For the first time in many months I played golf in the morning. Hot, sweltering. Perspired till even my trousers were wet through and through.
Ambassador [Modesto] Farolan just arrived from UNCTAD [United Nations Conference on Trade and Development] and the wedding of his daughter. I have asked him to prepare a paper on the Indonesian foreign policy, specially in relation to the Philippines, Australia and the other countries in the region.
I directed the Solicitor General and Chairman Leo[nides] Virata to prepare a memorandum to explain the fraud committed by the Jacintos in the IISMI [Iligan Integrated Steel Mills Inc.] case. Specially on the refusal to pay anything on the $70 million that was paid by DBP [Development Bank of the Philippines] or guaranteed by it for raw materials. And the reason, according to Justice Antonio Barredo, the IISMI cannot pay their indebtedness is the floating rate and the refusal of the DBP to restructure the loans notwithstanding the agreement with the World Bank to do so. So the Supreme Court ordered the Central Bank to comply with the order of Judge [Teodulo] Tandayag of Lanao del Norte to allow raw materials to be imported.
In the evening I conferred on the emergency and contingency plans with Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile and Gen. [Fidel] Ramos. They also brought Dick de la Camara, the chief of the Higa-Onon tribe, wanted by the law, and an escapee from the Agusan provincial jail.
Official Gazette for May 27, 1972: THE PRESIDENT devoted the whole day to paper work and other matters of state.
Among other actions, he designated the Philippine delegation to attend the United Nations conference on human environment which will be held in Stockholm from June 5 to 16.
Senator Helena Z. Benitez was named chairman of the delegation, and Ambassador Narciso G. Reyes, permanent representative to the UN, as vice-chairman.