At 6:00 in the morning, left Bañga for Midsayap as scheduled arriving there at 10:30 a.m. At 3:30, proceeded on to the presidencia of Midsayap to meet Commissioner Guingona who arrived with the provincial officials of Cotabato headed by Governor Pablo. After the usual greetings, the Commissioner informed me that the conference would start upon the arrival of Colonel Manuel Roxas, former Secretary of Finance. Commissioner Guingona confided that Sec. Roxas was the one who requested him to send a radio or to telegraph me requesting the conference at Midsayap, but that for military reasons he did not want his presence in Mindanao known by outsiders, At 4:30 p.m., Sec. Roxas arrived at the presidencia of Midsayap accompanied by General Vachon, Commander of the 101st Division, and Col. Thompson, the Chief of staff of General Sharp, the Commanding General of the Mindanao forces. 3 other American officers from Del Monte also came with the party. After the usual greetings and presentations, Sec. Roxas opened the meeting explaining the purpose of his trip to Mindanao.
He told his audience that upon the departure of President Quezon to Australia to join General MacArthur, the President delegated him to take charge of the affairs of the Commonwealth Government and also to act as liason officer between the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the U.S. and the Philippines and the Commonwealth Government. He briefly informed his audience, particularly the Commonwealth officials present, the message that President Quezon wanted to transmit to the people of the Mindanao, both those in the military and civil government. The main subject of his speech was his enjoining the officials and the civil population to cooperate fully with the military authorities in charge of the defense of Mindanao and to double their efforts in the increased production of foodstuffs.
The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m. General Vachon returned to his camp, while Roxas and the members of his party remained at Midsayap for the evening.
(Commissioner Guingona had made arrangements for Sec. Roxas and party to stop in the house of the Justice of the peace of Midsayap and I arranged to stay in the quarters of Captain Guballa.) After the adjournment of the meeting and after the departure of Gen. Vachon, Sec. Roxas took me to one corner of the building and has about 30 minutes talk with me. He told me that when he and the President arrived at Iligan, one of the first inquiry he made was “how is General Santos and how is the Koronadal Valley getting along?” and the President was very anxious to know how the settlers and the employees were faring. Further, he said it was President Quezon who instructed him to send me a radiogram through Commissioner Guingona authorizing my drawing an amount not exceeding ₱50,000 a month to cover salaries and wages of employees of the NLSA actually working and that the President had every confidence in the NLSA being an important factor in the production of foodstuffs not only for the Army but also for the people of the Visayas who are liable to run short of food before the year is over. The Secretary confidentially told me about some of the outstanding Filipinos who formerly held high executive, legislative and judicial positions in the Commonwealth Government who have turned around and espoused the cause of the Japanese “Co-prosperity Sphere Policy” in the Far East. He said that both President Quezon and Gen. MacArthur received reliable reports from secret agents, that were left in Manila when they evacuated to Corregidor, about the identities of these Filipinos whose acts since the Japanese occupied Manila are a clear betrayal of their country. According to Sec. Roxas, Gen. MacArthur was particularly very highly indignant of the conduct of 4 of these men and that Gen. MacArthur has promised to see to it that when the day of reckoning comes they will get what is due them. Sec. Roxas also praised, in glowing terms, the conduct of the Filipino officers and men in both Bataan and Corregidor. He said their courage and bravery under fire have made Gen. MacArthur and the ranking American officers remark that they are equal to the best soldiers in the world regardless of race. Sec. Roxas added that unless the food and ammunitions in Bataan and Corregidor run out he has every confidence that the Japanese will not succeed in capturing these two military posts.
When I arrived at Captain Guballa’s quarters, I inquired from the Captain whether the justice of the peace’s house had the necessary facilities to accommodate the visitors. Offhand he answered that he did not think the justice of the peace had enough beds and room for this men and he told me he was going to see Governor Pablo and Commissioner Guingona if they could not be prevailed upon to ask Sec. Roxas to come into Captain Guballa’s quarters instead. In a few minutes he returned with Sec. Roxas and the 4 American officers and their baggage. Sec. Roxas himself told me that the Captain was very kind to have saved them from what would have been quite an embarrassing situation. The visitors took their baths and afterwards went to the dinner in the house of the justice of the peace. Then they came back and Sec. Roxas and I had another half hour talk before retiring. From his talk with me and in the views he expressed I have come to the conclusion that the Secretary has grown in stature both as a politician and a statesman since I met him last before the war. He said that no matter what happens he will stick with General Wainwright in Corregidor and Bataan and that he is convinced that the American and Filipinos will in the end truimph if adequate reinforcement in arms and ammunitions are sent here, We talked on many other matters, Then we both went to sleep. I had a very restful night, one of the best I had since the war began.