11:05 PM—I write this
as we watch a war movie
in our receiving room.
Mrs. Estefania Aldaba Lim fainted when taking her oath before me as Secretary of Social Welfare at the Reception Hall at 11:00 AM. She had to be revived before she could finally take her oath.
Mr. Wollahan [J. J. Wolohan] of Esso came with Francis Ablan to ask if government would help PAL [Philippine Air Lines] as PAL owes Esso P25 million in fuel and Esso is about to stop its supply of fuel. I advised them to continue supplying them as we cannot allow a major airline to stop operations.
Met the Congressman on House problems. Talked to Speaker [Cornelio] Villareal over the telephone.
Issued an order to confiscate all pornographic material and prosecute possessors, distributors and producers or printers.
This is a follow up of my attack on newspapers publishers, printers and other media distorting or even fabricating news.
We are next planning filing libel cases against Time Magazine, Manila Times, Taliba, Manila Chronicle, Graphic, Nation, etc.
Created the Education Task Force to prepare the project studies of the recommended projects to be funded with loans from the World Bank.
My press conference yesterday when I charged the press of publishing fabricated stories was headlined in today’s newspapers.
These charges have been well received by the public as the newspapers have been
Official Gazette for May 16, 1971: President Marcos inducted into office Dr. Estefania Aldaba-Lim as secretary of Social Welfare. The President appointed Dr. Aldaba-Lim to the Social Welfare post after Secretary Gregorio M. Feliciano resigned to re-assume his position in the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. The new DSW secretary took her oath of office in the presence of the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos; Sen. Helena Z. Benitez, Rep. Jose Alberto and Ali Dimaporo, Dr. Vicente Villamin and other members of her family, which included her mother Estefania J. Vda de Aldaba; mother-in-law Pilar Hidalgo-Lim; brothers Benjamin Homobono and Rodolfo and their ladies; sisters Lualhati, Dalisay and Diwata; children Cristina, Alberto, Luis, Jr., and Ricardo; and son-in-law Yuzon.
The President devoted the rest of his working hours in the morning and afternoon to state papers, in the process ordering a nationwide crackdown on the production of pornography in all its forms. He issued the order in a directive to the Secretary of Justice, the Secretary of National Defense, the Philippine Constabulary, the National Bureau of Investigation and local executives and their prosecutors. The President directed them to arrest and prosecute all guilty parties
abusive and quite brazen about publishing false news.
I enclose the letters of Gen. [Eulogio] Balao on the Antonio Locsin case.
Talked to the children by long distance. They are at Mayfield but are going to Brighton after lunch.
Incidentally the gossip columnist, Amelita Reysio Cruz says that we bought the House of the Rothchild’s at Mayfields. Again a lie.