July 23, 1970

[1] Official Gazette for July 24, 1970: P resident Marcos devoted most of his morning working hours to a conference on legislative matters with leaders of both chambers of Congress. The meeting considered how urgent bills still pending in Congress could be more speedily acted on before the session is adjourned. Present at the caucus, which lasted three hours, were Senate President Gil J. Puyat, Speaker Jose B. Laurel, Jr., Senate President Protempore Jose J. Roy, Speaker Protempore Jose Aldeguer, Senate Majority Floor-leader Arturo M. Tolentino, House Majority Floorleader Marcelino Veloso; Senators Emmanuel Pelaez, Wenceslao R. Lagumbay and Helena Z. Benitez: Reps. Jose M. Alberto, Carlos Imperial, Tito Dupaya, Joaquin Roces, Rogaciano Mercado, Natalio P. Castillo, Artemio Al. Loyola and Frisco San Juan. Also present were Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchcr, Jr., Central Bank Gov. Gregorio S. Licaros, Undersecretary of Finance Pio de Roda, and Angel Yoingco, executive director of the Joint Legislative-Executive Tax Commission. In the afternoon, the President devoted most of his time to paper work. Ha received no visitors. He remained at his desk through evening studying reports and disposing of urgent state business brought to his attention. Among other actions, the President: 1. Directed Brig. Gen. Eduardo Garcia, PC chief, to identify and arrest the gunmen who ambushed Ifugao Gov. Gualberto B. Lumauig and his party last night, while on their way back to Lagawe. 2. Wired PANAMIN Secretary Manuel Elizalde, Jr., to “bring to Malacañang as soon as possible” the Manobo chief, Datu Manpatilan, who has signified willingness to surrender to the authorities. Manpatilan is facing murder charges for the alleged massacre of 14 lumberjacks in Esperanza Agusau del Sur, on August 21, 1968. He has been in hiding since. 3. Submitted to the Commission on Appointments for confirmation the nominations of 39 national, provincial and city officials. (Li st of nominees in OG .)

[2] Official Gazette for July 25, 1970: After going through a sheaf of state papers on his desk early in the morning, President Marcos received a group of lawyers representing various legal aid organizations. The lawyers took up with the President the problems of counsel encountered by poor citizens, and during the discussion of the question, the President suggested that all existing legal aid groups be integrated into a single organization so that as such it can better serve the poor and the ignorant who go to court for redress or to protect their rights. Present at the meeting were Sen. Salvador II. Laurel, Juan T. David, Gonzalo Gonzales, Crispin Baisas and Juan L. Luna of the Philippine Bar Association and the CLASP, Teresita Sison of WILOCI, Rodolfo Palattao of the Capitol Jaycees, Cresencio Magbag of the Knights of Columbus, Roger Garcia of San Beda, and Raul Roque, Rodolfo Jimenez, Roger Cortez, Romy Vicente, Jose Cardona, Cesar Uy and Francisco Reyes of the Ateneo Legal Aid Center. The rest of the day was spent by the President on state papers, except for a long break in mid-afternoon when he presided at a meeting of AFP brass at the GHQ building in Camp Aguinaldo. One of the directives which the President issued from his desk was the order to the AFP to build parks within military reservations, both to preserve vanishing Philippine flora and to provide people with recreation areas which emphasize the natural beauty of the country.

[3] Official Gazette for July 26, 1970: P resident Marcos concentrated on measures aimed at firming up certain developmental programs, notably those on Central Luzon and on trade and industry. He did not receive visitors the whole day. He also asked Vice President Fernando Lopez, concurrent secretary of agricultural and natural resources, to take a direct hand in the settling of disputes particularly those involving rights on lands and other natural resources of the country. The President likewise asked the Vice President to involve deeply all the appropriate agencies inside and outside of his department, simultaneous with the consolidation of all legal aid clinics. To make more effective the implementation of programs in Central Luzon, the President reconstituted the executive committee of the Central Luzon Development Program (CLDP), as he appointed the three members of the committee. To stress the government’s policy to accelerate the development of trade and industry as a vital factor in the growth of the country’s economy, the President issued a proclamation declaring the period from 1970 to 1980 as “Buy Filipino Decade.” The President said the government is intensifying efforts to industrialize and expand trade, especially the exportation of locally finished products. “Made-in-the-Philippines” products, the President pointed out, have acquired appreciable quality comparable to imported goods. At this stage of the nation’s development, the President stressed, “it is important to stimulate greater patriotism among our industrialists, manufacturers, institutions and people to take pride in our own products.” The proclamation of “Buy Filipino Decade” was requested by the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines which has initiated the nationwide movement for the patronization of locally made goods.

[4] Official Gazette for July 27, 1970: P resident Marcos took time out from his voluminous paper work to meet at length with workers’ unions of the Philippine Air Lines and the Manila South Harbor, at a time when the workers of the said unions were on the verge of calling a strike because of unresolved disputes with management. Accompanied by Secretary of Labor Blas F. Ople and Labor Relations Director Amado Inciong, the representatives of the embattled workers sat clown with the President to thresh out the alternatives to a strike. Happily, the President succeeded in putting off the projected strikes, after appealing to the workers’ civic-spiritedness, and promising to intercede in their behalf with their respective management. Involved in the disputes were the employees and pilots, associations of PAL, and the members of the Association of Pier Checkers and Workers. Among those at the conference were Capt. Felix Gaston, president of the PAL Pilots Association; Fortunate Biangco, president of the PAL Employees Association and other PALEA officials including Roberto Espinelli, Edgar Lubiano, Socorro Remulla, Eddie Miranda, Dominador Obillo, Genaro Gonzalez, Leoncio Saranilla, Amando Regala, Hernando Guevara, Agustin Sarto, Nicanor Gustilo, Felix Garlitos, Leonardo R. arang, Andres Datinguinoo, Domingo Solomon and Arternio Lopez; and Ricardo Manalad and Ramon Oliveros, president and secretary, respectively, of the Association of Fort Checkers and Workers at South Harbor. With his paper work getting priority, the President pared down his schedule of callers to only a few, notably Gen. Jesus Vargas (ret.), secretary general of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, who paid a farewell call prior to his departure for his post in Bangkok tomorrow. The SEATO official was here for the Council of Ministers meeting of the organization. The only other caller was Alden Whitman,  New York Times  correspondent, who spent two weeks travelling in the country with Gen. Charles Lindbergh (ret.), visiting settlements and communities of the nation’s cultural minorities. The  Times  man interviewed the President. The rest of the President’s working day was devoted to his desk work, from which, among others, issued two proclamations: 1. Declaring Wednesday, August 19 this year, as a special public holiday in Quezon Province and in the cities of Lucena and Quezon, on the occasion of the 92nd birth anniversary of the late President Manuel L. Quezon. The 19th of August of every year is as Citizenship Day, under proclamation No. 331 dated August 4, 1952. 2.   Declaring the period from August 2 to 8 this year, and every year thereafter, as Land Reform Week. It was on August 8, 19S3 that the present Agricultural Land Reform Code became law, which the President described as a “great stride in breaking the inequitable system of landholding in the Philippines.” He also issued an order adding three new members to the executive committee taking charge of the Colombo Plan meeting here, as well as forwarded to the Commission on Appointments for confirmation four new nominations to judicial positions.

[5] Official Gazette for July 28, 1970: P resident Marcos received several callers and held conferences with various officials, while also doing a lot of paper work, all in all chalking up a rather unusually active day. Early in the morning, he received Japanese Ambassador Toshio Urabe who discussed matters of mutual interest to the Philippines and Japan. After this meeting and a spell of desk work, the President received Rev. and Mrs. Richard Wurmbrand, who came with radio reporter Hann Browne and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Magbanua of Radio DZFE. The Rumanian pastor recounted to the President his experiences as a victim of communism and outlined his present mission of enlightening people on communism’s danger. Much later in the morning, the President held a closed door conference with Placido Mapa, Jr., PES director-general; Central Bank Gov. Gregorio S. Licaros, DBP Chairman Leonides S. Virata, Sixto K. Roxas, and Cesar Zalamea. Financial and economic matters were taken up. Notable among the President’s callers were Mrs. Ester Sinsuat, wife of Blah Sinsuat of Cotabato, who discussed the peace and order situation in that region; and Gov. Francisco Nepomuceno of Pampanga who consulted the President on problems of that province. The rest of the President’s work day was devoted to official papers, among which were new nominees to key posts which he sent on to the Commission on Appointments; proclamations, executive orders and memoranda. Of the nominees four were for provincial fiscal, 49 for assistant provincial fiscal, four for city fiscal, 32 for assistant city fiscal and one for district state prosecutor. (L ist of nominees in OG.) The proclamations and directives issued were: 1. Proclamation No. 722, declaring the period from July 27 to August 2 as “Filipino Businessmen’s Week.” 2. Proclamation No. 720, which extends up to August 31 this year the period within which the Philippine Cancer Society, Inc., may conduct a national educational, membership and fund campaign. 3. Executive Order No. 244, amending Executive Order No. 168 of February 5, 1969, entitled, “Creating a Small Farmers Commission. 4. Memorandum Circular No. 371, issued by Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., on the President’s authority, enjoining all government agencies to submit reports and/or position papers on problem areas and important issues. 5. Ordered the Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration to see to it that all tobacco produce of the North this year—estimated at 30 million. kilos—should be marketed to private buyers and that no quantity of such produce should be allowed to go to waste. The President specified that the purchase period of this produce should continue until September 15 without any single centavo spent by the government for any purchase.

[6] Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, author of 18 books the most famous being “Tortured for Christ.” (1967). Wurmbrand founded the organization Voice of the Martyrs (originally Jesus for the Communist World) to support Christians persecuted for their faith.

[7] Official Gazette for July 29, 1970: P resident Marcos received a group of Datus from Agusan and Davao, notably Datu Manpatilan of Agusan, who has been in the news allegedly as the man behind the killing of some lumberjacks. The Datu denied this. After this meeting, the President’s next visitor was Dr. Melquiades Gamboa, who took up specific matters. The President as usual carried on his paper work, and in the afternoon he again sat down for a conference on land problems, particularly those affecting national minorities and small settlers, with Vice President Fernando Lopez and other officials. It was decided that Vice President Lopez will have direct control and administration of the agencies involved with the resolution of land disputes and other problems affecting- settlers, minorities and small farmers. Others at the conference were Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., Undersecretaries Isosceles Pascual of natural resources, Arturo Tarico, Jr. of agriculture, Guillermo Santos of justice and Efren Plana of national defense; Directors Jose Viado of forestry and Fernando Busuego of mines; CNI Commissioner Mama Sinsuat; Land Authority Gov. Conrado Estrella, Brig. Gen. Eduardo Garcia and Datu Manpatilan. In an effort to coordinate government operations against unfair trade practices the President reorganized the Fair Trade Board, vesting it with greater powers and authority “in consonance with the demands of the times.” The board’s reorganization was prompted by the serious increase in cases of imitation products, alteration and substitution of lawful trademarks and trade names, misbranding, mislabelling, fraudulent designation of origin, false description, adulteration, fraudulent refilling of empty containers and other methods of unfair business competition and. unethical trade practices. Also noted were increased violations of laws against “monopolies and combinations in restraint of trade,” such as collusion in price fixing, conspiracies to prevent by artificial means free competition in the market, and transactions prejudicial to lawful commerce. As constituted, the new Fair Trade Board will be composed of the Secretary of Commerce and Industry as chairman; the Undersecretary of Justice as vice chairman; and the chairman of the Price Control Council, commissioner of customs, commissioner of internal revenue, the food and drug administrator, the chief of the Philippine Constabulary, and the presidents of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Consumers Union of the Philippines, and the Chamber of Filipino Retailers as members. The director of commerce will be the secretary and executive officer of the board. Among other actions, the President directed the Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration to start paying this year its indebtedness of ₱300 million to the Agricultural Credit Administration and the Central Bank.The President said payment of this indebtedness should be completed within three years with at least ₱50 million to be paid immediately this year.

[8] Official Gazette for July 30, 1970: P resident Marcos held conferences with the Price Control Council and provincial delegations which called at Malacañang. Between conferences, he worked on papers during which he signed the nominations of new officials, for confirmation by the Commission on Appointments; issued an executive order creating the Development Management Staff in his office and designated Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., as acting chairman of the Power Development Council. The mission of the Development Management Staff (DMS) is primarily to upgrade functions that are connected with national development and to meet crisis-situations. As created, the DMS is headed by the executive secretary, who has immediate and direct supervision and control over it. Nominated by the President were Ernesto Bello Cachola as municipal judge of Lugalit, Misamis Oriental and Angel Babiera as provincial fiscal of Zamboanga del Sur. The President also issued an administrative order exonerating former Register of Deeds Timoteo D. Agustin of Tarlac of an administrative charge and created a committee to determine priorities in the settlement of claims against the armed forces. At his conference with the Price Control Council, Dr. Manuel Lim, Council chairman, reported on the progress made on the fixing of maximum selling prices of essential commodities. Dr. Lim assured the President that prices of books and school supplies had not risen more than 100per cent. The President received visitors until 3:30 p.m. A delegation from Cotabato apprised the President of problems in their province. Accompanied by Commissioner Mama Sinsuat of National Integration, the group included Gov. Simeon Datumanong and Board Members Doroteo Palencia, Madpantao Dilangalen and Ishak Ampatuan. Among other delegations at Malacañang were those from Surigao del Norte headed by Rep. Constantino Navarro, from Albay led by Rep. Roberto Sabido and from Masbate led by Rep. Emilio Espinosa, Jr., and Gov. Moises Espinosa. The President asked Congress to pass before the end of the current special session a bill appropriating ₱30 million for the implementation of the increase of the minimum wage or salary of national government employees, as provided for under Republic Act No. 6129 otherwise known as the Minimum Wage Law. Approval of the bill will make possible the new salary rates for government employees effective July 1, 1970. Certifying the bill to Congress, the President said that the funds for this purpose are expected to come from the additional revenue that will be realized under the tariff classification “Others,” upon approval of House Bill No. 1056. Some ₱90 million in revenue was expected to come from this source. The new minimum wage law, which was approved by Congress during’ the last special session, was approved by the President last June 17.

[9] Official Gazette for July 31, 1970: P resident Marcos ordered the Department of Labor and the Anti-Smuggling Action Center to make separate inquiries into the number of workers that may be displaced when the Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines (PICOP) takes over the disputed area claimed by the Calo logging interests in Agusan. The President also directed the two offices to ascertain whether any party is instigating trouble in the area. The President had a number of callers in the morning. Among those he received were: 1. Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata who reported on his mission abroad. Virata arrived earlier in the morning after two weeks abroad. 2. Australian Parliament Member Neil Brown, who is here on a fact-finding tour. The Aussie solon paid a courtesy call. 3. Rep. Nicanor Yñiguez, who discussed problems of his constituency. 4. John Reuther, son of the American labor leader Victor Reuther, who was passing through from Moscow, where he studied for two years. He also paid a courtesy call, accompanied by Secretary of Labor Blas F. Ople and Robert Kinney. The President also submitted to the Commission on Appointments more nominees to various posts, including foreign service positions, judgeships and other posts in the judiciary. (L ist of nominees in OG .) Later in the afternoon, he asked Chairman Vicente Paterno of the Board of Investments to coordinate with the National Water and Air Pollution Control Commission in processing applications for the establishment of new industries. The President directed Paterno to clear all BOI applicants with the NWAPCC so as “to determine whether they have anti-pollution devices.”