Malacañang
Manila
Sunday
Veterans Memorial Hospital
January 18, 1970
The IMF consultative committee headed by Mr. Zavkar will recommend devaluation. We cannot accept this.
Osmeña filed a protest against me in the Presidential Electoral Commission yesterday. This will give us a chance to reveal what the Liberals did in the last elections.
Gov. Licaros of the Central Bank informs me that the IMF team is meeting them tomorrow at 10:00 AM. So the Fiscal Policy Committee will see me here at the hospital at 8:00 AM.
Amb. Addis of the United Kingdom is coming to bid goodbye at 10:00 AM.
The boys, Vincent Recto, Monching Cojuangco, Joe Campos, Danny Vasquez all report that there is still rampant smuggling and tong collection at the Customs and the BIR.
We will have to revamp the two offices or change the tax collection system. I have already authorized tax collection by the banks of some taxes.
An elite team of young idealists can check on the payment of taxes of all goods in stores.
In the export office, the subordinate personnel are still collecting or extorting money from exporters. We must stop this by catching some of them in the act.
The Manila Times has become completely vicious. There are three false stories in its front page today: the headline of an alleged arms smuggling syndicate, including a northern congressman and a Chinese millionaire, the alleged offer by me to Villareal of the Secretaryship of Defense to placate him on the speakership fight, and the alleged resignation en masse of the Phil. Sugar Institute because of my designating Floro Cruz.
So has Europa of the Evening News – the ungrateful cad. When he needed a job, he came begging. Now he is mean and carping.
So are almost all the columnists.
I intend to ignore these developments as usual and will turn to Television more and more.
So I intend to order a bulletin fortnightly where we can express our government position and a weekly or biweekly telecast by Bob Garcia on the same. We must keep a well-integrated indexed file of all government positions.
I will go to television with the Talkathon format on the eve of elections answering questions from the public in the audience or sent in by telephone.