I issued Proclamation No. 890 lifting the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus throughout the Philippines except with respect to those who are presently detained under Proclamation No. 889—and amendments thereto.
This was prompted by the issuance of a warrant of arrest against 39 of the accused including one detainee. Since, however, the five other detainees are still facing a hearing and the warrant of arrest has not yet been issued, I included the exception.
Official Gazette for January 11, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS started on his day’s work by issuing two executive orders, one creating the Philippine Committee for the Establishment of the Asian Handicraft Center, and the other creating consumer cooperatives and consumer unions throughout the country.
The President created the committee on handicraft center upon recommendation of the Philippine Committee on ECAFE Matters.
As created, the Committee is charged with, among others, the determination of all requirements for the establishment of the Center in the Philippines, and implementation of the various matters taken up during the Second Preparatory Meeting held at Bangkok, on November 8 to 12, 1971.
The creation of consumer cooperatives and consumer unions was embodied in Executive Order No. 363, attested to and issued by Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr.
The order provided that the local cooperatives and unions “shall be composed of residents of specific areas in the cities, municipalities and municipal districts.”
The Rice and Corn Administration is to coordinate the cooperatives program, and submit a list of nominees of the officials who shall be formally charged with the responsibility of implementing the policy.
At mid-morning, the President broke off from his desk and conferred with Nacionalista members of the Senate and House, and a number of NP Governors to discuss the administration’s legislative proposals for the incoming regular session of Congress.
Matters taken up at the conference held at the Pangarap Guesthouse included the funding for major government programs such as: peace and order, rice and corn, land reform, housing, electrification, infrastructure, including flood control, typhoon damages, cooperatives, rural ‘ employment, population control, postal services. Also discussed were plans for government reorganization, and how to achieve maximum efficiency of the government’s tax collecting machinery.
The Chief Executive appealed to members of both houses of Congress to support plans which he intends to present for legislation in order to secure the necessary funding for government programs. He informed the legislators that he will submit plans to upgrade both the Philippine Constabulary and local police forces, underscoring the need to strengthen the PC, modernize its equipment, and rid local police forces of misfits and corrupt elements.
The President also appealed to those present, and through them to the public, to help the government support its various programs by paying their taxes faithfully and promptly.
Among those present at the meeting were Senate President Gil J. Puyat, Senate President Protempore Jose J. Roy, Senate Majority Floorleader Arturo M. Tolentino, Senators Helena Z. Benitez, Rene Espina, Ernesto M. Maceda, Ambrosio Padilla, Emmanuel Pelaez, Leonardo B. Perez, Lorenzo Teves and Magnolia W. Antonino, some 52 members of the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Cornelio T. Viliareal and House Majority Floorleader Marcelino Veloso, and some 26 provincial governors.
Later in the evening, the President signed Proclamation No. 890, lifting the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus throughout the country, and emphasized that “the idea is to bring about normalcy as much as possible.”
The President’s proclamation was in accordance with his statement on New Year’s day, when he first announced the imminent restoration of the writ privilege throughout the country.
This was in accordance with my announcement made before New Year.
The typhoon “Asiang” that started two days ago, has caused about 200 deaths and extensive damage from floods in Leyte. As well as other Visayan provinces.
Gov. [Benjamin] Cocoy Romualdez has just arrived from Leyte. All the roads are completely wrecked.
And our calamity fund is completely exhausted.
The whole morning, noon and afternoon up to 4:00 PM I spent with the senators, congressmen and governors and mayors whom I invited to a caucus.
I suggested that all the leaders of the party resign, a junta of younger men be organized to lead.
[Gil] Puyat, [Jose] Roy, [Arturo] Tolentino, etc. were for retaining the old junta which means they will continue to run it.
But the members were unanimous in the plan to strengthen the party by reorganization—the junta to be chosen by the directorate not by the officers.
Then we must be self-sufficient in our respective districts and provinces—even in the propaganda effort.
I said that we lost the propaganda war because we have done well as a party but that the dissemination for information had broken down.
Mr. Wollahon [John Wolahan] of Caltex, this noon, confirmed the fact that FNCB foreclosed on Rubicon for its $7 million loan on which there is a $3 million delinquency but upon the guaranty of Caltex the loan was restructured up to March this year but it is expected that [Benigno] Benny Toda [Jr.] will not be able to pay the delinquency.
Caltex prefers to have a Filipino group to take over the PAL [Philippine Airlines]—but not Benny Toda who has lost his credit as he has been withdrawing property from PAL. Example was the PAL building paid to Calsilles for unpaid insurance premiums.
We are now looking at the financial standing of PAL itself. It owes Caltex alone about P17 million.
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