Official Gazette for December 3, 1970: President received at least three big groups at Malacañang including public officials, and private individual callers. As usual, the President had a full day of activity during which he issued an appeal for full support of the Red Cross fund drive, which starts early next year; and named the new members of the government reorganization committee, representing the executive department, which includes two from the private sector. Chosen to head the committee was Armand Fabella. Other members named to the Commission were Cezar Zalamea and Roberto Ongpin. Along with Fabella they will represent the Executive Department in the Commission. Members of the group “may come from within or without the government service, according to the reorganization law. The other members are three senators appointed by the Senate President: Senators Salvador H. Laurel and Lorenzo Teves from the majority party, and Benigno Aquino, Jr. representing the minority party; and three Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House Reps, Rogaciano Mercado and Rafael Legaspi representing the majority party, and Justiniano S. Montano of the minority party.
The President also issued the official order transferring short-term prisoners in Muntinlupa to local jails, as one way of decongesting the national prison. The order was issued to Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos. Notable among the President’s visitors were:
1. Ambassador Pablo Peña, Philippine envoy to Burma, who called for final instructions prior to his return to Rangoon. Peña accompanied General Ne Win and Mrs. Ne Win of Burma to Manila. 2. Former Supreme Court Justice Conrado Sanchez and former Solicitor General Arturo Alafriz, Jr., president of the Philippine chapter and member of the organizing committee for the Law Association of Asia and Western Pacific, and executive vice president of the Philippine Lawyers Association and chairman of the Manila Conference of the Law Association of Asia and Western Pacific, respectively, who called on the President, accompanied by Secretary Abad Santos, to invite the President to deliver the keynote speech at the opening of the said conference, to be held in Manila, from January 18 to 22, 1971, at the Philamlife auditorium. Member countries include Ceylon, Fiji, Hongkong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. 3. Judges Crispin and Augusto Sta. Maria, president and vice president, respectively, of the League of Municipal Judges, who took up with the President problems pertaining to the work of their colleagues. 4. A. delegation from Ifugao province, headed by Gov. Gualberto Lumauig and Rep. Romulo Lumauig, and which included Mayors Angelito Gianid of Lamut, Pugong Lopez of Hungduan and Carlos Cattiling of Potia, among others. The group took up local problems. 5. A delegation from Eastern Samar headed by Rep. Felipe Abrigo and Gov. Victor A. Amasa, and Mayors Cornelio Sison of Guiuan, Jesus Rediang of Mercedes, Francisco Cabogawan of Salcedo, Gregorio Anguren of Guinopandan, Filemon Gañas of Lawa-an, Guillermo Altar of MacArthur, Pedro Candido of Hernani, Rufilo Tan of Llorente, Gerundio Lira of Balancayan, Crispin Ambida of Maydolong, Luis Capito of Borongan, Felix Dolegon of San Julian, Aniceto Cabreros of Taft, Pedro Cesista of An-avid, Hospicio Rivera of Dolores, Felix Morallos of San Policarpio, Pio Penangay of Arteche and Lucas Lomuntad of Jipapad, and Board Member S. Sabate. With the group were vice mayors of the foregoing towns and Gov. Irene Balite of Northern Samar. The delegation also took up local problems with the President.
In the afternoon, the President issued a Memorandum Circular limiting the government’s appeal for voluntary contributions for the repairs of hospitals and schools to only those employees receiving salaries of ₱600 or more a month. This limitation was embodied in a Memorandum Circular issued through Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., which also proposed the adoption of the “One-Appeal-Plan” for generating a relief and rehabilitation fund. The new memorandum revoked Memorandum Circular No. 24, series of 1966, which instituted a “One-Appeal-Plan” for employee contributions for charitable purposes.
During the day, the President designated Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr, as Philippine alternate governor with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), commonly known as the World Bank. Mr. Melchor fills the post vacated by former Director-General Placido Mapa, Jr. of the Presidential Economic Staff who was recently named IBRD executive director. The Philippine
Imelda and I are going to sleep at Suite I which is actually the guest room for heads of state. Our big bed which was blessed by the Holy Father is there. Imelda and I had sentimental reminiscences of Paris and New York in November on our honeymoon in 1954 because of the chestnut glace.
Talked to Bongbong and Father Bernard. Bongbong says the attempted assassination of the Pope was prominent front page in the London newspapers and while they explained that there had been doubt as to who had saved the Pope’s life, [Benjamin] Mendoza, the would be assassin had been asked and he had pointed to me as the man who had parried the knife thrusts. And Bongbong is quite proud of his father. “Runs in the family,” he bragged.
Father Bernard says in the last fortnight Bongbong has been lazy but well adjusted. He makes believe he knows but he does not. In history he has been observed to be “flippant” and his ideas not well thought out.
Bongbong leaves Worth on the 10th, leaves London for Rome by Alitalia at about 10:00 AM on the 11th, takes PAL [Philippine Air Lines] from Rome to Manila and arrives at Manila at about 2:00 PM on the 12th (Sunday).
Am working on cooperatives, free schooling, electrification, land reform, manpower training and the other projects.
Mons. Gavin of Malaysia has issued the statement that he did not see me parry the knife thrust of Mendoza. This appeared in The Evening News.
The Daily Mirror, however, carried the statement of the Archbishop of Indonesia to the effect that he did see me do so.
As usual in the occurrence of a sudden and fast event, there are several versions.
Doroy [Teodoro] Valencia, the columnist, says, who should know best but the would be assassin, Mendoza.
government’s participation in the World Bank is provided for in the articles of agreement of the IBRD, as set forth in the final act of the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference of July 22, 1944. The Philippine IBRD governor is Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata who completes the Philippine participation in the World Bank with Secretary Melchor as his alternate, and Mapa as the executive director. The term of each in the Bank is five years.