Appointed Under Sec. Estelito Mendoza as Solicitor General and Under Sec. of Defense [Efren] Plana to replace him.
The Bulletin put thumbs down on the alleged “Zona” for wanted persons in Ilocos Sur. So I had Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile to explain there was no abuse of power nor violation of civil rights as five of the eight arrested were now wanted on warrants of arrest, the sixth violated his parole, the 7th was wanted or a suspect of the Cabugao grenade throwing and the 8th wanted on other crimes—the three last prisoners having signed a voluntary waiver.
The Herald carries an article on the expansion of the NPA [New People’s Army] in Northern Luzon, Central Luzon including Zambales and Bicol specially Cam[arines] Sur.
It seems more alarming than the prepared report on the state of public order by the J-2 [Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence], Col. [Ignacio] Paz.
The Asian also carries articles on the NPA, the Pakistan President Yaya Khan agreement to tranship Libyan aid of arms for the Moslem insurrection in Mindanao, and the South Vietnamese falling back before the North Vietnamese onslaught.
I place the newspapers of today in another envelope.
Official Gazette for April 30, 1972: THE PRESIDENT designated Undersecretary of Justice Estelito P. Men-doza as acting solicitor general and Undersecretary of National Defense Efren I. Plana as acting undersecretary of justice, vice Mendoza, even as he spent some time acting on urgent state matters shortly after breakfast.