I have just finished a dinner conference with the northern congressmen, 17 of them including [Carmelo] Miling Barbero of Abra.
We agreed to strengthen the group’s organization and keep their delegates of the constitutional convention from being bought by the radicals and the various vested interests.
For reports have come in of the Christian Socialists of [Raul] Manglapus and Father [Pacifico] Ortiz as well as the pressure groups offering money and other considerations to delegates of the convention.
The choice for officers of the convention is Ex-Pres. [Carlos] Garcia for presiding officer and Tony [Antonio] Raquiza for majority floor leader.
I ordered the sealing of the bonded warehouse in Currimao after several trucks of Mayor [Cirilo] Quilala and Felix Chua were caught by the Asac agents with smuggled burley tobacco (36 hogsheads). It is reported that opium and guns have been smuggled in through this port.
Official Gazette for February 16, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS certified to Congress four urgent measures, including an anti-trust act, which he had proposed in his state-of-the-nation message last January.
The measures are:
1. An act outlawing restraints on trade and curbing monopolies, combinations and other similar practices.
2. An act which further amends Republic Act No. 409 of the Revised Charter of Manila,
3. An act appropriating ₱250,000 for the holding of, the 5th Joint World Anti-Communist League Conference and the 17th Asian Peoples’ Anti-Communist League Conference in Manila in 1971.
4. An act strengthening the independence of the Supreme Court as the court of last resort and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.
Aside from certifying these vital measures, the President was kept busy in the morning by a stream of callers that begun with the visit of Rep. Cornelius Gallagher, chairman of the Far East Sub-Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U. S. House of Representatives.
Congressman Gallagher, arrived in Manila in the course of an Asian tour. He was accompanied in paying a courtesy call on the President by Elmer Hullen of the US Embassy.
The former informed the President of the extensive hearings being conducted by his sub-committee on the future role of the United States in Asia, the Nixon Doctrine, and the effects of the reduction of U. S. troops in Asia.
Gallagher arrived Sunday, February, 14, to inspect U. S. military installations in Subic and Clark Field before proceeding to other Asian countries.
Later, the President conferred with Ambassador Hortencio Brillantes, who planed in Friday, February 12, for consultations.
At mid-morning, the President inducted the newly-elected officers of the Philippine Chamber of Communications, Inc., an organization of telegraph and telephone companies headed by Bernardo Silverio, president of Capitol Wireless.
Among other Presidential callers were Rep. Vicente Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur and Mayor Ponciano Guillen of Molave; Governor Salvacion Yñiguez of Leyte and Rep. Lamberto Marias of Negros Oriental.
I have ordered Com. [Rolando] Geotina to deputize Col. [Fabian] Ver who will go to Ilocos Norte tomorrow to act on the case.
There are plenty of imported textiles in the Central Market—apparently smuggled in as embroidery raw materials or remnants.
We must cut this out.
The Senate bi-partisan caucus of 18 senators declared my veto of their appropriations amendments to make the release of their funds automatic and ministerial—to be unconstitutional. Even the head of the Nacionalista Party, Sen. Jose Roy, voted for this. Only [Dominador] Aytona, [Leonardo] Perez, [Lorenzo] Sumulong and [Ambrosio] Padilla voted against this. Rene Espina and Mamintal Tamano absented themselves.
I have asked the Sol. Gen. and the Secretary of Justice to study the possibility of the Auditor General and the Budget Commissioner to file a case in the Supreme Court—a petition for declamatory relief. So that they may have judicial advi[c]e on whether to implement the veto or not.
But the signs are clear—that the senators led by Sen. Pres. [Gil] Puyat and Sen. [Arturo] Tolentino are going to try and either break the party or to make it as miserable for me as possible.
This dooms the legislative program.
But it will give cause for a more active campaign for unity among the lowerranking leaders.
The ambitions of the senators to run for Presidency are beginning to show.