It is my birthday. I am 55. And I feel more physically and mentally robust than in the past decade. And have acquired valuable experience to boot.
Energy and wisdom—the philosophers heaven.
Parade and Review—in the rain. I trooped the line in a raincoat and hat. Felt good.
“The freedom that we pledge ourselves to is a native concept of freedom—not an alien one.”
The history of our people shows this. The Philippines was the land of freedom.
So I come to bear witness to the renewal of your pledge to that freedom.
And I am proud to be counted as another soldier who also says—For Freedom, Battle to the Death.
Official Gazette for September 10, 1972: THE PRESIDENT, on the eve of his 55th birthday, renewed his pledge of loyalty to the Constitution and “to do battle to the death for freedom.”
The President made the pledge during the loyalty parade and testimonial review given him by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as President of the Republic and their commander-in-chief.
In his extemporaneous speech, the President sounded anew his warning against the communists who “seek by violence to coerce the great majority of our people to forget our traditions and culture.”
The President said that while these people cry in the name of freedom, it is not the kind of freedom that the Filipino people love and fight for, but that “it is a strange and alien ideology that is unacceptable to the Filipino way of life.”
After delivering his extemporaneous remarks, the President, together with the other guests including members of the Cabinet, the diplomatic corps, the judiciary, and Congress, went to the AFP general headquarters to view the exhibits and take a snack.
The President then proceeded to the Officers Clubhouse for a briefing for local executives.
During the briefing, the President decided to form provincial defense forces to meet the rising communist insurgency in critical areas.
The President made the decision to create provincial defense forces in view of the many requests made by the provincial and other local executives who find themselves virtually defenseless in dealing with subversion, insurgency and criminality.
The President also proposed the organization of a municipal mayors’ league similar to the League of Provincial Governors and City Mayors, to promote closer cooperation and collaboration, particularly in meeting peace and order problems.
However, the President said, the formation of such defense forces would be on a case-to-case basis and if a strike force should be organized at all it would be composed principally of the armed forces and the local police. The briefing was attended by some 300 governors, city and municipal mayors, delegates to the Constitutional Convention and some members of Congress.
Back in Malacañang in the afternoon, the President, on recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Parole, extended executive clemency to 232 more prisoners in connection with his 55th birth anniversary.
Briefing by Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile and Gen. [Fidel] Ramos to the governors, city mayors and municipal mayors.
Organize a mayors league.
Strike Forces and weapons on a case to case basis.
In the afternoon, at 5:00 PM, the National Museum opened its new quarters at the 3rd floor of the Agricultural Bldg. as a birthday gift to me—The Ancient Phllippines—Flora and Fauna up to modem times.
I hope to be able to compile with Imelda an Encyclopedia of Ancient Philippines.