Skip to content

September 14, 1972, Thursday

11:50 PM

Sept. 14, 1972

Thursday

Malacañan Palace

Manila

After golf, at 9:00 at my room at Pangarap while taking breakfast, I told the SND, C of S, Major Service Commanders (Gen. Ramos, PC, Gen. Zagala, PA, Romando, PAF and Commodore Ruiz, PN) Gen. Ver and Gen. Paranis that I intend to declare martial law to liquidate the communist apparatus, reform our government and society, then have the Concon ratify our acts and the people can confirm it by plebiscite and return to constitutional processes; but that I needed at least one year and two months; that this would be a legitimate exercise of my emergency powers under the constitution as clarified by the Habeas Corpus case by the Supreme Court last January; that we need to cure the ills of our society by radical means (I mentioned corruption, tax evasion, criminality, smuggling, lack of discipline, unequal opportunities) so we must keep our moves clean and submerge self-interest.

I asked for any objection to the plan and there was none except for the observation of Gen. Ramos that the closing of the media should be done by a civilian minister supported by the military, and Gen. Gen. Rancudo who wanted missions definitely assigned to each branch of the service.

Amb. Byroade came to see me after the presentation of credentials by the new Malaysian ambassador.

He left me the Memorandum of Conversation of Marshall Green, Asst Sec of State, East Asian and Pacific Affairs and our Amb. Eduardo Romualdez.

I attach copies of the same.

Then he explained that he kept White House informed weekly of developments here — and that the communist threat was increasing.

We talked of the parity decision, the Lustovaco decision as well as the other developments against the Americans. He claimed that the US senators had indicated a desire to dismantle the sugar quota.

I told him he might start something that would have no end; and that anyway the sugar industry was ready to lose the quota for the national welfare and sell our sugar in the world market.

I suggested that while we in the Philippines were talking of survival, the Americans were talking of property and profits. And we were not thinking in the same plane.

He said he had heard from other persons that I had said I could not get through to the State Department and I confirmed this.

So he explained his reports direct to the White House.

Met the Japanese Parliamentary delegation decorated with the Datu of the Order of Kalantiao. The Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Quintin Jeremy Goyn.

And finalized the agreements with the governor and mayors of Isabela:

1. Unified Command — Gen. Zapala comes back to run the PA.

2. No evacuation of civilians but civic action

3. Mobile check points with policemen included

4. Training and arming of chosen policemen but Armed Forces was to be always with them.

5. Punishment for treachery shall be immediate.

6. Release of Calamity and Public Works Funds.