After golf, at 9:00 AM, at my room at [Bahay] Pangarap while taking breakfast I told the SND [Secretary of National Defense], C of S [Chief of Staff[, Major Service Commanders (Gen. [Fidel] Ramos, PC [Philippine Constabulary], Gen. [Rafael] Zagala, PA [Philippine Army], Gen. [Jose] Rancudo, PAF [Philippine Air Force] and Commodore [Hilario] Ruiz, PN [Philippine Navy]), Gen. [Fabian] Ver and Gen. [Tranquilino] Paranis that I intend to declare martial law to liquidate the communist apparatus, reform our government and society, then have the Concon
Official Gazette for September 14, 1972: The President conferred the Ancient Order of Sikatuna, rank of datu, on Quintin Jermy Gwyn, grand chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, for his extraordinary services in the filed of international relations. In accepting the award, Gwyn said he was accepting the decoration because it symbolized the friendly relations which had existed for many years between the Philippines and the Military Order of Malta.“I need not assure, Mr. President,” he said, “that what we had begun, we will continue with and develop always, the fundamental purpose of which is contained in the simple instructions which our founder gave us in the 11th century for the sick and the poor.”
Present at the ceremony were Minister Jose Soriano of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Gabriel Daza, Sebastian Ugarte, Jose Zaragoza, Danny Vasquez and Ernesto Lagdameo, former ambassador to the United States.
After the award ceremony, the President received the credentials of Datu Ahmad Zainal Abidin bin Mohamed Yusof as the new ambassador of Malaysia to the Philippines.
The new ambassador, in presenting his credentials, noted that the fruitful cooperation and understanding between Malaysia and the Philippines contributed to the strengthening of the hope and aspiration for peace, stability, and progress in the region.
In response, the President said that his administration has always been dedicated to the pursuit of peace and the policy of closer cooperation among nations, as manifested by its wholehearted support of the concept of ASEAN regional cooperation and the efforts toward securing a zone of peace, freedom and neutrality for the region.
The President took occasion to express the gratitude of the Filipino people for the material and financial aid which Malaysia extended to the flood victims.
Among those present were Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Jose. D. Ingles, Secretary of General Services Constancio Castañeda, Press Secretary Francisco S. Tatad, Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr. and Secretary of Agrarian Reform Conrado Estrella.
After the presentation ceremony, the President received four visiting members of the House of Representatives of Japan, who paid their respects following their arrival enroute home from the capitals of Southeast Asian countries.
Headed by Kichiro Tazawa, the group included Saburo Eda, Michio Furukawa and Akira Ueda.
In receiving the Japanese solons, the President expressed gratitude to the Japanese government and people for the generous donations extended to typhoon and flood victims, and the loans extended by the Japanese government for economic development projects, such as the project and commodity loans, and the rice purchases on deferred payment terms at low rates of interest.
The President requested the Japanese lawmakers to extend the appreciation and gratitude of the Filipino people to the Japanese Prime Minister, and the government and people of Japan.
Tazawa expressed the hope that friendly relations between his country and the Philippines would continue to grow and pledged that he and his colleagues would exert their utmost towards this end, especially, he said, since “I am convinced that our friendship will enhance the peace and prosperity of Asia.”
In reply, the President expressed the hope that more Japanese parliamentarians and government officials, as well as tourist, would come to the Philippines where, contrary to the prevailing impression in Japan, they are always welcome.
[Constitutional Convention] ratify our acts and the people confirm it by plebiscite and return to constitutional processes; but that I needed at least one year and two months; that this would be legitimate exercise of my emergency powers under the constitution as clarified under the Habeas Corpus case by the Supreme Court last January; that we needed to cure the ills of our society by radical means (I mentioned national corruption, tax evasion, criminality, smuggling, lack of discipline, unequal opportunities) so we must keep our noses clean and submerge self-interest.
I asked for any objection to the plan and there was none except for the observation of Gen. Ramos that the closing of the media should be done by a civilian minister supported by the military, and Gen. Rancudo who wanted missions definitely assigned to each branch of service
Amb. [Henry] Byroade came to see me after the presentation of credentials by the new Malaysian ambassador.
He left me the Memorandum of Conversation of Marshall Green, Asst. Sec. of State, East Asian and Pacific Affairs and our Amb. Eduardo Romualdez.
I attach copies of the memo.
Then he explained that he kept White House informed weekly of developments here—and that the communist threat is increasing.
We talked of the parity decision, the Lusteveco [Luzon Stevedoring Corporation] decision as well as the other developments against the Americans. He claimed that the US senators had indicated a desire to dismantle the sugar quota.
I told him he might start something that would have no end; and that anyway the sugar industry was ready to lose the quota for the national welfare and sell our sugar in the world market.
I suggested that while we in the Philippines were talking of survival, the Americans were talking of property and profits. And we were not thinking on the same plane.
He said he had heard from other persons that I had said that I could not get through to the State Department. And I confirmed this.
So he explained his [he] reports direct to the White House.
Met the Japanese Parliamentary delegation, decorated with the Datu of the Order of Kalantiao (sic) [Sikatuna] the Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Quintin Jermy Gwyn.
And finalized the agreements with the governor and mayors of Isabela:
- Unified Command—Gen. Zagala comes back to run the PA.
- No evacuation of civilians but civic action.
- Mobile check points with policemen included.
- Training and arming of chosen policemen but Armed Forces men to be always with them.
- Punishment for treachery shall be immediate.
- Release of Calamity and Public Works Funds.