Official Gazette for March 6, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS spent almost the whole day working on state papers, receiving only very few callers in the afternoon.
At about 6:40 in the afternoon, the President received the Sultan of Pahang and his wife, Che Pusa Marie, who arrived early in the afternoon for a week’s stay here.
The Malaysian Sultan was accompanied to Malacañang by Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Manuel Collantes, Col. Jake Zobel and Enrique Zobel, and Malaysian Ambassador and Mrs. Hashin bin Sultan.
“This is your principal mission in life—save the country again from the Maoists, the anarchists and the radicals.” This is the message that I deduce from the visions that I see asleep and awake.
“Subordinate everything to this,” God seems to be saying to me.
“And you are the only person who can do it,” He says, “Nobody else can.”
“So do not miss the opportunity given you.”
“And if you do, it will mean not only your death but that of your wife and children and of the wives, children and friends of men of equal persuasion.”
So now I have told Imelda these visions of mine—she who has always been my
After receiving the visiting dignitary, the President conferred with Brig. Gen. Eduardo Garcia, PC chief, and Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan, VI PC zone commander, who briefed him on the peace and order situation in Cotabato.
Gen. Tutaan reported to the President that it was generally peaceful, but that some 27 to 30 armed men were reported in Barrio New Panay, Midsayap, and that the PC was verifying the report.
He also reported that the people were in favor of placing the police forces of the eight towns, particularly Pikit, Pagalungan and Midsayap, under PC control.
During the conference, the Chief Executive ordered the Philippine Constabulary to implement immediately the agreement reached at Cotabato Peace conference held in Malacañang on March 2, which was attended by the Cotabato Peace Mission, members of the Senate and House committees on national defense, local governments, and cultural minorities. It was agreed then that:
1. All unlicensed guns in the province will be confiscated in .an intensive provincewide campaign.
2. The PC and other law enforcement agencies will look into the reported training of armed elements to stop once and for all the suspicions on such alleged activities of armed elements whether outlaws or subversives.
3. The police forces of eight towns in the province will be placed under PC control. These are Pikit, Pagalungan, Midsayap, Libungan, Pigkawayan, Alamada, Carmen and Kabacan.
Following his conference with the PC zone commander, the President rested for a while and then, returned to his study where he continued his desk work, through the evening.
Among other actions, the Chief Executive constituted the Philippine delegation to the 4th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) scheduled to be held in Manila on March 12 and 13.
With Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo as chairman and Secretary of Commerce and Industry Ernesto M. Maceda as vice chairman, the Philippine delegation has as members Sen. Emmanuel Pelaez and Rep. Nicanor Yñiguez of the Senate and House committees on foreign affairs, respectively;
Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Arturo R. Tanco, Jr., Undersecretaries of Foreign Affairs Jose D. Ingles and Manuel Collantes, Undersecretary of Industry Troadio T. Quiazon, Jr., Ambassadors Modesto Farolan and Romeo Busuego, Philippine envoys to Indonesia and Malaysia, respectively; BTTI Commissioner Gregorio Araneta II and Pedro Afable of the National Science Development Board.
Ambassadors Guillermo V. Sison, Francisco Oira, Sergio Barrera and Mario Belisario, all FAO assistants; CAA Director Federico Ablan, Jr., NMPC Assistant Director Gregorio Cendana, Director of Public Works Carlos Castillo, NDC General Manager Demetrio Brillantes, Mrs. Rosario G. Manalo, ASEAN secretariat;
Dean Jose Encarnacion of the U. P., Dr. Gregorio Zara of the CAB, Mrs. Rosalinda V. Tirona and Oscar Velenzuela of the Department of Foreign Affairs,
The President also submitted for consideration of the Commission on Appointments the nominations of Dr. Ricavdo A. Arcilla as president of the, Bicol University and Leonor C. Gorgolon as municipal judge of Del Carmen and San Isidro, Surigao del Norte.
inspiration and strength.
And she has reinvigorated my resolve and my decision.
“I have learned to love our country as you do,” she said as I told her that a time had come again when I must stake my life for our country and people as I did during the war. For the risks may be great and only God knows how it will end.
“If die we must to save her, then let us do so gladly,” we have agreed.
These were our thoughts as we lay in bed upon waking up.
After a cautious, careful and objective study I have come to the conclusion that not only is the Republic in danger if we do not now root out the communists. The lives of our families—Imelda, Imee, Bongbong and Irene not to speak of me or that of mother and my other relatives—are in danger, whether I fight the communists now or not.
When I retire, the communists will come after me and my family. I can take care of the politicians but I may not be able to take care of the communists when I am no longer President.
And the unfortunate part is that I cannot see anyone in the country today who could do so even if he were President.
[Fernando] Lopez, [Gil] Puyat, [Gerardo] Roxas, [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.], [Jose] Diokno or [Arturo] Tolentino or [Jovito] Salonga are weaklings who may not be able to hold back or slug it out with the communists. They would compromise until it is too late. Then the Republic would be caught between the communists and the rightists.