I am concerned about the slow erosion of our authority under martial law and the slow shift of our society to its old habits of lack of discipline, irresponsibility, selfishness, egoism and lack of patriotism.
The politicians are back to asking for special favors and attacking me personally as wanting to be a dictator (Delegate Ramon Gonzales in last night’s TV debate). In the conference this morning the senators were almost unanimous in the demand that the Congress be considered as authorized under the constitution to meet on the fourth Monday of January and not to adjourn immediately or from day to day.
Official Gazette for December 23, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS said that ethical transformation is as important to the New Society as social and economic transformation, “for it touches the soul of our nation.” In a message to the Knights of Columbus of Tagbilaran, Bohol on the occasion of its silver anniversary, the President observed: “But in building the New Society, we do not intend—as the communists have done and still do—to destroy everything, to raze the building, as it were, to the ground and build an entirely new structure. This is not only wasteful, it is unnecessarily traumatic.” He added: “Development in itself is difficult enough. We do not intend to destroy or discard for the sake of destroying or discarding. We will save, conserve and nurture those institutions and beliefs that are still viable and that contribute to the strengthening of our nation.”
PUBLIC INFORMATION Secretary Francisco S. Tatad, in defining the role of his department in the New Society, said it aims “to impart to the nation a distilled philosophy of our way of life, the way of life we intend to achieve for our people.” The basic raw material of the department is information, which Mr. Tatad described as a “commodity that moves people to do certain things in favor of other choices that endows them with habits, attitudes and values, so that they will ultimately be have in a particular way rather than in another way.” The secretary brought this message to the concluding session of a seminar on the New Society sponsored by the National Media Production Center, and attended by chief training officers and chief information officers in the government. “We give to information the duty of improving the quality of human life,” the secretary in his speech said. “Its role, therefore, is to carry the message of the policy-making authorities of our government and the civic leadership. Its integral role is to convey to the policy-making organs of the society the views, attitudes, habits and values relevant to the making of a public policy and such views, attitudes, habits and values from which a public philosophy may be distilled.”
IN ORDER TO GIVE the people ample time for an open and free debate on the proposed Constitution, President Marcos decided to post pone the holding of the plebiscite which was originally scheduled for January 15. Accordingly, the President directed: 1) the secretaries of justice, defense and public information to meet with Comelec officials in order to determine which of the two proposed dates—February 19 or March 5—should be chosen for the plebiscite; 2) the extension of the registration period for new voters which was to end December 23; and 3) the printing and distribution of copies of the proposed Constitution in eight major dialects. The decision to postpone the plebiscite was arrived at following a series of meetings between the President and leaders of various sectors of society.
JUSTICE SECRETARY Vicente Abad Santos issued Circular No 97 to all district and circuit criminal court judges, provincial and “city fiscals to give effect to the Presidential directive allowing free and open debate on the new Constitution proposed for ratification. “The President has directed me,” the secretary said in the circular, ‘“to inform you that any person who might be arrested and detained in connection there with is entitled to prompt judicial remedies, including the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in case his arrest and detention are in connection with the plebiscite on the proposed Constitution. Accordingly, you are hereby directed to act on such cases with deliberate haste, reporting to me the action you have taken.” The President in a previous letter addressed to the secretaries of national defense, public information and justice, suspended the effects of martial law for purposes of the free and open debate on the proposed Constitution.
Sen. [Emmanuel] Pelaez spoke of the President in Martial Law as no “overseer.” [Arturo] Tolentino submitted the proposal that Congress had exclusive powers of legislation in certain areas, coordinate powers with the president in another and areas already covered by decree could be considered as exclusive for the president.
[Ernesto] Maceda frankly admitted that he was against the New Constitution because he had spent a lot for his election and now he will be a senator for a year. But “since your reforms are tied up in the New Constitution I would be campaigning for it.” I suspect he will sabotage the New Constitution.
So will Pelaez and perhaps [Gil] Puyat. The senators visited Sens. [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.] and [Jose] Diokno yesterday. Their sympathies are obvious.
[Ambrosio] Padilla openly stated that such decrees like the Tariff and Customs Code are to his belief and that of Sen. [Lorenzo] Sumulong not included in the powers under martial law. Of course I told him that the improvement of the customs laws which would prevent smuggling and corruption would prevent the remounting of the second wave of rebellion.
Sol. Gen. [Estelito] Mendoza followed this line when he told the joint meeting of the senators and congressmen that the adoption of a new constitution would prove the efficacy of a peaceful or constitutional revolution and thus prevent the remounting of the second wave of rebellion.
Since the original plan for Congress to adjourn after meeting on the first day cannot be complied with by the Senate, I am now inclined to postpone the ratification of the constitution not to a certain day like Feb. 19th, 1973, or Mar. 5, 1973 but INDEFINITELY. Then I would issue a decree defining the functions and powers of the different departments of government which would also include the postponement of the sessions of Congress indefinitely.
I am also nauseated by the selfish motivation of the Supreme Court in questioning the power of the President to appropriate funds for the plebiscite as well as to raise the questions of time, freedom of debate and information as well as improper submission of the constitution.
When all along all they wanted was my promise that I would not exercise the power granted me by the new Constitution to remove them from the Supreme Court!!