The children have been ribbing us for not having a new baby. They prefer a son.
Woke up at 4:00 AM and tried hard to sleep after that. Since Drs. Gloria Aragon, Charing Isidro, Mely Garcia (head of the Veterans’ Memorial laboratory), Juanita (Dits) Zagala and Inday Dicini were with her in the bedroom, I slept in Bongbong’s room up to 11:30 AM. I was late for my 11:00 conference with the Jolo political leaders, Mayor [Aminkadra] Abubakar of Jolo and Gov. [Murphy] Sangkula who are warring.
I was knocked out for two hours.
Then met up to two o’clock with the Agusan del Sur loggers and Datu Mapantilan of the Higianons. I must have shocked the loggers when I enunciated the new principle that all natural resources licenses or concessions are issued subject to private rights if any” and that the cultural minorities who have been living in their ancestral grounds for centuries have acquired private rights which everybody including the government must recognize. But they cooperated. And all criminal cases except those that had undergone trial like the de la Camara case were ordered dropped by me. Datu Mapantilan asked
Official Gazette for August 3, 1970: President Marcos met with local and national officials, as well as other parties concerned, to discuss peace and order conditions in several areas of Mindanao and Sulu.
At the meeting, the President issued directives to reconcile political partisans in Sulu; and to protect the rights and insure freedom from harassment of national minorities in Agusan del Sur and Cotabato.
Present at the meeting were Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile, Justice Undersecretary Guillermo Santos, PANAMIN Secretary Manda Elizalde, Agriculture Undersecretary Arturo Tanco, Jr., Rep. Democrito O. Plaza, Sen. Jose W. Diokno who is counsel for Manpatilan, Gov. Rufmo Otero, Provincial Fiscal Antonio Apale, PC Provincial Commander Col. Jose Castillo, Datu Manpatilan, and representatives of Tirador Lumber, P. B. de Jesus Timber, and Republic Lumber Company.
In the evening, the President was guest of honor at the kick-off ceremonies launching the Presidential Cup series which is aimed at raising funds to support the Filipino teams at the forthcoming Asian Game in South Korea. In his speech, the President underlined the administration program to upgrade sports in the country.
The President also welcomed a contingent of basketball players from Czechoslovakia participating in the current Presidential Cup series. In welcoming the Czechs, the President announced that his decision to allow the entry and participation of the Czech team, the first from any Socialist country in Eastern Europe, was intended to promote better relations between the Philippines and these countries, especially Czechoslovakia.
The rest of his workday was devoted to state, papers and other government problems. Among others, the President: 1. Issued Administrative Order No. 230, creating the Philippine National Committee for the Freedom From Hunger Campaign. The committee was created in consonance with the worldwide campaign against hunger, launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on July 1, 1960. 2. Proclaimed Sunday, August 9, as “Melchor Day” in Ibajay Aldan. The day marks the anniversary of the birth of the late Col. Alejandro Melchor, Sr., whom the President described in his proclamation as “an outstanding inventor and man of science and technology.”
when he could go home and I said, “Anytime you feel like going home!” and I saw the light of joy spring up in his eyes.
Gov. Sangkula is supposed to have said after the conference and when turning to go, “Mag-Liliberal na ako.” I wish he would as he has become a liability in politics as they have become petty and abusive.
But the North Cotabato leaders, the congressmen, Cong. Salipada Pendatun, Gov. [Simeon] Datumanong and Board Members as well as the Sinsuats left before we could call them. The Liberals have become a bit cheeky since Pendatun won his electoral bid in the Supreme Court and the Electoral Tribunal.
I have called them back tomorrow. I can then finish my task to quiet my backdoor Mindanao and Sulu while I am fighting the Huks in Central Luzon and the radicals in Manila.
Opened the Presidential Cup Series of basketball with the six top teams of MICAA [Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association], Crispa, Mariwasa, Yco, San Miguel, Yutivo and the Czechoslovakia team which I allowed to enter. The series seeks to raise funds for the Philippine team to go to the Asian Olympics in December. The ABS-CBN TV station won the right to cover it with a bid of P127,000. The 60 athletes training for the Asian Olympics are now housed in the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Phillip Monserat, PAAF [Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation] president, seems to be doing well.
Mayor Abubakar of Jolo informed me that the Kiram heirs have offered formally the purchase of their rights on the Sabah to Malaysia for $100 million and the recognition of their sultanate over Sabah. But the right to negotiate even their private rights was transferred to the republic through me. And I do not believe that the Malaysians would risk a rebellion by Mustapha by recognizing them.
But they may settle for very much less. They always beg from the government for money for almost anything including doctor’s bills and hotel expenses.
We must warn the Malaysians of the stand of our government.