We are establishing diplomatic relations with Romania and Yugoslavia in accordance with the trend to “open new windows” to the world.
This was recommended by the Foreign Policy Council after listening to the Security Council with a briefing by Gen. [Fidel] Ramos on the Security aspect of the opening of diplomatic relations with the Socialist Countries.
I attach the papers on the meeting.
Official Gazette for January 12, 1972: FREE from his usual schedule of callers, the President presided over the joint meeting of the National Security Council and the Foreign Policy Council, held at the AFP general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo. The joint meeting discussed the matter of relations between the Philippines and Socialist and/or Communist countries.
In line with the new trend in Philippine foreign policy to open ties with Socialist and/or Communist countries, the Foreign Policy Council unanimously decided that steps now be taken to establish diplomatic relations initially with Rumania and Yugoslavia.
Present at the meeting were Senate President Gil J. Puyat, Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal, Constitutional Convention President Diosdado Macapagal, Senate President Protempore Jose J. Roy, Senate Minority Floorleader and LP President Gerardo M. Roxas, former Senator and NCP President Lorenzo M. Tanada, former Secretaries of Foreign Affairs Raul S. Manglapus and Salvador P. Lopez; Speaker Protempore Jose Aldeguer, Reps. Constantino Navarro and Nicanor E. Yñiguez, chairmen of the House committees on national defense and foreign relations, respectively; Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo, Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos, Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata, Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Arturo R. Tanco, Jr. Executive Seci’etary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., Press Secretary Francisco S. Tatad;
Budget Commissioner Faustino Sy-Changco, Defense Undersecretaries Efren Plana and Jose Crisol, Foreign Affairs Undersecretaries Jose D. Ingles and Manuel Collantes; Julio Francia, Jr. and Miguel Arambulo, presidents of the Philippine Chamber of Industries and the Chamber of commerce of the Philippines, respectively;
Sebastian Ugarte of the Philippines Herald, Hans Menzi of the Manila, Daily Bulletin, Ben Penaranda of the Manila Chronicle, Leon 0. Ty of the Examiner, and military top brass led by General Manuel T. Tan, AFP chief of staff.
After the joint meeting, the President had lunch together with AFP general officers, who were soon to be retired from the military service.
Back in Malacañang late in the afternoon, the President worked on state papers. He signed a proclamation declaring a state of public calamity in Leyte, in view of the widespread destruction to property and loss of lives in the province.
The proclamation was issued upon recommendation of Leyte Governor Benjamin Romualdez, to prevent the excessive increase in the prices of essential commodities in the area due to profiteering and hoarding by those who control the supply thereof and also to enable the government and civic, relief and welfare agencies to carry out their objectives effectively.
In another proclamation, the President fixed the period from June 19, 1971 to December 31, 1976 as the time for the filing of free patent applications and for the judicial confirmation of imperfect, or incomplete titles in the whole archipelago except in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Sulu, Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga-Apayao and Ifugao.
Issuance of the proclamation was recommended by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and pursuant to the provisions of Sections 45 and 46 of Commonwealth Act No. 141, which was amended by R. A. No. 6236.
I also met the retiring generals for lunch at ISAPF [Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP)], created the center to help exservicemen and announced the new assignments:
As Chief of Staff—Maj. Gen. [Romeo] Espino
Vice Chief of Staff—Brig. Gen. [Rafael] Ileto
Chief of PC [Philippine Constabulary]—Brig. Gen. [Fidel] Ramos
Chief of Air Force—Brig. Gen. [Jose] Rancudo
Flag Officer in Command, Navy—Commodore [Hilario] Ruiz
Commander Phil. Army—Gen. [Rafael] Zagala
1st PC Zone Commander—Gen. Tomas Diaz
4th PC Zone Commander—Gen. [Wilfredo] Encarnacion
I met the leading delegates on the parliamentary question for dinner at [Bahay] Pangarap.
Today there are charges of payola by Malacañang to the Concon [Constitutional Convention] delegates for the parliamentary system. Some newspapers mentioned “ten thousand reasons” for the change of front [government?] from presidential to parliamentary form of government
So Delegate [Casimiro] Madarang [Jr.] issued a statement charging that the charges of payola was [were] made by the Osmeña delegates after a meeting last night with the senator-elect John Osmeña.