11:15 PM
July 15, 1972
Saturday
Malacañan Palace
Manila
Met the Mayors of Ilocos Norte with the governor, congressman, treasurer and auditor.
Distributed about P8 million of their share of the excess of income tax which I have asked the BIR to allocate.
Will do the same for the other provinces.
Before that met with the Sec. of National Defense, Chief of Staff and major service commanders on the establishment of naval stations at Bicobian Bay, Casiguran and San Vicente, airfields close to them, finish the road from Ilagan to Palanan as well as the (not readable) logging rand from Maddela to south of Casiguran with the help of the loggers (had Sec. Taico in the conference as well as as Al Lim and Valeriano Briano whose logging concession includes Palanan and south Dagallorin River.
We have decided to organize a brigade from the 1st Regular Due (Tabak) to sweep the eastern part of Isabela to capture the estimated 400 NPA’s who are up to now concealed interest.
The boys that assaulted the 1st camp had to rest and the weather was foul.
Manila Times and Daily Mirror, Chronicle and ABS-CBN are belittling the Armed Forces as usual as well as the achievement of the discovery of the smuggling of firearms.
I announced today that the conspiracy for subversions, insurgency and rebellion is more alarming than we originally imagined. And we are reassessing the contingency plans of the military.
This will probably be given a big play tomorrow.
Although I did say that there is no reason for hysteria or panic become the Armed Forces can handle the situation.
In accordance with the decision this noon Task Force Palanan has been organized.
I attach copy of instructions.
The media, specially the newspapers, have forfeited their right to freedom of the press. They have abused it to the point where they actually seek to falsify news.
The prime example is the “karagatan” case and the fighting in Palawan.
There must be some way to prevent those irresponsible advocates of not press freedom but press tyranny from weakening the state and the democracy that gives them the liberty that their friends, the communists, seek to destroy.
Chino Roces, Juan Mercado, Doronilla Granada, the ABS-CBN TV-Radio group, Renato Constantino, even the Bulletin and the Herald are guilty of this abuse.
Our informants tell us that they have met and agreed to belittle the communist gun – running and the NPA training camp in Diguyo.
I have a clear conscience in fighting them.