Released the report of Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile of Sept. 8, 1972 wherein he reported that Sen. [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.] had met with Jose Maria Sison of the Communist Party and had talked about a link-up of the Liberal Party and the Communist Party.
I attach copy of the report.
Sen. [Gerardo] Roxas had written that they were not attending the meeting.
I attach copy of the letter.
So since I invited Sen. Pres. [Gil] Puyat, Speaker [Cornelio] Villareal, (Sen. [Jose] Roy did not come) Cong. [Nicanor] Yñiguez [Jr.] came I explained to the media which was covering us that when I invited ten leaders of the Liberal Party I had wanted a private conference where we could, as Filipinos and for the welfare of our people, agree that neither party (Nacionalista or Liberal) would “link-up” with the Communist Party but their refusal to attend indicated that the Liberals were in on the deal to “link-up”’ with the Communists through Sen. Aquino.
We also prepared affidavits of the NPA [New People’s Army] surrenderees and captured personnel implicating Sen. Aquino.
Official Gazette for September 19, 1972: THE PRESIDENT approved the revised rules of the Civil Service Commission implementing R.A. No. 6400, otherwise known as the Tolentino Act.
Prepared by the Civil Service Commission and endorsed by the Inter-Agency Committee to Malacañang, the new set of rules, among others:
1) Transfers from the CSC to the respective heads of departments, provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, the power to discipline their respective personnel.
2) Provides guidelines to the department heads, provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, for the holding of special examinations for specialized positions in their respective agencies.
3) Seeks to minimize abuses in the employment of casual workers.
4) Provides for the review of all provisional appointments with the view to converting meritorious cases to permanent appointments.
5) Grants vacation and sick leave privileges to part-time government workers.
Present at the signing of the new CSC rules and regulations were CSC Commissioner Fausto Varela, Presidents Tomas Cabrias of the Philippine Government Employees Association, Fernando Santico of the Confederation of Government Employees Organizations, Filemon Fernandez of the Government Lawyers Association, and Jesus Martinez of the City Judges Association, among others.
Following the signing of the CSC rules, the President received a 20-man delegation of the Philippine Midwifery Association headed by Miss Juana C. Reyes, president, who protested the nomination of Norma Balicante-Bautista to the Board of Examiners for Midwifery.
The President assured the delegation he would refer the matter to the Malacañang legal staff for study and resolution.
The President worked on state papers in the afternoon and early evening.
I also attach all these papers.
This morning the Defense Establishment through the Executive Committee of the National Security Council gave a briefing on OPLAN SAGITARRIUS.
This noon 1 talked to Mr. [Robert] Wales, Pres. of the American Chamber of Commerce on their problems of parity, the Lusteveco [Luzon Stevedoring Corporation] and retail trade cases.
Amended Civil Service Rules, signed.
Midwifery.
Delegate [Infante] Calaycay with mayor and councilors of Luna, Kalinga-Apayao.
The tension and apprehension are still high.
I had to state during this afternoon’s interview that:
- The link-up of the Liberal Party and the Communist Party would constitute a threat that we would have to assess in a new light
- The Communists have attempted to infiltrate the office of the SND [Secretary of National Defense] and the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines].
- The Communists have doubled their armed strength in the last six months.
“What is most striking in the political flurry of the last week before dictator- ship is that the majority of accusations being hurled were accurate. Aquino and the CPP charged Marcos with having the military and the PKP stage bombings throughout the city as a pretext for martial law. Marcos accused the CPP of smuggling arms from China, and working with Aquino, in conjunction with elements in the military, to plot the president’s ouster. The broad details articulated by both sides were true.” Scalice, 753.