Received the surrender of Datu Ma Falen who brought his three younger wives. He was brought in by Sec. Juan Ponce Enrile. But Manda [Manuel] Elizalde [Jr.] is supposed to have gone in his helicopter to convince Datu Ma Falen to surrender. Some men in black uniform (Sec. Enrile and Gen. [Eduardo] Garcia said they were goons of a politician) fired at Manda’s helicopter but was not hit.
I told him he was lucky as he had six wives and I had only one although I assured him that I was happy.
Official Gazette for July 10, 1970: After working on state papers early in the morning, President Marcos received John Hohenberg, a Columbia University professor. The professor interviewed the President.
At mid-morning the President presided at the ceremony awarding outgoing Norwegian Ambassador Axel Ivar Lucien Moltke-Hansen the Order of Sikatuna, rank of Lakan, for services strengthening the ties between Norway and the Philippines. Present at the rite were ranking Philippine officials led by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo and members of the diplomatic corps.
Towards noon, Datu Ma Falen arrived with his entourage, accompanied by Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile. The Datu, who had earlier surrendered to government authorities, expressly asked to see the President.
During the meeting, the President summoned to a conference on Monday those concerned with the Surallah dispute to thresh out their differences and return conditions in the area to normal.
The President also moved to redress the grievances of the Manobo tribe headed by Datu Ma Falen, assure their security and provide them with a place all their own to live in. He also ordered the officials concerned to bring to justice all those who have violated the laws as an offshoot of the quarrel in the area.
Just before noon, the President inducted Dr. Gerardo Sikat as acting-chairman of the National Economic Council, vice Placido Mapa, Jr., who is director general of the Presidential Economic Staff. Sikat has impressive credentials as an economic scholar and expert.
Shortly after 12 noon, the President sat down to a working luncheon with his financial advisers, including Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata, DBP Chairman Leonides S. Virata, PES Director General Placido Mapa, Jr., CB Gov. Gregorio S. Licaros and Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr.
The President prescribed the procedure in prospecting for and exploiting minerals found in government reservations, other than mining reservations, in an executive order he issued earlier in the morning.
In prescribing the procedure, the President observed that:
1. The economic development programs require the progressive and orderly exploitation of mineral resources wherever these may be found. 2. Surveys conducted by the Bureau of Mines and other government and private entities have revealed the existence of promising mineral deposits in various forest, military and national park reservations. 3. It is possible to exploit the mineral wealth in these reservations without deflecting the purpose for which said reservations were originally created.
The President resumed his desk work in the afternoon and remained at his desk till early evening when he motored to the Cultural Center where he formally opened the exhibit sponsored by the Philippine Institute of Architects.