MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila
10:00 PM
January 30, 1971
Saturday
The cabinet meeting to which were invited the heads of offices and agencies came off very well.
We initiate the written criticism and checking of the conduct of public officials by citizens who visit their offices.
And the specific projects have been worked out: Housing – ₱300 million from the SSS and GSIS; the national electrification program – ₱600 million; the Naceda, Dept. of Labor program for mass employment in cottage industries; the land title distribution program (50,000 titles this year); land reform by cooperatives.
We agreed on the first priority – reform the bureaucracy specially at the points of contact with the people like licensing offices.
Not only courtesy but efficiency so as to give the people that the officials are their servants.
I have created a Presidential Performance Task Force headed by Executive Secretary Alex Melchor.
The cabinet meeting starting at 10:30 AM ended about 2:00 PM.
All the while the radical KM groups were demonstrating in front of Malacañan (about 1,000 only).
There has been no violence in the demonstrations this day which is supposed to be the anniversary of the Jan. 30, 1970 violent demonstrations when four died.
But more PC men are being fielded in Tarlac as the PA has become more active there. One BSDU unit apparently has been taken over by them and the two non- commissioned PC men supervisors murdered. There are more assasinations.
Commander Melody has submitted his first report that the CPP has had a reorganization. Sison is still head, No. 2 is Nilo Tayag, No. 3 is Lt. Victor Corpus who takes the place of Arthur Garcia, deceased. Dante retains his command of the NPA.
A report has just come in from Metrocom that some KM are in Tondo and Malabon planning to come up the Pasig behind Malacañan and prepared to bomb the palace from that unprotected side.
But the patrol boats and security are prepared for them.
The City Mayors came to pledge their total and complete support for the Democratic Revolution.
The governors have done likewise.
The local officials are now enthusiastic and prepared to openly fight communism.
The Senate as usual is still wasting time on privilege speeches and threats of impeachment and overriding my
veto of the bill of automatic releases of the Congressional and Judicial appropriations.
And so with the newspapers. All news are slanted to criticize and denigrate me.
So we will have to activate our old propaganda machinery – audio-visual units, TV and radio programs and news-making for a purpose.
A master program should give to our men in the field our position on any current question.