Official Gazette for December 18, 1971: Notable among the few callers of the President were Bolivia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Madame Mario Gutierrez who called at Malacañang to pay their respects.
The President and the Bolivian official compared notes on the communist problem facing both the Philippines and Bolivia, while the First Lady, Imelda P. Marcos, and Madame Mary Reese de Gutierrez exchanged pleasantries in the Music Room.
The Bolivian couple, who were later presented Christmas gifts by President and Mrs. Marcos, were accompanied to Malacañang by Monico Vicente, Department of Foreign Affairs protocol director.
The President devoted most of his time during the day on desk work.
Early in the evening, the President had an interview with newsmen covering Malacañang, during which he said, among others, that he:
1. Asked milk importers, who threatened to close shop unless the Price Control Council (PCC) stops pegging the price ceiling on milk and milk components, to wait for the decision of the PCC before undertaking any drastic action which would prejudice public interest.
2. Was surprised on the report that Karomatan in Lanao del Norte had been taken over by Muslim Barracudas while the troops looked on as the settlers fled. The President said that he could not believe that the report was one coming from responsible sources because Karomatan is from 80 to 85 per cent Muslim town and that it need not be invaded by Muslims.
Probably, the President added, the settlers fled because the task force commander, Col. Bienvenido Custro, was reassessing the situation in Kapatagan Valley and was organizing the area into a “security center.”
3. Ordered defense and military officials, particularly Secretary of National Defense Efren I. Plana and Gen. Manuel T. Yan, AFP chief of staff; and the military intelligence to make themselves available for briefing various elements of society on the growing communist menace.
He issued the directive in the wake of claims by opposition leaders of the administration efforts to “build up justification for the imposition of martial law.”
Before I go to the
777 to sleep and start
at 6:00 AM tomorrow
for Talaga Bay.
We stayed up to 4:00 AM this morning talking to the children. And we slept in our bedroom, the children on mattresses on the floor.
Imee wants to go to Oxford on a tutorship after this term as she has been set back one year and she is now in the same form as Bongbong and this would give her a chance to catch up. Anyway she is not happy in the Convent of the Holy Child Jesus.
Bongbong wants to take Math, Physics, Pure Math and English. While this may not have a direct relation to law, this would qualify him for the university for any course like law. This reminds me of my own early ambition to take up Engineering and be a research scientist.
But he is willing to take up law in college. They are both talking of Cambridge. I would like to have Bongbong to take up law in the U.P. [University of the Philippines].
Oxford and its tutorship may be too permissive for Imee. We are checking. [Imelda?], of course, is against it.
The Foreign Minister of Bolivia paid a courtesy call on me this noon. Bolivia is the country that Che Guevara was caught in and finally killed. I congratulated him for it.
Then met the Con Con [Constitutional Convention] delegates headed by Bibit Duavit, Godofredo Ramos etc. on the parliamentary system the latest compromise draft being objectionable as it creates two centers of power, the President who is elected at large and the Chief Executive who is the Prime Minister and elected by the Assembly.
The President told the newsmen that the fear expressed by Sen. and LP President Gerardo M. Roxas and other LP members had no basis.
He said that reports that the towns of San Emilio, Lidlidda and other towns, including Vigan, in Ilocos Sur had already been infiltrated by NPA elements are now being checked and verified