Official Gazette for April 12, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS had two major conferences, one on vital legislation and the other on the rehabilitation and relocation of the fire victims in Tondo. In between these meetings, the Present received several callers and worked on state papers.
The President first met at about 10 a.m. with some 40 Nacionalista congressmen led by Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal, Speaker Protempore Jose Aldeguer, and House Majority Floor Leader Marcelino R. Veloso.
He called upon the members of Congress to put an end to political wranglings and buckle down to their vital task of considering legislation.
The President served notice that he was leaving the reorganization of the lover chamber entirely in the hands of its members and urged them to resolve the question of leadership as soon as possible.
“I presume that whatever you decide on will be for the good of the country,” the President said.
The President also took occasion to dismiss as ridiculous speculations that he was forming his own party, pointing out that he was convoking the NP national directorate to a meeting at the end of the month for a general assessment of party problems,
Even as the meeting continued, the President broke off at 10:30 a.m. to receive, together with the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, General and Mrs. Abdul Haris Nasution, who paid them a courtesy call.
The President and General Nasution had an exchange of views on latest developments in Southeast Asia and other matters of common interest to their two countries.
With the Nasutions in calling on the First Couple were Mrs. Gil J. Puyat, and Indonesian Ambassador and Mrs. Utomo.
Following the courtesy call of the Indonesian visitors, the President rejoined the congressmen for the continuation of his meeting with them.
Toward noon the President conferred with some members of Congress, national and city officials, and representatives of the church, private organizations and Tondo residents. In the course of the meeting, the President directed:
1. the opening and clearing of six main streets in the urea, namely: Pacheco, the road behind the Don Bosco compound, Fishermen’s Channel, Herbosa, Roxas Boulevard Extension and Dandan;
2. the NAWASA to use the P500,000 payment of the city government to the agency for the construction of water facilities in the area; and
3. that no government agency, private organization or individual should undertake any construction on Roxas Boulevard Extension.
The President also ordered that lands within 40 meters along Roxas Boulevard Extension be cleared of any housing, and to transfer residents thereof to the bunker-type houses built by the NHC or have them relocated temporarily at the Fishermen’s Channel.
Following the conference, the President created a coordinating committee, with himself as overall chairman, to hasten the rehabilitation and relocation of the fire victims. The committee will undertake the planning and implementation of an urban renewal and housing program in the burnt area in Tondo.
Mayor Antonio J. Villegas was named chairman for city government projects, while Public Works Director Alejandro Deleña was designated chairman for national government projects.
Named members of the committee were Sen. Helena Z. Benitez, chairman of the Senate committee on housing, urban development and resettlement; Rep. Roque Ablan, Jr., chairman of the House committee on housing; Rep. Francisco Reyes, Land Authority Deputy Governor Ernesto Valdez, NHC Executive Vice President Gaudencio Tobias, Commissioner of Public Highways Baltazar Aquino.
PHHC General Manager Sebastian Santiago, NAWASA Assistant General Manager Victor Recio, Councilor Martin B. Isidro, Col. Pacifico de Leon, liaison between the national and city governments; Col. Fidel Ventura, AFP chief of Engineers; Carlos Valdez, Jose Ma. Soriano, Nelly Nufable of the Department of Social Welfare, representatives of USAID, and such civic, religious and charitable organizations as may be willing to provide financial assistance to the program.
Squeezed all the information on the communist attempts at a coup d’etat in Indonesia in 1948 und 1965 from Gen. Abdul Haris Nasution in a private conference at 7:00-8:30 PM tonight.
He said that they followed the usual pattern of infiltrating and obtaining the support of the Armed Forces before they tried a coup.
But the worst part was President Sukarno was with the conspirators in the Communist Party either because he had been convinced by Subandrio who had turned communist and who was in control of the Intelligence of the government or because he believed he could use the communists against the generals specially Gen. Nasution whom he suspected of trying to take over the government from the beginning so much so he was dismissed as Chief of Staff in 1952 when he wrote his book on guerilla warfare (he had a 3 year period of rest from the service before he was called back of Sukarno to put down the Sumatra rebellion in 1955).
Gen. Nasution said that in Indonesia the communists started as they are starting here in the Philippines. But they succeeded fast because Pres. Suharto was led by the communists into believing that he was the leader of the Emerging Forces and the 750 million people of China as well as the nuclear weapons of China would be at his disposal.
The Chief of the Indonesian Air Force, the Garrison Commander of Jakarta and even the guards assigned to Gen. Nasution were communists. So much so that when the communist coup was implemented, the operational center was the Air Force Headquarters. Sukarno was there, so was [Dipa Nusantara] Aidit the Head of the communist party and the Council of General (communist) as well as of course the Air Force Chief.
When Sukarno fell ill and collapsed into unconsciousness, Subandrio called Aidit back from Peking. The latter brought to Jakarta some Chinese doctors who after the examination of Sukarno said that the examination showed that Sukarno would not live long.
Afraid that they would no longer have the support of Sukarno and long wanting to take over as well as believing that they had the strength to do it, they pulled the coup d’etat.
When I asked Gen. Nasution why he, as senior commander, did not become the head of government in place of Sukarno, he answered that even Sukarno had recommended the appointment of Nasution as Deputy Commander next to Sukarno but Sukarno had called in the chiefs of the various services and they were against him except for the Navy or Sukarno had convinced the service chief except the Navy to oppose Nasution.
Sukarno had mistrusted Nasution from the beginning.
“Sukarno had no military capability,” Nasution said. “He surrendered to the Japanese and had to be kidnapped and forced by the youth to declare the independence of Indonesia in 1949,” he further said.
Right now he is also suspect in the eyes of Pres. Suharto who is busy consolidating his position us head of state.
And the lesson to be learned from the Indonesian experience is that if by tolerance, compassion or default, the communist party is allowed to grow, it will ultimately lead to a bloody confrontation. It is best that the communists be stopped while still weak.
Those who hesitate are lost in this game.
Asked the status quo in the House in the meantime so as to be able to set some legislation through immediately.
Also not the Tondo housing officials and Mayor [Antonio] Villegas. Settled their problems.