MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila
11:15 PM
January 29, 1971
Friday
Worked on the reconstruction, PACD, infrastructure and agricultural recovery program.
I had the secretary of finance, the secretary of public works, the commissioner of the budget, commissioner on Highways and the BOI chairman.
Am not contented with the listing of projects. There are delays in implementation -the PES has taken 3 months to act on the PJ (Phil. Japan Highway) program
So I have insisted on a PACD project in every barrio, a highway project in every province, 2,750 school buildings, hospitals and irrigation projects.
The agricultural program should include cooperatives. I have started an experimental cooperative farm of the Moshav type in Llavera, Nueva Ecija.
50,000 patents and titles will be given this year to small farmers by the Bureau of Lands.
The situation becomes more tense as the Pasang Masa of Atty. Lupino Lazaro announced that their strike has been postponed to Monday. Lazaro is apparently weakening.
This time we take a firmer stand and we arrest anyone harassing vehicles on the road instead of just driving them away.
Neither the oil companies nor the drivers are content with the provisional decision.
But now the greater number of our people are alienated by the drivers as the PCC grant what they have originally been after.
This afternoon, I asked Sec. Ponce Enrile and Gen. Yan to delay to July the taking in as enlisted men the 1,300 new men (trainees) for the 1st Inf. Div. (Tabak) but to extend their training to June 30th. Thus we save ₱3.2 million.
We will spend the money for the PACD.
And we prepare a dummy contingency plan where we mass the troops for Central Luzon instead of Manila – thus mislead the subversives who seem to have an inkling of the original IISMA plan.
I pointed out the deficiency of the Intelligence on penetration which must now be intensified. As well as the inadequacy of our efforts on psy-war.
We sent 500 guns to Isabela for the BSDU’s to be put up. The 10th BCT has been sent there and they have killed or apprehended subversives some of whom have given information which has led to the dismantling of the cadres set up by the NPA.
More and more, we feel that the CP and NPA will resort to sabotage and terrorism as in desperation they are outwitted and thwarted in every turn.
In Congress they are still complaining about the guards and military men set up in the premises. We have kept quiet and we do not reveal to them that we know some of them (Ninoy Aquino and Ramon Mitra Jr.) were in the know about the plot that was called off because of the strict screening of all persons entering the building and the House Session Hall – to hand grenade all the leaders there present (the Vice President, Senate Pres., Speaker, Chief Justice and me).
Neither have we revealed the fact that we caught a man with grenades. His companions sneaked away.
I have ordered the expediting of the oil exploration of the concessionaires. Oriental Oil asked for $2.4 million and the approval of its contract for drilling. I ordered Sec. Tanco to approve it today and Sec. Virata to have it approved on Tuesday so that they can meet their Feb. 10th deadline. Otherwise they lose their right to this only offshore drilling rig in the area of South East Asia left uncontracted for.
The drilling starts next March at the Palawan shelf.