My right ankle is bothering me again. Have taken a colbenemid and butazolidin. Started paining me this morning at golf.
Met the capitanes del barrio of Pampanga, mayors and BSDU’s [Barrio Self-Defense Units] brought by Gov. [Francisco] Nepomuceno. The most surprising are Mayor [Jesus] Santos of Mexico (the center of the Huk movement) and Mayor Candelaria of Mabalacat. The latter lost some of his policemen in a firefight with Commander George some time ago. And now he and his capitanes del barrio are asking for guns to fight the Huks. Gens. [Felizardo] Tanabe and [Cesar] Jasmin who also came told me that this time they were out and out for us against the communists. They are too involved to pull out. And the people are sick and tired of paying contributions to the Huks and being harassed.
In Tarlac, it is only Capas and Bamban that is not completely denied to the Huks. And we are fast in doing this.
I am assured by the military that by summer we will get all the Huks in both provinces. Right now they are still hiding in the sugar cane fields but these will soon be
Official Gazette, October 24, 1970: The President was mostly free to attend to his paper work and other urgent state business, with his schedule of visitors virtually blank. In the morning, he received a group of Manila congressmen, including Reps. Joaquin Roces, Pablo Ocampo and Ramon Bagatsing of Manila, and Frisco San Juan of Rizal, and inducted into office the new chief of the Office of the Economic Coordination, Eduardo J. Rodriguez.
In the afternoon, the President continued to work at his desk. At about 3 p.m., a group of officials from Pampanga, led by Gov. Francisco Nepomuceno, including barrio officials and members of Barrio Self-Defense Units, converged at Malacañang to present a plaque of appreciation to the President for the many benefits accruing to the province from development projects and for the upgraded peace and order in the region. Among those present were Mayors Jose Mendiola of Floridablanca, Victoriano Panlilio of Porac, Salvador Dimson of Lubao, Eulogio Venson of Arayat, Daniel Lacson of Magalang, Norberto Blanco of Bacolor, Emiliano Candelaria of Mabalacat, Juan Deang of Sta. Ana, Jesus Santos of Mexico and Lamberto Punsalan of San Simon.
The President worked at his desk through evening, in the course of which he directed all heads of offices in the government to adopt proper measures to ensure and facilitate the prevention of petty graft and other forms of malfeasance, and to deal firmly with any employee in their departments, agencies or bureaus found guilty of irregularities. The President issued the order in a memorandum to all department heads, heads of offices and government corporations, in view of persistent reports of dishonesty and other forms of irregularity in the public service. In his memorandum, the Chief Executive pointed out that one of the first programs of government of the administration was that aimed at effecting a profound and thorough change in the public service through a vigorous campaign against graft and corruption. In line with this fundamental policy, the government has since then consistently adopted and carried out measures aimed at ferreting out cases of venality which, the President said, resulted in the filing of various administrative cases, and the prosecution, suspension and dismissal of numerous officials and employees.
harvested. Then the Huks will have to run to the mountains for concealment. We will starve them out then flush them into the plains.
Met Cong. [Joaquin] Roces, [Ramon] Bagatsing and [Pablo] Ocampo of Manila. Cong. [Francisco] Reyes of the 1st Dist. is out of the country.
Also saw Cong. Frisco San Juan of the 2nd District of Rizal.
Imelda has just come from Cebu where she inaugurated a 3rd cement plant of the Universal Cement Factory. She met all the mayors (except [Abundio] Aldemita of Carcar), board members, governor and congressmen. Cong. [Ramon] Durano [V] has told me that of the 16 delegates for Cebu, 10 will be sympathetic to us.
We are still concerned about the quality of the delegates to the constitutional convention. Second rate and inexperienced leaders except for some whom you can count in the fingers of your hand, are going to be elected. And the leadership will be weak.
We are now studying what reforms we can adopt. Some ideas from socialism and the welfare state and from communism can be borrowed.
If we adopt the parliamentary form of government, our government will be unstable. We do not have the temperament for it. We might have a change of government every day!
A semi-parliamentary form where the cabinet members may be drawn from the House of Representatives might be acceptable.