Sunday
If and when I declare martial law, it will become necessary not merely to assume greater powers but to impose what is referred to as martial law in its severest form or in its technical senses —“that of the will of the commander, unlimited by any restrictions from statutes or the Bill of Rights.”
Thus I would have to immediately suspend the Constitution;
Take over all public utilities;
Impose censorship, curfew and limit assembly. This would mean taking over all media and communications.
Order the immediate arrest of all persons in any way connected with the rebellion.
But there should be the least fracture of the functions of government, specially in the executive.
The declaration of martial law in its severest form will be contested by the legal technologists but it has to be preceded by a finding of hostilities and a state bordering on war which has caused the collapse of the civil authority.
But what is a collapse of the civil authority?
What courts will handle and try civil—or criminal cases?
What about the Supreme Court? Should it function?
And yet these questions and doubts cannot and should not cause timidity and hesitation when the time comes for decisive action.
I played golf this afternoon at Fort Aguinaldo with Gen. [Romeo] Espino, [Roberto] Bobby Benedicto, Gen. [Reynaldo] Perez and Commodore [Hilario] Ruiz. And when I was coming home, I felt some kind of melancholy at all the people waving and smiling to me as if to say, “We depend upon you to protect us. We know only you can do it. We trust you.” This same feeling comes to me when all the reports of communist subversive designs reach me. The faces of all the helpless but trusting people focus in my mind and eyes.
I opened the Air Show at MIA [Manila International Airport] at 8:20 AM. Gen. [Jose] Rancudo made the first pass in a jetfighter F-5.
Mass parachute jump by the PAF [Philippine Air Force]. Then sky diving from 12,000 with a free fall of 10,000, their drop traced by smoke on their boots and their parachutes opening at 2,000 ft. There were two American girls among them.
Bob Sinclair made another jump after Imelda arrived in another helicopter. He jumped with a parachute at 12,000 ft. Then his parachute apparently went Roman candle and it flew off and he started falling free. Everybody gasped thinking he was a dead duck. But he opened his other chute to the relief of everyone. And it was a part of the act.
When we had left, however, he (Bob Sinclair) was hanging out with a Philippine flag from the Benny [Benigno] Toda [Jr.] helicopter when it flamed out. The pilot was able to rotate safely down but while the two pilots were unharmed, Bob Sinclair was said to have suffered two fractured legs by Bololo Lao. However, CAA [Civil Aeronautics Administration] Director Federico Ablan reported he (Bob Sinclair) suffered only a sprained right ankle.
The Blue Diamonds and Red Tigers were superb as usual.
Incidentally, Northrop, according to Col. Jesus Villamor who was there, thinks the best pilots are the Filipino pilots who have taken the F-5 and performed with it beyond their expectations and plans.
And Flying Brothers which was an annual competition of the various military air forces in Asia like U.S., Korea, Nationalist China, British, New Zealand, Australia, had to be discontinued as the Philippines was winning the competition continuously.
12:00 PM March 8, 1971[1]
Monday
Today I met the Jacintos with Sec. Cesar Virata, [Leonides] Leo Virata and BOI [Board of Investments] Chairman [Vicente] Ting Paterno to settle the $70 million guaranty for their raw materials and the blast furnace for their smelter.
Everything pivots on the organization of the management committee in which [Eduardo] Eddie Rodriguez would be a member.
The Jacintos have agreed to put a comptroller to be chosen by the DBP [Development Bank of the Philippines], in this case a certain Dominguez.
They met this afternoon to settle the details.
Tonight I ordered a meeting of RCA [Rice and Corn Administration] Chairman [Alfredo] Piding Montelibano [Sr.], Bureau of Commerce Director [Epifanio] Castillejos (the two immediately tore into each other like cats and dogs, with Dir. Castillejos standing up to Piding and calling him inefficient), Sec. [Ernesto] Maceda and Sec. [Arturo] Tanco [Jr.].
I ordered that the Sec. of Commerce using his powers in an emergency caused by calamity start confiscating rice from the bonded warehouse owners who owed the RCA rice. The total indebtedness is 5.1 million cavans of rice and 700,000 cavans of corn.
I ordered that at least 2 million be recovered and kept as reserve stock except those going to the Visayas and Mindanao.
Imelda, at dinner tonight, recounted how I often said, “I should have died a long time ago, but God must have saved me to accomplish a mission.”
And so the stories on how clairvoyance had saved me—the choice at a junction as to which road to take; the incident at Hermosa and Layne junction when Priming San Agustin was wounded and I thought he was my brother, Paking (Pacifico); the feeling that I was going to be hit when l was wounded; the incident at Kiangan of the ghost battalion under Maj. Dumlao that saved us.
And the strange capacity to receive messages (mental telepathy) when grandfather died and I told father this (we were in Davao and grandfather was in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, about 1,500 miles away) before we knew of it and was confirmed the following day by a telegram.
Then the separation of my spirit from my body on occasions of extreme pain.
What mission run I supposed to perform now for our country and people. It seems simple enough now that the danger from the communists has surfaced.
“Nobody else can save us,” Huang Yulo who was brought by Joe Campos to tell me of Chinese Yoga, kept repeating as the conclusion of all the people he talks to.
1:10 PM March 9, 1971[2]
We watched the Joe Frazier-Muhammad Ali fight (Fight of the Century) or Fight of Champions—Joe Frazier has been undefeated in 26 fights 23 of which he won by knockouts and Ali has been undefeated in 31 fights 25 he won by knockouts.
Muhammad Ali or Cassius Clay was a big disappointment. From the beginning he was clinching although he did not backpedal as he had announced he would. His punches did not seem to be as hard or as fast as they were before retirement. And be tired easily. You could see that his retirement without a fight for three years had taken its toll on his reflexes. And he was overweight at 215 pounds when Joe Frazier was 205 1/2 and he fought Sonny Liston at 212 pounds.
Joe Frazier knocked him down on the 15th round with a low left hook after a clinch. But Ali went down because he was careless and tired. His arms were down and his jaw wide open.
Frazier won on a unanimous decision.
The SDK [Samahan ng Demokratikong Kabataan] met last week and it was seriously proposed and discussed to kidnap the First Lady (Imelda) and then tie her to a post naked.
This shows the viciousness of the enemies we are fighting. First the kidnapping of Bongbong, now of Imelda.
And these are the evil men whom some of the intellectuals or pseudo-intellectuals are supporting. So are the media people giving them all-out aid.
I have been diagnosing the ills of our society. And I have come to the considered opinion that while the society and the social order needs restructuring because of our inherited illnesses, many of our weaknesses, our failures and illnesses are due to a rapacious, corrupt and vicious media.
Chino [Joaquin] Roces admits he is a leftist and his papers and TV and Radio facilities do not hesitate to falsify news.
The Chronicle as a wag says is chronically untrue and slanted not only because its owners are my political and personal enemies but is run by the communists—I.P. [Indalencio] Soliongco, Ernesto Granada, Renato Constantino, etc.
The Herald may be anti-Communist but the staff members and columnists in the natural inclination of newspapermen tend to yellow journalism.
The Bulletin helps occasionally but it is still engaged in over-dramatizing events to keep its circulation.
The intellectuals of the UP [University of the Philippines] and Ateneo [de Manila University], Lyceum, UE [University of the East], Far Eastern [University], etc. want to be fashionable and are reds.
The less said about ABS-CBN the better. It is the most vicious of all.
This is the difference between the communist rebellion of the 1950’s and now. In the 1950’s the communists had 14,000 armed men and now they may have about 2,000 but now they have the media, some students and labor or farmer leaders and some intellectuals.
This is more insidious as there is a strong bid to erode faith not only in the political leadership but in government and freedom itself.[3]
10:00 PM March 10, 1971[4]
Wednesday
Air Manila has entered into agreement with TWA for promotion and marketing, ground maintenance, management and trouble-shooting for $300,000 in three years.
This qualifies it for international flights. But it will have to acquire some carriers. It has acquired some four-engine jet prop planes for domestic and short international flights.
I have insisted upon the PDCP [Private Development Corporation of the Philippines] putting funds into the road to Sangley Point and the Greater Manila Food Terminal Market. PNB [Philippine National Bank] is lending them $15 million for relending to private corporations. We impose this as a condition for the loan.
Met the Vice President of the Asian Development Bank on the loans to the Philippines.
He seemed quite proud of the loan for the Cotabato-Gen. Santos Road and the Fisherman’s Market. He does not know that we know that they have been giving concessional loans to Cambodia and Indonesia which they do not extend to us.
Finalizing the plans for the retired officers and men of the Armed Forces. The fastest would be a banana plantation in the Davao Penal Colony and the ground maintenance equipment and shop at Basa Airfield. Then we could follow with logging and the reclamation project to Cavite.
The ABS-CBN TV and radio networks are blanketing the whole country with vicious lies and distorted propaganda. But Imelda feels that it is becoming effective in turning some of the people against us.
So we have to mount a counter-propaganda campaign. We have started with some commentators and audio-visual units.
12:00 PM March 11, 1971[5]
Friday
Presented the reorganization plan to the members of Congress—12 senators and 54 congressmen.
Administered the oath to Col. Fabian Ver who is now a general in the presence of many officers and their ladies.
Then a conference with Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile, Gens. [Manuel] Yan, [Romeo] Espino, [Rafael] Ileto, [Eduardo] Garcia, [Mariano] Ordonez and [Fidel] Ramos and Col. Paz on the contingency plans. They are apparently all agreed that I declare martial law if there is an escalation of violence and rebellion.
Finally a conference with Ambassador [Henry] Byroade on the Clark Airforce Base strikes of Filipino workers.
Chino [Joaquin] Roces is still at it. He is distributing photostat copies of an article in the Boston Free Press dated Feb. 28, 1971 on the Dovie Boehms [Beams] case which includes a picture of me I am supposed to have dedicated to her with such words like “with all my love into eternity,” “Ferdinand (Fred).” This dedication again is a falsification and a forgery.
On the other hand Republic magazine continues the series of articles revealing her nude pictures, her insanity, her sex adventures with many men, her inclination to claim relationship (amorous) with the Kennedys, Trudeau, Wilson, Hearst, etc.
I may have to file an extortion case against her and the distributors of this coward.
Ex-Secretary Rafael Salas gave an interview to Nick Joaquin and although given allegedly as background for an article is being used by Nick Joaquin for the new magazine of the Jacintos, The Asian Leader.
In this article Salas claims that he left his position as Executive Sec. because he was asked to sign receipts for P2 million he had demanded from his cousin [Roberto] Bobby Benedicto for his candidacy as senator in 1969.
In short he admits that he made the demand for P2 million for his candidacy. I am afraid this will ruin him. Although he does call Bobby Benedicto a crook.
What happened was that he wanted to run as senator very badly. But he was, as we noted from the beginning, acting like a prima donna again.
He had helped in the campaign of 1965 although in a half-hearted manner so much so that when Imelda told him that we had only P2.5 million for the campaign (in September, about two months away from the elections) he seriously advised her to get me to withdraw, get the money and go on a round the world tour.
He begged me to be appointed Executive Secretary after I had won the elections of 1966.
And I did, because he was rated to be an efficient management man. But one year after my inauguration, he was more interested in sending scholars abroad than attending to his duties. So much so that there were log jams in the communications in the Executive Office and there was no system in handling problems. He was always buckpassing most every question to me, increasing my burdens, refusing to assume responsibility, always pessimistic about our chances to achieve (this was true even in the rice program and the propagation of the IR-8 variety where he maintained to the end that we could not become self-sufficient in rice until my second term if at all—when we did become self-sufficient in my first term [the third year]), complaining about everything else but his own inefficiency and attending more to the media than anything else.
Even with respect to his task as Executive Secretary where he was supposed to absorb some of the shocks of unpopular decisions, he always went out of his way to show that the decisions were made by me alone and by no one else. But if a decision turned out to be popular, he always managed to be identified with it. One of such programs was the conservation program. I almost lost my temper when he announced that this was his program. When I asked him about it, he pleaded that I should allow his men to build themselves up. I realized the man had no spine and would never be a leader but a passably good No. 2 man. He would never have the courage to assume direct responsibility, face up to a crisis or to go it alone.
There were several instances that I hinted that he leave the Executive Secretaryship. Thus I decided to push him to run for the Senate.
But even there, he was acting scared. And he was scared all the way.
He had gone to Bobby Benedicto and to [Alfredo] Piding Montelibano [Sr.] after he was sure of his nomination, to ask that they give him P2 million for his campaign expenses.
Of course they told him that they did not have that kind of money; that they were handling only contributions to the party and there were as yet no contributions but that if the party agreed to it they would start a finance committee campaign to raise funds for him but he would have to sign receipts for the funds as they were accountable to the party for them.
They also asked him if he had told me of his request for funds. And when he said that he had not, for he had not at all until later when he had already quarreled with Bobby and Piding and I intervened.
But my feeling was that when he realized that he could not get the funds which he may have seriously felt he needed (although with the strength of the party he did not need such a fantastic amount of money) he panicked and ran away as far as he could go and that was the United Nations.
He must be running scared still. His interview shows it.
11:30 PM March 12, 1971[6]
Friday
This has been a busy day. Imelda went to Carmona (by car because it was raining although she helicoptered back at noon) to receive the 500 houses donated by the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce.
I keynoted the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Ministers Conference at 10:00 AM at the Hilton. I attach my speech.
Then met the District Foresters (66) and the Regional Directors of the Bureau of Forestry who are in Manila for their annual convention.
Directed [Potenciano] Nanoy Ilusorio to push through the extortion case against Dovie Boehms [Beams] who is still intimidating everyone by false publications, this time in the Detroit Free Press.
Then gave merienda to the Japanese Economic Survey Mission under Mr. [Masaharu] Doi, Chairman of the Sumitomo Chemical and a classmate of Ex-Prime Minister [Nobusuke] Kishi and the Deputy Leader [Teizo] Horikoshi, a classmate of Prime Minister Sato.
Then dinner for the Foreign Ministers of the members of Asean, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tun (Dr.) Ismail, Indonesian Foreign Minister Adam Malik, Singapore Foreign Minister [Sinnathamby] Rajaratnam, Thai foreign Minister Thanat Khoman and their ladies.
Tomorrow, we play golf at [Bahay] Pangarap at 7:00 AM (Malik, Khoman and Ismail).
If it does not continue raining. Strange weather for March. It has been raining since last night.
10:40 PM March 13, 1971[7]
Saturday
Woke up late and conferred on the PC [Philippine Constabulary] control of the towns of San Fernando, Balaoan and PC supervision of Bauang. All these without publicity.
We had Lt. Col. [Ernesto] Kasintahan, PC Provincial Commander, Gov. Juvenal Guerrero, Cong. Jose Aspiras and Titing [Joaquin] Ortega, Sen. Magnolia Antonino, Mayor [Mauro Nicha] of Balaoan, the warring factions therein, Dir. Ledda and Board Member [Castor] Concepcion, Mayor [Antonio] Aquino of San Juan, Mayor [Romeo] de Guzman of Bauang and the Gallardo Brothers [Aureo and Fernando].
There have been many killings in these towns lately. Dir. Ledda of Balaoan, the man of Sen. Antonino, has been keeping wanted criminals as his goons. One of them, Gambol, was killed while resisting arrest by Sgt. Sellona, the bodyguard of Bd. Member Concepcion.
Mayor [Lorenzo] Dacanay of San Fernando whom I called by long distance to inform him of my decision to place his town under PC control, has been importing sacadas from Ilocos Sur. And his policemen have been pointed to as the triggermen in several killings including that of three men inside the municipal building of San Juan.
And they have been beating up the men of the Gallardos whom he suspects of having ambushed his men.
Mayor Dacanay also suspects Mayor de Guzman, Gov. Guerrero, Cong. Aspiras and almost everybody else of conspiring against him.
I strongly suspect that the strangers carrying firearms seen in some towns and stealing cattle, pigs and chicken from the farms are NPA men foraging. We have taken counter-measures.
Saw the movie “Waterloo” which depressed me as I saw Napoleon lose his last battle from a stomach ache.
Then had a press interview at 4:00 PM.
Played golf from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
We are now at the dining table after a heavy dinner of chicken curry by [Fernando] Pandot Ocampo surprisingly posing as an architect but actually a culinary expert. Am drowsy from eating too much.
Am reorganizing the Medical Board of Examiners because the chairman of this board is charged with corruption.
This weekend I intend to finish the appointments to the old salas of the CFI [Court of First Instance] and the PVTA [Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration].
Ricky Cu-Unjieng tells me that in a class get-together of La Salle, he heard Doy [Salvador] Laurel commenting that at the rate we are going there will be no elections in 1971 or 1973.
I just received the contingency plan for POL (Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants) products which I ordered the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and DND [Department of National Defense] to make.
Am waiting for the rest.
[1] Official Gazette for March 8, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS devoted his time to his desk work, among other concerns named the Philippine panel to negotiate the agricultural commodities agreement under US Public Law 480 with the US government; designated National Historical Commission Chairman Carmen Guerrero Nakpil to head the Historical Documents Committee, vice Secretary of Education Onofre D. Corpuz, who gave up the chairmanship because of the pressure of work in his own department; and ordered the strict enforcement of the policy making Virginia tobacco purchase deals in public and at the designated trading centers. The President received only one caller, Gordon E. Jones and his wife, who paid a courtesy call. Jones is board chairman of the IBM World Trade Corp. He arrived in Manila to formally install Raimerio O. Reyes as manager of the IBM company in the Philippines, the first Filipino to take charge of an IBM firm. Jones said that it is the IBM policy to turn over control of IBM offices in various parts of the world to local citizens. The rest of the workday was devoted by the President to his desk work, during which he signed the promotional appointments of three special attorneys in the Office of the Agrarian Counsel (OTAC), designated eight individuals as acting members of the board of directors of the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB), and appointed a city treasurer for Gingoog City. Promoted in the OTAC were Amado B. Castaño, from senior special attorney to supervising special attorney; Salvacion G. Birco, from special attorney to senior special attorney, vice Castaño; and Ana Bon-Uy, from legal officer to special attorney. Designated acting board members of the PVB were Agustin Marking, Alejo S. Santos, Jaime S. Mejia, Benjamin S. Florentino, Generoso Salazar, Alfredo C. Gray, Moises A. Maramba, Sr. and Alfonso V. Arellano. Appointed treasurer of Gingoog City was Iligan City assistant treasurer Wilfredo J. Cabili.
[2] Official Gazette for March 9, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS ordered the immediate recovery of over five million (5,000,000) cavans of palay deposited by the Rice and Corn Administration with some 150 bonded warehouses. He added that the stock should be placed at the disposal of the RCA. The President issued the order in a memorandum to the secretaries of commerce and industry, and of agriculture and natural resources, and the RCA chairman, giving them one week within which to carry out his instructions. The initial objective of the officials concerned, the President said, should be to recover some two million cavans of palay within that period. Once again, the President suspended his schedule of callers in favor of working at his desk on important state business. He worked all morning on government papers, among others signing the nominations of four employees in the judiciary due for promotion, and submitting the same to the Commission on Appointments for confirmation. Appointed were: 1. Bonifacio V. Curso, as municipal judge of Kawayan, Leyte, 2. Arturo L. Juliano, as auxiliary municipal judge of Cabuyao, Laguna. 3. Mrs. Zosima Ramos-Oandasan, as special attorney in the Office of the Agrarian Counsel, Cagayan de Oro Regional Office. 4. Miss Aurea G. Peñalosa, as branch clerk of court, Court of First Instance of Camarines Norte, Branch I, in Daet. In the afternoon, the President had one conference, with the officials of the Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration, with whom he discussed the means of improving the operations of the tobacco agency, particularly in making it possible for poor tobacco growers to benefit fully and immediately from their produce. He issued a series of directives to this effect. The PVTA officials also submitted their resignations to afford the President a free hand in reorganizing the agency. Present at the meeting were Chairman Federico B. Moreno and Directors Adriatico Golea, Ricardo Aguila and Taciano Ledda of the PVTA; Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata, Central Bank Governor Gregorio S. Licaros, BIR Commissioner Misael P. Vera and Jaime Mejia and Phil-Asia President Vicente Velasco, Jr. After the meeting, the President resumed his desk work, remaining in his study through evening.
[3] The last page of this entry is missing.
[4] Official Gazette for March 10, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS did a full measure of desk work early, after which he attended to the stream of callers that began with Krishna Moorthi and Cornelio Balmaceda, vice president and alternate director, respectively, of the Asian Development Bank, who were accompanied to, Malacañang by Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata. He discussed with the ADB officials a .number of priority development projects earmarked for assistance by the bank. Next, the President received the delegation of school teachers from Espiritu, Ilocos Norte, headed by former Mayor Teodorico Agres, who asked the President for assistance in the construction of an administration building of Espiritu Elementary School. Others in the delegation were: Victorino LI. Jose, principal, Espiritu Elementary School; Blesida Bumanlag, Teresa Barbers, Ofelia Dichoso and Winifred Barbers, teachers; and Alberto Dichoso, chairman of the Board of Inquiry, Bureau of Immigration. At mid-morning, the President received Ricardo Silverio and Rodolfo Cuenca, presidents of Air Manila and Construction Development Corporation of the Philippines, respectively, who brought to Malacañang several Trans World Airlines officials. Silverio informed the President that Air Manila has concluded an aid and assistance agreement with TWA, with the latter providing the local airline firm with aircraft, as well as technical and marketing assistance, including personnel training in the projected international operations of Air Manila. Silverio said Air Manila’s international flights will help boost the local tourist industry by providing more travel facilities to tourists. Toward noon, the President inducted Nicetas S. Viesa as director of the Rice and Corn Board. Among the witnesses were Reps. Leopoldo Diaz and Angel Concepcion of Nueva Ecija; Mrs. Viesca and their daughters Blanquita and Violeta; and relatives and friends of the inductee. At past noon, the President took time to attend to several congressmen who called to discuss with him the problems of their respective districts, among them Jose G. Puyat, Jr. of Surigao del Sur, Democrito O. Plaza of Agusan, Leopoldo Diaz and Angel Concepcion of Nueva Ecija and Ali Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte. In the afternoon, the President submitted to the Commission on Appointments the nominations of seven individuals as members of the board of directors of the Philippine Veterans Bank, and of a division chief as assistant director of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Nominated to the PVB board were Agustin Marking, Alejo S. Santos, Jaime S. Mejia, Benjamin S. Florentino, Generoso P. Salazar, Alfredo C. Gray and Moises A. Maramba, Jr. Nominated as assistant director of the Bureau of Animal industry was Faustino S. Mensalvas, chief of the bureau’s livestock research division.
[5] Official Gazette for March 11, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS again discussed the reorganization plan for the executive branch with various national leaders, including those in Congress, who were briefed on the overall proposals at Maharlika Hall in Malacañang starting at 3 PM Present at the briefing were Senate President Protempore Jose J. Roy, Senators Alejandro D. Almendras, Gerardo M. Roxas, Dominador R. Aytona, Lorenzo M. Tañada, Rene Espina, Magnolia W. Antonino, Salvador H. Laurel, Leonardo B. Perez, Helena Z. Benitez, Mamintal A. Tamano, Wenceslao R. Lagumbay, and Ambrosio Padilla. Reps. Aguedo F. Agbayani, Rodolfo B. Albano, Jr., Felipe B. Almazan, Indanan, M. Anni, Jose D. Aspiras, Gaudencio, Becluya, Emerito S. Calderon, Fermin Z. Caram, Jr., Natalio P. Castillo, Vicente M. Cerilles, James L. Chiongbian, Joaquin E. Chipeco, Eduardo M. Cojuangco, Jr., Amado D. Cope, Andres A. Cosalan, Antonio M. Diaz, Mohammad Ali Dimaporo, Roberto C. Diokno, Ramon M. Durano; Emilio R. Espinosa, Jr., Cesar M. Fortich, Felix A. Fuentabella, Eduardo R. Gullas, Rafael B. Legaspi, Jose J. Leido, Jr., Leonides C. de Leon, Expedito M. Leviste, Artemio Al. Loyola, Esteban S. Madrona, Constancio B. Maglana, Pablo A. Malasarte, Artemio E. Mate, Pedro C. Medulla, Justiniano S. Montano, Roberto L. Montelibano, Teodulo C. Natividad, Constantino C. Navarro, Jose P. Neri, Mariano B. Peñaflorida; Benjamin B. Perez, Democrito O. Plaza, Jose G. Puyat, Jr., Rodolfo M. Revilla, Pablo R. Roman, Roberto M. Sabido, Guillermo R. Sanchez, Frisco F. San Juan. Lorenzo S. Sarmiento, Celestino N. Sybico, Jr., Godofredo M. Tan, Herminio G. Teves, Fernando R. Veloso, Marcelino R. Veloso, Enrique A. Zaldivar, and Manuel A. Zosa; Secretaries Cesar E. A. Virata of Finance, Ponciano G. A. Mathay of Justice, Manuel B. Syquio of Public Works and Communications, Onnfre D. Corpuz of Education, Bias F. Ople of Labor, Juan Ponce Enrile of National Defense, Amadeo H. Cruz of Health, Constancio E. Castañeda of General Services, Gregorio M. Feliciano of Social Welfare; Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., Budget Commissioner Faustino Sy-Changco: National Economic Council Chairman Gerardo Sicat, Office of the Economic Coordination Administrator Eduardo Rodriguez, PES Director-General Apolinario Orosa, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Jose D. Ingles, Undersecretaiy of Agriculture Jose Drilon, Jr., PANAMIN Secretary Manuel Elizalde, Jr., Land Authority Governor Conrado Estrella, and Board of Investments Chairman Vicente Paterno. Earlier in the morning, the President worked at his desk, then began receiving visitors at 10:30 AM The first to see him was Don Vicente Garcia, who heads the Escano Shipping Lines, along with Antonio Florendo. Then he received Francisco Delgado, vice President of the Rotary International, who reiterated the invitation of Rotary International to the President, to be the keynoter at the organization’s convention in Sydney, Australia on May 16. Also, the President inducted the new set of directors of the Philippine Veterans Bank. Those inducted were Generoso P. Salazar, Alfredo C. Gray, Moises A. Maramba, Jr., Agustin Marking, Alejo S. Santos, Jaime S. Mejia, Alfonso Arellano and Benjamin S. Florentino. Another induction was that of Esteban A. de Ocampo who took over from Mrs. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil as chairman of the National Historical Commission. Then PES Director-General Johnny Araneta paid a courtesy call, prior to leaving the government to return to private life. Other callers in the morning were Reps. Joaquin Chipeco and Leonides de Leon of Laguna. Later in the afternoon, the Chief Executive swore in Col. Fabian C. Ver, director of the Presidential Security Agency and the commanding officer of the Presidential Guard Battalion, as brigadier general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Ver’s nomination was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. Following the induction ceremony, the President received Tun Ismail bin Datu Abdul Rahman, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, who paid a courtesy call.
[6] Official Gazette for March 12, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS, in a speech at the opening ceremonies of the fourth meeting of the ASEAN foreign ministers, held at the Manila Hilton, called for new directions in regional economic cooperation, and for this purpose proposed the proclamation of an ASEAN Development Decade for the seventies. In the pursuit of regional economic cooperation, the President said, “the time for action has come.” The ASEAN must draw up a definite and specific program for economic cooperation, the President said, which should indicate both short-term and long-range goals. The President specifically proposed: 1. An ASEAN common market, which would promote throughout the region harmonious economic development, continuous and balanced expansion, increased stability, rapid improvement of the standard of living, and closer relations between member countries. 2. Expansion of intra-regional trade, with a limited free trade area on a selective basis set up as a start. 3. The formation of an Asian Payments Union, to serve all of Asia, with limited payments union set up first in the ASEAN region, as a sort of pilot project”. At the same time, the President cautioned against the danger of attempting too much too soon. He said that it is better “to make haste, slowly in order to prevent discouraging and costly setbacks.” (See pp. 2143-2148 for full text of the President’s speech.) Before going to the conference, however, the President worked at his desk. He left Malacañang at mid-morning, arriving at the conference site about 10 AM , where he was met by the ministers in attendance, headed by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo, who leads the Philippine delegation at the meeting. Returning to Malacañang at about 11:30 AM , the President received a delegation from the Bureau of Forestry, led by Director Jose Viado. The delegation was composed of regional directors and district foresters. The group paid its respects to the President. After receiving the delegation, the President resumed his desk work, in the course of which he signed and submitted two nominations to the Commission on Appointments for confirmation, and appointed four persons to various posts in the government. Nominated were Eric C. Nubla, as chairman of the Board of Examiners for Architects; and Renato D. Acain, as municipal judge of Salay, Misamis Oriental. Appointed were Ignacia B. Olaso, as president of the Zamboanga State College; Eusebio Botengan, Jr., as acting member of the board of the Mountain Province Development Authority; Gregorio G. Tronco, as clerk of court in the Court of First Instance of Negros Occidental; and Felipe H. Romero, as acting city superintendent of schools of Tangub City. Later at 5:30 PM , the President received the members of the Japanese industrial survey mission. The group assured the President that Japan will extend all possible cooperation in the efforts of the country toward economic development. Masaharu Doi, mission chairman, said that in view of the very bright economic future of the Philippines, “there is much room for Japanese private firms to increase their investments where they are welcome.” Others in the group were Teizo Horikoshi, vice chairman of the mission, Masakasu Echigo, Chobei Takeda, Mitsuo Aikyo, Yukio Shibayama, Junji Hiraga, Mamoru Okita, Atsihiko Yatabe; Teruyoshi Tasaba, Sueo Koyama, Kasuo Yoshide, Morishisa Emori, Hisashi Murata, Taizo Nakamura, Minoru Horimotu, Mitsuya Okano, Masao Uchibayashi, Fusasabura Iwai, Katsuhiro Fujiwara, Masaki Orita, Shigeru Yagioka, and Yuko Kasahara. At 8 PM , the President and the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, honored the ASEAN foreign ministers at dinner in Malacañang.
[7] Official Gazette for March 13, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS issued an executive order reconstituting the Institute of National Language with a membership representing the major native languages. In his order, the President stressed the necessity of reconstituting the INL “to facilitate and enhance the effective propagation and development of the national language and to actively involve all linguistic groups in this nationalistic endeavor.” The reconstituted INL is composed of Director Ponciano B. P. Pineda (Tagalog), chairman; and the following members: Dr. Lino Q. Arquiza (Cebuano)., Dr. Nelia C. Casambre (Hiligaynon), Dr. Lorenzo Ga. Cesar (Samar-Leyte), Dr. Ernesto Constantino (Ilokano), Dr. Clodualdo H. Leocadio (Bikol), Dr. Juan Manuel (Pangasinan), Dr. Alejandro Q. Perez (Pampanga), Dr. Mauyag M. Tamano (Tausog and Cultural Minority Languages). Assistant Director Fe Aldave-Yap was named secretary and executive officer of the institute. Having no scheduled callers, the President attended mostly to his office work. However, toward noon, he received a delegation of La Union officials, who called to discuss local problems. In the group were Sen. Magnolia W. Antonino, Reps. Jose D. Aspiras and Joaquin Ortega, Gov. Jovenal K. Guerrero, Mayors Antonio Aquino of San Juan, Romeo de Guzman of Bauang, and Mauro Nicha of Balaoan; Board Member Castor Z. Concepcion, Engineers Aureo Gallardo and Fernando Gallardo, and Col. Ernesto Kasintahan, PC provincial commander. In the afternoon, the President again concentrated on his desk work, during which he issued orders suspending a municipal judge and a city health officer from office for three months without pay. Suspended were Municipal Judge Antonio Rodriguez of Las Piñas, Rizal and Dr. Augusto Jornales, city health officer of Canlaon City. Judge Rodriguez was found guilty of failure to resolve a criminal, case on consented abduction within the 90-day period prescribed by law, and for erroneously dismissing said case over which he had no jurisdiction except to conduct a preliminary investigation. Pr. Jornales, on the other hand, was found guilty by a special investigator of violating a Department of Health order when he sold to patients medicines allegedly left to him by a drug agent on consignment. The only other activity he had was a press conference held at about 5 PM