Devoted time to Cotabato (Blah and Esther Sinsuat and Datu Puti their son). Dr. Charles Mosebrooke, the advance party of Larry [Lawrence] Spivak for the Meet the Press show, Com. [Baltazar] Aquino of the Com. on Highways on the highways program and the new decrees.
But I spent most of my time on the tax measures specially the reorganization of the BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue] and the amendments to the Internal Revenue Code.
Ordered the suspension of capital gains provided the gains provided the gains are invested in a productive enterprise or deposits it in a bank, rules to be issued by the Com. of Internal Revenue.
Met the leaders of the Concon [Constitutional Convention] delegates, Bibit [Gilberto] Duavit, Ding [Ricardo] Quintos and Ven [Venancio] Yaneza on the schedule of their activities and the Interim government.
Official Gazette for this October 5, 1972: THE PRESIDENT issued another series of Presidential decree, letters of instructions and general orders, namely:
1) Presidential Decree No. 14, appropriating the amount of P4.2 million for the operation of the Constitutional Convention.
2) Presidential Decree No. 16, amending Section 34(b) of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, exempting capital gains, except shares of stocks of corporations covered under Section 2 of Republic Act No. 6141, under certain conditions.
3) Presidential Decree No. 16-A, amending Presidential Decree No. 16, dated October 5, 1972.
4) Letter of Instruction No. 22, directing the Secretary of Public Works and Communications to dismiss immediately one of its employees, as well as to consider as dropped from the service 14 others for failure to return to work after the expiration of their approved leaves.
5) Letter of Instruction No. 23, directing the dismissal of 114 officials and employees of the Bureau of Posts, as recommended by the Acting Postmaster General, for various offenses.
6) General Order No. 15, calling upon every resident and citizen of the Philippines, including all elective local officials from provincial governors and city mayors down to barrio captains and councilmen, to avoid and prevent, as the case may be, ostentatious display of wealth and extravagance, including lavish town fiestas or social gatherings, in line with one of the objectives for the issuance of Proclamation No. 1081, which is to effect social, economic and political reforms, and thus bring about the transformation of a new society.
Among the President’s few callers in the morning was Dr. Charles Mosebrook of the United Methodist Church whom he presented with a certificate of appreciation for the lifetime of service to the Filipino people.
Dr. Mosebrook has retired on reaching 65 years of age, and was scheduled to leave for Ireland to spend his retirement.
“Before you leave,” the President said, “I wish to convey our appreciation to you and Mrs. Mosebrook for a lifetime of service in the Philippines, bringing enlightenment and promoting the welfare of the distressed and the underprivileged.”
Dr. Mosebrook, among others, was responsible for the establishment of the Children’s Garden in Taytay, Rizal, and was also chairman of the Inter-Church Committee on Resettled Families in the Carmona Resettlement Project in Cavite.
The Concon through its officers and some members have requested P4.5 million for their expenses up to January which I granted. This means that even Pres. [Diosdado] Macapagal recognizes the legality of my legislating by decree.
I notice some worry creeping into the voices of the children over the telephone and into their letters.
So I have sent them letters assuring them of the success of martial law and how safe it is here now, enclosing clippings from here and foreign sources.
Worked on an integrated approach to food prices with Sec. Bung [Arturo] Tanco [Jr.] who was also concerned that he may be arrested as his wife has told him she heard the news from unimpeachable sources.
And worked on the organization of a Movement for a New Society.