We have convinced Sen. [Wenceslao] Lagumbay to accept the decision of the Executive Committee for Manda [Manuel] Elizalde [Jr.] who reimbursed his alleged expenses of P50,000. He will accept the secretaryship of Labor after his senatorial term ends December 31st this year.
And Sens. [Alejandro] Almendras and [Dominador] Aytona will issue statements accepting the draft tomorrow.
Had a meeting with the senators on strategy.
Amb. [Henry] Byroade told me that Sec. [William] Rogers will announce the two-China policy for the U.S. in 2 or 3 days.
And we have started to talk of the termination of the bases in five years and training of our troops for defense against aggression during the period.
He asked about oil prices. I told him my instructions were to act on them in a month.
Official Gazette for August 2, 1971: President Marcos certified four additional bills for consideration by the special session of congress, namely: 1. House Bill 3045—An Act preventing and penalizing carnapping 2. House Bill No. 658—An act increasing the penalties for the possession, preparation, use, importation and sale of prohibited drugs; penalizing the cultivation, production, manufacture and certain acts relating to the distribution of such drugs, amending for the purpose the Revised Penal Code, and authorizing the appropriation of funds for the treatment and rehabilitation of victims of drug addiction; 3. House Bill No. 393—An act establishing probation for persons 16 years of age and above who are convicted of certain crimes by the courts of the Philippines, providing probation officers therefor, and for other purposes; and 4. Senate Bill No. 712—An act consolidating and revising the charter of the National Power Corporation.
At mid-morning, the President received Earl Carlson, U.N. adviser on financing and organization of housing and environmental improvement programs, who paid his respects on the President preparatory to his departure for New York after serving as consultant to the Philippine Senate for two years. Carlson was accompanied to Malacañang by Senator Helena Benitez, chairman of the Senate committee on housing, urban development and resettlement.
After attending to a few other callers, the President and the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, officiated at past noon at a tree-planting ceremony held at the Malacañang grounds in connection with the observance of Arbor Week. Participating in the rites were members of the Cabinet who each planted a Narra tree around the Palace lawns. In brief remarks at the rites, the President said that the nation’s forests are being denuded at an estimated, rate of 80,000 hectares a year. He warned that at this rate, the country is bound to lose most of its forest cover in 10 years. It was for this reason, he said, that upon assumption of the Presidency, he immediately declared numerous virgin areas as permanent forests, and would continue setting aside areas not only as permanent forest but also as parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
Early in the evening, the President received superintendents from public and private institutions attending a four-day convention in Manila. The President was assisted in receiving the conventionists by Mrs. Marcos, who was cited for her many welfare projects. The conventionists pledged the support of some 330,000 elementary and secondary school teachers, public as well as private, to the President’s “Democratic Revolution” and the First Lady’s “Green Revolution”.
Addressing the superintendents, the President called upon them to pitch in and help indoctrinate the people in such worthwhile projects as the drive against malnutrition, manpower training–, food production and population control. The conventionists were accompanied to Malacañang by Secretary of Education Juan Manuel and Undersecretary Narciso Albarracin.
Asked [Lino] Bocalan to withdraw as candidate for governor of Cavite so that [Delfin] Montano will withdraw. What is strange is that he would win against Montano. He was brought by Sen. Helen Benitez to [Bahay] Pangarap tonight.
I have asked Sec. of Public Works Manuel Syquio to give the position to Dave Consunji.
I have asked Bobby Lim through [Estefania] Fanny Aldaba Lim to take over the CAA [Civil Aeronautics Administration] from [Federico] Freddie Ablan [Jr.].