Father Mafalen, [Rev. Michael McPhelin, S.J] the Jesuit economist who is with us, when I asked him where he thought we were deficient in our economy, referred to two areas:
The absence of an export bank to facilitate credit for buyers of our exports.
The lack of planning and less implementation for our industrial estates.
He inquired of the development of the Free Trade Zone.
Speaker [Jose B.] Laurel was changed as speaker this morning replaced by Ex. Speaker Cornelio Villareal. The neophytes sparked it and seemed intractable on the matter because Speaker Laurel had publicly insulted them in the session hall. He had become a tyrant they could not tolerate any longer. Not only could he not account for the funds of the House. He was also arrogant and in the last minutes tried to coerce the members.
The new speaker and his supporter saw me at the boat when we arrived at 6:00 PM.
______ him at 9:00 AM yesterday that the [hijacked PAL] plane which was at Canton would be released at 10:00 AM.
The crew and passengers were well treated. Even the Americans received nothing but a lecture on their being the enemies of the Chinese.
Sen. Pres. Gil Puyat called up telephone to inform me that the Senate was ready to
Official Gazette for April 1, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS ordered that strict measures be instituted to prevent the possible recurrence of the hijacking incident involving a Philippine Airlines jet passenger plane.
In a message dispatched from aboard the RPS 777 enroute back to Manila, the President directed the Civil Aeronautics Administration to submit a report on why a previous order for the adoption of such measures as will insure the safety of airline passengers had not been complied with.
Such measures include a thorough search of boarding passengers, both in domestic and international flights, and the utilization of metal detection devices acquired by the CAA.
The President said that he would also urge the immediate enactment of a bill which he had certified to Congress seeking the imposition of death penalty to hijackers.
The enactment of such a law has become all the more urgent in view of the PAL hijacking incident, the President said in an informal interview with newsmen aboard.
The President also stated that he had refrained from meeting the members of Congress to avoid interfering with affairs of the House while the question of its leadership was being resolved.
But since the issue apparently had been settled, he said he would meet them to find out what they would like to take up with him.
The President was back in Manila about 7 p.m. At Pier 15 to meet him were some members of Congress led by Rep. Cornelio T. Villareal, who had reassumed the speakership of the House.
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cooperate with me fully. I had sent Jake Chung to see him on the blast against me the other day. He explained that the papers were promoting a fight.
The operations on the nose of Imee by Dr. Piamonte could not be done tonight as she had not been prepared for it. So I go by plane to San Fernando without being able to see to her operation. Then I go into retreat. Then the Seato [Southeast Asia Treaty Organization] exercise on the 5th.
But I leave Imelda and the other children to attend to her.