There are conflicting reports about the demonstrations tomorrow. I attach a note from one of our agents to Maj.[Dioscoro E.] Yoro, my aide de camp, and the SND’s [Secretary of National Defense] daily report predicting a peaceful demonstration.
And so is the situation in Cotabato. Some telegraphic reports claim the Christians like the Ilongos are massacreing the Muslims. But Gen. [Eduardo] Garcia and Cong. [James] Chiongbian of South Cotabato report otherwise.
For one thing, it is now definite that the MIM [Mindanao Independence Movement] has organized a small army.
I was surprised to see Chino [Joaquin] Roces at the meeting of businessmen at the house of Freddie Elizalde. I was friendly to him and asked him to help out in reestablishing normalcy in
Official Gazette for February 25, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS concentrated on paper work, in the course of which he directed the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources to expedite action on mining claims, and Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos to personally conduct an investigation into the graft charges aired by Sen. Alejandro D. Almendras against two members of the Cabinet and six other government officials.
Charged by the senator for having allegedly violated the Anti-Graft Law were Secretaries Manuel B. Syquio of Public Works and Communications and Onofre D. Corpuz of Education, CAA Administrator Federico Ablan, Jr., former secretary of General Services Salih Ututalum, acting Telecommunications Director Pedro Villaseñor, NDC Chairman Constante Fariñas, former officer-in-charge Celerino Delgado of the Bureau of Supply Coordination, and former Public Schools Director Jose Enriquez.
The President ordered the Justice Secretary to “proceed with a full-dress investigation of the charges to determine if there is sufficient evidence to support the alleged culpability of these officials under the anti-graft and corrupt practices law.”
He likewise told Secretary Abad Santos to submit to him before the end of the week his recommendations on whether or not any or all of the officials charged should be temporarily suspended pending the investigation of the charges.
Toward noon, the President took time out to meet the officers of the Association of Rice Millers of Bulacan, with whom he threshed out the problem of rising prices in Manila and suburbs. The President asked the group to stabilize prices at present levels, poising drastic action if hoarding and rice manipulations are resorted by rice dealers.
Present at the meeting with the President were Secretary of Commerce and Industry Ernesto Maceda, Undersecretary Troadio Quiazon, Jr., Undersecretary of Agriculture Jose D. Drilon, Jr., RCA General Manager Pedro Rodrigo and Mrs. Magdalena Santos, head of the Association.
In the afternoon, the President continued his desk work, during which he prepared and went over the list of nominees to various public posts he sent to the Commission oh Appointments for confirmation.
In one of the directives he issued in the afternoon, the Chief Executive ordered the AFP to refrain from initiating any aggressive action against the so-called black-shirts in Mindanao and to stop any intended reinforcement of the troops there.
He gave the order as he appealed for sobriety and calmness and asked all these in a position to help ease tension in the South.
The President indicated that a more definitive action on this matter would await reports from the field from two teams now in Mindanao, one of them headed by Brig. Gen. Rafael Ileto, Philippine Army commander.
Maj. Later Col. Dioscoro E. Yoro, Jr, was a friend and aide-decamp of Marcos an enemy of Gen. Fabian Ver
our country.
He has just checked out of the hospital for a heart ailment. But he looked stouter and tried to look and act jolly although he was tense.
He said that I should not allow a religious war to develop in Cotabato, acting as always all-knowing.
The briefing on Land Reform and Cooperatives specially on the Magalang Project and the pilot cooperatives in Llavera and Gen. Ricarte, Nueva Ecija of the N. E. (Integrated Project) by Buddy Gomez and Dr. del Rosario, project directors, was impressive. Manolo Elizalde told me so and asked farther why nothing has been published about them.
It actually was a presentation of My Vision for the Filipino Farmer.
I have asked a pamphlet to be prepared along this line for dissemination.
We also took up mining and oil prospecting as well as Education reorientation as well as Industrial Apprenticeship.
Met Sen. [Lorenzo] Teves, Cong. Tito Dupaya and [Gaudencio] Beduya on the Oil Commission bill, Andy [Andres] Cosalan on the gold subsidy bill and Albano on the requests of the northern congressmen.
Then saw Hans (Gen. Menzi). I am awarding him a Legion of Honor and asked him to get in touch with French officials on how they could help us. I informed him I wanted him to go to France on this with the personal rank of ambassador. He seemed tickled.
Imelda has just come in at 10:25 PM from [Edmundo] Munding Reyes’ house where he has met the girls—the Blue Ladies.
She is excited about her new project of the new Green Revolution, which merely means gardening, poultry, piggery, dairy-farming—or intensive farming.
And this could mean the involvement of all the people in the democratic revolution.
And it could tie up with the Land Reform and Cooperatives project.