Final meeting for the call to a plebiscite on the constitution of 1972—on Jan. 15, 1973.
Cope and Prod meeting—Explained the deficiency in the medium level management and supervisory requirements.
The marines in Camp Seit, Sulu, in assaulting Sibalo Hill, lost 14 men KIA [killed in action], 21 WIA [wounded in action] yesterday. They were able to extricate themselves only after an air strike of the F-5’s and F-86. I attach report.
So I ordered ground troops to stop the operations until they have been reinforced by the battalion from Kapatagan. In the meantime air bombardment and if necessary napalm.
I attach my order.
Paid last respects to the late Gen. Calixto Duque lying in state at Camp Aguinaldo. He died Friday.
Official Gazette for November 27, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS and the other top leaders of the country agreed to submit the new Constitution proposed by the Constitutional Convention to a plebiscite on January 15, next year. The decision to submit the proposed Constitution to the people for approval as soon as possible was reached at a Malacañang meeting which was attended by Senate President Gil. J. Puyat, Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal, President Diosdado Macapagal of the Constitutional Convention, Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor Jr., Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos, Secretary of Public Information Francisco S. Tatad, Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile; Chairman Jaime Ferrer and Commissioner Lino Patajo of the Commission on” Elections; Leyte Governor Benjamin Romualdez and Baguio City Mayor Luis Lardizabal, chairmen of the Governors and City Mayors Leagues, respectively; and Delegate Gilbert Duavit of the Convention.
THREE STATE bodies will work together to give the people the information they need to vote intelligently in the Constitutional plebiscite scheduled for January 15, 1973. The bodies are the Commission on Elections, the Department of Public Information and the Constitutional Convention. Public Information Secretary Francisco S. Tatad said that the information drive will make use of eight major languages, including Arabic which is aimed at Muslim Filipinos in the South. Mr. Tatad said: “We will allow free and orderly discussion of issues, not personalities. The only limitation that overrides all other limitations in the matter of free discussion is this—anything that might cause disorder or endanger the security of the state will be prohibited.”
PRESIDENT MARCOS impressed upon the 33 members of his “Do Tank” the importance of their mission, saying that their performance may spell the difference between the success or failure of the administration. The President said that since his assumption of the presidency in 1965, he had always found the middle level of management wanting and deficient, and often constituting the obstacle to the implementation of worthwhile projects.
SECRETARY OF Justice Vicente Abad Santos has invited the attention of all judges to the President’s general order providing that cases involving crimes committed by officers and enlisted men of the armed forces shall be under the exclusive jurisdiction of military tribunals. Mr. Abad Santos directed the Courts of First Instance, Circuit Criminal Courts, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, city and municipal courts to transfer such cases to the judge advocate general of the AFP through the local PC provincial commander.