The Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan and other local governments are preparing for the jeepney drivers’ strike.
Metrocom [Metropolitan Command] with support units will back up the local police.
It is now the plan to arrest those who block traffic or sabotage operating units. This will be a reversal of the policy of tolerance even of violence.
Official Gazette for January 31, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS pushed further his call for a “democratic revolution”” by calling on the country’s provincial governors and city mayors “to give back the government to the people, to whom government truly belongs.”
In extemporaneous remarks at the Malacañang State Dining Hall following the induction of officers of the League of Provincial Governors and City Mayors for 1971, the President said:
“No matter what we do there will be change. But we must preside over that change not with the ideology of those who seek it by violence, but rather with the ideology of those who believe in radicalism and revolution within the limits of the law.”
The President said, the call of the times is for local and national government leaders “to give the people hope,” to reassure them that v’th3 government is theirs, and that it works for their interests.”
“We must now forget self and seta new style of leadership that will be accepted by our people,” he said.
The President observed that in many cases, public issues and controversies are lost by default on the part of leaders who would not speak up when they must in order to defend the truth.
“ I need your help not in my own name, nor for my own personal sake. I need your help in the name of the Republic,” he said, pointing out that “Marcos is a mere period in the history of the Republic, but the Republic must endure and prevail long after the Marcos presidency.”
Inducted into office in the league were Governor Tito Primicias, Jr. of Pangasinan, chairman; Governor Benjamin Romualdez of Leyte, executive vice-chairman; Governor Felicisimo San Luis of Laguna, vice-chairman; Governor Jose A. Roño of Western Samar, secretary-general; Governor Consuelo Calo of Agusan, treasurer; Governors Vicente M. Alberto of Catanduanes, Alfredo Montelibano, Jr. of Negros Occidental, and Henry Y. Regalado of Misamis Occidental, regional vice-chairman: Governors Teresa J. Dupaya of Cagayan and Cornelio Villareal, Jr., and City Mayors Omar Dianalan of Marawi, regional secretary-treasurers; and the following directors:
Governors Elizabeth M. Keon of Ilocos Norte, Mayor Luis Lardizabal of Baguio City, Governor Vicente Magsaysay of Zambales, Mayor Cipriano Manaois of Dagupan City, Governor Ignacio Santiago of Bu-lacan, Mayor Reynaldo Reyes of Lipa City, Governor Arsenio Villarosa of Mindoro Occidental, Mayor Luis Jalandoni, Jr. of La Carlota City, Governor Armando Cledera of Camarines Sur, Mayor Jose Pro. Teves of Dumaguate City, Governor Tose Legaspi of Aklan, Governor Con-snl-ieion Yiiiguez of Southern Leyte, Mayor Hilarion Rarniro of Dipolog and Governor Bienvenido Ebarle of Zamboanga del Sur.
Earlier, the President ordered that a coordinated research be made toward,? formulating an overall policy on agriculture.
In this connection, he named NEC Chairman Gerardo Sicat as chairman of a committee which will formulate the overall program on agricultural research.
Named members of the committee were NSDB Chairman Florencio Medina, Undersecretary for Agriculture Jose Drilon, Jr., BOI Chairman Vicente Paterno, and Dean Dioscoro Umali, vice president for agriculture and forestry of the University of the Philippines.
But of course in the first strike of the drivers, it was awkward to be on the side of the monopolists—the oil executives. But now that we have rolled back the price of regular gasoline and kerosene, we are on the right side. And the leader of the strikers, Atty. Lupiño Lazaro, has turned into nothing but a blackmailer. He asked Atty. Siguion Reyna P300,000, asked me of P35,000 for the conversion of his garage into a headquarters for his union and later demanded half a million pesos for a building to house his union with him running the whole show of course.
I do not believe the strike can paralyze traffic.
Latest reports are that Jose Maria Sison has sent two men to liquidate me and Imelda. They are seeking the aid of radical students.
Laguna and Cavite radicals are on the same mission.
The men’s identities are unknown.
The CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines] and NPA [New People’s Army] are now getting desperate and they will probably be resorting to sabotage, assassination and terrorism.
We must prepare for it.
Gave merienda to the League of Governors and City Mayors. Spoke of our default in our fight against communism, anarchy and violence because of shock, hesitancy, confusion and the lack of leadership and a rallying point—the alternative to violent revolution. Now we have it—democratic revolution. And they are its apostles.
There is also a default in propaganda because we refused to speak out for freedom.
If we do not make a stand now, in two or three years, not 5 or ten as originally thought, there will be no need for a revolution—the communists will just take over.
I felt they are now well-motivated and coordinated.
I enclose the intelligence report as a sample of information we are getting, a recommendation of Ady Sison on propaganda (most of the proposals we are already implementing), and the policy speech of Prime Minister [Eisaku] Sato.
More and more Japan is participating in the regional cooperative efforts of Asia and as one of the big industrial countries, it is beginning to realize its international responsibilities. As [Kiichi] Aichi, Japan’s foreign minister, says, “in recent years our country’s national strength has grown tremendously x x x our country’s international responsibility is becoming increasingly heavier.”
Thus, there is going to be increased aid, lowering of non-tariff import barriers and liberalization of capital investment.
More and more, the Philippines has to watch the developments in Japan as it acquires an international and broader outlook.
Right now it is shifting from private contacts with Red China to government or government-initiated ones. It is now studying a Japan-Soviet Peace Treaty. They are as Prime Minister Sato says: “adjusting defense capability to a level suitable to the national strength and situation.”
However, Aichi speaks of a peace diplomacy as its basic philosophy.