Sponsored wedding of Delegate Arturo Barbero son of Cong. [Carmelo] Meling Barbero of Abra at 8:00 AM at the PGB chapel.
Received newly-arrived Sec. [Carlos] Romulo, Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile and Panfilo Domingo whom we may choose as President of the PNB [Philippine National Bank].
Met the Comelec [Commission on Elections] Commissioners Jose Mendoza and later Lino Patajo because of the reports of the congressmen that the Comelec Chairman, Jayme Ferrer, has allowed the use of the facilities of Comelec by the opponents of the New Constitution.
The Comelec has even ordered the media to give equal time, issuing directives to both the Sec. of National Defense and other departments.
Started taping my appeal for support of the Constitution in English, Tagalog and Ilocano.
Official Gazette for December 16, 1972: INFORMATION SECRETARY Francisco S. Tatad said that the proposed Constitution is a “Filipino Constitution, conceived and constructed in a time of crisis, at a moment of supreme test for the Filipino character.” Speaking at a mass rally organized by the Quezon City government in front of the Q.C. city hall, Mr. Tatad said that the new charter “comes from the hearthfire of Filipino radicalism, endowed with all the liberal ideals and passions that have been preserved through the generations, and responsive to the revolutionary challenge of the future.” He added: “It is a Constitution, that knows fully and seeks to serve intimately only the Filipino interest that seeks to minister to the wholeness of our being by serving our individual and national progress. It is a Constitution that knows the Filipino as its only master, and that puts no other master besides him. It is a Constitution that speaks for our people, because it speaks directly to them and, through it, our people speak of their individual and common interests to one another. It is a Constitution for our age, but it is a Constitution that can belong to all ages.”
DEFENSE SECRETARY Juan Ponce Enrile stressed that the military will adopt a total stance of impartiality in the coming plebiscite on January 15. The armed forces have been “primarily assigned the task of maintaining peace and order in the free discussions of the issues involved in the new Constitution as we’ll as in the voting by the people for or against the new Constitution.” Secretary Enrile said in a speech before the Harvard Club of the Philippines, recalled that under General Order No. 17, the President, ordered that “no person shall be questioned or investigated before or after the plebiscite for any speech, remarks or statements in any discussions or debates intended to explain the proposed Constitution or to enlighten the people about it or for any views for or against it or its ratification made in public rallies, or debates, in printed or other forms of communication, radio or television and such remarks, statements or views shall not be admissible as evidence in any investigations or suits against the person or persons making them.”
PRESIDENTIAL Proclamation 1081 imposing Martial Law in the Philippines brought new and broader dimensions to local business and industry, and the military’s primary task is to bring about order and favorable conditions for Filipinos to work peacefully, safely and gainfully. This was the assessment of PC Chief Fidel V. Ramos in his speech during the third annual conference on “Business Prospects of 1973” sponsored by the Ateneo Graduate School of Business and the Vision Publishing Corp. in Makati, Rizal. Gen. Ramos said that in one fell swoop, the government reversed the pre-martial law tide of lawlessness and disorder that sickened the old society. “In just about two months of martial law, the percentage of criminality and lawlessness has dramatically dipped,” he said. He allayed fears that new government policies might tighten into a stranglehold against business and industrial interests.