7:30PM—Before we
leave for the dinner at
J. Antonio Araneta’s house
The biggest legal victory my administration has had has electrified everyone. The unanimous decision on the suspension of the privilege of the writ has heartened all the men in the Armed Forces and in the civil government.
You can feel this too among our friends. When I was “recovering” from a long nap from 4:15 to 6:00 PM after the luncheon conference with the generals the friends of Imelda who had accompanied her to the farm of Greg Araneta at Novaliches (San Jose del Monte) all trooped into the bedroom for light bantered congratulations
Official Gazette for December 12, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS conferred with defense and military leaders, and representatives of government agencies involved in the peace and amelioration work in the Cotabato and Lanao provinces.
After an extended briefing on the various activities in the area, the President directed that:
1. All possible measures be adopted to encourage the evacuees to return to their old homes;
2. Payment of reparations should be limited to actual casualties and properties destroyed as a result of the military operations; and
3. A plan be worked out to provide employment to the evacuees and for the prompt restoration or reactivation of paralyzed public services.
During the meeting, the President also directed:
1. Maj. Gen. Romeo Espino, vice chief of staff; Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr. and PES Director-General Apolinario Orosa to get together and prepare a long range plan for the economic and social development of the area;
2. Secretary Melchor and Director-General Orosa to submit a check list of economic activities which had been disrupted and which should be restored to normalcy, as well as the various government agencies that should get involved in such effort;
3. The Department of Social Welfare to conduct a physical count of the refugees which may form the basis for long range government planning, and to import the 10,000 to 13,000 metric tons of wheat donated by Australia to the Philippines for the use in the amelioration work in the Lanao and Cotabato provinces;
4. The Department of Public Works and Communications to move in equipment and men to repair the bad roads in the provinces in question to facilitate the return of the evacuees and the economic development of the people; and
5. The military to proceed with the establishment of security centers, particularly in Lanao del Norte where, according to Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan, 97,000 farmers, both Muslims and Christians, had left their farms and homes.
The President also directed Secretary Melchor to request the Envelopment Bank of the Philippines to set aside funds for small crop loans and to set up a temporary lending office right in the farming area in Kapatagan.
Present at the conference which lasted for about two hours, were: Undersecretary of National Defense Efren I. Plana, Undersecretary for Home Defense Jose M. Crisol, Undersecretary of Social Welfare Petra de Joya, Rep. Ali Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, Gen Manuel T. Yian, AFP chief of staff; Brig. Gen. Rafael Ileto, PA commander; Brig. Gen. Crispino de Castro, chairman of the Police Commission; Brig. Gen. Eduardo M. Garcia, PC chief; Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan, 4th PC zone commander; Commodore Dioscoro E. Papa, PN flag-officer-in-command; Brig. Generals Fidel Ramos and Wilfredo Encarnacion, and Col. Bienvenido Castro and A. N. Venadas.
The whole afternoon, was spent by the President on urgent desk work.
And this morning at golf at 7:00 AM, I eagled Hole No. 1 (for the first time by anyone).
The conference at 10:30 AM turned into a round of congratulations.
You can feel the atmosphere in the city change with the decision.
It is my hope that faith in government which has been severely eroded will be restored.
And the decision to suspend was mine. The justification before the Supreme Court was prepared by me. And the resolution to sustain it even against the demonstrations and seemingly popular clamor to lift it, was mine.
I had pointedly told my critics: “You will be glad that there was one man who stood against the mob to protect the Republic.” “I would rather protect and save the Republic than be popular.”