I have started to conduct a survey of the sentiments of the congressmen on the constitutional convention. I had lunch with the representatives of the north, the Visayas and Mindanao.
I meet with the Bicol, Visayan and Mindanao leaders Monday evening at 8:00 PM and the northern congressmen on Tuesday evening.
Met Sens. [Jose] Roy, [Dominador] Aytona, [Alejandro] Almendras, [Rene] Espina, Mamintal Tamano and [Wenceslao] Lagumbay this afternoon, then appeared on “Straight From
Official Gazette for February 10, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS advised a delegation of jeepney operators and drivers affiliated with the Manila South Operators and Drivers Confederation (MAS-CON) to speed up the formation of cooperatives so that the government can extend to them the necessary assistance through said cooperatives.
In his remarks before some 400 jeepney operators and drivers affiliated with MAS-CON, who called on him in the morning, the President lauded the decision of the MAS-CON affiliates to abide with the ruling of the Price Control Council on gasoline prices.
He said that the decision benefitted the people for by standing fast the drivers helped bring about normalcy to the Greater Manila area.
“I thank you for peacefully bringing your problems to the attention of the government,” the President said. “With your support, I am confident that this Republic will not be forsaken but will move forward.”
The confederation, led by Rafael Sarao, MAS-CON president, was accompanied to Malacañang by Pasay City Mayor Jovito Claudio.
Earlier, the First Couple bade visiting Hearst executive Richard Berlin and Mrs. Berlin good-bye at breakfast.
For most of the morning and through the afternoon, he worked on his desk, during which he approved the creation of a commission that will, among others, conduct a conciliation and pacification .campaign among the various feuding groups in Cotabato.
Called the Cotabato Peace Commission, it has Gov. Simeon Datumanong as chairman, Lt. Col. Carlos Cajelo, was named co-chairman.
Designated members of the commission were Bishop Gerard Mongeau, Bishop Manguramas, Pablo Mangulabnan and the president of the Cotabato Mayors’ League.
Toward early evening, the President broke off from his paper work to appear on a TV program, “Straight from the Shoulder,” as special guest.
Among other visitors received by the President were Senators Rene Espina, Alejandro Almendras and Emmanuel Pelaez.
Senators Espina and Almendras reported on the increase in price of corn grit in Cebu. The President directed Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Arturo R. Tanco, Jr. to channel the corn produce in General Santos City to bring down the rising cost of corn grit in Cebu.
Sen. Pelaez reported to the President a new arrangement between jeepney operators and drivers, which would do away with the anomalous boundary system.
Under the new arrangement, the jeepney operator and driver would become partners and would share equally in the profits and expenses for the operation of the jeepneys.
With Sen. Pelaez were Gov. Concordio Diel of Misamis Oriental, Mayor Arturo Casiño of Tagaloan, same province, Pablo Sasing, representing the jeepney drivers, and Jesus Alinsub, representing the operators.
the Shoulder” TV program of Luis Beltran.
The number of telephone questions addressed to me. There was an overwhelming number of messages congratulating me for the handling of the strike and the students. They may have been reacting to my statement that the Metrocom [Metropolitan Command] could have gone into the UP [University of the Philippines] campus and killed all the radical students but how could we have done this if we did not exhaust all the possibilities for a non-violent solution.
There is a turn in public opinion. Many of the people are coming out openly supporting martial law. And many insist on a firmer policy.
The surprise of this is that people now openly support the proclamation of martial law when ten days ago, before the strike, nobody would be caught saying the bad word.
The change in public opinion came about because of the withdrawal of the Metrocom and the police from the UP and the tyrannical abuse, profane and gutter language of the radical students.
South Vietnamese forces attacked North Vietnamese sanctuaries supported by U.S. artillery and air force. Amb. [Henry] Byroade gave me copies of the announcements. I enclose the statements.
I attach a copy of the Oct. 1970 copy of the magazine “Conflict Studies” with the article “Urban Guerillas in Latin America.”
The jeepney drivers’ strike was called off this afternoon by Atty. Lupiño Lazaro.
But today, the Armory of the UP Los Baños was blown up. And the residents of Los Baños filed a petition for injunction against the radical students who set up a barricade on the national highway.
And Apollo 14 has come back from the moon and splashed down early this morning. [Alan] Shepard hit a golf ball with a No. 5 iron for 600 yards!