Meralco [Manila Electric Company], thru Emilio Abello, issued yesterday a statement claiming the President was wasting his time on insignificant matters apparently referring to my fight on the oligarchy.
The labor groups united into a common front with Bert [Roberto] Oca of Pinagbuklod and Tony [Antonio] Policarpio answered it today with the statement that the matter of prices raised by Meralco rates and monopolies or pressure groups are not insignificant and affect millions of people.
I directed, in writing, the Dept. of Justice, Solicitor General and Public Service Commission to study the reopening of the question of Meralco rates. We discovered that the motion for reconsideration of the Solicitor General supposed to be acted upon en banc was never resolved by the Public Service Commission and therefore, there is no final judgment that can be appealed to the Supreme Court. Then again the question of fact as to the alleged excessive income of Meralco on the basis of the new rates should be decided by the Public Service Commission now that these rates have been collected actually by Meralco
So the Public Service Commission, tomorrow, orders the Auditor General to continue the unfinished audit of the books of Meralco and to farther determine the actual income under the new rates.
Additional pledges of support in the fight against the oligarchs continue to pour in. The Market Vendors’ Association under Polly Cayetano (20,000 strong) came this afternoon to offer support.
Official Gazette for January 17, 1971: President Marcos spent almost the whole day in his study going over official papers. He did not receive any private, callers to be able to concentrate more fully on his desk work.
Late in the afternoon, the President received a delegation of market: vendors who called at Malacañang. Headed by Mrs. Polly Cayetano, president of the Chamber of Filipino Retailers, the vendors group pledged the support of some 20,000 members, which include sari-sari store owners, behind the President in his fight against the oligarchies. Mrs. Cayetano also thanked the President for his having signed into law a bill, now Republic Act No. 5039 also known as the Market Law.
In his remarks, the President explained that his administration’s program allowed for immediate cooperation with the rich, in line with the concept of immediate industrialization.
He said he thought that by helping build a strong private industrial base, he would be in effect securing the, interests of the poor. However, he said, he saw, for himself that the conscienceless rich” had an insatiable tendency to be monopolists, to dictate the conditions of the market at their convenience, starting with prices, while the poor suffer the most. “It is now time to fight the pressure groups and the oligarchs, in the name of our people.” the President declared.
Governor Cipriano Primicias of Pangasinan came to explain how he has issued a statement that while he is neutral in the fight between the President and Lopez, the continued and unbridled attack on the President by the Chronicle and the ABS-CBN shows that it is guided by our hand. It also shows the existence of an empire within the republic which answers to no one no matter what abuses they commit while the President is accountable to the people.
He is calling the Directorate of the Governors’ League (30 members) to act on a resolution of support.
And Gov. Conrado Estrella called back to say he has been working on the farmer groups to obtain resolutions of support.
Tomorrow, the congressmen’s resolution will be signed.
But the Lopez camp is talking impeachment.