Sugarmen conference up to 2:00 PM on the need for a Sugar Commission, the sale of sugar through one outlet only, the quedan problem and the sugar mills involved, financing for planters prejudiced by delinquencies of sugar mills on amortizations, fertilizers—the need to take over the factories and the study for imports if necessary, quotas for plantations and mills, removal of middle men—the alien traders on domestic trading.
Finally I asked them to support the new constitution.
After the Dec. 2nd discovery of hand grenades and several modern rocket launchers at the Loyola Memorial in Marikina, Rizal, a new cache of about 300 M-2 carbines, 3 M-16 rifles, numerous grenades and ammo were apprehended by a combined C-2/CITF-CHPG [Philippine Constabulary Highway Patrol Group]-NICA [National Intelligence Coordinating Agency] at No. 651 Pio Valenzuela St., Marulas, Bulucan.
Apparently both are arms caches of the Traditionalist Communist Party. I attach the PC [Philippine Constabulary] report.
Apparently Greg Perez, the man of [Joaquin] Chino Roces, gave the information on both caches. He is the man I had appointed to the NICA at the instance of Chino Roces and
entenced to 20 years imprisonment at hard labor by a military tribunal. Sentenced was Jaime Co y Fernandez who had been arrested, -by the Manila police in Ermita last October 23 in possession of one unlicensed .22 caliber Beretta pistol.
ONE HUNDRED and eighty-nine insurgents and sympathizers affirmed loyalty to the government and vowed to help build the New Society envisioned in the new Charter. The group included four municipal mayors and scores of municipal and barrio officials who have had extensive “involvement in the insurgency movement in Tarlac. Most of the surrenderors came from the towns of Concepcion and Capas. Four were former Mamao commanders under Dante and Sison, Major Miguel Fontanilla, Tarlac PC commander, arranged the surrender with provincial government authorities. It brought to 5,347 the total number of surrendered insurgents and their sympathizers in the first PC zone since Martial Law was proclaimed.
ALL PROVINCIAL election supervisors were directed to help inform the people that despite Martial Law, they are free to hold public discussions and debates or to campaign for or against the approval of the proposed new Constitution. The directive was issued to some 68 provincial election supervisors in the country who were returning to their respective areas of assignment after participating in the three-day seminar in Manila on the mechanics of the plebiscite. The Commission on Elections stressed the importance of: overcoming the “psychological barrier” that still appears to prevent many Filipino-citizens and groups from fully participating in the dissemination of information involving the January 15 plebiscite.
DISTRIBUTION OF the year-end dividend checks of the Government Service Insurance System amounting to P25 million to its policy-holders started. The dividends being distributed by the GSIS are the second dividend declaration of the system this year. This is also the first time the GSIS will give out dividend payments twice a year. This year’s payments are the highest dividend payments of the system since its establishment 35 years ago, and is P12 million more than the P38 million distributed in 1971. This year’s increase is also the highest for any single year on record.
recommendation of Sec. [Alejandro] Melchor [Jr.] when we were still trying to win over Chino Roces.
The information come out when Gen. [Fabian] Ver started checking on the intelligence projects of NICA. And he asked Greg Perez about his mission to identify the members of the Traditionalists and their plans.
The guns at Valenzuela were apparently from Carmeling Crisologo given to Rey Flores of San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur for surrender to the military. Instead of surrendering them, Rey Flores hid them in the arms depository of the Traditionalists.
The Marikina caché was that of Greg Perez but he drew the weapons from the Valenzuela depository.
The Basilan situation seems to be deteriorating. The people are evacuating plantations and rumors are flying thick and fast about the presence of Libyans and Malaysian officers. I attach report.
I have asked Gen. [Romeo] Espino to go South Friday.