of Palawan is not within the territorial waters or boundary of the Philippines as defined by the Treaty of Paris and our constitution. So the other countries, Malaysia through Sabah is quite close, and so is Thailand and Na[t]ionalist China. But under the North Sea case the area within a median line between two countries is supposed to be under the control of the nearest country. And the shelf is closest to us through Palawan. But we must exercise jurisdiction over the area. So I have directed Dir. [Fernando] Busuego to immediately issue the grant of the concession of Seafront over the shelf.
If we strike oil all our problems are solved.
Also simplified the procedure for the prospecting and location of mines in government reservations like parks, forest reserves, etc. The actual locator should be given preference in the grant of the mining lease unlike now when the locator still has to win in a public bidding.
Met with Amb. [Henry] Byroade who has invited us to visit the U.S. America on the 20th and is still worried about [Averill] Holman, McNickle case for contempt before the court of CFI [Court of First Instance] Judge [Ceferino] Gaddi of Angeles City who had somehow promised to Sen. Pres. [Gil] Puyat that on a motion for reconsideration, he would dismiss the contempt case. The problem is that the Philippine government could not possibly enforce the order for contempt if issued and I would be under embarrassing public pressure. Called up Sen. Pres. Puyat in Osaka as he is Gaddi’s padrino.
Met Moon Park and Atty. Eric Moreno of PVTA [Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration] on Virginia tobacco problems. PVTA has P57 million now to start paying its P300 million indebtedness.
We should be able to borrow from Asian sources some $100 million at lower interests.
In August 1969 Sgt. Bernard Williams and two others assigned to Clark Airbase were tried in a Philippine court regarding the forcible abduction and attempted rape of Pelagia Malquisto, 23-year-old Filipina. Under the Bases agreement the accused were entrusted to Lt. Col Raymond L, Hodges, US Air Force Chief, International Law Section, who assured the court that they would be held ready to appear in court as required. They pleaded Not Guilty and as the trial commenced but in November 1969 Sgt. Williams was transferred from the Philippines to Minot Air Force base, North Dakota prompting a strongly worded protest to the U.S. Embassy in Manila and Court of First Instance Judge Ceferino Gaddi citing Colonel Aveill Holman, Clark Airbase Commander and Lt. Col. Hodges in contempt for their failure to produce Sgt. Williams as promised in the custody certificate. They were fined 1,000 pesos and ordered released though this decision was not executed.