Met the governors for lunch up to 3:00 PM.
Before that met Cesar Zalamea, [Benigno] Benny Toda [Jr.], Sec. David Consunji, Luzon Stevedoring, Sen. [Ernesto] Maceda and others.
Tonight I met with the delegates leadership. They are starting the debates on the form of government tomorrow.
Imelda is resting very well and feeling comfortable. But she feels confined.
Gov. [George] Wallace [Jr.], the candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the U.S. was shot in a shopping center at Laurel, Maryland last Monday. He is critical but stable.
I attach the Daily Mirror with the report.
Official Gazette for May 16, 1972: THE PRESIDENT had a three-hour meeting with provincial governors and city mayors during which he called on the local executives to assume their share of the responsibility in nation-building.
The President emphasized that it was important that they be informed about national programming so they could assume joint responsibility for it since he alone, despite his many assistants; would not be able to handle, the task.
He announced that he would set up a Local Governments Office in Malacañang so that requirements of this branch of the government could be better served.
He warned against the inroads of corruption reaching out to the local level because corruption might wreck “our democratic way of life.”
Present at the meeting which was first presided over by Leyte Governor Benjamin Romualdez, chairman of the League of Provincial Governors and City Mayors, were Governors Consuelo V. Calo of Agusan del Norte, Felix Alfelor of Camarines Sur, Anacleto Alcala of Quezon, Alfonso Umali of Mindoro Oriental, Lino Bocalan of Cavite,. Henry Regalado of Misamis Occidental, J. Antonio C. Leviste of Batangas, Aguedo Agbayani of Pangasinan, Lino Chatto of Bohol, Gualberto Lumauig of Ifugao, Cornelio Villareal, Jr. of Capiz, Faustino Dy of Isabela, Arsenio Villarosa of Mindoro Occidental, Salvation U. Yñiguez of Southern Leyte, and Evelio Javier of Antique;
Rep. Andres Cosalan representing Baguio City Mayor Luis Lardizabal, City Mayors Antonio Acharon of General Santos, Omar Dianalan of Marawi, Pedro Tolentino of Batangas, Cipriano Manaois of Dagupan, Cesar Dizon of San Pablo, and Elpidio Cucio of Palayan.
The President spent the whole afternoon and early evening working on state papers, in the course of which he submitted to the Commission on Appointments for confirmation the nominations of 34 officials in various agencies of the government. Of the nominees, five were also designated to perform the duties of the respective offices to which they were nominated.