Spent the day on the cruise for Speaker [Carl] Albert and 22 other congressmen and their ladies to Corregidor and Dambana ng Kagitingan.
At Corregidor we saw the entire one hour movie “The Flame and the Sea.” Although it did not include much of Bataan fighting it was impressive and moving. “That is the movie I would like to show my entire district,” said Speaker Albert.
We docked at 4:30 PM. Demonstrators (numbering about 1,500) were in front of Malacañang denouncing the alleged killings of Muslims and U.S. imperialism.
And at Pangarap we met Mayor Bangon Aratuc of Buldon, Cotabato with my emissaries. Sen. [Mamintal] Tamano, Cong. [Constantino] Navarro and [Mohammad] Ali Dimaporo as well as the mayor’s son Tumatic Aratuc, Mayor [Sansalona] Biruar of Parang, Ex-Mayor, Vice Mayor Tomawis and his brother Bungusa.
Official Gazette for August 18, 1971: President Marcos and the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, accompanied the visiting 23-man congressional delegation of the United States, led by Speaker Carl Albert, in a tour of historic Corregidor and Bataan. The First Couple and the visiting American solons and their ladies boarded the RPS Ang Pangulo at 7:30 a.m. at Pier 15 and sailed for Corregidor first, arriving on the “Rock” some two hours later.
Boarding the buses, the President and the First Lady guided the American ‘visitors in a tour of historic sites, among them the battery or big gun emplacements and the Malinta tunnel. Also shown them was the Pacific War Memorial. During their three-hour stay on the erstwhile fortress, the visitors were shown the documentary film entitled “The Flame and the Sea,” depicting the war in the Pacific.
They reboarded the RPS Ang Pangulo at 12:30 p.m. for lunch while the ship sailed for Mariveles, Bataan where they boarded PAF helicopters for the “Dambana ng Kagitingan” on Mt. Samat.
After touring the national shrine, the First Couple and the American visitors helicoptered back to Mariveles where thev reboarded the RPS Ang Pangulo for the trip back to Manila. With the First Couple in showing the American visitors around in Corregidor and Bataan were Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal, Rep. Macacuna Dimaporo and Senators Ambrosio Padilla and Emmanuel Pelaez.
Shortly after his return from Bataan, the President met with Mayor Bangon Aratuc of Buldon, Cotabato and hammered out a six-point formula to restore peace and order in Buldon. The President met the Bul-don mayor for 30 minutes at the Pangarap. The peace formula agreed upon between the President and Mayor Aratuc includes:
1.The rehabilitation of the town of Buldon, and its conversion into a pilot project. 2.The peaceful surrender and registration of all firearms followed by the pull-out of all PC troops from the area. 3.The possible transfer of Christian settlers from the EDCOR settlement in Buldon to Alamada, and the transfer of Muslims from Alamada to Buldon. 4. The reorganization of the army and PC units with the total elimination of Ilongos from them. 5. The prosecution and punishment of all guilty parties in accordance with law, after an impartial investigation is conducted by investigators not from the Cotabato PC command. 6. The immediate clearing of the roads in order to allow the harvest of standing rice crops in Buldon.
Upon request of Mayor Aratuc, and the recommendation of Sen. Mamintal Tamano and Reps. Ali Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte and Constantino Navarro of Surigao del Norte, the President promised to order the immediate rehabilitation of Buldon with the construction of roads and bridges, and the setting up of a dispensary.
It was also agreed that two days after the return of the mayor to Buldon, all firearms will be surrendered and registered in the poblacion, after which the mayor would assume full responsibility for the peace and order in the town and the PC would be pulled out
We agreed there would be a ceremony of surrender of firearms but the government would authorize the mayor to maintain peace and order and register the firearms.
All persons guilty of violating the law would be punished whether Muslim or Christian.
The Constabulary units would be led by Muslim and Christian officers.
Buldon would be a pilot project of development by the national government. This means payment of damage of properties owned by innocent civilians as we did in the Central Luzon fighting against the HMB’s [Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan], repair of roads and bridges.
The troops would be withdrawn after the ceremony to which I probably will send Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile as my representative. And even before that the residents will be allowed to harvest their crop.
Saw a beautiful presentation of the development of Philippine drama after some Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Philippine songs by children—at the Cultural Center with the congressmen; then the inauguration of the Munting Dulaan at the Center and reception.
Magnificent show! Everybody was congratulating Imelda—and me as if I had anything to do with it.