For the first time in about 10 months there is no curfew in the Philippines as I have lifted it for five days—up to Saturday.
And practically lifted the effects of martial law for the same period—there is now freedom of assembly, speech and the press—from arrest and detention without trial and such other action necessary to the freedom of the referendum.
I also outlived the new concept of the operations in Sulu.
Official Gazette for July 23, 1973: THE PRESIDENT issued general orders encouraging the people to discuss and debate freely the question to be resolved in the July 27 referendum and lifting the curfew before and during the national referendum The President also issued a proclamation declaring July 24 as a special public holiday. In General Order No. 32, the President expressed his desire that the people be afforded the fullest opportunity to discuss and debate freely and publicly the question to be resolved in the July 27 referendum. General Order No. 33 lifts the curfew from 12 midnight of July 23 to 4 a.m. of July 28. The President said that the people should be able to move about freely in order that they can have the fullest opportunity to discuss freely and publicly the questions to be resolved in the referendum.
DEPARTMENT of Labor has created a committee on domestic helpers and hotel workers to study current recruitment practices, policies and procedures in hiring workers for overseas employment. Labor Secretary Blas F. Ople said the committee will also look into the employment contracts of overseas workers in order to give them the protection they need The creation of the committee was prompted by reports on rampant cases of exploitation of Filipino workers employed abroad and the widespread illegal hiring practices by agents and recruiters for overseas employment, Secretary Ople said.
DEPARTMENT of Justice ruled that the death of a public officer will terminate an investigation or bar an impending investigation of unexplained wealth charges against him. Justice Secretary Vicente Abad Santos issued this opinion in reply to a request from the Complaints and Investigation Division in the Office of the President. He explained that accordingly, the provisions of the Revised Penal Code are supplementary to said law in the absence of any provision to the contrary. “And under Article 89 of the Revised Penal Code, criminal liability is totally extinguished by the death of the convict, as to the personal penalties, and as to the pecuniary liabilities, when the death of the offender occurs before final judgment,” the justice chief ruled.
DIETETICS Association of the Philippines should expand its role out to the low-income communities and the remote barrios where malnourished children need most their service. Social Welfare Secretary Estefania Aldaba-Lim stressed this point before the association’s convention recently and said that dietetics must not be confined to hospitals, cafeterias, clinics, nursing schools or industrial concerns. It must expand itself as an organized public service, integrated into all levels of health care as well as social welfare. The DSW secretary also noted that the problem of malnutrition arises from the problem of population explosion in the country. Thus applies the simple mathematical proportion, that more births mean more mouths to feed and therefore lesser food.
PHILIPPINE National Bank and other lending institutions have released some P191.5 million in crop loans to farmers under the Masagana 99 rice production drive as of July 19. This was announced by Agriculture Secretary Arturo Tanco, Jr. who said that an analysis of credit support in connection with Masagana 99 revealed a mounting nation wide acceptance by farmers of the program. Masagana 99 was launched by the President only two months ago. Loaning activities are expected to accelerate further this month and August because it is during this period when rice planting is at its peak.
- A new Task Force for Sulu alone—the Task Force Commander to be Military Governor of a new Province of Tawi-Tawi and with authority commit all the troops for his operations.
- All units in Sulu will be consolidated around Seit Camp and Jolo town proper with the airfield.
- The government troops will prepare to clear all islands south of Jolo while interdicting—by sea and air all the territory in Jolo not occupied by them.
- The Cotabato campaign will be terminated as soon as possible and the troops shifted to the Sulu Task Force.