Met Rev. Wurbrund, imprisoned in Rumania for 14 years by the communists. He will tell the Filipino radicals of the lack of freedom under communism.
Have asked the IISMI [Iligan Integrated Steel Mills, Inc.] to change management and increase the equity capital upon the insistence of the Ex-Imp [Export–Import] Bank which will not restructure the $60 million dollar loan if these conditions are not fulfilled. Upon my insistence we have a convertibility clause in the preferred shares of the DBP [Development Bank of the Philippines] which I am ready to convert to common shares which with the Ex-Imp Bank would control corporation. Then it has a loan due in 1970 of $35 million from Japan.
Official Gazette for July 28, 1970: President 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. (List 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.
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.
We will wait for Sec. Cesar Virata and Ting [Vicente] Paterno when the Steel Committee can meet with the Jacintos.
I have ordered the PHIL-ASIA to buy all the Virginia tobaccos whether thin, medium or thick, otherwise I will order purchase by other buyers. But the grading for export must be kept at the highest level and we must fight off the coercion and intimidations from some Facomas [Farmers’ Coopeartive and Marketing Associations]. This is the gamble I have taken—that we insist on proper grading even against the popular wish to buy at misgraded classification at a continued loss to the government. The petty politicians are the worst.
And next Wednesday I will order the payment of the P300 million indebtedness of the PVTA [Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration] and ACA [Agricultural Credit Administration] to the Central Bank starting with at least P50 million this year.
This is possible because about P70 million to P100 million is due the PVTA yearly from its share in tobacco taxes for tobacco trading but there has been no expenditure of public funds as the PHIL-ASIA has paid and will pay for the tobacco to be bought for the government in the trading centers. In three years the indebtedness will be paid at this rate.