1:35 AM July 7th
Reports of a foreign submarine emerged in the vicinity of Digollorin River sometime last week and observed unloading supplies and undetermined number of arms and ammo have been coming to me from Task Force Saranay (Formerly Lawin). Additional information on this from fishermen and native Dumagats fishing within the Digollorin River and Digoyo area, Isabela.
The first hard evidence on landings came from Lt. Aglipay Palanan Detachment Commander who reported a vessel transporting undetermined number of persons to shore marked “Karagatan,” original name erased H-Akuryo Maru-N-3 IT-2005 which they boarded,
Official Gazette for July 6, 1972: THE PRESIDENT met in the evening with Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Espino, and PC Chief Brig. General Fidel Ramos on the peace and order situation, particularly in Mindanao.
During the conference, the President, was informed of a report from Lt. Eduardo Aglipay, detachment commander in Palanan, Isabela, who said that an undetermined number of persons was landed from a ship which was captured by PC troops at Digoyo Point. According to Lt. Aglipay, two teams composed of two officers and 12 men boarded and took possession of the ship.
Earlier in the day, the President received the letter of credence of His Excellency Joze Smole as the first non-resident ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Yugoslavia to the Philippines.
In receiving the envoy’s credentials, the President noted that “the Philippines and Yugoslavia have been cooperating long before in many fields,” although diplomatic relations between the two countries have just been established.
He cited the support of Yugoslavia in the election of General Carlos P. Romulo as fourth President of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1949.
Ambassador Smole, for his part, said that “Yugoslavia highly appreciates the endeavors of the Philippines towards securing and safeguarding world peace and promoting overall international cooperation on the basis of the principles of equal rights and mutual respect for all nations, big and small.”
“Only on the basis of full equality of all nations and mutual respect and understanding is it possible to develop new democratic international relations which are in the interest of all humanity,” he added.
A resident ambassador of Yugoslavia to Japan since 1970, Ambassador Smole was a former newspaperman and editor of two important Yugoslav newspapers. He was secretary to President Josip Broz Tito from 1968 to 1969.
The President also signed the Special Vehicle Loan Fund Agreement to remedy the lack of transportation facilities considered one of the drawbacks to agricultural food production; as well as conferred the Golden Heart Award on Col. Alfred Patterson, U.S. defense attache, for “his significant contributions to the efforts of the Filipino nation towards socio-economic progress.”
The agreement provides that the National Food and Agriculture Council (NFAC) would deposit ₱1 million with the Philippine National Bank as initial guardantee for loans to be granted to employee-applicants proceeded and recommended by the NFAC, and for the PNB to grant such applicant recommended a loan not exceeding ₱2,000 at six percent interest for the purchase of a motorcycle, with the understanding that the difference, if any, between the purchase price and the loan will be supplied by the applicant.
Col. Patterson was cited for his activities which, non-military in nature, have been invaluable and praiseworthy services to the Philippines. Present at the awards rites were the First Lady, Secretaries Carlos P. Romulo of Foreign Affairs; Blas F. Ople of Labor, Cesar E.A. Virata of Finance, Arturo Tanco, Jr. of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Vicente Abad Santos of Justice, Constancio Castañeda of General Services, Press Secretary Francisco S. Tatad, NEC Chairman Gerardo Sicat, Undersecretary Manuel Collantes of Foreign Affairs and U.S. Ambassador Henry Byroade.
Fidel Agcaoili traveled to China on September 30, 1971 and successfully negotiated an arms shipment, he later went to Japan and bought the Kishi Maru, a fishing trawler, and renamed it Karagatan. CPP padded
resulting in a fire fight. The tugboat chief (they used a tugboat to board the Karagatan) was wounded.
One of the helicopters used to ferry two additional teams was hit in the rotor but landed safely.
I attach copy of reports.
Rainy. Two depressions east of the Philippines.
Mindanao situation still violent. Gen. [Guillermo] Picache sent to supervise SOWESCOM [Southwest Command] operations.
Received credentials of the first Yugoslav Ambassador based in Tokyo.
Awarded the Golden Heart to Col. Alfred K. Patterson, U.S. Embassy Air and Defense attache.
Chose Ambassador to Brussels, London, Spain and San Francisco.
Reassessed with Sec. [Alejandro] Melchor [Jr.] and Cesar Virata the true market for cars. Possibly the true market is 30,000 to 40,000 cars because there were 100,000 cars sold from the U.S. Military Bases in five years. This would change the picture of the PCMP w[Progressive Car Manufacturing Program] which is based on a market of 20,000.
Sugar—No reports without sale to dominate market. Rice destroyed by typhoon.
Smuggling—the participation of Cong. R[oque] Ablan [Jr.]. Air Rates increase only 30% not 45%.
Oil Commission—To expedite Decision in August
The Concon [Constitutional Convention] postponed voting on the form of government. The presidentialists succeeded in preventing a vote with the obvious support of Pres. [Diosdado] Macapagal which infuriated Del. Miguel Cuaderno who may move for his ouster tomorrow. The parliamentarists were obviously in the majority.
the purchase price of the vessel when it sought reimbursement from China. Karagatan arrived and unloaded arms at Digoyo river on July 3, 1972 and was met with an encounter with the military that resulted ub capture of 738 M-14 riles, 150,000 rounds of ammunition and 500 rocket shells. Benigno Aquino and Ramon Mitra knew of the shipment but claimed that Kagaratan was a hoax undertaken by Marcos as justification for martial law. Scalice 738-739.