The SND [Secretary of National Defense], Chief of Staff and the Chief of all general services reviewed with me the plans for Isabela. I directed that Gen. [Tranquilino] Paranis must be brought down to the lowlands to block the movement of the fleeing NPA’s [New People’s Army] to the San Guillermo, Echague, Angadanan area. The road from Maddela, Quirino (Ysrnael logging road) must be blocked. And while the TF Palanan is attacking the second camp, another company under Lt. Col. Dizon (Prov. Commander of Isabela) must surround Divinisa which has a settlement of about 200 most of whom are allegedly NPA’s so that if they flee with their firearms during the bombardment (air and naval) they can be apprehended.
For I suspect that no enemy soldiers will be in the camp at Digollirin River. They will have fled by now perhaps westward or southward to Divinisa.
Palanan, probably, is also infiltrated by the NPA’s. And the new faces should be screened.
And air reconnaissance should try to locate the nearest logging camp and farm where the NPA’s from Digoyo could have run to for food and shelter.
I have ordered the establishment of three naval stations: San Vicente, Palanan (Bicobian Bay) and Casiguran. I ordered P500,000 to be released to the Navy and 12 Marcos prefabs for all purpose buildings.
Palanan airstrip must be lengthened and improved for the use of Fokkers and possibly jet fighters.
This noon I directed the Sec. of Public Works and the Com. on Highways to finish the Baler-Casiguran road and work on the Ilagan-Palanan road with the Army Engineers, connecting into the logging roads if any, as well as to improve the Appari-San Vicente road in Cagayan.
Official Gazette for July 17, 1972: THE PRESIDENT focused on matters concerning relief and rehabilitation work in Central Luzon before receiving his morning callers.
At 11 a.m. the President repaired to the Ceremonial Hall and conferred the Philippine Legion of Honor (degree of officer) on Col. Philipp F Sears, outgoing commander of the U.S. Office of Special Investigation in this country.
Col. Sears was cited “for meritorious and outstanding services to the Republic of the Philippines, as head of specialized training units of the United States Air Force in 1966 and 1969 and as Commander of the Office of Special Investigation in the Philippines.”
After the conferment rites held at the Malacañang Ceremonial Hall, the President administered the oath of office to Associate Justice Eloy Bello of the Court of Appeals, following confirmation of the hitter’s nomination by the Commission on Appointments.
In the afternoon the President and the First Lady received the crew of the MV Logos, headed by Capt. Mjorn Kristianson and members of their families whom they invited for merienda at Malacañang when they visited the “floating library.”
5,000 M-16’s must be acquired, 1,200 from MAP [Military Assistance Program] and 3,800 from Military Sales.
We must expedite the setting up of the small arms factory.
There must be an increase of the Marines, HDF [Home Defense Force], Tabak Division and the PC [Philippine Constabulary] which is at 40% strength and 15% armed with Armalites.
The M-14’s that were captured are apparently not U.S. made but may have been duplicated by the Chicoms [Chinese communists] or some foreign country. The wood as well as the metal is being studied.
Two of the BAR’s [Browning Automatic Rifle] captured in Diguyo (Nos. 602721 and 22280) were lost by the PMA [Philippine Military Academy] on 29 Dec. 70. This proves that the band was apparently led by [Victor] Corpus alias Ka Dencio
The captured rocket launcher is an RPG Rocket Propelled Grenade or M-40, a 40 mm. Russian model copied by the Chicom and used by the Vietcong. It is an anti-tank weapon. Penetration—11 to 18 inches of steel. Breaching—36 inches of reinforced concrete or 4 layers of sandbags (apparently 48 inches).
I attach the reports.
Another assassination plot is reported by Bob Garcia. A group including Eddie Figueras has asked a family to rent a house near St. Jude to be used as a sniping point as I cross the river to [Bahay] Pangarap.