After the ouster of [Justiniano] Montano as minority floor leader, this morning there was a move to replace Speaker Jose Laurel as speaker and for that matter the entire leadership.
Speaker Pro Tempore Jose Aldeguer called me up urgently to see me as soon as possible. So I see him tomorrow at 10:30 AM and before that at 10:00 AM I meet the leaders of the neophytes who are spearheading the reorganization move, [Jose] Leido [Jr.], [Gaudencio] Beduya, [Roberto] Estrella, [Rodolfo] Albano, etc.
They were apparently in the luncheon caucus of the Nacionalista House members in which Speaker Laurel resigned his speakership but asked that the Speaker Pro Tempore be allowed to replace him even for but a week.
The cause of the reorganization move is the apparent disregard by the Speaker and other
PRESIDENT MARCOS launched the development performance evaluation system (DPES), aimed at assessing the performance of various departments of the government in developing efforts.
He signalled the start of the work of the audit team in a meeting in the morning with a number of Cabinet officials.
At the same time, the President, through Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., directed all departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the government to submit to the Cabinet secretariat a little listing and brief description of all programs related to national development and the Five-Year Economic Development Plan.
The President stressed that particular attention be given to the development performance on priority projects, such as cooperatives, housing and electrification; and on on-going projects such as land reform, family planning, peace and order, and educational reforms.
At about mid-morning, the President received the group representing the International Executive Service Corps (IESC), headed by A. L. Wilcox, Volunteer director of operations in the Philippines.
The President enlisted the services of the IESC in further improving the performance in tourism and exports development, two of the biggest dollar-earning industries of the country.
Other members of the group who saw the President were Robert A. Sheldon, IESC Volunteer Executive with Imperial Resources, Inc.; Theodore Krueger, with Radiowealth, Inc.; Walter Walking, with Filipinas Cement Corporation; Joseph Woppman and George A. Smith, with Universal Textile Mills, Inc.; Richard Odell, with Union Glass and Container Corporation; Harry J. Kahn, with Fil-Hispano Ceramics, Inc.; and Henry C. Pfannkuche, Philippine Prestressed Concrete, Inc.
Then the President sat down with Edouard Axelrad, president of the Banque de Paris Pays-Bas, who came to survey investment possibilities in the country. Axelrad was accompanied to Malacañang by Hans Menzi; French Ambassador Pierre Revol; and Andre Garcia, commercial counsellor of the French embassy.
Toward noon, the President conferred with Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata, Central Bank Governor Gregorio S. Licaros, DBP Chairman Leonides S. Virata, Secretary of Public Works and Communications Manuel B. Syquio, Commissioner of Highways Baltazar Aquino and PACD officer-in-charge Rosendo Marquez on the feasibility of procuring cement through the DBP to augment the supply of provincial engineers’ offices.
The President also received Philippine envoy to Germany J. V. Cruz, who paid a courtesy call prior to returning to his post. Ambassador Cruz was accompanied by Tomas de Castro, the Philippine envoy to Argentina.
In the evening, the President sat down for an interview by Dennis Warner, Australian author and journalist.
Other callers on the President included Rep. Aguedo Agbayani of Pangasinan, Gov. Tito Primicias, Land Authority Gov. Conrado Estrella; and Rep. Artemio Al. Loyola with a delegation of mayors and treasurers from Davao del Sur.
leaders of the neophytes and other members demand for equal treatment. The P26 million transfer to the House budget which up to now has not been accounted for by the House leadership.
[Nicanor] Nick Yñiguez, Jose Alberto and [Mohamad] Ali Dimaporo were here [Jose] Joe Aspiras arrived later after we had teed off at [Bahay] Pangarap.
They feel that if I do not intervene, the Speaker will be replaced.
Joe Alberto and Joe Aspiras feel that the Speaker and the Laurels cannot be depended upon in any crisis.
They are engaged in weakening my position and preparing for the candidacy of [Salvador] Doy Laurel whom they are trying to push for the presidency.
Now they are engaged in secret plotting but if he is deposed, he would blame me for it and would come out openly against me.
I met with the Performance Development Evaluation System, the organization that audits and evaluates the different departments and offices and agencies.
I set the guidelines as well as the priority of the different projects and programs.
The papers on this are attached.
This is going to relieve me of many of my burdens in following up the different programs.
Dr. Cantos was here and his diagnosis of the pain in the small of my back is the soft lumpy bed. But I have to take care of the muscles in my back and waist.
I attach the papers on the current intelligence situation, the Montano smuggling incident the Sabah claim and the “Power of Attorney” and the events in Congress.