The Senate Committee on Finance this noon by a vote of 9-4 eliminated completely the President’s power to transfer funds from one item to another. Nacionalistas voted for it, led by Majority Floor Leader Arturo Tolentino, Pres. Pro. Temp. Jose Roy, Sen. Salvador Laurel, Sen. Jose Diokno and even Helen Benitez.
The power of transfer is necessary in time of crisis and of fast changing situations. So I anticipated that House of Representatives will stand by its version and there will probably be a second if not a third special session.
And we will have to set down in open appropriation even the items intended for security and intelligence. And pass a public works bill.
I called Ambassador [Henry] Byroade to Malacañan and handed to him my letter on missiles and nuclear weapons. I attach a duplicate of my handwritten letter.
He seemed to have been slightly shocked by it. And he said that President [Richard] Nixon would have to act on the matter of nuclear weapons. He did not foresee any problem on ICBM’s [intercontinental ballistic missile] and IRBM’s [intermediate-range ballistic missile].
I also conveyed to him the possibility that if the NPA [New People’s Army] and Communist Party continue to expand and strengthen, I would have to use my emergency powers all over again. When I asked him point blank whether the American government would at least remain neutral. He answered that his government would support my move.
But I noticed a hesitancy when he said that my suspension had caused a controversy indicating that he would prefer to have it avoided.
I met with the USAPHIP, NL [sic] [United States Army Forces in the Philippines – Northern Luzon (USAFIP, NL)] to play golf in the rain and eat caldereta and calding, kilawen. We talked of the organization of the economic arm of the veterans to which we can then grant a forest concession. Right now, I am thinking of granting the former Aguinaldo concession in Palawan.
Official Gazette for May 24, 1972: THE President devoted almost another day to desk work.
He received one group of callers only, composed of town and barrio officials of Nueva Vizcaya who accompanied Mayor Osias Cadiente of Solano in filing charges of oppression and misconduct in office against Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Patricio G. Dumlao.
The President referred the charges of the Solano mayor to Justice
Secretary Vicente Abad Santos with orders to see if there is a prima facie case to warrant the preventive suspension of the governor pending investigation of the charges as petitioned by Mayor Cadiente.
Then I met Dick de la Camara, the mestizo chief of the Higaonons of Agusan, Mis[amis] Oriental and Bukidnon. He revealed that the NPA’s have infiltrated the Ilagas, the Barracudas and are now infiltrating the various tribes including the Higaon-nons, his tribe, where they have won over two datus, one of whom attempted to kill him by ambush.
He also revealed that he was trained for seven months by two political commissars who are two medical doctors from Cebu. Fourteen commanders have visited him. The first NPAs Commander Esparagoza and the Secretary General of Agusan, Vic’s Cupin were brought by the brother-in-law of D.O. Plaza; Dick Mosquito and Duds Cupin, brother of Vic’s Cupin and a newspaperman and radio commentator in Butuan.
The son of the Chief of Police of Iligan City is on NPA.
Agusan NPA’s send their messages to Luzon through the PC [Philippine Constabulary] radio network.
He has agreed to work on an intelligence mission for the government. He says that the NPA’s are ready to transfer one half of the operational organization if they can get the support of the mountain tribes.
Rather than surrender and he identified with government, he will be “allowed to escape” again, work with the NPA and send all the information he can.