Mr. and Mrs. Richard Berlin are our guests at Suite I of the palace. He heads the large and prestigious Hearst Publications.
We sleep at the boat (777) tonight after dinner on the way to Corregidor and Dambana Ng Kagitingan.
Official Gazette for February 6, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS renewed his appeal to all government officials and employees to spearhead the democratic revolution by being the first to effect changes and reforms in their daily conduct and attitudes in serving the general public.
The President had occasion to renew his appeal during the rally for “economic emancipation” staged by a representative delegation from different government offices under the auspices of the Kapisanan ng Mga Kawani ng Pamahalaan (KKP).
During the rally in Malacañang, the President also called on the “silent majority” to speak out openly and fearlessly whether they are for the putting to a stop to the intimidation, harassment and terrorism being committed by a radical minority.
He said that a great majority of the people are against communism but that they were being cowed into silence by the terroristic activities of the few who want to overthrow the duly constituted government and impose the communist ideology over the country.
The President pointed out that the government workers, the teachers, and the enlisted men being the symbol of government to the people, it is necessary that they initiate the democratic revolution by being courteous to those who come to their offices, by being efficient in their work, and by helping eradicate corruption.
He also added: “We can no longer allow the few who, by intimidation and coercion, have attained financial power and use that power to terrorize the people in public office for economic gains.”
During the rally, the KKP presented a manifesto of loyalty to the government, assuring the President that they will police and purge their ranks of corrupt and dishonest officials and employees and denounce publicly their acts of venality, dishonesty and irregularity in the public service.
The delegation composed of some 2,000 men and women from various government offices and agencies was headed by Maximo F. Belmonte, KKP president; Salvador Pads, KKP executive vice president; Santos Pascual, KKP vice president (general manager, PPSTA); Esmeraldo Acorda, KKP board member and EPAP president; Juan Echiverri, coordinator for other office; Deogracias Atienza, KKP secretary; Jose Unson, KKP beard member; Juan Santos, KKP secretary-general; Undersecretary of Education Juan L. Manuel, Maj. Demetrio Taboji, PTA administrator; Bureau of Lands Assistant Director Eusebio David; Julio Balmes, Superintendent of City Schools David Cruz, Rizal PTA president; Caloocan City Schools Supt. Modesta Boquirin and Max Castañeda of the Land Authority.
Earlier in the day, the President submitted to the Commission on Appointments the nominations of five individuals to various posts in the judiciary.
Those nominated were:
1. Remigio A. Castillo, as city judge of Caloocan City, Branch II;
2. Filemon M. Mendoza, as auxiliary judge of the city court of Caloocan City, Branch IX;
3. Clarito A. Demaala” as municipal judge of Aborlan, Palawan;
4. Sergio A. Bantiles as municipal judge of Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte; and
5. Norodin A. Dimacisil, as clerk of court of the court of first instance of Cotabato, Pagalungan branch.
The President also granted conditional pardon to Anastacia C. Ragot, on recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Parole.
In recommending executive clemency for Ragot, the board said that the prisoner has already served a good portion of her sentence “with very good conduct.”
The futile exercise that is Congress has started with [Arturo] Tolentino and [Gil] Puyat attacking my veto of the appropriation act provision that requires the automatic release of Congressional funds including their allowances and [Jose] Roy catching the [Philippines] Herald headline on his waging war on my executive order increasing the tariff on crude oil from 10% to 15% and [Leonardo] Perez sarcastically commenting on our hot and cold policy on the demonstrators.
I have directed the issuance of a press release on the first two items. I enclose the release.
5:45 PM after the
rally of the Kawani, the
teachers and the enlisted men
supporting the democratic
revolution and the fight
against the oligarchs.
Atty. Lupiño Lazaro, the head of the striking drivers just called me up after Bung [Arturo] Tanco [Jr.] met him, to inform me that he was calling off the strike on his own and in accordance with his conscience because he and his men “are being used as tools by evil minds” and the strike has resulted in senseless killing.
He had been calling me up through Bobby Reyes and he indicated that he wanted a face-saving device so he could call off the strike. He wanted me to meet with him and the other leaders of the strikers and to appeal to them so they could graciously call off the strike. I had Bung Tanco call him to a meeting and inform him that he has to do it on his own, although if he needed to say that I had appealed to him (Lazaro) he could do so. Apparently there was no need for it.
Lazaro is a beaten man. The strikers have not been able to stop the jeepneys and buses from running. And the citizenry is turning against them. Even the media has partially turned around and are in some sectors fairer to the government authorities.
I doubt it if Lazaro can stop the students, though. If Lazaro calls off the strike, the students will have no ground to stand on. The UP [University of the Philippines] take-over will be untenable and the students will have to peacefully hand it over to the University authorities. In a way this will be a let-down for many people who want the UP radicals to be taught a lesson, arrested and prosecuted. For that matter many people now want forceful action against the radicals.
Chino [Joaquin] Roces and Geny [Eugenio] Lopez [Jr.] are up to their old tricks again. They invited the publishers and editors to a breakfast at 7:30 AM at the Andres Soriano Hall at San Miguel Bldg. allegedly to consider Senate Bill 589 of Sen. [Lorenzo] Tañada, the anti-monopoly bill which these two claim was my creation and which I asked Tañada to file (which, of course, is not true).
But Chino Roces, according to [Prudencio] Europa editor of Evening News who was sent to the breakfast by Freddie Elizalde, tried to incite Andrew Go, the publisher of the Daily Star, against me saying that I was blaming the Chinese for high prices and that I would soon burn Chinatown. And Andrew Go seemed to believe this.
Anyway, these two were working for the newspapers to come out with a pooled editorial asking [for] my resignation. Tony [Antonio] Araneta was for this.