Our guests have gone in an atmosphere of sadness. So the palace is quiet. “Withdrawal symptoms.”
Spent the morning with Comelec [Commission on Elections], Sec. [Jose] Roño, Gov. [Benjamin] Romualdez, Com. [Misael] Vera, Kits [Francisco] Tatad—
The preparations for the referendum are proceeding well. The surveys are overwhelmingly favorable—9 to 1 or 10 to 2.
I am leaving everything to the Comelec.
We will be making some difficult decisions after the referendum.
We are now cleaning up Basilan. A big caché of ammo has been captured. But there is strong resistance.
PATA island is in rebel hands. Three mortars were used for the enemy. This is the first confirmed report of enemy mortars. An APC [armed personnel carrier] struck an enemy land mine. This destroyed the left track.
Official Gazette for July 9, 1973: THE PRESIDENT issued two presidential decrees granting tax exemptions to domestic scheduled airlines as well as to new mines and old mines which resume operations, in order to further rehabilitate the Philippine civil aviation industry and accelerate the development and exploitation of our mineral resources. Presidential Decree No. 237, amends Section 190 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, to exempt certain importations of domestic scheduled airlines and of new mines and old mines which resume operations from payment of the compensating tax. The other decree, Presidential Decree No. 238, further amends Section 105 of the Tariff and Customs Code, as amended, exempting certain importations of domestic scheduled airlines and of new mines and old mines which resume operations from customs duty.
THE PRESIDENT prescribed a rule to enable any of the 10 assistant solicitors general to act as temporary solicitor general in the latters absence. The idea as embodied under Presidential Decree No. 212, to ensure discretion and more; flexibility to realize the following objectives: 1) Superior handling of litigation for the state; 2) Efficient administration of the function of the solicitor general’s office; and 3) Greater interest of the public service. The same decree stipulated that the salary of the solicitor general shall be as much as that of a justice of the Court of Appeals. The solicitor general, it was also provided shall be assisted by 10 assistant solicitors general who shall have the same pay scale as that of a judge of the Court of First Instance. When the solicitor general is unable to perform his duties, or in case of vacancy, one of the 10 may be assigned as temporary solicitor general.