Interview by T.[J.] S. George of Far East[ern] Economic Review.
Meeting with Speaker [Cornelio] Villareal, Kit [Francisco] Tatad, [Guillermo]Guimo de Vega, Asst. Sec. [Flores] Bayot, Cong. [Jose] Joe Alberto and Com. [Faustino] Sychangco on the problems that have arisen in the campaign tor the ratification of the constitution.
The Supreme Court is reported to have said that there is no criticism of the constitution in the media. Nor any literature on this.
I ordered that the KBS [Kanlaon Broadcasting System] and other TV stations show a debate between LP [Liberal Party] Pres. [Gerardo] Roxas and the other oppositionists on the one side and other like Delegate [Godofredo] Ramos and Bengzon on the other.
And to print the pros and cons on the constitution for distribution to the public.
Amb. [Modesto] Farolan on SCCAN [Special Co-ordination Committee for ASEAN Nations] and the EEC [European Economic Council]. I have directed the appointment of a Presidential Representative for Economic Negotiations. We must negotiate with the U.S., Japan and EEC soon.
Official Gazette for December 18, 1972: PRESIDENT AND MRS. Marcos played Santa Glaus to some 7,000 indigent children during the Bagong Lipunan Children’s Festival at the Malacanaiig grounds. This was the first public appearance of the First Lady since the assassination attempt against her on December 7. Assisting the First Couple were children Imee, Irene and Bongbong, movie and television stars.
SOME 2,621,817 packets of high-yielding vegetable seeds and 340,000 pieces of planting materials were distributed to farmers and interested parties by the Bureau of Plant Industry during the first five months of the current fiscal year. From July to November this year, the bureau’s seed center on San Andres, Malate alone distributed some 1,516,277 packets of vegetable seeds and 300,000 seedlings, free of charge, while sales amounted to 410,000 packets of seeds and 40,000 planting materials valued at Fill,475.73. Among those distributed were seeds of ampalaya, batao, beans, chaote, patola, sitao, squash, upo, seguidillas, patani, cucumber, cauliflower, pechay, lettuce, radish, onion and pepper.
SEVENTY-THREE officials and employes of the Commission on Immigration and Deportation have been separated from the service. Among them were the administrative officer of the commission, four lawyer-special investigators, a supervising clerk, 10 special agents, three intelligence officers, four alien control officers of provincial stations and 12 immigration officers from both the Manila office and subports, Commissioner Edmundo Reyes announced.
FISCALS ARE obliged to extend legal assistance to cooperatives. This was the ruling of Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos who cited Section 67 of the Philippine Non-Agricultural Cooperatives Act which reads: “Cooperatives registered under this act shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any law . . . enjoy the privilege of being represented in courts by the provincial or city fiscal or the Solicitor General or his representatives, as the case may be, free of charge, in any case in which they are either plaintiffs or defendants, except when the Philippine Government is the plaintiff itself; and all suits brought by or on behalf of a cooperative shall be instituted in court by them at most within three months from the date of receipt of such suit.”
Maligayang Pasko this afternoon at 3:30 PM.