My game slumped to 75 at John Hay although I was one under par up to the 6th hole. Felt a little tired. And Imelda is out of sorts because of the extortion activities of the Boehms [Dovie Beams] woman who has now demanded $780 thousand from US-V Arts, the producer of Maharlika, believing I would pay it.
Conference with the Gulf Oil people brought by [Ramon] Monching del Rosario at 1:00 PM.
Then had a luncheon conference with Sen. [Alejandro] Almendras, Sec. [Ernesto] Maceda and Gov. [Jose] Evangelista up to about 4:00 PM.
I have authorized Querico Evangelista, OIC [Officer-in-Charge] of PARGO [Presidential Agency on Reforms and Government Operations], to place all the records of alleged government anomalies at the disposal of Sen. Almendras and the Dept. of Justice to prosecute all the officials against whom there is a prima facie case.
Ordered the foreclosure by SSS [Social Security System] of the mortgage on the properties of Sen. Almendras to be stopped.
Will reorganize BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue], Customs, NDC [National Development Coompany], Commerce, etc. before the reorganization plan is submitted to Congress.
I am presently working on the following:
Cooperatives—Department of Commerce
Exports—Implementation of the Exports Incentives Law
Official Gazette for November 5, 1970: President Marcos was usual at his desk at the Mansion House on state papers, and issued directives on various matters, including an order to the PC Chief to meet with the Comelec on the drive against private armed groups.
The President also had two important meetings, one with Senator Alejandro Almendras on the senator’s drive against government personnel committing irregularities, and the other with Secretary of Commerce and Industry Ernesto Maceda who reported on his recent mission to the United States. The President, in his meeting with Almendras, offered the government’s investigative facilities to the. Davao senator, so that the latter could pursue his probe and file the proper charges. In his talk with Secretary Maceda, the President was informed six socialist countries in Europe are ready to establish limited trade relations with the Philippines, primarily to purchase the country’s traditional export goods.
After his conferences with the senator and the commerce secret, the President continued to work through the evening on state matter brought to his attention.
Mining—Amendment of the rules and regulations to remove the roadblocks
Sen. Almendras denies having any conferences much less any secret political plans with the Liberals, Sens. Gerardo Roxas and [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.]. He claims he is the object of intrigue and has pledged that he is one of the few men who would stand by me in case of a crisis.
So the conversation led to a discussion of the present political situation and I revealed to him my plans to reorganize the government on the lower-than-cabinet level inasmuch as there are plenty of deadwood in the bureaucracy who are just waiting to retire and no longer contribute to the development effort.
Then he and Sec. Maceda started exchanging views on the plan either of a third term or an extension of my present term by two years so as to allow a simultaneous election of local and national officials with the resultant effect of the extension of terms of present officials like the President, Vice-President, eight senators due of election in 1973 and all congressmen.
Sec. Maceda agreed with Landring that we could pass any amendment to the Constitution and any transitory provision which would allow me to run again under the new constitution but that we would have to gauge the popular will. He further argued that if the third term is first pushed, a compromise of an extension of two years would then be acceptable to everyone.
I kept quiet and non-committal during this discussion.